[Bean66]

Hi Guys

Got an 05 Streetwise with an electric boot release.

But currently got no battery to power than.

Now I know I could get a new battery and install that but all I want to do is get into the boot via the hatch, difficult to get a mountain bike out of the rear door, .

Now on my MG Ztt, also with an electric boot release, there was an internal emergency boot release lever.

Anything similar on the 25?

And out of interest if the electric release fails (it’s a 20 year old Rover so it will ) how do you get the boot open?

I attached a put cord to the release lever in the Ztt so I could easily get the hatch open even with no electrics without crawling in the boot.

Cheers Bean

[GTiJohn]

Sort of but first you have to get into the boot, which is awkward if the parcel shelf is still in place.

Assuming you can get the rear seats down (slide a hook down between the shelf and the seat backrest to release it, if needed) and then crawl into the boot.

Remove the plastic panel covering the lower part of the tailgate and you'll see the latch.

There is a small lever, on the LHS I think) which unlatches the lock.

The failure to unlock is usually either a failure within the tailgate harness (normally around the hinge) or inside the BCM (Body Control Module) behind the glovebox/heater, especially if there's any water ingress. There is a company that repairs these but I don't know who that it - somebody will though

[itcaptainslow]

Technozen Electronics in Brighton - if you Google him, you’ll find it.

[Bean66]

Cheers Guy's.

Sounds like i'll have to do the same as with the Ztt and attached a thin strap to the leverthats a bit easier to get to.

Know Technozen he did my fob allarm reprogram

Cheers

[220 GSi turbo]

On the late cars there is actually a manual release lever on the tailgate latch which you can operate using a small screwdriver, so you won't need to remove the tailgate trim panel. You will still need to get into the boot first, though. Depending on the size of your hand and arm, you may be able to get it down between the seat and the parcel shelf to operate the seat release latch, as one side of the parcel shelf has a small stepped section moulded in to it and I assume it was done for that reason.

If I get the chance on Sunday, I will take a couple of pics of the relevant parts on our Streetwise and upload them.

[GTiJohn]

On the late cars there is actually a manual release lever on the tailgate latch which you can operate using a small screwdriver, so you won't need to remove the tailgate trim panel.

I'd be drilling a small hole in mine, if I didn't have one already

[Evil C]

some people seem to be making an overly complicated (and difficult) job of this!!!

I posted this pic on a similar thread back in March, but it seems that nobody took any notice at the time

You need to lower the drivers side half of the rear seat back - then you will be able to prise up the pin near the end of the seat back (it is situated in the hole through the plastic trim near the offside end of the top of the seat back) possibly with a finger nail, or more likely (and easily) using a suitable small flat screwdriver. This will release the catch and allow the rear seat back to be lowered.

Once you have gained access to the loadspace area, you should be able to see the plastic surround around the tailgate catch - on the facelift cars there is a small cut-out on the upper edge of the plastic through which the catch can be manually tripped using a screwdriver to poke the mechanism:

[GTiJohn]

Have you got a pic of this please?

You need to lower the drivers side half of the rear seat back - then you will be able to prise up the pin near the end of the seat back (it is situated in the hole through the plastic trim near the offside end of the top of the seat back) possibly with a finger nail, or more likely (and easily) using a suitable small flat screwdriver. This will release the catch and allow the rear seat back to be lowered.

[Evil C]

Having re-read my previous post I have realised that after rewriting it and rewording it several times before posting, I had left the word 'then' in the second part of the first sentence which gives the completely erroneous impression that the seat back needs to be lowered before finding the pin I referred to. This is of course nonsense - the pin is on the top of the seat back and it is that that has to be raised to trip the catch and allow the seat back to be lowered forwards.

This is the seat latch release pin in question:

The whole procedure for accessing the loadspace in the event of failure of the tailgate remote release is detailed in the owners handbook, for those for whom the owners handbook is still present with the car.