Just bought a 1998 323iC. trunk latch broke and won't open. Help?

[Thoragaverung]

So... I bought my first BMW today, a 1998 323iC. Drove 20 miles home on a 94 degree day and the A/C going, no overheating, everything drove out fine. EXCEPT:

When I got to the seller's place to look at the car, they had just finished messing around to get the trunk open so she could get her stuff out. It was open.

I bought the car and closed the trunk. It took a couple of bounces (not too hard) before it latched.

Now it won't open. When I unlock the whole car at the driver's door, I can hear the actuators running everyplace, including the trunk: I've tried it with the keyhole vertcal and horizontal, but no dice. I have also turned the key HARD counter-clockwise in the trunk keyhole itself, I can hear the actuator in there tapping away like a distant machine gun, but it won't open.

I am a little worried, I'm going to have to break into the trunk in some way. There is no cable release in the passenger compartment, right? There looks to be a pass-through for skis or whatever between the rear seats, but I could not get that to open. Do I need to drill a hole behind the license plate to monkey with something? That would suck.

Any guidance would be much appreciated, on my first day of BMW ownership.

thanks

[spyderg0d]

Push down on the right side of the tonue cover. Theres a micro switch that if not depressed keeps the trunk from unlatching in amy manner.
Its to keep the trunk from hitting the top during operation. This usually happens when the tension straps are too loose on that side or the switch lever has bent or worn.

[Thoragaverung]

Interesting! The automatic top does not work, either. Might that switch also be to blame?

[spyderg0d]

No..
the microswitch i mentioned is only there to prevent the trunk from opening when the top is normally in the process of opening or closing. Nothing else besides the key and latch or the central locking has anytjing to do with the lock.

[zellamay]

Keep trying. My wife's 94 325i had the same problem. It's happened a couple of times. It doesn't open many times, and then it opens. When you get it open, loosen the cover in the trunk lid and lubricate all those moving parts. You can google "bmw trunk latch ..." and see many posts on this. It's a common problem. Also, there are posts about drilling to get in, if it just never opens.

[gdavid]

Find the microswitch that spydrg0d referred you to, it needs to be depressed for the trunk to open. It is at the bottom of a cable actuated latch that locks the tonneau cover down, there is a latch on both sides of the car, but only the right side has this switch. If the "arm" of the latch can't rotate fully to the closed position, the switch isn't activated. These latches can get screwed up pretty easily if one side catches but the other side doesn't, the latch is bent, the cable tension is wrong or in my case the stamped metal assembly comes apart.

If the switch is damaged or the tonneau cover latched is jammed you will not be able to get the trunk open. If pushing down on the tonneau doesn't do the trick, you will have to release the cover manually but pulling the lever under the rear seat, lifting the cover and finding the switch on the right hand side to troubleshoot or jumper the switch. With the circuit completed, you should hear the lock open in the trunk. Carefully maneuver the tonneau cover and trunk so avoid them hitting each other (this is why there is an interlock in the first place) and now you have access to start your troubleshooting. The owner's manual has instructions for the manual release (which releases the motors) and getting everything back in sync.

[Thoragaverung]

This is all great input, and I thank you all.

I also saw a youtube video about pulling fuse 7, fiddling with the key, and then the trunk opening. What would be getting de-powered, such that the lock would be working?

[gdavid]

This is all great input, and I thank you all.

I also saw a youtube video about pulling fuse 7, fiddling with the key, and then the trunk opening. What would be getting de-powered, such that the lock would be working?

No idea but worth a try. When the interlock is released, you will here the trunk unlock, sounds just like an electric door lock and is easy to hear. Because most door locks are controlled by solenoids that require power to move in either direction, I doubt pulling a fuse would help but I don't see any harm in trying.

[Thoragaverung]

UPDATE

I didn't need to futz with the fuse in the end. I leaned a little on the tonneau cover right side and heard something go 'clunk' in the trunk. Voila, it opened.

Thanks for the help folks!