HELP! Locked out!

[crustypunkuk]

Hey all! I urgently need help with my 2003 clio 172.
When driving to work this morning the battery light and stop light came on. Nothing seemed amiss, so i parked up and left the car for the day while i went to work. When i got back to the car to go home, the car wont respond to the remote locking. The front lights and rear numberplate bulb were flashing (dimly) ten to the dozen, as was the dash (alarm?) light. The key is turning round in the passenger side lock but doesnt actually unlock!
So, i find myself unable to get into the car! I dont really want to put the window in if i can possibly avoid it, so i need to know if and how i can get into the car, or at least under the bonnet
I'm presuming that a dodgy battery is the root cause, but how the hell do i get into the car? Can anyone help? Please?
Any help greatly appreciated,
Gordon

 

[Bluebeard]

If the key is spinning in the lock, then the key doesn't fit the lock. Anti break in device.

Got another spare key??

I can get into it, but depends how close you are to Bristol.

 

[Hutchie]

if its a ph1 try the boot lock.

 

[Bluebeard]

if its a ph1 try the boot lock.

Hey all! I urgently need help with my 2003 clio 172.
When driving to work this morning the battery light and stop light came on. Nothing seemed amiss, so i parked up and left the car for the day while i went to work. When i got back to the car to go home, the car wont respond to the remote locking. The front lights and rear numberplate bulb were flashing (dimly) ten to the dozen, as was the dash (alarm?) light. The key is turning round in the passenger side lock but doesnt actually unlock!
So, i find myself unable to get into the car! I dont really want to put the window in if i can possibly avoid it, so i need to know if and how i can get into the car, or at least under the bonnet
I'm presuming that a dodgy battery is the root cause, but how the hell do i get into the car? Can anyone help? Please?
Any help greatly appreciated,
Gordon

(Like your thinking thoufg, forgot they had them! lol)

 

[crustypunkuk]

i only have the one key, and its a phase 2- the only lock on the car is on the passenger side, and its just spinning in the lock.
Also, i'm in Scotland, so its a fair old distance from Bristol!

 

[Bluebeard]

Yup.

I'm a nice guy, but not Bristol to Scotland nice.

 

[crustypunkuk]

hehe, no worries mate! Anyone got any ideas?

 

[biojo]

silly question but have u ever tried the key in the lock before now?

 

[crustypunkuk]

as a matter of fact, no i havent, and it only came with the 1 key.

 

[crustypunkuk]

Is there any way of getting the bonnet open without popping the catch from inside? is there any way of accessing the battery without having access inside the car?

 

[biojo]

didnt you question why it only came with one key.

when u say turns the lock do you mean fully as it u can hear locking bits move, or its just free spinning

 

[crustypunkuk]

bought the car used- it only came with 1 key, thats just how it came!
Key spins in lock, doesnt engage any kind of mechanism!

 

[biojo]

so the key does 360 degrees. Is your key a standard renault one like

http://www.muswellhill-locksmiths.co.uk/image/car page/renault/car_key_cutting_clip_image018.jpg

 

[crustypunkuk]

yes, that's the one!

 

[biojo]

rac / aa maybe able to get in without breaking the window.

 

[crustypunkuk]

i'm not a member of the rac, and really cant afford to pay to join at the mo!!!!!
So i take it there's no other way of releasing the bonnet catch or getting into the car?

 

[biojo]

not that i know of , or criminals wud do it to disable alarm

ask a mate if u can use his rac card as its to rescue the member and not a specific car

 

[Beef-Mc]

Can burst the grill and get into the bonnet that way IIRC, although it may be cheaper to break a window.

 

[calum001]

someones managed to get into the bonnet while locked out by removing the front grille and trying to get a screwdriver into fiddle with the catch, theres also a way of getting power to the reverse switch which puts power to the ignition to try and either use the fob or operate the windows (if you can get a rod into the window switch)

i tried all of the above when i was locked out of mine a couple of months back due to the battery going flat and a knackered lock, couldn't get any of it to work (could have persisted and it might have eventually worked but i needed in sooner rather than later and it was snowing !) so ended up just smashing the passenger side window, cost £25 to replace, only bad point is getting all of the glass after !

 

[biojo]

if your going to smash window use some wide tape , then majority will be stuck in one piece

 

[crustypunkuk]

Grrrrrrr.
Thanks for the help guys. Think i'm gonna have to bite the bullet and put the window in!

 

[calum001]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showpost.php?p=6254107&postcount=64



where about in scotland are you mate ?

 

[biojo]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showpost.php?p=6254107&postcount=64



where about in scotland are you mate ?

thats not too bad least it all isnt in car

 

[calum001]

yeh the tape really helped, i managed to literally lift that whole lot out, there wasn't much in the car, it's just the glass in the door that was a pain

 

[realnumber 1]

Could just join the AA then get them out to get in.

 

[crustypunkuk]

Managed to wedge the door open enough to lassoo the door handle and get in! Battery was flat but used a voltmeter and found out it's the alternator that's knackered! It's only 3 months old, as it was changed when i got the car.
I know it's entirely possible that i've been unlucky enough to get a dodgy new alternator, but is there anything else that could cause it to fail twice in 3 months?
Is there anything linked to the alternator that could be causing problems?