Battery dead, key won't unlock door!
 

My mind has been elsewhere lately. I have been driving my company truck for a few weeks and forgot to start my I30 periodically! I can see the alarm LED flashing, but my remotes will not unlock the doors, my key won't neither, and my key won't unlock the trunk! Is there a way to pop the hood open thru the grill on the car?

no i dont think so but you may need to try that key again it should open the door

try turning the key the other way....

Is the door frozen? Happens to me often. One good hip to it usually jars it loose. Or maybe the lock itself is. Deicer is a great thing to have for such occasions.

The key turns both ways, but it does not unlock. The trunk lock won't turn with the key in...weird.... The car is in the garage so de-icer is out.
I will try again when I get home.

probably a silly question, but did you try the passenger side?

i dont think there is a keyhole on pass side

Nothing is working guys! Does anyone know if there's a way to get power to the car (battery) from underneath the vehicle? I heard from others that some BMWs have that option, if they get locked out, with a dead battery.
I will try to call the dealership tomorrow and see what they say....after they laugh at me.

This thread makes no sense at all. First, there is a key hole on the passenger side. Second, even with a dead battery you can still unlock the door manually with the key. I have done a lot of work on this car and every time I usually have the battery out and I just manually lock and unlock the car when I am done working on it for the day.

Yeah...I'm having a tough time with this one too.

The unlock mechanism behind the key hole to the internal release for the lock in the door is a mechanical connection, (I'm pretty sure.) Same with the trunk.

If I'm wrong, it sounds like an excercise in disassembling the grill to release the hood is in order. ...or you need to have AAA (or a cab driver come out who advertises that they can handle lock-outs).

One additional consideration is that the battery might have enough juice in it if it were warmed up a little. You're in Mass, so your garage is probably no warmer than 40 degrees in mid-day, so grab a small heater and place it under the car or blowing on the front and see if a little temp increase gives enough power to unlock the doors. (It's a long shot.)

i really don't have a keyhole on my front passenger door. Believe me, it was a shock to me when the key would not unlock the door manually. I have do it before in the summer, when the remote battery died.

did u try to change the battery in ur remote :tard:

I thought i was all mechanical as well. The trunk is messed up or locked up because the key fits in, but it refuses to turn in any direction.
I have diassembled the grill on my Honda years ago...that was a PITA. I have to find someone with AAA i guess.

No. I have 3 remotes, each one had its battery replaced at different times.

Hey just a longshot, but do you have another key? Maybe the Valet key doesn't work without power for some weird reason, or it doesn't work if your alarm is going scizo, valet keys don't work to open the trunk. I'd also try a shot of PB blaster in the lock. No matter what though, If you can get a tow company with a lock-out kit they can pry your door outwards and stick a rod in and grab the door-handle, the inside handle should open it no matter what, for safety reasons. Where is the Big W? If it's Worcester than you're out of luck, but if you're within 1/2 hour from me I'll come down and use my AAA for you.

this is silly.

the key not working in the trunk is because your key is a vallet key. That is the only key I have as well. But it not working in the door makes no sense. There does not need to be much juice at all left in the battery for the key fob to work. If the security light is flashing, that means there is something left in the battery.

Ok, I'm confused too. Either A, the lock is 100% mechanical or B, the lock is electronically triggered when turning the key. If its A, then there should absolutely no reason why your key shouldn't work, unless somehow both the door & trunk lock busted at the same time magically.

If its B, then either your battery is dead or there is some serious electrical issues going on....Very strange.

Yep...This is odd. Whe else has the same unit model and can verify the lock is an electrical unit and that no mechanical connection exists? Can you disconnect the battery and verify for us?

Ooooohhh I got it! If you have the On-Star service (or what ever Infiniti calls it) call them and have them unlock it remotely. I agree, if there's power to run the security light, there ought to be enough to run the unlock.

It does sound like the valet key is being tried on the trunk but even if trunk access is gained, ....isn't he still SOL for getting in the car to release the hood?

I forget if there is a trunk release for the back seats or if they even fold down... (I though there was just a pass-thru on it.)

It seems a safety hazzard to build that way doesn't it? (I mean if my infant kid or pet is trapped in the car and the lights were left on.....what then would a person do in a remote location, with no phone or means to break a window?)

Did you try heating up the garage & battery yet?

Have you tried a good ol' wire coat hanger yet? :grinno:

I believe 00+ only have one keyhole on the driver's door.

And I'm with the others, the turning of the key in the door should be a mechanical connection. Power shouldn't have anything to do with it.

These are longshots, but does your key look mutilated/bent/etc., anything that might not cause it to work? Also, does it look like someone might have forced a screwdriver into the keyhole and messed up the lock mechanism?

No KRRZ350, I only have one key. It does sound like I have a valet key! And yes, the car is in Worcester, thanks anyway. You have an A33, can you try to disconnect the battery and unlock your car with the key and let me know if it worked...don't mean to be a pain...

The alarm LED went completely out Monday night! i know i mentioned that I haven't started my car for a few week...3 or 4 :banghead:

Double E, my rear seats fold down. there's a release thing inside the truck.

Clayman88, I tried the hanger without success...

key and keyhole looks fine

A33 only has one key hole on the drivers side?!? :shock:

Thats definately not good.

If you tried the hanger, chances are you disconnected the latch inside the door. My ex used to do this all the time in her Mitsubishi. She would use a hanger to try to get in and end up unhooking the bar between the lock and the key/tumbler assembly. The only way we got in was to pop the trunk and go through the fold down seats. Even AAA was unable to get in with the latch disconnected.
May need a locksmith to pop the trunk for you.

Drill out the trunk lock. (Easier to replace than the door lock.)

I've never done it myself but I imagine that you just grab a bit, jam it in the key hole and let 'er rip it to start the process. Keep increasing the size of the bit till you eat through the lock assembly and it opens.

If you're certain you don't have it sitting somewhere, you might instead seek out a new owner's key from the dealer or locksmith instead of using the valet (assuming you're actually the owner ;-) key on the trunk. Your VIN might be all they need to cut a key unless you know what the keycode is.

Good luck with that.... and I wouldn't bother trying to jump it when you finally do get ot open. Just go get the new battery and install it then. If the old battery is that dead, it won't jump easily and you'll still need a new one.

My overall recommendation is still to call AAA, a lockout service or find someone with AAA who will assist.

He could take a huge rock, wrap it in a sweat shirt and smash the grill out, so he could pop the hood... :laugh:

Any news on this? I'm really curious to find out what happened. BTW, how long have you owned this car? I can't imagine going very long without realizing your key was a valet key. Is it the only key you've ever had?

I'm really curious to find out what happened also......

I've had it for almost a year! I just thought my trunk lock was messed up. I always used the remote or the trunk release on the door.
Yes, it is the only key I've ever had. I've been procrastinating on getting another key

I called AAA and got a membership. The service truck came within 10 minutes! The guy unlocked the car and jumped my battery...the car started without a problem. I left if running for 10 minutes, then drove it for another 10.

Now, I tried to unlock the door with the key and this is what happened. With the alarm activated, i turned the key clockwise once and nothing happens! If I turn it clockwise twice (turn, let the key spring back, then turn it again) the door unlocks! I tried several times...turn once=nothing....turn twice=unlock. It KINDA like when I want to unlock with the remote. Press unlock once=driver door unlock...press unlock twice=all doors unlock.
Could it possibly mean that our locking mechanism is electronic and not solely mechanical?

i would say so. In the FSM it shows that the key hole goes directly to the SECU for both door and trunk. They are directly wired to the SECU

Intresting find Perfect VQ. I knew I was not going crazy. It just sounds different when i unlock the I30 from when i unlock the dodge dakota truck.