Lancia Thema8.32 Boot locked shut

[kevin Clarke]

Hi all

can anybody advise how one can rectify a problem with my 8.32 boot. It will not open, appears to be permanently locked , when i place ke,y in i hear a solenoid noise but boot does not open.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[smokeme]

One way to get it open is to go through the rear seat (it folds down to access the boot) and open it from the emergency release on the inside. The opening is NOT electric so it probably got jammed somehow, the boot will open without battery power. On mine we twist the key once to pop the lock out and again to unlock the boot at which point we push it in and it opens.

[kevin Clarke]

Hey

thanks for the advice, i will give it a try

[Peter]

Kevin, please don't think I'm being rude, but sometimes very basic questions have to
be asked - I assume you have tried the the boot release button under the glove box lid.
Peter

[smokeme]

I assumed he did since that's the fatest way to open it

One thing i find strange was that he mentions that the solenoid clicks but on mine it makes no noise at all.

[Angle Grinder]

One thing that I have found a problem on the earlier Series 1 Themas is that the central locking solenoids can get stuck in either the open or closed position.

If the key doesn't turn in the lock then this is likely to be what the problem is. To overcome this you'll need to unscrew the solenoid from inside the boot and that will be hard on an 8:32 as the only way into the boot is via the ski hatch. Removing the rear seats on an 8:32 can take about 2 hours!!!

If the inside of the boot lid is not hidden behind a covere, and it may be on an 8:32. Then you should be able to see two screw heads, one above the other, in the middle of the boot lid. Unscrew these and the solenoid will be loose and it should then be possible to unlock the bootlid by turning the key in the boot lock.

[smokeme]

All Themas i've seen so far (mine a 16V turbo S2, a S2 8.32 and a normal 2.0) all had a foldable rear seat. On mine this is useless since i have a 90 litre LPG tank behind the rear seat in the boot :p

[Angle Grinder]

LPG conversion sounds interesting! What are the dimensions of your tank and did you get any problems after re-installing the Auxiliary Air Bypass valve?

My 8:32 interior had electric rear seats that were attached to the rear bulkhead by a hinge mechanism just below the rear headrest mounts. If you managed to fold them down then you'd need muscles like Arnie and a very good upholsterer to repair the damage.

I also have a series 2 base model car with rear seats that are fixed in place, and I believe that all Series 3 cars had rear seats that were fixed rather than folding. No idea why Lancia dropped this feature other than an attempt to perhaps increase the torsional rigidity of the bodyshell.

A small child or an anorexic super model might just make it through the Ski hatch behind the centre rest!

[Peter]

Typical Lancia - my 3 Themas, '90 S2 16v Turbo, '90 S2 832, and a '93 S3 v6, all
have the fixed rear seat back. Kevin, if you are still here, I've checked the workshop
manual, and can't find anything to help. Maybe you should borrow Angle Grinder's
angle grinder. Sorry, poor joke. Have you thought of going in through the number
plate holder? It would mean cutting it about a bit, but at least they are standard
throughout the range, and another shouldn't be difficult to find. The Consortium must
have half-a-dozen.
Peter

[kevin Clarke]

Hi guys

thanks for all the advice. I have now managed to open the boot .. some wd 40 seemed to loosen things nicely over night... and shalom shabaz boot opens ... thanks to all for input. This is my "fun " car (Audi Quattro Avant is my daily) so will be seeking advice on a number of issues with this Lancia 8.32 , none as straight forward as locked boot lid lol.

toodle pip
kevin