[tharptroy]

Thanks to the OP for finding this solution. Here are some photos for the next poor SOB.

worked exactly as described.

I first attempted to fish the Emergency release cable from the trunk grab handle but could not find the cable.

[autoart]

fyi-I did this with a 6volt battery and it worked for me too

[Wilt]

Originally Posted by tharptroy

Thanks to the OP for finding this solution. Here are some photos for the next poor SOB.

worked exactly as described.

I first attempted to fish the Emergency release cable from the trunk grab handle but could not find the cable.

I know what the procedure generally is, but even then I still find it impossible to figure out what each photo is illustrating! How about some captions, or a separate post with 'Photo1 shows....', 'Photo2 shows...', etc.

[ppiazza9]

Great advice and posts for you savvy electricans. For those of us electrically illiterate however, you can try this. I don't have a external trunk key or ski pass through, and my battery was completely removed, so I couldn't jump it. I took the arm rest in the back seat out with the plastic tub behind it...cut a 2.5 inch hole in the plastic trunk liner and fished a galvanized conduit pole (I put a 90 deg hook bend on it) and pulled the emer release inside. The cable took very little tension to release but I couldn't hear it, so I probably pulled harder than I needed to and stretched the cable a bit. After getting it open I just taped the circle I cut out right back in place, so you can't see it and if I ever pull that bone head move again, I won't be stuck. Hope this helps

[CEZ81]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

It was a major PITA, but I was finally able to get my trunk open after finding this thread and following the original instructions. The follow up pictures helped a lot too so that I was sure I was looking at the right stuff.

What in the actual #$% was BMW thinking? Battery in trunk but no exterior manual release to open the trunk? wow..

Anyway, thank you again. It saved me a lot of $$ and more hassles not having to have someone else figure this out for me.

[Nitrousbird]

Is this an E90 thing?

I've opened up my E92's trunk several times with the key when I had the battery disconnected. Not an issue at all.

[ctuna]

They stopped putting a keyhole on the trunk at some model
year.
Read everything in entry 4 of this thread.

[dustwynn]

Originally Posted by Blorax

If you're reading this, you are probably stuck like I was stuck - hopefully not as bad. If you're lucky, you didn't completely remove your battery and close the trunk. If you're lucky, you have one of the features which will allow you to get access to your trunk. If you're not lucky - I feel your pain.

Here are the solutions that I found from searching.

1) 2008 models and before actually have key lock on the trunk - it's hidden above the license frame. This would have been great, but I have a 2009, so I don't have one.

2) Some models have a trunk pass through which would allow access through which you could pull the manual release within the trunk using a coat hangar or something. My doesn't. (I also spent some time trying to remove the seat backs, but I don't think I could have gotten them out without breaking something because the latches held them in place so securely.)

3) You can apply power to the car from the engine area -there's a big red + and a ground point nearby. Once power is on the car just push the trunk release in the driver's footwell. This is almost certain to work for most everyone. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that the battery was completely removed and the cable were lying loose. That was strike three - I felt like I was out.

4) The only solution that worked for me was to run down the wiring diagrams and locate the "central locking drive, trunk lid" that's the solonoid that actually releases the trunk. Most of the effort was getting the information - the job itself was actually pretty easy. Here it is:

a) Take out the two torx screws just below the glovebox on the left and right to remove the panel below the glovebox. Disconnect the power socket and the light which are attached to the panel.

b) Below the fusebox there is a big flat horizontal junction box (Junction Box A4010). You can spot it easily because there are two big connectors going into it facing you. There is a flat wide connector plugging into the BACKSIDE of this same junction box. There are about a dozen small wires going into it and one big brown ground. This is the one you need to get to. (Connector X14270) Ideally, you'd want to disconnect this, but I could not manage to get it out from that position.

c) Identify the small wire which is gray with a stripe of green (it looks mostly gray). If you get the connector out, this is pin 12. It's the only grey/green wire in the bunch though.

d) You need to very briefly apply 12 volts to this lead to pop the trunk. I did it the ugly way - I very carefully razored off some of the insulation to expose it. Then I just attached some leads to my new battery. I stuck the ground lead into brown wire connector for the power socket I had disconnected when I removed the glove box panel. Then I just brushed the positive lead against the exposed pin 12 wire. The trunk popped instantly.


Now that I know what to do, I'll bet I could do this in 10 minutes. It's really just two screws to remove the pane and knowing which wire to power. I hope no one ends up in such a stupid situation, but if they do I hope this helps.

Here are some pics that I took while I followed these instructions. It WORKS!


On the left this is where you connect the ground to the brown wire. On the right is where you will find that grey wire with green stripe.


Here are the wires you will need to look for the grey with green stripe.


Strip a lil covering off that wire just touch the positive for a couple seconds and POP!

[charlie fairmont]

You can also pop the release button out with a credit card. With that loose/hanging, you can look in the hole and see the truck release wire (although just barely). Snag with a coat hanger, pull firmly and it's open. No electrical skills needed.

[hassmaschine]

I take my key out and unlock it. Pre-LCI FTW.

[AndyW]

Originally Posted by Hey Ant

There is a key hole near the top of the license plate to open your trunk manually. When you find it, insert your key in and twist really hard. It may feel like you're breaking your key, but you're not.

Thx so much for this! I was about to pull my hair out after I disconnected the battery to replace injectors and then stupidly shut the trunk lid (realizing what I had done when the trunk lid was in motion). Mine is a 2008 E93...manual key FTW!

[lichtgelb]

So.....this really isn't that big of a deal. All you need to do is pop the hood and put a battery charger on the jump post up near the engine cowl. It's on the passenger side and has a red cover. There's a ground post nearby on the fender rail.

[walmark]

Originally Posted by lichtgelb

So.....this really isn't that big of a deal. All you need to do is pop the hood and put a battery charger on the jump post up near the engine cowl. It's on the passenger side and has a red cover. There's a ground post nearby on the fender rail.

... unless your battery (in the trunk) is disconnected and the circuit is open...

[Unknown_Car]

My 09 335xi has a key hole on the trunk but my 2010 335i dosent, if you csnt get it opened put a jump pack to the positive and negative under the hood and open the trunk by pressing the trunk button.

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by walmark

... unless your battery (in the trunk) is disconnected and the circuit is open...

Still works with the battery disconnected. I've done this more than once.

[scottn2retro]

Thanks for the write-up. We may be in the same situation. We got an M4 from a salvage auction yard. When we looked at the car, it had power.

When the car got forklifted onto a flat bed and brought home, nothing. No power at all and we can't seem to jump start it to get any power at all. I have a sneaking suspicion that before we got the car, the very expensive Lithium Ion battery 'walked away'.

We'll try to use this method to get the trunk open and see what's up.

[scottn2retro]

Originally Posted by lichtgelb

Still works with the battery disconnected. I've done this more than once.

Just the ground disconnected or both terminals? I have a theory that the hot terminal of the battery needs to be connected to complete the circuit for the under hood charging terminal because it is probably diode isolated or something to that affect. I believe the path is from the hood jump terminal back to the battery and then from the battery to the car.

So if just the negative terminal of the battery is disconnected, I believe the under hood jumping terminals should work.

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

Just the ground disconnected or both terminals? I have a theory that the hot terminal of the battery needs to be connected to complete the circuit for the under hood charging terminal because it is probably diode isolated or something to that affect. I believe the path is from the hood jump terminal back to the battery and then from the battery to the car.

So if just the negative terminal of the battery is disconnected, I believe the under hood jumping terminals should work.

I had my battery completely disconnected for weeks. I bought an E90 at a salvage auction and left both terminals disconnected while I was rebuilding the front end. I powered up the car several times with just a battery charger on the jumper terminals.

I saw you bought at M4 at auction. It probably had the BST pop which would disconnect the positive cable from the battery terminal that runs up to the engine bay. When you looked at it on the lot the battery probably had enough power to run the accessories but since ran down. There's a separate positive wire coming off the battery terminal to run the accessories in the even the BST pops. That accessory wire is indeed isolated from the under hood terminal so if the battery ran down all the way you may have to remove the rear seats to find a way into the trunk.

[scottn2retro]

Originally Posted by lichtgelb

I had my battery completely disconnected for weeks. I bought an E90 at a salvage auction and left both terminals disconnected while I was rebuilding the front end. I powered up the car several times with just a battery charger on the jumper terminals.

I saw you bought at M4 at auction. It probably had the BST pop which would disconnect the positive cable from the battery terminal that runs up to the engine bay. When you looked at it on the lot the battery probably had enough power to run the accessories but since ran down. There's a separate positive wire coming off the battery terminal to run the accessories in the even the BST pops. That accessory wire is indeed isolated from the under hood terminal so if the battery ran down all the way you may have to remove the rear seats to find a way into the trunk.

I believe you may be right. I've picked up a BST as well from Crevier parts. It just had me puzzled how the car could have had some power if that was popped.

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

I believe you may be right. I've picked up a BST as well from Crevier parts. It just had me puzzled how the car could have had some power if that was popped.

Did you find an M4 that wasn't totally trashed? Every time I see an M car on copart.com it's so thoroughly trashed but the ///M tax is still in effect. My theory is people trash these cars when they get away from them and they end up in a ditch or wrapped around a pole.

[scottn2retro]

Originally Posted by lichtgelb

Did you find an M4 that wasn't totally trashed? Every time I see an M car on copart.com it's so thoroughly trashed but the ///M tax is still in effect. My theory is people trash these cars when they get away from them and they end up in a ditch or wrapped around a pole.

It's really hard to go through the auction process. First rule - never buy a car you can't check out in person. One problem is a car you think may be a good candidate may be on the site, but not be up for auction for months. Another problem is a lot of those sites like Copart and eRepairables make it sound easy and that you don't need a dealer's license - and you don't to pay them the $200 membership fee - but then you find out to bid to any actual decent cars you do need to be a dealership. With one exception:
SalvageBid.com - they act as the dealer for you, fees are reasonable and you can even join and buy 1 car without paying a membership fee.

Another problem for the auction process if you are trying to make a street legal car is the whole air bag industry issue. I saw one M4 with no air bags deployed (how that car got a salvage title is another ethical matter) that was being bid up into the high 40's BEFORE auction fees (which would have taken it over $50k) and still did not meet seller's reserve.

We got very lucky (I cashed in all my good Karma on that one). Pretty much damage just to the right front suspension and fender:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124397...eat=directlink

It had actually been bought at auction before we were ready, but the buyer must have fallen through, insurance company got the deposit and re-listed it with a buy it now price that we evaluated it at when we looked at the car. We liked it and bought it at the $33K (plus auction fees) Buy It Now price.

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by scottn2retro

It's really hard to go through the auction process. First rule - never buy a car you can't check out in person. One problem is a car you think may be a good candidate may be on the site, but not be up for auction for months. Another problem is a lot of those sites like Copart and eRepairables make it sound easy and that you don't need a dealer's license - and you don't to pay them the $200 membership fee - but then you find out to bid to any actual decent cars you do need to be a dealership. With one exception:
SalvageBid.com - they act as the dealer for you, fees are reasonable and you can even join and buy 1 car without paying a membership fee.

Another problem for the auction process if you are trying to make a street legal car is the whole air bag industry issue. I saw one M4 with no air bags deployed (how that car got a salvage title is another ethical matter) that was being bid up into the high 40's BEFORE auction fees (which would have taken it over $50k) and still did not meet seller's reserve.

We got very lucky (I cashed in all my good Karma on that one). Pretty much damage just to the right front suspension and fender:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1124397...eat=directlink

It had actually been bought at auction before we were ready, but the buyer must have fallen through, insurance company got the deposit and re-listed it with a buy it now price that we evaluated it at when we looked at the car. We liked it and bought it at the $33K (plus auction fees) Buy It Now price.

I've bought two vehicles at copart now. My E90 and a 2008 F150 that I'm about to get on the road next week. Fortunately, in my state I can buy salvage and clean titles without a dealer license as long as they are for personal use.

I think you did good on the M4. I've seen a lot of BMW's with that same damage profile and I would have bought that one in a heartbeat if it were in my budget.