I was doing work on the car and disconnected the battery. I wasn't finished for the night so I just closed the hood.

The doors are locked too. Can't open the car as the battery is disconnected and the physical key doesn't work for some reason, it turns but doesn't open the door.

Is there any way to release the hood cable from the outside of the car?

 

checked the second key that came with the car.. no go either.

 

F**CK stupid *** Nissan engineers. There doesn't appear to be a physical connection between the physical keyhole and the lock, if you have no juice on the car, you can't open the doors with the key.

 

Your best bet is to call AAA or a tow service and have them open the door using a slim jim tool. In the old days taxi cabs offered this service...
There is a metal rod that connects the key cylinder to the lock mechanism itself. It is possible that one, or both, of the plastic locking tabs that secure the rod may have come loose or broke. Is this the same car that was broken into 5x over your ownership? If so, that might be the problem right there.

Just thinking out of the box as these types of failures are exceedingly rare. Either something external damaged the locking mechanism or the locking tab(s) failed.

(Who are you pulling for at the World Cup?)

 

I may have been wrong. Well, I was able to finally open the door, but even with the battery connected, I still can't use either of the keys to unlock the lock inside the door.

 

Not sure about the WC. I like Germany, but they don't have a striker that can finish with a player like Klose in the past they could win the WC with the team they have (lost to Japan, I know). Spain is always good, France. England have a chance, but not sure.

I lived in German in my younger years (where I played soccer),

 

When time permits, you will have to remove the door panel and inspect the linkages / locking tabs. Not the hardest, but a nuisance.

The locks still work, just not with the mechanical key, correct?

 

correct, once I was able to get the battery connected again, I can use the fob to lock and unlock the door, and also use the manual lock under the level inside the car. but key will not work no matter what I try.

Like you said, I will open up the door panel tomorrow.

 

Figured out the issue with the key not working. Two years ago my car was hit and they needed to replace and paint the front fender, they also painted the driver's side door. Well, someone very smart at the repair shop forgot to connect that rod connecting the key mechanism to the lock. Used a borescope to peek inside.

 

Wow that sucks, glad you figured it out. What repair shop was it so I can steer clear?

 

LOL, if I didn't know the owner well myself, I would have told everyone here. But if you don't live in Maryland it doesn't matter.

The shop is lucky I am not the suing type.

List of problems:

1. Picked up car - AC doesn't work - doesn't turn on at all (they replaced the radiator and the AC condenser) and never checked it - When I got home the ambient temp sensor under the hood is unplugged.
2. within 3 months the AC no longer cold - Freon leaked out.
3. within 3 months paint on the painter front fender started falling off.
4. the door panel wasn't put back correctly.
5. the corner tweeter thing wasn't installed correctly.
6. the window when it moves up tilts on the side where the door frame is - haven't found how to fix it yet.
7. never connected the rod from the key lock to the door lock
8. pretty much all bolts holding the side skirt missing
9. took door panel off, found at least 3 bolts almost falling out, at least 4 bolts completely missing. two bolts missing holding the speaker.
10. never plugged in the door light at the bottom.

That's at least what I found - could be more issues.

I can't believe how these companies stay in business.

 

last year, some spent hours on opening with mechenical key, at last unlocked, this year battery got dead again, tried lots times, no luck on getting car door unlocked

 

That's why if I need to leave my car with the battery disconnected I just let it down until it latches. Ain't nobody gonna notice it's not closed all the way and if they do ain't much under the hood for a thief to steal.