Anyone know how to pop the engine bonnet on a 2003 Verada so I can recharge the battery.... without opening the car doors.

I had long term parked with the drivers side hard (ie a few centremetres) against a wall, exited via the passenger side and now months later there is no battery charge to allow keyless entry to doors or boot. (Yes hahaha.)

Its on unstable ground so a jack and sideways shift is a not a goer.

Any other ideas on the best way to access the battery with charger cables or get into the passenger side doors (so I can manually pop the bonnet from drivers footwell)?

Open the boot with a key, pop down the ski hatch, use a coathanger to pull the door lock open on the passenger side rear door - hey presto.

Does the Verada not have a key lock on the passenger door?

Otherwise I'd say something similar to Nemesis.

Guys, the L and W series do not have boot key nor passenger door key holes. The only way would be to throw some foam over the top and climb onto the car and wiggle a key into the drivers door, if there is enough room to squeeze in a key.

could you jack up the front and try releasing the bonnet from underneath?

Guys, the L and W series do not have boot key nor passenger door key holes. The only way would be to throw some foam over the top and climb onto the car and wiggle a key into the drivers door, if there is enough room to squeeze in a key.

Find a small child to do this roof crawling.

Failing that, and if the car has a towbar, pull the car back using another vehicle and a rope. If the handbrake is on and in park, some oil under the tyres and it will slide right out.
(But only if you are really desperate, and do it slowly. Hopefully the uneven ground is dirt. lol)

Coathanger/stiff wire approach may work. Past the rubber trim on the rear side of the passenger front glass. Be difficult to unlatch the door lock though.

Willing to sarcifice the front passenger window? Use the brick entry method favoured by some.

Guys, the L and W series do not have boot key nor passenger door key holes. The only way would be to throw some foam over the top and climb onto the car and wiggle a key into the drivers door, if there is enough room to squeeze in a key.

^This. Mattress on the roof, step ladder, crawl over reach down, unlock and pop the bonnet...maybe with someone holding onto your legs...lol

Get a small person to slide up against the bonnet.. Put the key in the door and unlock it

SuFz :ninja:

Also, lets just hope there is enough juice to unlock with the key. Twice when my battery died completely, I could not lock the car even with the key, that is, after unlocking it first with the remote (just had enough juice to unlock).

Also, lets just hope there is enough juice to unlock with the key. Twice when my battery died completely, I could not lock the car even with the key, that is, after unlocking it first with the remote (just had enough juice to unlock).

Not a problem. The door lock is mechanical and not affected by a flat battery. All that will happen is that the other 3 doors can't be unlocked from the driver's door. Oh, hang on - he still wouldn't be able to get in to pop the bonnet!

For those watching at home - only one door lock on the whole of a TL/TW sedan, but the TL/TW wagon has one in the tailgate. So (IF the OP had a wagon) entry would be easy.
lol
And big "thank you" to Mitsu, for saving the cost of the boot key barrel, and the one on the passenger door (eg. my TJ sedan) when they did the TL/TW. What were they thinking?

Not a problem. The door lock is mechanical and not affected by a flat battery. All that will happen is that the other 3 doors can't be unlocked from the driver's door. Oh, hang on - he still wouldn't be able to get in to pop the bonnet!

For those watching at home - only one door lock on the whole of a TL/TW sedan, but the TL/TW wagon has one in the tailgate. So (IF the OP had a wagon) entry would be easy.
lol
And big "thank you" to Mitsu, for saving the cost of the boot key barrel, and the one on the passenger door (eg. my TJ sedan) when they did the TL/TW. What were they thinking?

First of all, Ford and Holden and others started doing it at the same time. Secondly, correct me if I am wrong but the L and W uses servo motors to lock and unlock. Basically, when my battery died, when I twist the key, nothing happens, no sound and definitely no mechanical clunk.

Maybe try taking the plastic stone tray out from under the starter motor. Connect a spare battery positive lead to starter motor positive terminal with jumper lead. Connect negative terminal to the front tow hook (beware sparks etc if you don't get it right ie: engine may try & crank on starter motor if jumper lead is connected to solenoid outlet to starter motor rather than solenoid power inlet). Try remote to see if car has enough power to open doors.

Cheers

First of all, Ford and Holden and others started doing it at the same time. Secondly, correct me if I am wrong but the L and W uses servo motors to lock and unlock. Basically, when my battery died, when I twist the key, nothing happens, no sound and definitely no mechanical clunk.

OK, driver's door barrel has a switch on the back, when you unlock it with the key the BEM detects it and sends a signal to the solenoids of the other 3 doors if you twist the key twice. Unlocking the driver's door is purely mechanical - rods and levers and stuff - at least when using the key one twist. Also has a solenoid in it, so when you use the remote the BEM unlocks the driver's door (one push) and all others (2 twists).
If you pull the fuse for the central locking, the driver's door still works with the key, it's just you have to do other doors manually from the inside.

Now it's my turn to be wrong . . . lol

And the idea of pumping juice in on the starter motor might actually work. Smart thinking!

I just went outside to test my car. With the key and remote, both times sounded the same. The actuator locked and unlocked the car. No rods or levers. The rods and levers are for locking/unlocking from the inside according to the MMAL manual.

I just went outside to test my car. With the key and remote, both times sounded the same. The actuator locked and unlocked the car. No rods or levers. The rods and levers are for locking/unlocking from the inside according to the MMAL manual.

In which case, a flat or disconnected battery would not allow you to lock or unlock the driver's door with just the key. Sounds like a real recipe for disaster, if that was true. Anyone game to go out and disconnect their battery, then try lock/unlock??

What about a tow truck, to lift the car from the front and move it gently to one side??

If it can get to rear, it can lift and move that too

In which case, a flat or disconnected battery would not allow you to lock or unlock the driver's door with just the key. Sounds like a real recipe for dfisaster, if that was true. Anyone game to go out and disconnect their battery?

Just make sure to leave it in the unlocked state (and make sure you open the door at least once before closing it) to prevent it auto locking and then disconnect the battery. Basically, the two times mine went dead, I had to sit in the car to wait for RAA as I was in a public place and not wanting to leave it unattended and unlocked.

L and w have control rods, can be opened with a key even with no battery, have done many times on my wrecks...

Op, either call roadside assist to get pass door open or as magnadiver suggested put power to the starter cable if you can access it

Mal, why then could I not do it when mine went dead? When I twisted the key all I heard was a very faint and short (less than half a second) whir as opposed to a louder and almost a second long whir of the actuator motor.

Thanks all for your thoughts. I like the charger to starter motor idea - I'll give it a go tomorrow.

Had even thought of doing a trickle charge via the side indicator but didn't know if there would be a viable circuit with ignition off.

Having cunningly jammed the car into a very tight spot, the tow truck wouldn't be easy to do I think.

I'll let you know how things go.

I charge my BMW R1100S motorcycle's battery via the starter motor as the battery is such a pain to get to under all the plastic body work. This should easily work with your car.

Mal, why then could I not do it when mine went dead? When I twisted the key all I heard was a very faint and short (less than half a second) whir as opposed to a louder and almost a second long whir of the actuator motor.

Don't know all I know is drivers door is mechanical and let's face it, not like I have not dismantled just a few over the last few years