Most car enthusiast considers the Chevy Impala as one of the most popular and reliable vehicles out there. Known for its sleek design and spacious trunk, the Chevy Impala is truly a one to look out for.
However, it’s far from perfection and like any other car, it’s not immune to instances where owners find themselves in a situation and difficulties in accessing the trunk.
Cases as trunk won’t open or the battery is dead is not uncommon. Leaving you without the convenience of using the key fob or the manual key.
In this article, we will explore various methods to open the Impala trunk without a key in different scenarios, ensuring you never find yourself locked out of your trunk again.
Impala Trunk Won’t Open
Experiencing a stuck trunk can be frustrating, especially when you have items to load or retrieve. There are several reasons why your Impala’s trunk might refuse to open, and we will discuss some troubleshooting steps to help you get it open:
Check the Key Fob Battery: The first thing you should do is ensure that the key fob battery is not depleted. A weak or dead battery in the key fob can prevent it from sending the signal to unlock the trunk. Replace the key fob battery if necessary and try again.
Verify Child Safety Lock: Some Impala models have a child safety lock feature that can prevent the trunk from opening from the inside. Check the child safety lock settings and disable it if needed.
Manual Key Lock Cylinder: If your Impala is equipped with a manual key lock cylinder on the trunk, try using the physical key to unlock the trunk. Insert the key into the lock and turn it clockwise to open.
Check the Trunk Release Cable: The trunk release cable may become loose or disconnected over time, causing the trunk release mechanism to malfunction.
If you can hear a clicking sound when you press the trunk release button, it is likely an issue with the release cable, and you may need to access the trunk from inside through the backseat.
Access the Trunk from Inside: The method to access the trunk from the inside through the backseat varies on the year and model of your Chevy Impala. For models between 2000 to 2005, you need to locate the button the opens the trunk that’s below the headlight control knob.
For models between 2006 to 2012, you will need to look for a silver-grey loop that’s around the shoulder area of the rear seat on the driver’s side.
Once you located the loop, you will need to pull it down. From behind it, you will find the hatch to access the rear trunk.
Lastly, for models between 2013 to 2023, you will need to press the trunk release button that should be on the left side of the steering wheel.
Additionally, if for some reason your Chevy Impala has as different emergency method to access the trunk, if you are able to access the trunk from the backseat, as some models of the Impala allows it, you will need to crawl through the seats and pull the emergency escape knob/cord that should be located in the trunk. Once you pull it, it should pop open the trunk of your Chevy Impala.
Press the Dashboard Trunk Button: In most vehicles, including the Chevy Impala, it comes with a button on the dashboard that opens up the rear trunk. Look for it at the left side of the steering wheel. There will be a set of buttons on the panel and search for a button with the car icon.
Once pressed, it should open up the trunk. But do keep in mind that if you are to perform any of the methods we mentioned here, please ensure that your car is in park mode.
How to Open Impala Trunk with Dead Battery?
Dealing with a dead battery can be troublesome and expensive too on certain scenarios, especially if you need access to your Impala’s trunk urgently. Fortunately, there are alternative methods to open the trunk without relying on the electric release:
Use the Physical Key: Most Chevy Impala models come with a manual key lock cylinder on the trunk. If you have the physical key, insert the key into the lock and turn it clockwise to manually unlock the trunk.
Press the Trunk Button: In some Impala variants, you will find a button underneath the trunk handle which will allow you to pop open the trunk.
Access through Rear Seats: Some Impala models have foldable rear seats that allow access to the trunk from inside the car. Fold down the rear seatbacks, and you’ll find an access panel to the trunk. Remove the panel and manually release the trunk latch.
Jump-Start the Car: Of course, the most common and practical way to address a dead battery issue and fix all issue that comes with it is to replace it with a new one.
Alternatively, if you have jumper cables and another vehicle or an access to another car if you don’t own a second vehicle, you can jump-start your Impala to provide power to the trunk release system.
Once the car is running, try opening the trunk using the key fob or the interior trunk release button.
Fun Fact About Chevy Impala
Did you know that Chevrolet Impala, regardless of year make, comes with an average of 18.8-cubic-foot trunk of space? This is one of the largest in its class.
Furthermore, a split-folding rear seat is standard and intentionally engineered that way to allow the storage of long items.
The pass-through with the back seats folded is also quite spacious.
How to Open Impala Trunk from Inside
If, for whatever reason, that the trunk release button or key fob of your Chevy Impala is not working, and you can’t access the trunk with a dead battery, you can still open the Impala trunk from inside the car.
To do so, all you have to do is as follows:
Fold Down Rear Seats: As mentioned earlier, certain models of Impala come with a foldable rear seat and that was a standard. This is designed to allow owners to fold them down and gain access to the trunk area.
Locate the Emergency Trunk Release Lever: Inside the trunk, near the latch, there is an emergency trunk release lever in case someone gets trapped inside or you are unable to open it through the exterior means. This lever typically glows in the dark for easy identification.
To open the trunk, access the trunk through the backseat and look for the lever. Once found, simply pull the lever to manually release the trunk latch.
Disconnect the Trunk Release Cable: If the emergency trunk release lever is not accessible or not working, you can manually release the trunk latch by locating the trunk release cable.
To find the trunk release cable, follow the cable from the trunk latch to where it connects to the interior trunk release button.
Disconnect the cable from the release button and pull it to open the trunk.
Seek a Professional Help: If all else fails and you don’t know what to do anymore, the last thing you can do to open the trunk of your Chevy Impala without a key is to seek a professional help.
Have a qualified mechanic work out the issue for you although this can be quite an expensive solution. Consider calling your local car dealership or a qualified mechanic to solve the problem for you.
Conclusion
Owning a car is not all bells and whistles, owners should understand that they need to have knowledge of what must be done in times of trouble. So, when it comes to having a stuck or inaccessible trunk for Chevy Impala owners, this can really be quite frustrating.
But with the methods that we outlined in this guide, you should be able to address the issue as DIY solution to pop open your Chevy Impala’s trunk without a key.
Before anything else, please do note that the availability of these methods may vary depending on the year and model of your Chevy Impala. Always exercise caution and ensure your car is in a safe environment when attempting to open the trunk without a key.
If you encounter any difficulties or none of the methods work, consider seeking assistance from a professional mechanic or a Chevrolet dealership.
Lastly, performing a troubleshooting method is a technique to pinpoint the problem that cannot be done by everybody. So, to make it simple, if you ever find yourself in this situation for the first time or again, always start with the trunk release system, then followed by checking the key fob battery, and make use of the manual key lock cylinder when needed.
In emergencies or dead battery situations, keep in mind that most if not all Chevy Impala allows you to access the trunk through the rear seats or use the emergency trunk release lever inside the trunk.
Always remember to address the root cause of the issue once you have gained access to the trunk, and if the problem persists, consult a professional mechanic for further assistance.
Source:
https://hiride.com/chevy-impala-how-to-open-the-trunk/
https://hiride.com/chevy-impala-access-the-trunk-from-inside-the-car/