Advice sought

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Check you insurance and recovery policies – you may be covered.

Neil

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

The bonnet release is a mechanical arrangement, on some cars if/when the release fails there are other ways of getting in, enough said.

[John FieldingParticipant @johnfielding34086]

I recall a similar problem with the Rover SD1 when it first came on the market. BL had to do a quick refit of all the delivered cars to install a mechanical door lock over-ride on the drivers door!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

If all else fails, a new door on ebay is as cheap as £30 if you can find one the right colour… then just make sure you cut the hole in the correct door to get at the lock linkages.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Robbo on 02/03/2016 09:12:58:

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 02/03/2016 05:22:45:

Just stick a brick through the front windscreen & claim a new one on the insurance policy

(Wind screen that is – not brick)

And pay the compulsory excess??

Edited By Robbo on 02/03/2016 09:14:39

Still the cheapest & quickest way out though. Would have been in the car & driving by now !!!!

Has anyone considered that the OP may not actually own the car but just wants to nick it?????

That would leave egg on the forums face I suspect

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Oh Sam – ye of little faith! I can assure it is mine – I bought it new in 1998. I will report progress ( and the cost to my wallet) in due course!

N

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by NJH on 02/03/2016 17:29:05:

Oh Sam – ye of little faith! I can assure it is mine – I bought it new in 1998. I will report progress ( and the cost to my wallet) in due course!

N

Yes your honour

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Have you tried a bent coat hanger through the window rubber to hook the door lock. I used a fence wire once & hooked the one on the OPPOSITE side as you can get more of an angle to stop the wire slipping off. Or an icing knife ( nick that from the missus) down the side of the passenger window

Why not see if you can find a door in a breakers & see how the lock works so you know here to hook it. May even get a diagram off the internet.

If it is a 4 door then the rear passenger door may be the one to try as that may have easier access as most thieves go for the driver's door & manufacturers make that part the hardest to access if they can. Are the rear windows electric or manual?

Can you get something in the side door between glass & metal & force the window mechanism rather than the lock so the window drops down an inch

Have you got underneath & looked to see if the rad comes out so you can access the bonnet catch

How does the headlight glass come out? can you get access to the engine compartment & get a jump lead on the battery from there

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 02/03/2016 17:45:51

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 02/03/2016 17:47:01

[Anonymous]

Not to make too fine a point of it, Sam, but you seem to know an awful lot about getting into locked cars.

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

Google is your friend, several suggestions on getting access.

Regards, Bear..

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Once we were about to go on holiday in my wife's Astra GTE (brilliant driver's car!) when she lost her keys.

An acquaintance with something of a past got us in, defeated the steering lock and gave us two wires to brush together for starting in about three minutes (with running commentary).

When we got back I bodged the lock according to instructions so it could be started with my spare car key….

Neil

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, my Astra has a mechanical anti-theft system within the central locking system, this is operated by the remote control key by pressing the lock button twice. The first press of the button locks the doors and the second press of the button within 10 seconds activates the anti-theft locking system, the system can also be activated by using the key in the door lock and is achieved by turning the key to the locking position twice, again within 10 seconds. the user manual highlights the fact that, if there are any people inside the car, then the anti-theft system must not be activated, as once this system is active none of the doors can be opened from inside. If NJH's deadlocking system is of a anti-theft nature, then putting a brick through the windscreen or any window will achieve nothing except at the very least the cost of the excess of a window replacement.

A further note on my cars anti-theft system is that if the key is in the ignition switch, the anti-theft system cannot be activated, and therefore no danger of the doors not being to be opened in an emergency, you can still lock the doors from the inside to stop unwelcome guest getting in when you have to stop at lights etc. but they can be unlocked by breaking the door glass and pulling up the locking button.

Regards Nick.

P.S. I once had a flat battery and the only door that could be opened with the anti-theft system activated was the one with the key lock. None of the others would unlock until power was restored.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 02/03/2016 23:20:46

[Trev67Participant @trev67]

Hi,

Does the car have an external key lock,(it may be hidden), if so have you tried this?

The external key lock may not have a mechanical linkage on this car, so it still may not work with a flat battery.

If the car is truly deadlocked, then the interior locks are disabled, so you will not be able to use a coat hanger on them.

Your options would seem to be:

Jack up the nearside front of the car and support safely. It may help to remove the front wheel. Find the main positive battery cable that goes to the starter motor( you may have remove the undertray, but if you're lucky it may be accesable through the wheelarch) If you get this far connect a pair of jump leads positive to the main terminal on the starter and negative to a bare bit of metal on the engine or gearbox. Then connect these to a good battery or a battery charger, this will probably set the alarm off, but you should be able to cancel this with the key fob and hopefully open the doors.

The other option is to hook the bonnet release inside the car with a coat hanger or similar, but I'm not sure how easy this is on the Saab. If trying to do this it helps to pry the top of the door out as much as you dare, a couple of wooden wedges help and don't really cause any damage.

It may be possible to reach the bonnet release cable under the car, but these are usually pretty inaccesable, made this way on purpose for security reasons.

Obviously there are any number of destructive options, such as breaking a window, but it would be best to try non destructive first.

Hope this helps

Good luck

Trevor

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Well here is the resolution of my little problem!

Had a trip to a hospital appointment first thing and, on my return, decided to resolve the SAAB issue. I am a member of Brittania Rescue so phoned them and a very well equipped van arrived in about 1/2 hr. ( we are pretty rural here!)

The guy then tried to gain access to the car. ….. lever. top edge of door, insert wedge then fish with piece of rod with hooky end for bonnet release lever – failure! Try same procedure from opposite side door – failure! Scrabble about at front of car ( very difficult due to being close to fence and overhanging bushes ) BUT SUCCESS ! Bonnet opened, new battery fitted, and engine running. Time on site 1 1/2 hrs! Damage, including new battery – just over £100.

Thank you Britannia Rescue my trusty SAAB lives to drive another day. It has also demonstrated to me that a SAAB is probably not the easiest car to steal and that , in future, when I park on my drive it may be best not to deadlock it!

Thanks for all your interest and suggestions ( useful and otherwise!)

Norman

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I think we were hoping the resolution would involve a baseball bat, Bruce Willis and the mass arrival of all three emergency services

Neil

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Well I don't know about the emergency services but I suppose that the prospect of the breakdown truck leaving WITH the SAAB (to drop off at the local tip) had crossed my mind! ……….but we live to fight again.

Norman

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