Technical Boot Lock

[Mick F]

Now getting used to Baby Panda, and enjoying driving him.

The only bugbear is that you need a key to open the boot. Yes, the car has central locking, but why on Earth is the boot lock not included? Very annoying to have to turn off the engine to get out to open the boot.

Just say you're meeting your better half and they have some shopping to put in the back. You have to switch off, and hand them the key so they can open up. Yes, we have two keys, so it's not beyond thee wit of man to have a key each of course.

Is there any way of sort of disabling the lock on the boot, so you need to physically lock it rather than it auto-locking every time you close it?

 

[rmjbn1]

Strange, my car is the same as yours, 2004 1.2 Dynamic and the boot can be opened also with the remote key fob, and the handle release. I thought it was just the 1.1 Active that was key release only?

Do you have a remote fob with the boot button on it?
It needs to be pressed and held for 1-2 sec.
My boot release button had collapsed so I fitted some replacement buttons.
Also it needs to be out of the ignition to work, so might not help you that much...

The boot handle release is famous for failing - the microswitch inside gets covered in road muck and stops working. Removing the handle and giving it a good clean may help.
There's a good guide here: https://www.fiatforum.com/guides/how-to-remove-and-replace-electric-tailgate-handle.771/

I'm not sure the lock could be disabled. Turning the key pulls a rod to release the latch.

 

[Mick F]

Thanks for that.
Baby Panda doesn't have a fob, just a key. Actually, we have two of them.
Yes, 1.2 Dynamic, first registered in March 2004.

Our daughter bought the car brand new, and we only bought it from her a week or so ago. No doubt she got used the boot lock issue over the 19 years, but I find it highly annoying.

 

[koalar]

1.2 dynamic should open the hatch with the key central locking. I say should as Fiat often change specs

Where your fingers go under the boot lip made of black plastic

Try push and pulling it a bit


It often gets stuck stopping the micro switch from operating

 

[Mick F]

Good afternoon guys.
I'll have a check and a fiddle with the rear door maybe tomorrow.

Mrs Mick F has been in that car many many times over the years as a passenger, and been in for many many many miles, and she tells me that the boot lid lock has always been the same .............. to her knowledge.

Daughter lives a few miles from here, and I have a couple of questions to ask her, and the boot lock is one of them. May see her in the next week or so, but she and family are busy busy.

 

[koalar]

All dynamics I have see have had a remote boot hatch

Yours is very early one maybe it was a cost option then

We have had at least one dynamic without a remote boot hatch, can’t remember what year it was

All 1.1 actives I have seen haven’t had this feature

If there was never a remote key supplied with the car from new the odds swing in the direction of it never having this option

If it’s not there it’s not easy to add

 

[koalar]

Found it

@Yolanda 2004 dynamic no remote locking

Looks like it’s date related and didn’t become standard till around 2005

 

[Mick F]

Found it

@Yolanda 2004 dynamic no remote locking

Looks like it’s date related and didn’t become standard till around 2005

Good info. Well done for find it out.

 

[timmycm850]

Our 2005 April dynamic had boot release key fob but also the little pivot pin for our boot release did ceise up.

Alternatively do the chivalrous thing and get out of the car with the key and assist with the loading.

Tim

 

[DaveMcT]

Buy a later model boot lock and wire it into the central locking system or a remote push-button.

 

[koalar]

Buy a later model boot lock and wire it into the central locking system

Not 100% this will work

I haven’t tried that way round, but if you fit an active hatch to a dynamic the central locking will not work until every part is swapped over including the handle

This i have tried. I was in a hurry and left the active handle on and the central locking closes and opens immediately until I swapped this over.

 

[rmjbn1]

Ah, thanks @koalar, I hadn't realised remote central locking was an option on the early Dynamics.

@Mick F I think it might be worth taking the handle off for a clean anyway.
As I understand, if these wires are in place then it should in theory open from the boot handle... if you can persuade the microswitch to work...

TBH you're not much worse off than many of us with remote.
Despite cleaning the handle release microswitch on mine twice, it is still very temperamental.
I sometimes have to turn off and take the key out just to use the remote opening when the other half wants to get in the boot and the handle won't answer.

My MX5 boot only opens with the key, so I kind of got used to it. They had an option for a cable release and in my idle moments I sometimes ponder doing something similar for the Panda - but then I realise it'd be a right faff.

 

[DaveMcT]

Both of our Pandas have electric boot locks but neither of them work on the key fob. I've always though the button was redundant. I just open driver's door and the boot lock works (though on mine you have to push the handle with finger tips before pulling as it sticks). If it really matters, you could wire up a remote push button switch to release the boot lock from driver's seat.

 

[TagSouth]

You learn something new every day. For 13 years, I've thought that the boot lock button on my keyfob didn't do anything on a Panda. Instead, I hadn't been pressing it for long enough.

 

[porta]

Not 100% this will work

I haven’t tried that way round, but if you fit an active hatch to a dynamic the central locking will not work until every part is swapped over including the handle

This i have tried. I was in a hurry and left the active handle on and the central locking closes and opens immediately until I swapped this over.

In my experience, if it’s got central locking, you can change the handle as the wiring is there, tucked into the boot…
the daughters metallic green cross has a yellow rear hatch with the green handle on as I had to swap it out due to missus backing into a tree wehn it was mine…only change was the handle with microswitch
A friends panda had no ‘central locking’ on rear but I fit a motor onto catch…running wires from loom (B-pillar nearside) up into roof…do not be tempted to follow wiring through hatch, go down the opposite side using a an outer bike brake cable…it’s a pain in the arse, but by twiddling you can get the wires down and there’s even two convenient holes to mount one of those universal door motors

 

[rmjbn1]

You learn something new every day. For 13 years, I've thought that the boot lock button on my keyfob didn't do anything on a Panda. Instead, I hadn't been pressing it for long enough.

Heh - you're not alone! Someone on here told me that trick...

you could wire up a remote push button switch to release the boot lock from driver's seat.

I'd considered this, but didn't fancy trying to feed wires from the handle connector through the hatch and roof. Do you know anywhere more convenient to tap into the wiring for the release switch by any chance?

do not be tempted to follow wiring through hatch, go down the opposite side using a an outer bike brake cable…it’s a pain in the arse, but by twiddling you can get the wires down

Although that's an idea. Might try that. Thanks!

I know @portland_bill fitted an alternative release button in the handle: https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/rear-hatch-release-catch.496485/#post-4654062

 

[DaveMcT]

Wireless door switch?

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[Mick F]

It seems to me that there isn't any electric involved with the boot lock.

The key is inserted and turned, and the boot catch releases. You don't need to use the handle to lift the boot lid. Just grab the black unit above the numberplate or even the rear wiper, and the boot will lift. You can even pull it open with the key.

The lock seems mechanical, not electrical.
Acid test, is to disconnect the battery and try it, but that'll mean reprogramming the radio code and resetting the clock.

Mick.

 

[TagSouth]

I'm sure you can open the boot with the key. But I can't remember the last time I actually did it. There's definitely some electrical actuator in the boot lid. So if the car's unlocked, you can pull on the handle, something electrical operates, and the door can be pulled open.

 

[timmycm850]

It seems the early dynamics are manual opening and later ones have the electrics fitted.

Change over seems to be december2004/ Jan2005