Opening sprinter bonnet from outside

Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
I need some help with my old sprinter 2012 313
It’s been parked for a few weeks , I went to move it and the key fobs won’t work to open the doors . The little red light on the cob comes on but nothing happens at all on the van . I’m assuming I have a flat van battery so I’ve taken the emergency key out of the fob and although it moves through the positions it won’t open the drivers door🙄
My thoughts are I need to open the bonnet and then I can get a charge into the battery and hopefully open the doors up.
How can I get the bonnet open without being able to access the pull lever and also without taking my still saw to the front of the van ?
 
M

Monkeybusiness

Well-known member
Can you get to the live feed on the starter motor from underneath and charge it or jump the battery from there? Might let you open the door at least.
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
Can you get to the live feed on the starter motor from underneath and charge it or jump the battery from there? Might let you open the door at least.
The battery is inside it under the floor but that might be possible to get onto the starter right enough . I will check that out as soon as I’m physically able to crawl under it !
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
would be my choice too .... +ve to the starter pole, earth anywhere good and try a jump to at least get the doors active ...... then i'd have the driver's door card off and see WTF the key isn't doing as it should :unsure:
if the battery's inside why open the bonnet ??
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
would be my choice too .... +ve to the starter pole, earth anywhere good and try a jump to at least get the doors active ...... then i'd have the driver's door card off and see WTF the key isn't doing as it should :unsure:
if the battery's inside why open the bonnet ??
So I can get power enough to let the remote open the doors
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
So I can get power enough to let the remote open the doors
and you were going to do that how Vin ?? starter is easier accessed from below, unless you have a jumping pole under the bonnet ;)
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
Don't suppose you're lucky enough to have a towing socket on the back with a permanent live ? ......... life is rarely that easy, but it would be wonderful if you could charge it that way 😊
This might be an option!
I have 13 pin electrics for towing and a live feed that charges the battery on the tipping trailer when towing .
Does anyone know if there is a permanent live in the 13 pin electrics?
 
Canal Navvy

Canal Navvy

Well-known member
This might be an option!
I have 13 pin electrics for towing and a live feed that charges the battery on the tipping trailer when towing .
Does anyone know if there is a permanent live in the 13 pin electrics?

Pin 9 ?
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
This might be an option!
I have 13 pin electrics for towing and a live feed that charges the battery on the tipping trailer when towing .
Does anyone know if there is a permanent live in the 13 pin electrics?
pretty sure there is ... pin 9 ... 1 o'clock looking at it
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
pretty sure there is ... pin 9 ... 1 o'clock looking at it
If this works that’ll be a right result . I’ve just checked in with sparky who wired it in to see if he can remember. I know he adapted a bit of it to charge my tipper trailer battery but I don’t know what . The battery is as flat as a witches tit so I don’t think I will get a positive reading out of it with multi meter to check it
 
T whiting

T whiting

Well-known member
You should get a reading of a few volts if it's connected to live if you can't work it out start probing 12v into it with a ground clamped on somewhere ideally through a power probe to limit the current if it is connected to earth
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
You should get a reading of a few volts if it's connected to live if you can't work it out start probing 12v into it with a ground clamped on somewhere ideally through a power probe to limit the current if it is connected to earth
Explain a bit more Tom , so an eejit can understand what you mean
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
Can you hook up the trailer, battery on that might back feed?

Shouldn't do if plumbed up properly. Should have a split charge module somewhere in the system that will stop it. Although if that has been installed on the trailer then it will be easier to bypass than if fitted to the van
 
Vinpetrol

Vinpetrol

Well-known member
Sparky says that terminal 9 is wired through a smart relay for charging so therefore may not be live back to the battery.
He says try at the alternator from underneath.
What would be the best way to trickle a charge to the battery to avoid damaging the wiring ?
 
Shovelhands

Shovelhands

Well-known member
Sparky says that terminal 9 is wired through a smart relay for charging so therefore may not be live back to the battery.
He says try at the alternator from underneath.
What would be the best way to trickle a charge to the battery to avoid damaging the wiring ?

Any battery charger should be fine, as long as you don’t try and start it until you’ve charged the battery.
 
Canal Navvy

Canal Navvy

Well-known member
Shouldn't do if plumbed up properly. Should have a split charge module somewhere in the system that will stop it. Although if that has been installed on the trailer then it will be easier to bypass than if fitted to the van

A dc to dc converter fitted to the trailer to limit current and connected to the fridge (pin 10) would sound an elegant solution 👌

Cogitating on charging tipper batteries not opening sprinter bonnets , sorry 🤭
 
Top