Help! how do you open the engine cover on a Gallardo spyder?

[Alastairm]

I've got one on loan for the weekend and want to check the oil but there is no hand book in the car and i've hunted high and low for the catch/button. Also, do you need to check the oil when the car is hot? I'm assuming it's dry sumped.
thanks

[justin220]

Behind the passenger seat? Thats where the coupe one is.

[TimboL]

Press and hold down the roof open and close buttons simultaneously. After a few seconds wait, the engine cover will start to open. When it's open, you'll see a wire loop on the underside of the engine cover. If you pull that, you can open the engine cover another inch or so wider; which will infinitesimally reduce the likelihood that you will bang your head on the engine cover or burn yourself while you're trying to wrestle the dip-stick / oil filler plug out of the hot engine.

It is a dry sump, and you are meant to perform some special fandango before dipping the oil. There has been endless discussion here in the past about the correct oil to use, and whether you will get dragged to hell if you don't use some special oil that you either won't have, or will have just run out of, and you can't get until the middle of next week anyway. All in all, your best bet may be just to drive the car for the week-end and let its owner mess about with the oil next week. If it runs out of oil, a light will come on a few moments before the engine explodes.

There's a bit of red plastic, on a strut, that you have to press to lower the engine cover back down from the service position to the open position before you press one or other of the roof open / close buttons to close the engine cover (otherwise the driver's display will say 'engine cover in service position' and not much else will happen).

Have a nice week-end.

[Alastairm]

Magic! Did the trick so thanks for the help!!