You can also just hook up another battery (or 12V power source) to the cigarette lighter and use the electric hood release (front or back).

 

Whoa! You're doing way too much work here, no need to disassemble anything!

Had my negative terminal pop off as well. Got a lighter plug with lugs on it, hooked it up to another car with jumper cables, popped the hatch - NO PROBLEM! Obviously do not start the car this way as the load will blow a fuse but this will open the hatches easily and in fact I've done it about ten times but only once with a ground cable completely disconnected. I keep one of these lighter plugs in my glovebox and another in my toolbox I've used them so many times...

P.S. In case it's not obvious, our lighter plugs are powered all the time. We can power the electrics or trickle charge the battery via the plug as a result.

 

On my way to Autozone now to pick up one of those chargers, if this works I'll be pumped!

 

same here

 

FYI, my '01's plug is not powered all the time, shuts off after about 60 minutes.

 

Got it to work! I bought an emergency charger with a cigarette lighter attachment. I hooked it all up and nothing happened, but the charger was also acting as if it wasn't connected to anything. So, I checked the fuses, and sure enough, the fuse for the cigarette lighter was blown. I had no clue because I have literally never used it in this car. Replaced that, and it worked immediately. Thanks for the help!

 

Check your work... I have an 01 - power to the cigarette lighter is always on...

 

now that you have the lids open find the cables and reroute them so you can get to them when needed

 

Definitely, that's this Saturday's project.

 

Happy to help, it's happened to me too many times! When I leave the car for long stretches in the garage I sometimes pop the frunk just in case - even with the tender lol

 

Interesting concern, I simply don't know how the switch for the front trunk is going to operate- especially if the negative cable is disconnected...all the electronics are triggered by the "battery "- unless Porsche has a secret like to the rear engine "hot" terminal

 

If the front negative terminal is disconnected, as far as your car is concerned - there is no battery. If you jump from the rear and connect the negative terminal, you are providing the ground that the car requires and everything will proceed as "Normal". There are many ground connections within the car's wiring that well ensure the ground is good.

 

Wow, thanks for the education. Since that's never happened to me, I guess I never knew. Learn something every day...forgot about all those ground points.

 

The car will run just fine with the ground at the battery disconnected, mine came loose driving and I found out in a friend's driveway. Plugged into the lighter, popped the hood, fixed it! I thought something serious had occurred when turning the key produced ZERO electrical response but a friend told me it was likely the ground terminal and was right - whew!