Trunk lock broke - how to open the trunk?

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SlantedMark4

SlantedMark4

'74 Valiant 225 /6
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My trunk lock didn't open properly for months, but now it's completely gone. I can turn the key but there's no indication about the lock mechanism stuff turning aswell; there's no resistance. I've read it's possible to open the trunk from the inside. My problem is, my car, 1974 Plymouth Valiant 4 door sedan, has a bench in the back. I have no idea how to remove the bench. Is there another option to go in, like from the license plate light?
 
You can remove the back seat then with a long extension on your 3/8” or 1/4” you can unbolt the latch for your trunk lid, sometimes you can use a long flat blade screwdriver and insert it in the latch and get it to release.
 
SlantedMark4 said:
My trunk lock didn't open properly for months, but now it's completely gone. I can turn the key but there's no indication about the lock mechanism stuff turning aswell; there's no resistance. I've read it's possible to open the trunk from the inside. My problem is, my car, 1974 Plymouth Valiant 4 door sedan, has a bench in the back. I have no idea how to remove the bench. Is there another option to go in, like from the license plate light?
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The bottom section of the seat is held by two hooks, one on either side, push the seat toward the back of the car and lift up. It will likely take a pretty good effort to push it back far enough, may even need a helper. Do one side at a time. The backrest section is typically attached with a bolt on each side, once you have removed the bolts, lift the seat back straight up to get it off of the hooks, then it will come out. There's usually a cardboard divider behind the seat backrest, remove that and you can access the lock mechanism with a long extension, as noted above. IIRC the bolts are 7/16 or 1/2.
 
Exactly that....and as in my case hopefully you can squeeze in there. It was tight for me, but I eat a lot of Twinkies. Anyhow, you can use a long flat screwdriver and insert it where the locking rod goes into the latch and turn. Good luck!
 
Have you tried squirting mass amounts of any type of liquid wrench or facsimile thereof into the lock assembly ?
 
Removing the rear seat bottom takes a certain "timed sequence of motions".
Get the timing or the motions wrong and it won't release.
I've found a slight downward push right before shifting the effort to forcefully pushing back toward the trunk, and then finally lifting after the bars on the seat clear the hooks on the floor- is what works for me.
 
I use my foot and a pad with my back against the door jamb for the seat bottom. Push in and then upward a bit. Remove.
Un-bolt the seat back. Remove.

Peen the end of a rod length into a screwdriver type flat on one end and bend a short 90° on the other. Grab a flashlight and play hit the slot a couple minutes. Once in the slot give it a twist in the right direction. Tadaaaaaa!
 
There are cars where you can't access the trunk latch through the back seat. (like cars with the gas tank right behind the seat) In that case, drilling out the trunk lock is an acceptable alternative. Same goes with a car that has the trunk stuffed with stuff to where you just can't get access to the latch bolts.
lemondana said:
It always makes me laugh when those shows drill or hammer the lock out, what morons!
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Okay my friends. Thank you very much for your messages! I've gone the difficult way and removed the bench. I was able to open the trunk from inside. I've read it is very common to "loose" the pin in the lock mechanism - same situation for me. The pin is lost, so this caused my lock to not open anymore. I think it's stupid to just buy a pin instead of a new lock.

Anyway, again, thank you guys for helping me! I might upload a step-by-step thread with pics on disassembly the rear bench if needed.
 
SlantedMark4 said:
Okay my friends. Thank you very much for your messages! I've gone the difficult way and removed the bench. I was able to open the trunk from inside. I've read it is very common to "loose" the pin in the lock mechanism - same situation for me. The pin is lost, so this caused my lock to not open anymore. I think it's stupid to just buy a pin instead of a new lock.

Anyway, again, thank you guys for helping me! I might upload a step-by-step thread with pics on disassembly the rear bench if needed.
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:thumbsup:
 
I understand. I've never had one with either of those two problems.
cudamark said:
There are cars where you can't access the trunk latch through the back seat. (like cars with the gas tank right behind the seat) In that case, drilling out the trunk lock is an acceptable alternative. Same goes with a car that has the trunk stuffed with stuff to where you just can't get access to the latch bolts.
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SlantedMark4 said:
Okay my friends. Thank you very much for your messages! I've gone the difficult way and removed the bench. I was able to open the trunk from inside. I've read it is very common to "loose" the pin in the lock mechanism - same situation for me. The pin is lost, so this caused my lock to not open anymore. I think it's stupid to just buy a pin instead of a new lock.

Anyway, again, thank you guys for helping me! I might upload a step-by-step thread with pics on disassembly the rear bench if needed.
Click to expand...
Glad you were able to get in the trunk and get it open. I figured I would wait until you finished to tell you that I had to do that once with a 69 Dodge Charger R/T that I dragged in. While I was crawled into the trunk and removing the lock, I felt something start crawling across my neck. I knew immediately what it was and thought it would never stop! When I got the lock removed and the trunk lid opened, over in the corner was an adult black snake around 4 feet long! It was just as scared of me as I had been of it when it crawled across my neck, so I got some gloves and got it out of the car. It lived nearby for maybe 5 years before a Hawk killed it.
 
JDMopar said:
Glad you were able to get in the trunk and get it open. I figured I would wait until you finished to tell you that I had to do that once with a 69 Dodge Charger R/T that I dragged in. While I was crawled into the trunk and removing the lock, I felt something start crawling across my neck. I knew immediately what it was and thought it would never stop! When I got the lock removed and the trunk lid opened, over in the corner was an adult black snake around 4 feet long! It was just as scared of me as I had been of it when it crawled across my neck, so I got some gloves and got it out of the car. It lived nearby for maybe 5 years before a Hawk killed it.
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Spiders, scorpions, snakes... the 3 "S"s I don't do! Ugh. Crawling in a trunk is akin to crawling under a house. Creepy!
 
JDMopar said:
Glad you were able to get in the trunk and get it open. I figured I would wait until you finished to tell you that I had to do that once with a 69 Dodge Charger R/T that I dragged in. While I was crawled into the trunk and removing the lock, I felt something start crawling across my neck. I knew immediately what it was and thought it would never stop! When I got the lock removed and the trunk lid opened, over in the corner was an adult black snake around 4 feet long! It was just as scared of me as I had been of it when it crawled across my neck, so I got some gloves and got it out of the car. It lived nearby for maybe 5 years before a Hawk killed it.
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Damn that is an absolute nightmare! Good to hear nothing bad happened. That's one of many reasons why I'm glad to live in central europe. We don't have those big boys here. The only danger noodles we know here are the adders.
 
Ricks70Duster340 said:
............Crawling in a trunk is akin to crawling under a house. Creepy!
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Lol, they do it in the movies all the time! :lol:

Then there's these...........
1692879358890.png
 
JDMopar said:
Glad you were able to get in the trunk and get it open. I figured I would wait until you finished to tell you that I had to do that once with a 69 Dodge Charger R/T that I dragged in. While I was crawled into the trunk and removing the lock, I felt something start crawling across my neck. I knew immediately what it was and thought it would never stop! When I got the lock removed and the trunk lid opened, over in the corner was an adult black snake around 4 feet long! It was just as scared of me as I had been of it when it crawled across my neck, so I got some gloves and got it out of the car. It lived nearby for maybe 5 years before a Hawk killed it.
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That’s a funny story,I would have had to change my underwear if that had happened to me. I’m glad you didn’t kill it . I don’t like snakes either and the ones I have trouble identifying around my house I usually just take them down the road and let them loose.
 
I often wondered why he stayed close by, but I was glad he did. He was death to poisonous snakes and mice. He was also hard on the birds by robbing eggs from their nests, but I just had to accept that as the circle of life. That was eventually his undoing, when a Hawk caught him too far up in a tree after bird eggs.
 
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