Boot Locking Mechanism Headaches

iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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The only thread with really useful information on this is archived, so I can't post there, but I'm having a real pain with fixing my boot release.

Trim is off and I've done the usual of lubing the mechanism. I thought this had worked, but all I'd actually done was fix the problem temporarily by opening the boot manually from inside.

Technically I could leave it at this, but I'm the kind of person who checks the boot is locked after locking the doors using the fob, given I've had to replace all four door locks and know how I could easily be leaving the car unlocked.

The issue is that if I pull the boot release handle when the car is locked, it rotates the barrel and again, you're unable to open the boot using the handle.

I've attached a photo of the different positions of the mechanism and the only difference is that when it's broken, the barrel is rotated backwards - you can see that the part that the release cable attaches too is higher on the right-hand side when it's broken.

It doesn't seem to be a grease issue - I've used grease on this and sprayed PlusGas in there too to see if I can get things moving more smoothly. Everything feels very 'notchy', but no amount of grease or penetrating spray will change this.

Part of me just wants to give up and buy a replacement boot release on eBay, but then I'd have another headache of having to strip it apart so I can take the lock barrel out of the old one so my key would work.

Aside from this, the other parts seem to be working fine. The solenoid works when you use the key fob and there's no strain on the motor.

If anyone's got any ideas, I'd be super grateful.
Leon_Boot_Lock_Sequence.jpg
 

Leon20vt4

Active Member
Oct 21, 2018
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The only thread with really useful information on this is archived, so I can't post there, but I'm having a real pain with fixing my boot release.

Trim is off and I've done the usual of lubing the mechanism. I thought this had worked, but all I'd actually done was fix the problem temporarily by opening the boot manually from inside.

Technically I could leave it at this, but I'm the kind of person who checks the boot is locked after locking the doors using the fob, given I've had to replace all four door locks and know how I could easily be leaving the car unlocked.

The issue is that if I pull the boot release handle when the car is locked, it rotates the barrel and again, you're unable to open the boot using the handle.

I've attached a photo of the different positions of the mechanism and the only difference is that when it's broken, the barrel is rotated backwards - you can see that the part that the release cable attaches too is higher on the right-hand side when it's broken.

It doesn't seem to be a grease issue - I've used grease on this and sprayed PlusGas in there too to see if I can get things moving more smoothly. Everything feels very 'notchy', but no amount of grease or penetrating spray will change this.

Part of me just wants to give up and buy a replacement boot release on eBay, but then I'd have another headache of having to strip it apart so I can take the lock barrel out of the old one so my key would work.

Aside from this, the other parts seem to be working fine. The solenoid works when you use the key fob and there's no strain on the motor.

If anyone's got any ideas, I'd be super grateful. View attachment 12400
I have the same problem mate and for now I just stand by the boot when I lock the door and you can hear the solenoid latch over. every time I do unlock the car and open the boot I pull the release mechanism back down manually before closing.

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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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I have the same problem mate and for now I just stand by the boot when I lock the door and you can hear the solenoid latch over. every time I do unlock the car and open the boot I pull the release mechanism back down manually before closing.

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I'm going to give it one last go tomorrow - because I'm absolutely flummoxed and I can't stand it when these things get the better of me.
It just doesn't make sense how if you open the boot release when the car's unlocked, it opens fine and stays in a position where you can keep opening it. If you lock it and then try to open it, it puts the barrel in a position where the handle will never open it, even when it's unlocked again.

It might even be that the threads I saw where people were telling people to lube it, wasn't actually solving the problem, but instead it was pulling the release rod manually that did it - albeit just a short term fix.

What's even more confusing is that it failed just like that. I'm sure I'd tried the handle after locking it when I was at my parents' house for Christmas and it was fine. It must sense when it's most inconvenient or something...
 

Leon20vt4

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Oct 21, 2018
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I had always thought it was just the lever getting stuck up there... after you lock and try to open it the lever gets stuck out of place . Because the lever doesn't come back down even if you unlock the car again the lever is already passed the cylinder lock and won't open the boot again.

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Thai-wronghorse

Self proclaimed Cupra R addict & butcher!
Dec 3, 2015
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Straight away looking at those pictures you can see the corrosion on everything from where its had the rear wiper washer pissing out water everywhere.
Once the release solenoid is drowned no amount of fiddling and lubing will rescue it.
Personally I'd pull it all out and bin it.

Plenty of spares available here as always...

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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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I had always thought it was just the lever getting stuck up there... after you lock and try to open it the lever gets stuck out of place . Because the lever doesn't come back down even if you unlock the car again the lever is already passed the cylinder lock and won't open the boot again.

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And that's the part that's been the major headache for me - and even halfway through January, my problem-solving brain hasn't kicked in yet.

Why is it that when I try to open it when it's locked, it does something that doesn't 'return' the handle to a position where it can be opened again? Has something broken off? It doesn't look like it when I compare it to the ones I can see on eBay, so why can't I do anything to sort it?
 

iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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Straight away looking at those pictures you can see the corrosion on everything from where its had the rear wiper washer pissing out water everywhere.
Once the release solenoid is drowned no amount of fiddling and lubing will rescue it.
Personally I'd pull it all out and bin it.

Plenty of spares available here as always...

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I just had a go at using the rear wiper and washer and had a really close look while it was spraying, and there's no water coming out and no sign of it having happened in the past. The mechanism is covered in PlusGas at the moment though, as I didn't have any paper towel to wipe it off properly, so that might be why it looks so wet.

The question for me now though is what do I actually replace? The handle mechanism, or the solenoid as well?
 

Thai-wronghorse

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The big S handle is only a mechanical lever and housing for the lock cylinder.
These don't usually fail and the fact I have so many in storage is testament to this.
The white solenoid can fail though, as do the microswitches in the actual boot latch.


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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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The big S handle is only a mechanical lever and housing for the lock cylinder.
These don't usually fail and the fact I have so many in storage is testament to this.
The white solenoid can fail though, as do the microswitches in the actual boot latch.


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You think a new solenoid will sort it? I don't have an issue buying one - more that I just don't want to be buying 2-3 different things in the hope one of them might fix it...

I noticed some resistance from it when I tried to unlock the boot using the physical key, so that might be something.


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Thai-wronghorse

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I've just re read your original post and you mention the solenoid operating correctly when pressing the key fob, if that's the case I agree there's no reason to replace it.
The issue must lie within the handle or locking mechanism then surely?

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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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I've just re read your original post and you mention the solenoid operating correctly when pressing the key fob, if that's the case I agree there's no reason to replace it.
The issue must lie within the handle or locking mechanism then surely?

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I'm starting to think so - it's just a shame that I can't put two mechanisms side by side to work out why it 'resets' itself if you try the handle when the car is locked, because it looks exactly like one that works - no parts seem to be missing etc.

It's a bit of a pain taking it out to try and test it and dismantle - it leaves a bit of a hole in the tailgate - but I'll probably to that next week after the MoT. At least if I work out how to dismantle it, I'll know how to take the lock out of mine and put it on a replacement.

Who knows, maybe someone tried to force the handle when it was parked up. Worse things have happened round here...


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iammooks

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If your any where near hemel Hempstead your more than welcome to one I got in the old boot of my car. It's only going to go in the bin.

Well, I used to live in Aylesbury, but that doesn't help much as I now live in Brighton. It's a shame because it would have been nice to be close enough to see your build progress - there don't seem to be any Leon owners on the coast here.

Would be happy to send some money your way for it through PayPal, but I know how much of a faff it can be packing things up and posting them.


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Manic172

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Dec 4, 2018
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Yeah course I can mate. I'll strip it out the boot later today. My yard is in cublington. So about 10 mins from aylsbury. I was down at Hastings on Thursday ordering new seat so wasn't miles from you then
 
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iammooks

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Yeah course I can mate. I'll strip it out the boot later today. My yard is in cublington. So about 10 mins from aylsbury. I was down at Hastings on Thursday ordering new seat so wasn't miles from you then

I'll drop you a direct message tomorrow - thank you.

Something that just occurred to me that hopefully anyone can answer - I'm pretty sure I can remember being able to unlock the boot with the key? Maybe by turning it to the left? Actually making it pop open. It doesn't do that now - does anyone else know if they can do this on their boot or was it just my Ibiza that could do that?


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Thai-wronghorse

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Yeah I'm pretty sure if you turn the key fully round in the lock cylinder you can make it pop open but can't confirm this until tomorrow.

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iammooks

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Yeah I'm pretty sure if you turn the key fully round in the lock cylinder you can make it pop open but can't confirm this until tomorrow.

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That'd be awesome - if I know what I'd normally have to do to open it - turn it to the left, turn it to the right, that sort of thing - I could see what happens with my lock if I do the same thing and maybe start to work this whole thing out.

Thanks! Really appreciate it.


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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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So they just had to abandon my MoT test because the boot now won't open at all.

I thought someone had just messed something up, but even if I pull the rear seats down and pull the release by hand, there's no feedback at all from the handle - like it's just not engaging the release.

Of all the things. I just took it up the A23 in third gear for half an hour to get the engine up to temperature and blast the fuel system cleaner through and they couldn't even do the test because of the boot...
 

iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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Stripping it down has revealed a few things though.

I've punched out the handle and I think I've found out why it's not opening.

On the boot side of the handle, this barrel is really stiff and just doesn't seem to want to rotate like it should. Normally you pull the handle, this barrel rotates and then it returns to its original position. It doesn't.

804177443780212a8ac3163f3f1f97df.jpg


This next photo is of the inside of the handle. The switch thing here is what the 'S' logo engages with to rotate the barrel and open the boot. I'm guessing this is normally springy, but when I push it down, it doesn't spring back. I've got to find a way of getting it to spring back - maybe I'll just spray some lube in there and hope it loosens it up - it does feel pretty gritty at the moment.

d253649a1e8994a436242ade1b55b8d1.jpg


This is why the boot doesn't open though. When you lock the car, the solenoid pulls this black bit of plastic away from the brass bit so it doesn't engage when you pull the handle. When the barrel doesn't spring back, when you unlock the car, the plastic bit doesn't slide into the slot so you can open it.

ee7757532e5110c47fd17b3d198e8e4f.jpg


Thanks for bearing with me so far. The long and the short of it is that I need to get the spring on the inside of the barrel to work again, but I can't find any way of getting to it through either side. It could be the spring is broken of course, but the way it's snapped back in the past makes me think it's still alive in there...


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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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Long story short, it's fixed, and I don't need a replacement part.

The answer is definitely lube, but you might need more than others. You could say that of so many things in life...

Other threads say that you just have to spray lube in the parts that move and it'll work, which might be the case for you, but if that doesn't work, check to see whether the barrel rotates when you pull the handle and whether it returns when you let go of it. If it stays in the same place, you're going to have to remove the handle mechanism from the car.

Know your enemy - this is the bit you need to concentrate on, from both sides.

66289f6ef3db0ccd755bbcf87b1da5e0.jpg


If you look through the 'S' logo side (where the outside is) you'll see a hole in the right hand side which is where the return spring for the barrel is housed, which you can see on my last post. It doesn't look like a part you can strip down and clean out, and I didn't want to risk damaging it, so I sprayed a lot of brake cleaner in there while working the barrel, and then moved on to soaking it in PlusGas by keeping it on a slight incline so the liquid stays in that hole, and working the barrel back and forth.

Put paper towels underneath it so you don't end up with a leak of lube.

Before I went to bed last night I filled it again, and this morning I gave it a wiggle and it's gradually come free and the barrel will spring back into position. It's now been filled with PlusGas again ahead of putting it back in the car.

Once you work out how it works, it's actually a really cool mechanism, but I'm guessing that while it's a nice idea, in the real world it can fill with dirt and if you use a pressure washer, you can easily flush the grease out of it.

Hope this helps people when the usual fixes don't work.


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