ALFAGTV6.COM

[matt]

OK at gas station/servo filled up, checked tyre pressure and went to check spare tyre press and boot release cable broke, Shit i had a 3hr drive ahead of me now without a spare, luckily no flat on trip but now i've got to some how open the boot/trunk????

anyone had this happen and how on earth do you get into the boot/trunk if the cables broken at the rear latch!

no key entry like most cars........................

hopefully i can get to cable within the cabin but if its broken at the boot/trunk........

any ideas?

[Que Boludo]

This is one of my fears, oh I hope we find a solution for this.

[Murray]

Matt if your refering to a 75 there is an emergency trunk release.It is a white nylon cord which can be found if you fish around in the gap of the back seat between the seat and the backrest.On a LHD car it's on the driver's side and probably is on RHD cars as well so check the pass.side.If that fails - it shouldn't - there's another technique which involves removing the rear license plate but go find the emergency release first.

[matt]

Yep 75/Milano, excellent i'll have a look for this back up release chord thursday arvo!

Thanks Murray

What was Alfa thinking..........maybe some Mafia influence here....(can't just have anyone get into your boot when you send goons off to bury someone thats had the kiss of death in the trunk!) been watching to many movies......

probably a cost cutting measure during alfa's cash strapped days late 80's, early 90's....

who knows.........

[matt]

MURRAY..................found emergency boot release but this did nothing!, just about broke the chord,well it probably streched a bit now, but the boot still stuck. I got some plyers on the normal cable release but its loose, any tesion on it just pulls it further out must have some problem with the latch itself.......
I can push down about 1cm on the boot, or move it up/down 1-2cm but its still latched! which is alot more play than normal, wierd no indication of anything wrong leading to this, it just broke!

Could you please explain the "You're in deep shit method"

Can i get to the boot by taking out rear seat back rest too?

Thanks

Matt

[Murray]

Could you please explain the "You're in deep shit method

Matt Ok go and find the biggest crowbar you can find.... Just kidding.

I have never done this myself but apparently if you remove the rear license plate and then remove the plastic trim panel behind it there is a hole through the sheetmetal through which you can insert a screwdriver and force the latch mechanism open.I have also read that to unlatch using the emergency pull cord requires far more pulling force than you would consider "normal" so perhaps try it one more time with all you've got.
Good luck.

[Mats]

Some C4 should fix that right away.

[matt]

C4 this ! no way, its only done 120K

haha you know i had a fuel leak/split in the hose from the filler neck to tank + fumes when i bought it, i may have been close to having the boot explode anyway

if i can't get it open today......maybe.....maybe......

[x-rad]

On the GTV's, the fuel tank is behind the rear seat( i don't know about your car)....So don't cut anything in that direction

Take out the rear seats, and then locate the several screws holding down the interior trunk cover (covering the breather tanks). You may be able to undo these screws and work the cover off towards the interior, problem lies in the little plastic piece attached to the strut.

Your car might be different....

[matt]

You see this is an iteresting point xrad because i thought all GTV6 and Milanos had the same style fuel tank in the boot up against the back of the rear seats.

My 75 is an 1988 model 2.5V6 but its got the fuel tank under the boot like GTV4 (but on RH side) so its only about 50litres instead of 65litres or what ever the GTV6/Milano ones are. Its all original, no modifications etc

Pain in the ass driving around town, i only drive 15min to work so these short drives while engine not warmed up is terrible for economy, yet as soon as i get it on the hwy my fuel economy more than doubles!!!! 8/100km etc but around town almost 20litres/100km

Its got some hydralic self leveling rear suspension too, when i start the engine in the morning you can feel the back of the car rise alittle, maybe 2cm or something, i haven't really had a look under the car at it or really found much info on it either, the work shop manual i have doesn't even mention it!!!!!!(it doesn't descibe smaller tank either??), the owners manual does but not much detail??????

I think its way to stiff for general driving/street, maybe if you had 5 people in the car and the boot full of luggage 110km/hr on hwy would be good but otherwise?????

see how this boot release goes

[MD]

Hey matt, got an idea.

What about going to the wreckers and checking out the gutts of the boot to see how you could perhaps find a way to insert something past the boot seal or through a number plate fixing hole or by removing a number plate light or something.

Got nothing to loose but your smoker's cough...

While you are there, make exact measurements of the distances to lock mechanism and exactly how it works to open so you can devise a strattegy.

Sorry can't be more specific, never seen inside a 75 boot 'cause most of the time they are following me. ha ha.

Good luck buddy.

[matt]

Good idea MD, i'll be back at work over weekend so out of time for now to visit wreckers.
Could someone be kind enough to take a pic of the latch mechanism, in particular the lugs/latch part that holds the boot down. and tell me if its a 'double' latch? and if the is sheet metal between it and the exterior of the car where number plate is??

I've tried the number plate angle, to no avail yet, there are holes to have a go for the latch but it seems there is sheet metal between this and the latch, there is "some" room between the boot and latch if you remove the rubber seal but you just can't get the angle!! From what i've seen this arvo you need to shape some wire and get under the latch from 90* but this would be only possible if its a 'single' latch, if its like the bonnet latch on a gtv "double" latch this is going to be F#@King impossible............................

I'm charging my drill !

Don't make me do it

[Murray]

Ok Matt first step drink some beer - lots of beer cause you're gonna have to drill a hole in your baby Send an e-mail to Joe Cab@ Centreline Alfa.He knows how to get into this sucker if all else fails.

http://www.centerlinealfa.com/

[ALFA GTV6 GP]

Matt
I had a similar problem in my TwinSpark ripped my emergency boot release cable in two.You can access to a certain degree your boot well enough to open your boot after removing the rear back rest part of the seat and some sound deadening.
There is a triangular cut out and some circular cut outs that you can access your locking mechaism.
This is what I did greased the end of a broom stick and fed it thru the triangular cut out and greased the locking meachanism.Then tied some strong fishing line to the snapped emergency release cable and yanked hard .....Try it it works...
p.s. The locking mechanism will only open when the cable is pulled to the side not directly back.
John

[David]

Matt,
You may have already have the boot open. Here are a few pics of the boot release and how to get in. Behind the number plate there is a hole in the centre toward the top. If you poke a screw driver straight in, it hits a plate near the release mechanism. If you angle the screwdriver down and to the left you can catch the release lever and open it in. Looking at the back of the car, the lever operates to the left.
See pics.

David