How to get into your XLR with a dead battery and no emergency key

[hawkeye372]

Victor-V is correct, if there is enough battery power, turning the key will also run the hydralics and lift the trunk. There are some electronics to the trunk latch, which I found out last year on the PA trip. I could not open my trunk with the fob, trunk button, dash button or operating the top. The latch was not releasing, but the hydralics were trying to open it. The trunk release key was the only way I could gain access. A new trunk latch mechanism was installed under my CPO warranty when I got home. You don't want to have to pay this expense, if you can help it--I was quoted over $ 800.00!! It is not that hard to change out either. Didn't understand the high cost.

Phrede,

The '08-'09 models were the only ones to have the fob with the internal key. All the previous models had a key and fob seperate. I've converted mine to the newer fob, as it seems a little more slender and easier to carry in my pocket.

So the newer fobs are skinner then the 06 fobs? Probably to expensive if one would like the more slender fob instead of the original?

 

[Victor-V]

Does the trunk continue to open after the key has been release/removed? If so, I expect you are right.

YES. As soon as you turn the key, it activates the hydraulics and the trunk opens all the way regardless if the key is still in or taken out.

 

[Phrede]

YES. As soon as you turn the key, it activates the hydraulics and the trunk opens all the way regardless if the key is still in or taken out.

Got it thanks. It may or may not be worth disconnecting the battery. As long as people remember that raising the trunk manually can make you think you are doing something wrong. I expect it has to do with over riding the hydraulic valving. Still locating and releasing the door from the trunk is worth while.

 

[WB6BBZ]

Here's another fun fact that I came across on my last cross country trip in Oct./Nov. 2012.

Both my FOB batteries went dead at the about the same time and I was locked out of the car while in Fl. at my cousin's and we devised a stiff wire slim-jim and worked it into the car and reached down to the door manual release on the floor and pulled it up to open the door. Guess what, even though the door latch released, the window would not lower to allow the door to open.
This was not a case of the car's battery being dead, it was a case of NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE FOBs because their batteries were COMPLETELY DEAD!

I thought to myself, "What if I was in the car with a dead FOB?" So I took the new batteries out of both my FOBs and tried to open the doors from inside and the only way I could open them was to place one of the FOBs, without the battery in it, into the pocket in the Glove Box and then the doors and the rest of the car was completely funcitional.

Kind of a scary situation if you ask me!

Of course, I'm sure in case of an emergency you can really put your shoulder into the door and break the glass to get the door opened. Unless you're a really small person then I'd suggest keeping a Sheet Metal Power Center Punch in your car to break the window.

 

[Phrede]

Here's another fun fact that I came across on my last cross country trip in Oct./Nov. 2012.

Both my FOB batteries went dead at the about the same time and I was locked out of the car while in Fl. at my cousin's and we devised a stiff wire slim-jim and worked it into the car and reached down to the door manual release on the floor and pulled it up to open the door. Guess what, even though the door latch released, the window would not lower to allow the door to open.
This was not a case of the car's battery being dead, it was a case of NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE FOBs because their batteries were COMPLETELY DEAD!

I thought to myself, "What if I was in the car with a dead FOB?" So I took the new batteries out of both my FOBs and tried to open the doors from inside and the only way I could open them was to place one of the FOBs, without the battery in it, into the pocket in the Glove Box and then the doors and the rest of the car was completely funcitional.

Kind of a scary situation if you ask me!

Of course, I'm sure in case of an emergency you can really put your shoulder into the door and break the glass to get the door opened. Unless you're a really small person then I'd suggest keeping a Sheet Metal Power Center Punch in your car to break the window.

I think I would pull the emergency door release lever on the floor before breaking a window. The only reason the window goes down a little is to allow air pressure to escape. Mine will open or close without the window going down.

 

[BusaMan]

OnStar Work?

I was wondering if any of y'all have ever tried OnStar to unlock the XLR, when your fob died. If so, how'd THAT work out?

I wouldn't expect OnStar to do anything, if the vehicle battery cratered, unless it has its own little battery somewhere, just for this case.



Tim

 

[Hawk58]

From what I have read on other forums indicates that you can convert to a 2007 and later FOB on the earlier XLRs, but the emergency key patterns are different requiring changing the emegency key lock in the bumper and the glove box lock to the 07 and later version to make everything match. I'm not interested in all the extra work to convert to the newer FOBs due to that right now. The hidden emergency key and or an emergency key on each FOB seems to be the most practical solution for pre 07 XLRs.

 

[Stella]

I think I would pull the emergency door release lever on the floor before breaking a window. The only reason the window goes down a little is to allow air pressure to escape. Mine will open or close without the window going down.

I thought the window goes up and down when you open the doors because the window goes in a groove along the roof for a seal?

 

[GizmoQ]

From what I have read on other forums indicates that you can convert to a 2007 and later FOB on the earlier XLRs, but the emergency key patterns are different requiring changing the emegency key lock in the bumper and the glove box lock to the 07 and later version to make everything match. I'm not interested in all the extra work to convert to the newer FOBs due to that right now. The hidden emergency key and or an emergency key on each FOB seems to be the most practical solution for pre 07 XLRs.

It's not that bad. I realized right away the keys were different. So I took a different approach. You don't have to change the locks if you change the keys. I took the separate key and cut off the head, filed down the top, bottom, and notched the side so it fit in the newer FOB. I got lucky with the newer FOB (must've been an 07) - the key is held in with glue and a very small screw. The glue on mine took very little effort to break loose, but I bought another brand new key section to do it again and the glue on it was as if it was welded together - no luck removing the key section on it. So your mileage may vary.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

I was wondering if any of y'all have ever tried OnStar to unlock the XLR, when your fob died. If so, how'd THAT work out?

I wouldn't expect OnStar to do anything, if the vehicle battery cratered, unless it has its own little battery somewhere, just for this case.



Tim

Tim
You got me wondering about this question so I called OnStar and as long as your car battery is working you can have them unlock your doors even if the FOB are not working! Good question!
Thanks
Dan

 

[Phrede]

Tim
You got me wondering about this question so I called OnStar and as long as your car battery is working you can have them unlock your doors even if the FOB are not working! Good question!
Thanks
Dan

If you are a subscriber. Personally I am not and the module is disconnected. I disconnected it when OnStar announced the were going to track everyone.

 

[WB6BBZ]

I think I would pull the emergency door release lever on the floor before breaking a window. The only reason the window goes down a little is to allow air pressure to escape. Mine will open or close without the window going down.

Phrede, please re-read my post again, it was the emerency door release on the floor that we were pulling up from the outside with the make shift 'Slim-Jim'.

I guess I did not make it clear that the top was UP and the windows UP also and if your windows do not go down about an inch or so when they are ALL THE WAY UP when you open the doors, you should re-index the windows because that means something is really wrong with your system.
If I were you, I'd double check this asap.

 

[Dadzo]

I recently found myself in an untenable situation. I was out of state with my 2006 XLR on business and the weather turned cold overnight from 50 degrees the day before to 25 degrees the next day. I went out to the car to run an errand and could not open the door. To my supprise the battery was dead, nothing from the key fob, nada. My mind raced as to what to do next. Here I am, dead battery, late on saturday afternoon, emergency key on the other key fob at home in another state and no GM dealer nearby. At a loss as to how the battery was dead with no previous symtoms I went back inside. Turned on my laptop and headed to the XLR net and XLR forum to try to find a solution. The only answer I found was to go to the dealer with the VIN to have an emergency key cut on Monday. Not satisfied I headed to the corvette forum to search for a solution. In the C6 section I found a post by Cincykid who had a similar situation in his C6 with a quick solution. He found the cooling fan control module on the back of the radiator at bottom, pulled the weatherpack connector, and hooked his battery charger to the Battery side of the connector and within a few minutes was able to power-up the car to open the door, pop the hood release and then jump the battery to get his C6 going. Now to all the skeptics telling me I will fry the electrical system, hang in there with me. After reading Cincykid's post and comments by C6 forum members chastising him for not hooking his battery charger to the positive terminal on the starter motor to accomplish the car entry to avoid any damage to car relays, modules or circuitry, I was not convinced I wanted to take the risk and started to make plans for visiting the dealer on Monday. Having a copy of the 2005 XLR GM service manual on my laptop I researched the wiring diagrams for the engine cooling system. While there is an early and a late design listed, my manual was missing the schematic for the late design, damit, now what? When looking at the schematics, I noted that the cooling fan circuit is fused at the underhood fuse block. I also noted that some circuit diodes were listed in the underhood fuse block. Not convinced that I could power the car battery (door circuits) safely via the cooling fan circuit, I decided to sleep on it before I made a move. The following day, I did some more schematic research and determined that the only way to get power to the battery of a locked XLR is via the cooling fan circuit and the battery cable at the alternator. Since getting to the alternator is not possible without jacking up the car, I opted for hooking a battery charger set to low amps (10 amps or less) to the cooling fan circuit and within a few minutes there was power to open the door and pop the hood, mission accomplished. Do not apply full battery power via jumper cables to this circuit as high amperage applied could cause circuit damage. I have driven the car since with no adverse affects. This procedure worked for me, but use at your own risk, consider this a pure emergency access procedure. I bear no responsibility for damage that could occur to your car using this procedure. Enclosed is a photo take from Cincykid's post with his battery charger hooked up to his corvette.

Everyone that owns an XLR fears of someday finding it with a dead battery. It's half-bad if the top is down or the driver's window is rolled down, but if the top is up and windows closed then it becomes an absolute nightmare.

I have come up with a solution that is relatively easy and inexpensive and doesn't change the car's appearance in any way. I mounted the unit behind the passenger-side lower grille panel.

The basis for this solution is a JUMP-MAX" XR-1 Battery Terminal Relocation Unit from Jump-Max.com Total cost for the unit and a tube of Flex-Seal Adhesive was ~ $125.00 If anyone is interested in the details, please PM me.