i disconnected my battery before my europe trip, shut the trunk, and now it won't open.

WHO WAS THE DUMB F*CK ENGINEER THAT DECIDED THERE WOULD BE NO MANUAL TRUNK LEVER?

why must everything be electronic?


this sucks - now i've got to flag someone down to give me a jump for that stupid fuse.

AND WHY REQUIRE IT TO BE A 12V CAR BATTERY?

f*ck, if you're designing something that retarded, why couldn't you just have a secondary trunk opener that uses a AA battery.


rant over... is there any good reason for Porsche to do this?

- chuck

 

sometimes you just don't know what they thinking

 

The 1999 and 2000 model 996s had two large paddles in the current location of the electric switches - one facing forward and the other backward - that were cable releases. They were nice "chromish" devices that easily got scratched as you entered and exited the car. Obviously the engineers came up with an "elegant" solution for the remaining 996 run. If I'm not mistaken, in the newer cars there is a cable hidden somewhere in the driver front fender well under the liner that is an emergency release for the trunk. No, it is not easily accessible and you need to know where to look for it. You can Google/Ask it. I'm sure this will make you feel better regarding advanced German engineering :-)
Marv

 

Chuck.. I know what you mean. I had another board member call me this week to ask how to unlock his turnk The older 996s had a manual release Really stupid indeed...

 

FWIW, it doesn't take much current to trigger the hood release-certainly a lot less than another auto battery will do the trick. I was able to get it to open just by hooking my battery charger up to the fusebox jumper-popped right open.

 

Another easy alternative is to get a battery charger that operates through the cigarette lighter. It is basically a small rechargeable battery brick that is charged with household current first and then plugged into the lighter. The electrical system then draws on this source for energy. In northern climes it is sold as an emergency battery substitute that helps start a car when your car bettery is dead. It's not expensive and easily provides enough juice to open the trunk. Available at auto supply stores.

 

nope, this f*cker won't open now.

yesterday, i tried a small 12v car alarm battery - it would make a clicking sound but the hood wouldn't open.

today, i hooked it up to a 12v car battery and nothing... no clicking sound, and no hood open. likewise, i couldn't get any noise from the small 12v car alarm battery either.


now i have no idea what to do.

- chuck

 

Perhaps calling your local Porsche service dept. is in order.

 

marv, apparently there is a cable release behind the right passenger headlight under the fender lining.

of course, my tools & jack are in the trunk.


once i get through this ordeal, first mod will be lengthening the cable to somewhere accessible.

- chuck

 

manual releases will keep the trunk valuables available to thieves.

with the battery unhooked, don't you have a short now? i doubt external battery will open the trunk now. maybe as a last ditch, try a cigarette lighter charger and see if that will allow the switch to work.

 

well, i looked as much as i could in the passenger inner fender and i couldn't find a release cable. i couldn't get the whole lining off, but i stuck my hand in there and felt around - nothing.


does anyone have specific information on the cable release?

 

Engineers always propose the best solutions to problems.......its the stupid accountants that compromise them

 

if at first you don't succeed, try again. i found this thread @ renntech
http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2151

i went back in w/ a flashlight and found the cable loop. of course, my hands were too big to reach it while still maintaining any sort of leverage. don't expect to pull the loop w/ your fingers - you'll need a coat hanger.


now - the trunk won't close i assume i can drive 55mph or so to Sharkwerks - i'm tired of screwing w/ this thing.

- chuck

 

Crazy, thanks for the heads up though...I'll be sure NOT to disconnect the battery and close the hood.

 

I'm sure the wing will keep it planted. The faster the better just kidding don't try that!