Author Topic: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back  (Read 2637 times)

zeusmc

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Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« on: December 18, 2018, 07:54:12 PM »
I have a 2004 car, last year a woman behind me, when we were stationary, mixed up her clutch and accelerator and  ran into the back of the car. She admitted immediately that it was her fault and was all sorted out. Car has been written off, because cheaper than having dents taken out of boot. Anyway since then  ( a gradual process ) I have often have had to shut the boot quite firmly to get it to stay shut, almost sometimes slamming it shut.

Now the boot won't open, all the other doors open and unlock with the key fob. I've had a look in the manual and have an idea of what might be wrong. That said I'd like the advice of anyone who has  experienced this themselves and how they solved the problem?
Cheers.

culzean

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2018, 09:00:31 PM »
The problem with tailgate not unlocking happens to Jazz anyway, whether you have had a shunt or not.

https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=9196.msg48906#msg48906

Basic message is that the plastic flap above number plate that you pull to open tailgate can get rusted into its bracket and the spring is not strong enough to pull flap back to its fully forward position that it needs to be in for solenoid to work to unlock and lock properly.  You will need to squirt some lubricant on hinge bracket each side of flap where the hinges are and give the flap a good working to free it up, then push flap fully forward towards tailgate and lock and unlock the doors, the flap mechanism will only engage with lock when it is fully forward ( the spring is supposed to push it to that position when you release it, it is its 'home' position ).
« Last Edit: December 18, 2018, 09:08:47 PM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2018, 09:29:23 PM »
Ah OK, thanks for replying. " plastic flap above number plate " I did read about that but my Honda Jazz doesn't have a plastic flap above the number plate, to fix or adjust. I remember looking for the flap but couldn't see one. However I'll double check in the morning light. My Jazz has 150,000 on the clock and is still going like a tank:) Last mot a month or so ago no problems at all...... only one thing..... the ABS light not showing, as you probably know, the regs have tightened up, so had to have the module repaired and another mot...... almost £500.
Cheers 

culzean

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2018, 08:47:39 AM »
Ah OK, thanks for replying. " plastic flap above number plate " I did read about that but my Honda Jazz doesn't have a plastic flap above the number plate, to fix or adjust. I remember looking for the flap but couldn't see one. However I'll double check in the morning light. My Jazz has 150,000 on the clock and is still going like a tank:) Last mot a month or so ago no problems at all...... only one thing..... the ABS light not showing, as you probably know, the regs have tightened up, so had to have the module repaired and another mot...... almost £500.
Cheers

Every MK1 ( and MK2 ) Jazz made has a plastic flap  / lever above number plate - it is in same place where the number plate lights live ( covered by a plastic trim piece below rear windscreen and above number plate - otherwise how do you ever manage to open the tailgate ?
« Last Edit: December 19, 2018, 10:41:06 AM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2018, 10:09:18 AM »
Ah OK, think I'm getting warmer. I thought were talking about some square plastic, insert flap, that prized open.Sort of like a tow bar flap you prise off, open.
Attach photo of rear of car. What you  mean, is the boot handle, see red arrow on photo, under the read arrow, where the Honda logo is?

Before I posted on the forum I did look at my Haynes Jazz workshop manual 11:17. Under the tailgate section, talks about lock motor wiring plugs, lock switch wiring plug.

As I mentioned, having to gradually increase the force needed to shut the boot. I thought I might have dislodged one of these plugs. To check on this seems quite involved, time consuming, perhaps having to remove seats so can get to trim on tailgate inside of the car, removing trim etc. I didn't want to do that as might be quite involved and time consuming, only to find no plugs had come loose.

So to remedy the problem it is to do as you say? I know from my Beetle days and being a member of the local Beetle club, and the Beetle Haynes manual, there can be several variants. If I follow the Jazz Haynes manual I have, Honda Jazz 2002-2008, Haynes manual number 4735. Am I going to be OK following the manual to remove interior trim etc or am I going to find some surprises in the layout in the manual, compared to the actual inside of the car?
Cheers for the help  much appreciated :)
Peter.


« Last Edit: December 19, 2018, 10:13:47 AM by zeusmc »

culzean

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2018, 10:52:53 AM »
Yes,  it is the little hidden handle / flap / lever that you normally use to open the tailgate.

If you hook your fingers under the plastic trim right under H ( honda badge) you will feel the lever / flap - it should be in its fully forward position and there is a spring to return it to correct position,  you pull it towards you to release the tailgate and there is a good change that when you release the lever it will not return to its fully forward position ( you can soon tell because when you try to push it towards the tailgate in the direction of front of car it will move  this is because it was stuck somewhere between fully back and fully forward by rust on the bracket that holds it ) unless it is in its fully forward position it will not engage with the lock-unlock mechanism properly,  and although you can still pull it backwards as if you were wanting to open the tailgate it is just free to move on its own without properly operating the lock.

When you have sprayed some lubricant on the little hinge at either side ( it helps if tailgate is half open in a horizontal position ) you need to work the flap backwards and forwards quite a few time until it can freely move back to the fully forward position on its own, assisted just by its own spring.

The Haynes manuals are of necessity a bit generic but as far as I am aware there is no reason honda would change anything during the 6 year run of GD Jazz,  especially in the central locking department.  I know VW are bit of a nightmare with getting parts,  as my brother found out when he wanted a simple brake pedal switch for his VW ( it was faulty and affecting his cruise control) took him ages and several tries to get correct one - his local dealers were clueless in the end an independent garage got the correct one for him - he will be going back to Jap cars for his next purchase ( he is also surprised how complicated things can be on German cars but the Japs manage to make things simple, as well as far more reliable ).
« Last Edit: December 19, 2018, 11:27:03 AM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2018, 03:40:10 PM »
" little hidden handle / flap / lever  " Yes I can pull it forward as one does normally to open the boot. If I let go the handle springs back to its original position. There is no play when pull handle forward, can't rock it back and forth.
In manual, 11:29, tailgate trim panels, 55...... open the tailgate.
I can get the top of trim loose but bottom no joy, the luggage area trim has been removed and not replaced at some stage.
See photos. The boot compartment is a bit of a state as I used to go out wooding for the woodburner. Sawing up dry logs I scavenged and slung into the boot. Probably is the reason why the rear windscreen demister dosn't work now. I've looked in the manual for checking fuse for that, might be fuse rather than damaged the wires on the screen with logs. Is on the to do list.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2018, 03:42:31 PM by zeusmc »

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2018, 08:28:12 PM »
I found this, 2004 honda jazz tailgate will not open. How do I access the locking mechanism?

" This is a very common problem on the Jazz, its usually not a faulty part as such, its caused by the handle being left in a half open position, the handle on the boot lid seizes and is being held slightly open, this prevents the central locking from unlocking it.
First you need to get into the boot, you will need to lock the car with all the doors shut then push the boot lid handle firmly back (the opposite way to what you would do to open the boot) then unlock the car with the button/key ... the boot should now open as normal. To fix this, you will need to spray WD40 on to each side of the handle where it pivots and work it back and forth, it can take a bit of time working it to get it to free up, keep spraying it with oil until its free enough to spring back by its self and operate as normal, once it is spray a bit of grease up there to prevent it happening again. Its caused by the handle not springing back due to corrosion on the pivot. "
I should be able to open the boot now and remove the trim and remedy the problem.
I'll update how I get on.

culzean

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2018, 09:25:32 AM »
I found this, 2004 honda jazz tailgate will not open. How do I access the locking mechanism?

" This is a very common problem on the Jazz, its usually not a faulty part as such, its caused by the handle being left in a half open position, the handle on the boot lid seizes and is being held slightly open, this prevents the central locking from unlocking it.
First you need to get into the boot, you will need to lock the car with all the doors shut then push the boot lid handle firmly back (the opposite way to what you would do to open the boot) then unlock the car with the button/key ... the boot should now open as normal. To fix this, you will need to spray WD40 on to each side of the handle where it pivots and work it back and forth, it can take a bit of time working it to get it to free up, keep spraying it with oil until its free enough to spring back by its self and operate as normal, once it is spray a bit of grease up there to prevent it happening again. Its caused by the handle not springing back due to corrosion on the pivot. "
I should be able to open the boot now and remove the trim and remedy the problem.
I'll update how I get on.

There is a rubber bung inside the tailgate ( about 25mm diameter about in the lower centre ) levering this off exposes a metal lever - but I have to tell you I faffed around with that lever for ever in every conceivable position and it made no difference,  still could not open the tailgate -  I eventually found that the plastic lever outside the tailgate ( as we already discussed ) was the only thing I found that made a difference - some confusion in the bit you quote because the bit that rusts up is outside the tailgate nothing to do with the one inside and the outside lever not returning fully to its home position means the tailgate latch does not connect properly to central locking and will just move when you pull it but because it is not connected to the bits it should be  no amount of pulling and pushing or flicking the lever inside the tailgate makes any difference.   The outside lever has to be really fully forward ( and a couple of mm makes all the difference ) then you have to lock and unlock the central locking and it should work - if that does not work then it is something in central locking - but working sometime but not others is a classic symptom of the rusted bracket ....
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2018, 07:58:06 PM »
" The outside lever has to be really fully forward " You mean, lever it somehow as fully forward as I can in the direction of the front of the car. I have a penetrating oil spray, I assume a few generous squirts of that and leave overnight or  a few hours before trying to push handle fully forward?
Cheers.

culzean

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2018, 01:00:16 PM »
" The outside lever has to be really fully forward " You mean, lever it somehow as fully forward as I can in the direction of the front of the car. I have a penetrating oil spray, I assume a few generous squirts of that and leave overnight or  a few hours before trying to push handle fully forward?
Cheers.

The hinge pivots are either side of the outside lever, which is about 40 to 50mm wide,  you really need to get the spray on the hinge pivot where the plastic sits inside the metal bracket.  Yes you need to make sure the plastic lever is fully forward towards the front of the car ( this is the position the spring normally returns it to ) and then lock and unlock the car with the key fob buttons, this engages the central locking mechanism with the plastic lever mechanism and opens the tailgate when you pull the lever.


Just F Y I

The rubber bung sits on the inside of the tailgate ( on the door part) about 6 inches up from bottom of door in the centre,  where you would expect the door lock to be.  This will let you access the metal lever for unlocking the tailgate from inside but as I said unless that bit is damaged or bent it normally does not affect the locking and unlocking of the tailgate...
« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 01:08:28 PM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2018, 06:36:34 PM »
"  Yes you need to make sure the plastic lever is fully forward towards the front of the car ( this is the position the spring normally returns it to ) and then lock and unlock the car with the key fob buttons, this engages the central locking mechanism with the plastic lever mechanism and opens the tailgate when you pull the lever. "

Yes I did this this morning before I went out and the boot opened up no problem. I'll spray some penetration oil or is WD 40 spray just as good? When I've sprayed I'll let the forum know how I got on. As I can get the boot fully up now, does that mean the oil can be more easily targeted where it needs to get to?
Cheers.

zeusmc

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Re: Boot won't Unlock After Someone Ran Into Back
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2018, 05:06:12 PM »
I squirted loads of WD 40 on inside and outside of hinge, from inside and outside of boot. Then opened and closed several times. Seems to have worked a treat, thanks and a happy New Year to you.

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