CL500 - removing boot trim to access boot locking mechanism.

[sandman1572]

Hi all. I am trying to get a good look at the boot lock mechanism on my car - it’s not working properly. I know there is a common issue with the actuator leaking air and I think that is the issue in my case. HOWEVER, I can’t for the life of me get the trim off the boot lid to have a good look. I have managed to unclip most of it, but I don’t know how to get the latch off that holds the emergency breakdown triangles onto the boot lid (see the attached picture). I have gently tried to pry it off but I don’t want to force it and break something - so if anyone can tell me how the hell to unclip this latch, that would be awesome.

 

[sandman1572]

Aha!! Success. I managed to find out how to easily get this off.

For anyone reading this in the future with a similar issue, you need 2 hands on it:

press down the tab in the centre (the one with the hole in it), and at the same time using a flat-head screw driver or sturdy picker, pry underneath the right-hand side and lift up but also pushing to the left.

 

[sandman1572]

In the end I didn't actually need to get the trim off to fix the boot unlocking problem (although a good learning exercise). I have posted my finding below in case anyone else comes across a similar issue in the future:

In the wiring loom on the right hand side, along with all the wires there is also a yellow air tube that runs along with the wires. It seems that mine has developed a nick/break in the air pipe in that loom (probably from the opening/closing over the years). I discovered this by pressing an unlock button whilst the boot lid was open - I heard a long hissing noise coming from the wiring loom rather than an air noise coming from the boot lock mechanism itself.

As a temporary measure, I have wrapped insulation tape around the break and that seems to have resolved the problem for now, but at some point I am going to have to replace the air tube or potentially replace the wiring loom itself (or if there is a way - fix the air pipe using some sort of plastic barb hose connectors).