Technical Multipla boot lock - it's permanently locked!

smithtr · Jul 16, 2013

Thanks Spudd for your instructions. I took the lock switch out, metered the switch, it was not working. There is a metal U shaped bar that holds the switch together, this was stiff to remove but a bit of lubrication got it out. You can then remove the old microswitch.

I found a similar one on ebay for £3ish, (or try Maplins) soldered it to the wires and located it with a bit of silicon sealer (like you would use to seal a sink) making sure that the activation bar operates the switch. Leave it overnight for the sealant to set. Test it before it gets installed again.

Make sure you buy a switch with a decent 12v DC load (mine is 5A) and if it is a three pole switch you will need to make sure you use the common pole and the pole that closes when the switch is operated i.e. it makes a circuit.
Reassembled the switch assembly and the door, works a treat.

BikeDoc · Jul 18, 2013

Been thinking of doing that on mine, but then I thought, what's the point?
You have to go to the Hatch to open it anyway, so it's no big deal to just use the Key when you're there.
I realise the later ones don't have that option, there's 'progress' for you

Elegant frog · Feb 19, 2014

thanks Spudd for guidance on resolving the permanently locked tailgate, which is what has happened to my 06 Eleganza Multijet. Great to discover I could open the tailgate manually - the car came without an owners manual, so I had nothing to tell me about the lever until your explanation and someone's picture on the forum.
Spurred to action, I dismantled the tailgate down to wiring, but could find nothing amiss except some damp (why have a moulding with water seal on the lower side but not the upper side? ideal conditions to keep moisture in!). I resolved it (hopefully) with a strip of rubber window seal where the lower outer moulding butts up against the main tailgate moulding. Having WD40-ed the latch, I re-mantled and it all is working fine.

FishyMcFish · Nov 29, 2014

I had the same issue as ToffeeBoy59. The switch somehow disappeared up inside the plastic housing and could not be activated. This resulted in a garage refusing to MoT the car because they said that they needed to be able to open all five doors (from the outside) to perform the test. Not sure of the actual rules on that.

Anyway, I took off the the interior plastic, the outer (number plate) plastic piece, and unscrewed the two star screws securing the microswitch. I couldn't work out how to get the switch out once unbolted, until I realised that you then have to flip the piece back round and lever it out from the outside. The unit has a [-shaped piece of metal pushed through it, and it seems that the two ends should poke into the little holes in the outer casing (I think this may be where ToffeeBoy added his screws). The metal piece had slipped out sufficiently that the ends didn't meet the holes any more, and I think that's why it had moved. It all seems a little flimsy to be honest. I just pushed the metal piece fully into place and mated it with the two little holes. Then it all went back together and worked fine, although getting the rubber protector back on did drive me a little mad.

It's all working now, although it felt as though it shifted again earlier today, and I suspect I'll have to have it apart and find a way of securing it more permanently next time I have problems with it.

Anyway, I thought it was worth sharing my experience. If I do pull it apart again I'll take photos, which will hopefully make my vague explanation a little clearer.

Oletimer · Dec 10, 2014

Reading this post as I am having a problem with my boot lock...

I can operate the switch by the handbrake and there is a solenoid motor type of noise from the boot, which immediately re-runs, so the boot isn't unlocked.
Try again and sometimes it unlocks, mostly not! Use the key and all is ok.
Question:
Mine is operating but not staying unlocked - any ideas?
Cheers
George

doggybob · Feb 9, 2015

mines just packed up for the last couple of days i'd be driving and the boot would unlock then lock itself but now it's totally locked so it's a bit of an unexpected job for me to do today but from what i gather it's not a big job , rather than replace the switch i'll just clean it all first and take it from there and hopefully that'll do the trick.....maybe

doggybob · Feb 9, 2015

well what an easy job that was it took less than 30 minutes , a quick squirt of wd40 and a little bit of exterior silicon sealant round the rubber seal on the switch and job done , so far it's doing what it's supposed to i.e open

lancia8888 · Feb 10, 2015

I had this problem a short while ago. I work at a Vauxhall dealer and found an Insignia repair boot switch for £7.00 that does the same job!! It will sit inside the plastic frame of the switch. I will take some photos at the weekend to show you guys. I will try find the vx part number for you……. It is a rubberised sealed button….

doggybob · Feb 11, 2015

if you could get the part number that'd be handy because it's started to play up again cheers

lancia8888 · Feb 14, 2015

it's 13393912 £6.25 plus the vat. Take the switch apart, pull the rubber touch pad out and the switch "clips" into the oblong surround. Let me know how you get on…..

Engine Oil · Feb 21, 2015

Multipla 2008. Same problem - tailgate lock started to go through a few cycles of it's own and then became permanently locked. Had to do the gymnastic business to get to the lock from the inside. Checked for replacement micro-switch ££88.92 from Fiat dealer. But took the advice of Spudd and GreemBaa and stripped out the microswitch following their excellent instructions (no problems there). Pulled out the little metal bar on the switchbox and split opened the microswitch (the rubber lever bit was stuck and no movement at all). Muck in the whole works - cleaned, tapped out muck - used hair dryer to tidy up and dry. Back in - reverse dismantling instructions - and it works.

ahigguk · Oct 22, 2017

Microswitch is a custom build for fiat ( Burgess with no part number) the part from fiat is £60+. You can get a generic OMRON microswitch from Farnell d2hwbl203mr about £8.
The package is a bit slimmer and will need packing out between the two clips in the houseing. And the mounting pins are in the wrong place and may need cutting off. And it is cabled so will need splicing to the old loom/wiring plug.

ahigguk · Oct 24, 2017

Re: boot won't open on multipla OMRON D2HWBL302MR, sub-miniature, pin-plunger, SPDT-NO, wire leaded.

Just fitted this to mine.

Not as wide as the 'burgess' micro-switch (which is unavailable/ custon-for-fiat). Pack out the housing clip with a piece of zip tie as a shim. The locating posts on the back are in the wrong place-just cut them off, snap the housing together and it sits just fine. Splice the wires, solder and shrink. Re-assemble and it works. Total cost from Farnell £8.76 inc VAT and shipping. Boo ya!

Hellcat · Dec 23, 2017

Just cleaned the switch out on my '07 multi after the boot stopped opening. Great instructions in this thread by the way. Checked with a multi(pla?) meter and the switch is working fine, but still won't open. Any ideas where to look next? Something nice and easy like a fuse would be nice!

Hellcat · Jan 10, 2018

Correction!

The boot now opens at random, sometimes while driving, but never by the boot handle.

Anyone found any other issue points to check before I either give up and hand it to a garage, or take the back of the car apart?

ukjoe · Apr 29, 2021

lancia8888 said:
it's 13393912 £6.25 plus the vat. Take the switch apart, pull the rubber touch pad out and the switch "clips" into the oblong surround. Let me know how you get on…..

I decided to give this a try andit worked (at least did 10 mins ago!). The Vauxhall switch went in to the Fiat switch housing (having removed the switch bar). Bit of a tight fit but managed to get the metal pins over it to hold it in place.

Thanks a lot for this suggestion and well placed to have saved £50-80.

Mike Keogh · Jul 3, 2023

Hi, all!

I have had problems opening the boot on my 05/54 Multipla too. I could not find anything in FF until I googled it and this old string came up. Our lovely cars are growing older gracefully since and developing these problems more so hopefully this string is useful for others!

The Multipla was needed to help a friend move in to a flat and needed that boot working after weeks of proselytising! With no seats it (middle front folded flat and front left removed - fails the MOT if all are not in properly btw) it can accommodate a 4x8 5mm plywood sheet!

It was so difficult opening in the end that I think I actually broke my left index finger! It has swollen up rather a lot! I used a claw hammer in the end and that just dug into the mechanism and permanently f'd it up

Following your posts and dreading a part search and/or £65 relay, I dismantled the trim, found that lever (too tight for my small finger so a large flat screwdriver did the trick). Looking at the metalwork and the 'broken' external catch there seemed no way to get the catch from inside and there was an electrical lead which led to it, disappearing behind the metalwork. If that was broken internally I was done for!

I have no pull mechanism from the handbrake as some variants had. A removable plastic cover plate covers the hole where it would have been.

As the boot was up I could access the catch easier and see that it was significantly pushed in! I levered it out and reset the plastic catch (with a rubber seal, quite fiddly) in the housing. Still within the bodywork of the external catch was a (pressure sensitive?) plate which was quite insecure so I doubted it would be reassemblable. However on refitting the 'repaired' catch it seemed to hold.

I closed the boot and tried to open it and it worked!!! No dissembling, cleaning or regreasing at all. Hurrah! Maybe that plate activates the electrical relay and needs to be properly aligned. Somehow I had earlier skewed it, definitely when I used a claw hammer and it 'popped'.

I have left the trim off now just in case I need to flick the lever from within.

Good luck all with similar issues! Try this first!

Mike Keogh · Aug 2, 2023

Mike Keogh said:
Hi, all!

I have had problems opening the boot on my 05/54 Multipla too. I could not find anything in FF until I googled it and this old string came up. Our lovely cars are growing older gracefully since and developing these problems more so hopefully this string is useful for others!

The Multipla was needed to help a friend move in to a flat and needed that boot working after weeks of proselytising! With no seats it (middle front folded flat and front left removed - fails the MOT if all are not in properly btw) it can accommodate a 4x8 5mm plywood sheet!

It was so difficult opening in the end that I think I actually broke my left index finger! It has swollen up rather a lot! I used a claw hammer in the end and that just dug into the mechanism and permanently f'd it up

Following your posts and dreading a part search and/or £65 relay, I dismantled the trim, found that lever (too tight for my small finger so a large flat screwdriver did the trick). Looking at the metalwork and the 'broken' external catch there seemed no way to get the catch from inside and there was an electrical lead which led to it, disappearing behind the metalwork. If that was broken internally I was done for!

I have no pull mechanism from the handbrake as some variants had. A removable plastic cover plate covers the hole where it would have been.

As the boot was up I could access the catch easier and see that it was significantly pushed in! I levered it out and reset the plastic catch (with a rubber seal, quite fiddly) in the housing. Still within the bodywork of the external catch was a (pressure sensitive?) plate which was quite insecure so I doubted it would be reassemblable. However on refitting the 'repaired' catch it seemed to hold.

I closed the boot and tried to open it and it worked!!! No dissembling, cleaning or regreasing at all. Hurrah! Maybe that plate activates the electrical relay and needs to be properly aligned. Somehow I had earlier skewed it, definitely when I used a claw hammer and it 'popped'.

I have left the trim off now just in case I need to flick the lever from within.

Good luck all with similar issues! Try this first!

Update - my 'repair' failed so I dismantled bottom rear exterior panel (4 internal posi screws and 3 exterior torque bolts near reg plate) and then two smaller torque bolts removed to the rectangular microswitch assembly I prised out ths unit which had obviously sheared along one long edge. I cleaned the units up, the washer had perished and was irreplaceable so I tried waterproof silicone (messy and fiddly). After two attempts supergluing I eventually held it together with two very fine cable ties running through two sets of convenient through holes! After reassembly (fine cableties not a problem) it all works fine and hopefully will last!

Technical Multipla boot lock - it's permanently locked!

Currently reading: Technical Multipla boot lock - it's permanently locked!

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

zombie nation

zombie nation

Member

Attachments

Attachments

Similar threads

Currently reading:
Technical Multipla boot lock - it's permanently locked!