Jaguar Trunk Lockout

As a locksmith technician, I find that vehicles from different years and different manufacturers all have different kind of tricks to deal with when servicing them. For the average locksmith technician, automotive services is a significant part of the job. It is very difficult to learn all the different tricks and methods to do multiple services on different vehicles year make and model such as lockouts, ignition work, or making a key. Luckily, there are many manuals available to help the average locksmith technician to provide those services. However, what will happen if the answer a technician need will not be in the manual?

I remember few years ago I got a call from a customer who locked his keys inside the trunk of his 86 Jaguar XJ6. After doing a quick review in the manual regarding the best way to approach the problem, I came to determine that the best way would be to make a a new key. The problem with this old model was that it didn't have any trunk release to pop the trunk, and picking it was almost impossible. After closing with the customer regarding the possible solution and cost, I was heading his way.

Once I got to the customer's location, before going through the process of making a key, I tried picking the trunk lock, but without any success. Something just didn't feel right with the cylinder, but I figured it was because I was trying to pick it and not because it had an issue. I then started going through the process of disassembling the door lock in order to read the stamped code. After I had the code, I was able to cut the key. However, as I was trying to unlock the trunk lock, I felt something was loose which prevented me from unlocking the trunk.

Since using a key was the only possible way to unlock the trunk, I had to think outside the box to solve this one. I called a Spokane locksmith co worker of mine to see if he had any previous experience with that type of vehicle. According to him, there was another way to pop the trunk open which did not involve much for the process. What I needed to do was removing the license plate and remove the rubber strips that were separating between the plate and the bumper. Once they were off, I detected a hole that gave me a direct access with a long screwdriver to the trunk latch. After accessing the latch with the screw driver, I was able to unlock the trunk.