My truck lid is closed, the key cylinder is
broken and the release button doesn't work. how do I get in the trunk without destroying the interior trunk panel?

 

You'll need to crawl in the back and try to get behind the panel to manually release the latch. I don't know if the panel can be removed with the trunk closed, never tried.

 

The back panel cannot be removed with the trunk closed because the trunk latch passes through the panel.

 

You'll have to shimmy back there and curl the panel back on the passenger side, as much as you can, and then some. You won't destroy it. It's flexible and will pop back. That's the side where the cable is.

Reach for a "loop" of cable. Its insulation will be smooth, so if you have sweaty hands, a glove that gives you some grip will help. Grab the cable and pull toward the passenger side until the mechanism pops.

Then, depending upon the condition of your hatch struts, the hatch will either pop up on its own, or you'll have to use your body and raise up against the glass to give it a boost. Then climb out.

Better to have a helper outside to raise the hatch. Or if you're a large person, get a smaller helper to do the work inside, and you stand outside to raise the hatch.

Obviously, this will be the time to fix or replace the parts that don't work, or you'll be doing this again. And I can guarantee that you won't want to do it again.

You called it a "trunk lid," which could be interpreted to mean the car is a convertible. If so, then the operation is the same, except you'll be shimmying back out, not crawling out. That smaller helper will be more beneficial in this case.

 

If you have the back light, you can pop that out and then try to angle a 10mm socket onto the release solenoid and remove it... if I recall...... it will not be directly behind the light and you may have to apply some force / turn the bolt at an angle.. careful not to strip it....

then you will have access to the manual latch / turn that the solenoid turns to open the hatch..... you can use a screwdriver to turn that.


It will pop right open...its NOT a fun / easy job though.............................


If you don;t have the light, try see if the relay is bad, its under the passenger side panel.




Worst comes to worst, cut a nice square hole in the plastic to gain access then cover it up and make it nice / like a little door or something after. Really, there should be an emergency fdoor there but GM didn;t install one.