So, my 01 CLK55 was hit in the driver's rear quarter, many years ago, and a used trunk lid was installed without swapping over the lock cylinder and button. All this happened a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

Yesterday after loading some items in the trunk, I shut it, and thought nothing more of it. Last night when attempting to pop the trunk with the console release or the key fob, I got nothing. Normally I can hear the vacuum pump kick on but it isn't even activating. Also, because the pump isn't working, the whole central locking system is not working.

I've checked the fuses, under the hood, and I know there are two other central locking fuses in the trunk, but I literally have no way to open the trunk. The metal emergency key will unlock the driver's door, but will not unlock the trunk.

I know the rear seat backs will fold down, but the releases are in the trunk aren't they? I can't find any releases inside the car to release the back seats, unless I'm just overlooking them. Even getting the seats to release it's going to be difficult to fit my 6'4" 250 pound body in there to get the trunk open.

Anyone know of a way to release the rear seat backs from inside the car?

 

Does the center armrest have a pass-through? That's the only way I can think of doing it, without cutting a hole in the package tray to access the cable.

 

I thought about that last night. I believe it does have a pass-through, and I may be able to reach one of the releases, maybe. Along those lines, if I "can" reach a release and get one of the seat backs down, is there an emergency trunk release? It's a 2001 which I think was before the emergency trunk releases were mandated. My '06 SL55 has an emergency release, not that anyone bigger than a toddler could be trapped in its trunk.

I plan to see if I can reach one of the releases through the pass-through this evening. Wish me luck!

 

My 2002 had a green button for an emergency release. However, I think it just tells the pump to open the trunk so it will probably not help you much.

I am in the middle of gutting the interior of my 2002 and it's pretty bare right now. I can look at it tonight to see what your options might be, but offhand I can't think of any way this is going to be easy. Sorry. :-(

 

Nope, the metal key won't turn the trunk lock, because the trunk lid was changed many years ago, and they didn't swap the cylinders, so I get to play contortionist.

 

I appreciate it. I figured I would probably have to change the fuses and pray that the pump still works, at least long enough get the trunk open, that way I could at least access the pump. Now I'm wondering if I could order a new trunk lock cylinder from MB that matches my door and emergency key. Probably cost an arm and a leg, but this car has over 220K miles so I am sure more stuff is going to go wrong in the future.

 

I did not own the car when the trunk was replaced. I did not purchase the car until about 10 years after the trunk was replaced.

I did not know that the emergency key would not open the trunk, until the central locking vacuum pump quit working a few days ago.

It's difficult to predict the future even without all of the information at hand. I was sold the car, without knowing the metal key would not open the trunk.

Didn't you read the entire thread? My battery is not dead. The car starts fine. The central locking pump has quit working, which means the trunk will not open regardless of the state of the battery.

 

Any luck getting into the trunk?

 

It was pure Three Stooges. Yes, I do have a pass through, however, it has a ski bag, which has NO opening to the interior of the car. As if that wasn't bad enough, there is a door/flap/cover which was very firmly locked inside the trunk. Now the Ski Bag has a rip, and the cover is broken. Not a big deal, I can replace both of those. I managed to reach the seat releases, however the inside cover of the trunk lid prevented me from moving the levers far enough to release the seats. I finally just grabbed the driver's side release cable and yanked the snot out of it, it came loose and I used a pair of pliers to release the seat. After a celebratory beer or 9, I realized that the fuses are under the cover with the spare tire and battery, this cover really only wants to lift up from the rear of the car and feels wedged and jammed along the front edge. After much swearing, and a couple of Aleve for the coming pain, I decided to "Get Creative".

I found the vacuum line running to the servo that pops the trunk release, behind the now destroyed trunk lining, I cut it and used the hand vacuum pump from my brake bleeder kit (seriously it isn't Swedish made), and no matter how high, or low I got the vacuum the damn thing will not pop the trunk release. I am beginning to believe that the trunk release mechanism is just broken, and the multiple times I tried to get the trunk to pop with the switch and fob, just caused the fuse to blow.

I am seriously trying to avoid hacking the trunk floor liner/spare tire cover to get to the fuses. It's all in good shape and I while I'm sure I can get another cover from any W208 CLK and it will be the same, getting through that material is going to be a challenge.

So, rather than hack that, I noticed a small square right where the trunk "post" is mounted, and popped it open. I can see two 10mm bolts and I am hoping that those two bolts are all that is holding the post in place and by removing those bolts, I'll be able to at least get the trunk open. I'm also considering that if I do get the trunk open, I'm going to find another trunk lid that comes with a metal key to replace this one. I seriously considered just putting the car up for sale, or setting it on fire. I'm too damn old to be crawling around inside such a confined space.
It got dark on me before I tried the bolts for the post, so I gave up and had more beer.

 

Where is the plastic line you are talking about? Is it inside the trunk lid? If so, try using air pressure, not vacuum. Some of the circuits use pressure, others use vacuum. If you found that hose in the package tray it's for the headrests, not the trunk.

Otherwise, I think those two 10mm bolts are your ticket to salvation. Remove those and the trunk should open, taking the striker with it.

Also, I have a ski bag and plastic door you can have.

 

It is in the trunk lid and connects to the trunk lock mechanism, and I suspected the system used pressure as well. I'll give it a shot of compressed air to see if that'll pop it, before trying those bolts.

 

You have a first aid kit on the back window shelf...break through the bottom of that and grab one of the cables that pop the rear seat release. Once you have the seat down, you can climb into the trunk....after that, always leave one of the seats back but not latched (little red tab should stay up)

 

Any updates to this saga?

 

 

I haven't done anything more than glance at it as I'm driving my ML into the garage. I'm averaging 60 hours a week, and lack the motivation to crawl back into the trunk of the CLK. My ML350 has been demanding a little attention, that doesn't require me to turn myself into a human pretzel.
I have to mention my personal opinion that the American Assembled MBs are not as good as the ones from Germany, and I wish MB had never gotten in bed with Chrysler. Of course in the days everyone being in bed with someone else, I suppose it could be worse. Someone like Fiat could own Chrysler... wait, does that mean that MB is now in bed with Fiat... that's just wrong.

 

I appreciate the offer, at this point I'm not going to worry about it.

 

sorry for us trying to help you...you asked how to get it open and we told you....if you didn't want help, why do you bother asking for help ...other than to ***** about MB and the solution to your problem.

 

Gee, I'll tell ya what, you come on down and work my job for me and that'll give me the time to work on the CLK. I don't know where you get that I'm *****ing about MB, other than I prefer the German built cars to the American built ones. And as for helping, you helped exactly ZERO in this situation, so where do you get off claiming you helped me at all? All you did was tell me to break through the first aid kit storage area, after, AFTER I had already gained access to the trunk. JoeJErnst has been a great deal of help. The reason I ask for help, is because I don't know everything.

 

sorry that you have a job....sorry that I added a way to get to the trunk that others that have the same problem may read...and sorry the CLK was German built.

 

First I would like to say that you have demonstrated an epic lack of reading comprehension.
Sorry I used big words, allow me to rephrase.
You don't read good.
Me like german built cars.
Me like job.
Your advice was bad.

Second, I would like to tell everyone who may wander into this thread, that the advice that CindyCLK has suggested, is completely inaccurate and would result in needless damage to your CLK, therefor the post suggesting this needless damage will be reported, and hopefully removed by the moderators.

This is a picture of the trunk side of the rear deck. Directly under the First Aid Kit. Breaking through the bottom of the first aid kit would not allow access to the rear seat releases.

And third, and I'm almost certain this will be lost on you, "Sarcasm is the recourse of a weak mind." -- Dr. Zachary Smith Lost In Space

And with that, take your bad advice, your childish attempts at sarcasm, and your attitude and leave while you have some shred of dignity left, because according to the Bible: Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent.

 

I'm sorry that I don't understand your big words.....everything that I replied is totally accurate...All you had to do was a few forum searches and your issue would have been resolved but I took the time to help the thread....it is your lack of civility when others are trying to help that comes through loud and clear.

 

 

Check the number 5 fuse in the fuse box located in your trunk.

Be nice to Cindy.

 

Alert, alert!! Junior member. Bullwinkle DaddyMoose has been loosed upon our happy little village. Be advised... he has a thesaurus, a book of medieval quotes, the unabridged version of the Oxford English Dictionary and the Bible at his command. His words are multisyllabic awe inspiring masterpieces of synaptic generation. We will be made to feel like the Borg has arrived at mbworld... Lower your shields... He is DaddyMoose... existence, as we know it, is over, he will add his biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.

 

Since I had some time off today, I put the CLK in the garage, and crawled back into the trunk and shot some compressed air into the line going to the trunk latch, and it popped right open. I repaired the hard air line and reattached the trunk lining.

The 30 amp #2 fuse to the pump was blown. Since I don't want to have to go through this again, I'm replacing both of the central locking pump fuses #2 and #4 in the trunk with Maxi Fuse Breakers which break connection over the rated amperage, and reset a few seconds after the load stops. They're about $4.00 each, but at least I won't have to go through all of this for a blown fuse again. I'm also putting a new pump in, there's obviously some reason the fuse blew, so if the pump is the reason the fuse blew in the first place, I want to eliminate that potential issue down the road.