Need a genius...or locksmith!

[Shug]

By a slight movement of the latches do you mean the little knob like things that stick up on the inside of each door?

There is a lip on top of ach one which is big enough to get something round at which point you are in...

Old skool repossession (in a different life)

Big flat screwdriver, some kitchen towel or a soft cloth and long cable tie.

Wrap the cloth round the screwdriver to stop it scratching the car. Slip the blade of the screwdriver in between the window and the B pillar. Ease the glass out *carefully* and slip your doubled over cable tie into the gap (th gap is largely formed from the rubber seal). You are now holding both ends of a cable tie, feed enough in until you have a loop, lower the loop over the knob then tighten and lift!

This all works if you can unlock the doors by pulling up the knobs. I'm not sure you can - there is a separate locking switch on the central tunnel and I remember in Elaine's old 111R that I couldn't lock by pushing down the knobs - they seemed to be indicators, more than anything.

What would help is if someone with a central locking equipped S2 could try getting into the car, locking it from the inside and trying to unlock by pulling up the knobs, before Munky starts mucking about with screwdrivering his door seals?

You can. Did it myself many moons ago whilst the man at MMC (pre-Craig) patiently explained to me that yes, he was sure it would work... (I'd locked my keys in the car).

Excellent - Elaine's knobs must have been uber stiff then.... wait...

[Dominic]

Going by Munky's avatar, I would assume it's a K-series car, so would possibly be different to the yoda engined cars...

My question about the soft top (longtail?).... there may be scope from the outside to nudge over the roof stays, to make the roof less tight, allowing you to squeeze your arm under the soft top and reach inside. Mibbi...

[UncleRon]

Just nipped out to the garage and tried this on my 2004 S2 111r and as Pete said the silver aluminium door knob is connected to the door lock mechanism so that even with the battery disconnected you can lock and unlock the door by lifting & lowering the door knob.

Had a similar thought to Shug's right enough - It does take a bit more force on the door knob to get it to lock and unlock than I expected.....

[UncleRon]

Just to check the obvious.....

My S2 111r has a key slot in the external chrome door opener to manually open and close the lock if required - I take it yours does not have this?

[whaleys]

How about metal hanger stretched and attached to a garden bamboo cane and inserted through the passenger window gap (you said you had a 1cm or so), reach over to driver side door handle and hook round and pull. Would that release lock and open door?

Thinking outside the box now - or inside the car - not sure

[martins]

A bit like the tie wrap solution but a lot easier and this definitely works as I have done same a number of times in the past.

Real easy with the Lotus due to the lack of a roor frame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6chnNA_S38

Used to be a cop and kept the packing tape in me hat.

Can be done in seconds with a little practice.

Martin

[Shug]

Just to check the obvious.....

My S2 111r has a key slot in the external chrome door opener to manually open and close the lock if required - I take it yours does not have this?

Doesn't connect to the central locking. Try it



Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

[Dominic]

When this is resolved, shall we re-name this thread "how to break into an elise"?.... Or maybe remove it altogether?

[tut]

Sell it and buy an S1

tut

[robin]

You should be able to remove the roof.

The release catches for the roof cant rails need to be operated, but presumably you can visualise what has to happen - insert something between the window and the cant rail (top edge of window) and try to catch the release catches; you may need a glamorous assistant and you may need to get the owner to look away as the window bulges out a bit when you rotate the cant rail. Once the roof is off, the rest is easy.

Cheers,
Robin

[pete]

A bit like the tie wrap solution but a lot easier and this definitely works as I have done same a number of times in the past.

Real easy with the Lotus due to the lack of a roor frame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6chnNA_S38

Used to be a cop and kept the packing tape in me hat.

Can be done in seconds with a little practice.

Martin

That was what I was trying to explain, packing tape is amazingly useful in the opening car world... The metal stuff is useful too...

[robin]

If you cannot grab the door knob with the packing straps (as per that youtube video) you could probably use the same technique to grab the cant rail release catches instead; you would need to use two straps - one hooked over the rearward catch, held in your right hand, the other hooked over the forward catch held in your left hand, then pull both straps and the rail should release.

Cheers,
Robin

[alicrozier]

Just to check the obvious.....

My S2 111r has a key slot in the external chrome door opener to manually open and close the lock if required - I take it yours does not have this?

Doesn't connect to the central locking. Try it



Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

Yep UncleRon, operating that with the key only disables the push button (handy on the ferry remember when you don't want to arm the alarm but have the doors 'locked').
Hardtop on Robin, releasing the roof was my first thoughts.

I think you're down to Pete/Martin's nefarious tactics...

[UncleRon]

Indeed - Learn something every day.

I went out and tried my key in the external door lock last night on my S2 111r with the battery currently disconnected and as you guys have said there is no mechanical connection inside the door between the key barrel in the handle and the lock itself - The key barrel only rotates up to a max quarter of a turn and has hee haw effect on the door lock with the battery disconnected.

Must admit up till yesterday I did think the S2 was the same as my S1 and most other cars I have had with central locking that came with emergency keys etc and that in the event of a flat battery or other electrical failure then operating the barrel in the door lock would at least open the door to let you in.

Does look like nefarious it is and if mine is anything to go by it takes a bit more force than you would expect to lift the internal button manually.

[Munky]

I thought I should update on this, having resolved the issue then gone on holiday. As several folk suggested, it required a manual lifting of the lock indicator on the door sill. One bent coat hanger with red lace from a compass tied on with slip-knot on the end (has to be red). Drop loop through window and over lock pin. Used 2nd coat hanger to tighten knot and hold in place over indent whilst pulling up string. Came off a couple of times but persevered and bingo. If windows had been up I'd have been shafted.