Opening the boot without the battery.

[OVZ]

Hello,

My 07-plate 2.7 diesel S-Type has been parked up since the beginning of lockdown and will not start due to the battery being almost flat. It will start with jump leads off another car but I can't currently drive it to put enough charge back in so that it will start on its own. I want to take the battery off and charge it.

I've had the car for 6 years and have never needed to take the battery off before. The boot opens remotely from the key and I can find no keyhole in the boot lid, so the question is, with the battery out and no power to operate the solenoid, or whatever it is, if I close the boot, how do I then open it?

Thanks

[Leo]

The keyhole in the XK is hidden behind the rear number plate. I don’t know whether it is the same on the S Type.

[Old Peter]

It is the same on the s type, David. Just to the left.

I have used it frequently!!

Peter.

[Leo]

Thanks Peter, I thought that may well be the same!

[OVZ]

Thanks for the replies. This may seem like a silly question but if it's behind the number plate, how do I get to it? The number plate seems to be fixed. I've tried to move it but it won't and I don't want to force anything until I know exactly where to apply force. Is it hinged and if so, does it flip up or drop down?

[Leo]

On my XK the number plate is stuck on with two adhesive strips. It is a question of pulling the right hand side (on the XK) out far enough to get the key in. The number plate then presses back on to the adhesive trip perfectly well.

We should really do this maybe on an annual basis just to lubricate the lock, so we don’t find it stuck when we eventually need to use it.

[The Voices]

It isn't 'behind' the number plate on the S-TYPE. 

The keyhole is located above the number plate on the boot plinth that houses the number plate lights, to the left hand side if looking at the car from the back.

I would suggest spraying WD40 or similar into the keyhole before trying your key, the manual lock doesn't get used often and can be hard to turn.

[OVZ]

14 hours ago, The Voices said:

It isn't 'behind' the number plate on the S-TYPE. 

The keyhole is located above the number plate on the boot plinth that houses the number plate lights, to the left hand side if looking at the car from the back.

I would suggest spraying WD40 or similar into the keyhole before trying your key, the manual lock doesn't get used often and can be hard to turn.

Thanks. I realised that it can't be behind it because it's screwed on.