Hi All,

Desperately need some help / advice.
I appreciate this is a sensitive subject so please PM me if your answer is not suitable for anyone to see.

I have a 2005 A8 with the electric boot lid option.
Today I closed the boot without realising my keys were in it (all doors were open as I was giving her a clean).
By the time I realised (about 15 mins) the boot had locked itself.
The rest of the car is still open.
The open boot lid button in the car (on drivers door) isn't doing anything (like it's been disabled).
Neither are many of the electrics e.g. lock/unlock button, however the elec seats are working so sure its not battery issue.

Unfortunately no ski hatche to get to the boot so have started taking rear seats apart. Bottom comes off, then undone bolts at bottom of the seat backs but now seems like it is secured from the boot side.

Does anyone have any idea how to remove the rear seats and even if I do whether i can get to the boot?

Alternatively is there anything else I could try.

And before anyone asks, I had been meaning to get a spare key made but been putting it off due to the price at audi, now regretting it!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Oliver

 

There should be a lever at the top of the seat letting you swing the backing of the seat forward. Then climb in the trunk and use the emergency release lever to open the trunk. If its not opening electrically its more than likely the latch in the lid, those have been known to fail.

 

Thanks but unfortunately i can't find a lever to fold the seats down.
The fact that i've found about 8 bolts holding the rear seats in make me thin that they don't fold down.
Sorry i should have said it's a saloon, not estate (not even sure if they do an A8 estate come to think of it)

 

On my D2 A8 ('01), the seat back is unbolted at bottom and mid-center**, then raised upward off securing "hooks"...no bolts inside the boot...plus disabling the airbags, so you don't blow your head off...not to mention disconnecting the battery first (in the boot...I think for airbag protection, if yours has rear ones).

In mine, the only obstacle preventing trunk access this way, appears to be the boot carpet (lining) which is riveted (plastic push-rivets) to the top of an upper metal seat support (part of the body). These plastic rivets (just a few, widely spaced) could possibly be pushed out from the inside (or forced off if need be...cheap parts), if the seat back was out of the way(?). Mine also has the ski sock option (sorry) which seems to have a solid frame around it, but it still appears as though there'd be plenty of clearance to reach into the boot...don't know about a body crawling in, though.

** My seat back has 2 bolts, above the ski sock port (behind a small clip-in trim panel), securing it to the bulkhead. If you have a fold down center armrest/tray and center headrest, pull head rest up all the way (removed?) and look for trim panel and/or bolts behind there.

I've never actually done this procedure....just reading removal instructions from the Bentley manual and studying my own boot interior.

I don't know if your model is similar in design, nor do I know of any electrical trick to pop it open, especially if the "boot open" button doesn't respond.

If you can't gain access through the rear seat and it's got a keyhole in the rear (like mine), you may have to opt for ordering a key. Don't know if an expert locksmith could do anything with it, but worth asking.

Hope something here helps.

 

Oh yes, i forgot the A8 doesn't come with the levers, i can't figure out why they didn't do it for that car...... I guess you just have to keep unbolting it until you can gain access then, thats the dowside to having everything electronic unfortunately.

I do believe there is a key hole for the key under the lid where it can't be seen, you can give that a try and see if it unlocks, but if its malfunctioning electronically you really don't have much choice but to get inside the trunk and manually release it.