Boot Lid Lock

[Steve]

Problems opening hatchback.
Yup, I now know that this is a VERY well known problem.
2005 Micra, less than 50k miles.
Within two years:
New latch
New switch
Two breaks in wiring fixed at different times
Not main dealer.
Now, the micro switch is playing up and I'm pis*ed off!
Okay, I've messed with the micro switch and rightly or wrongly blasted it with WD40. This has improved matters.
Is there any point in me complaining to Nissan UK about this?
It seems to me that there should have been a recall.

Taa

 

[plmval]

[quote="Steve,
Is there any point in me complaining to Nissan UK about this?
It seems to me that there should have been a recall.

Taa[/quote]

A K12 Micra in its 10th year is already well beyond its design economic useful life. Operating such an old car is only economically efficient and beneficial if you are handy and enjoy the ongoing DIY challenge of continually improvising repairs on the hoof at marginal cost!

Water ingress retention into electric boot lock can be DIY resolved by providing improvised continuous drainage and sealing the weather joints. Sealing all joints with non-setting sealants to enable future disassembly and using water repellent lubricants on all electrics.

Some of the well-known K12 maintenance issues are listed at url:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/micra-k12-2003/?section=good

Good and bad, what to watch out for item number eight relates to boot lock.

Enjoy the challenge of an improvised DIY repair.

Good luck

 

[Steve]

If you Google this fault you will see that it is very well known. The part should not have failed again within two years, thus my mention of a complaint to Nissan.
I do not agree with you about the car being past its economic life, few would. It is not in its 10th year
Thanks for the reply and the link.

 

[BarnsleyNath]

Totally understand your feelings steve, however it isn't a safety item so how can you expect Nissan to spend millions to rectify an issue that most just repair and adapt to the issue (i think that is what plmval was meaning)
Having said that you get nowhere without asking so what can it hurt really?
On another note, none of the repairs were done at a main dealer and aftermarket parts are widely available and some don't have the same quality as others?
Whatever your choice, good luck

 

[Steve]

Totally understand your feelings steve, however it isn't a safety item so how can you expect Nissan to spend millions to rectify an issue that most just repair and adapt to the issue (i think that is what plmval was meaning)
Having said that you get nowhere without asking so what can it hurt really?
On another note, none of the repairs were done at a main dealer and aftermarket parts are widely available and some don't have the same quality as others?
Whatever your choice, good luck

Safety item or not, the part is not fit for purpose.
The part fitted was genuine Nissan and it really should not have failed in less than two years.
I'm going to have a moan at them. I'll let this group know if I sue them for £20m.
Thanks to you and the other guys for replying.

 

[MarkLancs]

I sent mine to http://www.3dlabellingsystems.com/pages/micra_faulty_boot_switch.html for repair.

Best £50 I've spent on my micra.

 

[Steve]

I sent mine to http://www.3dlabellingsystems.com/pages/micra_faulty_boot_switch.html for repair.

Best £50 I've spent on my micra.

Aye, I have seen this site and thought about it.
Thing is that after blasting the microswitch with WD40 the lock has been working 100%
One day I will make a seal, or use Vasoline to keep the water out. Its too cold out there at the moment!

 

[plmval]

Rear door hatch release switch water logging problem consists of two issues;

1. condensation problem

2. water leak ingress problem

The rear door hatch switch condensation problem results from higher pressure warm air in the cabin leaking into colder switch cavity resulting in copious condensation. Cabin warm air ingress needs sealing out to prevent it entering the switch cavity if possible. Rear hatch door card and a clear plastic vapour barrier needs to be in place undamaged and airtight. Continuous drainage holes underneath the switch assembly would limit condense water levels from reaching the switch/electrics but would inevitably increase warm air throughput and encourage more condensation.

External door handle weatherproofing may be enhanced with thin rubber gasket fabricated by hand from insertion rubber sheet or out of a disused inner tube available for free if scrounged from tyre fitting workshops? Combined with vaseline this should solve the water leak ingress problem

Addressing the rear door hatch condensation and water leak ingress problem in its two parts can be a satisfactory DIY improvised adaption to overcome the flaw at marginal cost, that Nissan couldn’t be bothered to fix!

 

[LauraC]

My boot lock stopped working for 6 months then one day I thought what the hell I'll try it and it's opened ever since! Sod paying nissan hundred and odd quid to sort it haha

 

[Steve]

My boot lock stopped working for 6 months then one day I thought what the hell I'll try it and it's opened ever since! Sod paying nissan hundred and odd quid to sort it haha

When mine played up it would sometimes open, but mostly not open. The WD 40 made it always open.
Somebody here posted a link where for £50 you send the lock away and they fix it. At the end of the day it is only a microswitch.
In my younger days I would have had a crack at replacing the microswitch myself, somebody somewhere on Google did it.

 

[azb786]

My boot lock stopped working for 6 months then one day I thought what the hell I'll try it and it's opened ever since! Sod paying nissan hundred and odd quid to sort it haha

My boot lock stopped working after few months too. I took it apart and used glue gun to seal the edges. Worked for few months then stopped again. I got myself a switch from Maplin and wire the daam switch from inside. I took the wire to the front and now I have boot switch near the mirror adjusting switch

 

[Mika The Finn]

By any chance, any pictures?

 

[alfetta]

My boot lock stopped working after few months too. I took it apart and used glue gun to seal the edges. Worked for few months then stopped again. I got myself a switch from Maplin and wire the daam switch from inside. I took the wire to the front and now I have boot switch near the mirror adjusting switch

thats what I did, it works but my method is a bit redneck. Old light switch and the cable runs over the back seat...but it cost nothing