Bill,

Item 26 is the baby and you can see how it follows the shape of the door at the upper back corner preventing access.

From my viewing of the internals, yes it would be quite easy without the security plate to open with the Prosche coat hanger tool, as I was able to push up the lever that the door lock button is attached to with my finger.

I have only locked my keys in the car one in 10 years and that was when I put them down inside the rear hatch to pack some items in and I shut the hatch. Lucky I was only a little ways from home and my son came with the spare set of keys.

I always use the key to shut the doors and I have not experienced any auto door shut syndrome, as yet.

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

 

The security plate is often removed and "forgotten" after all the average owner can not tell if it was put back or not

 

Not if it's bronze-tint... that stuff is unobtanium. Better to risk the seal.


Luckily, the cars with that glass mostly have the vacuum locks which don't seem to develop minds of their own...

 

I think most years have the shield, may be slight variations or part numbers. WSM photo shows early version. The locksmith's hook diagram below shows the shield and bottom of glass with window up.

It looks like there is just enough room to slip the hook behind the shield and lever the lock button rod.

 

The only car company in the world to pressurize a distributor.

 

Borland's excellent post above indicates that the hook should work despite the security plate, although Tails found otherwise in his car. If I get a chance, I'll remove my door panel and have a look. It seems, as Borland said you just need to get between the door frame and window by going under the glass edge and up to the lock post. You are not trying to get around the security plate.

The hook needs to be stiffer than a standard metal coat hanger. I used the metal hook from an old (very old - look at the phone number) wood coat hanger.

 

I was there watching as a locksmith unlocked my former '86 with the hook tool. The car had the security plate in place. I know because I had to go in there later to replace a broken door handle.

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft

 

Best thing, is to install a keyless remote entry system. That way, you have both a spare key and spare keyless remote transmitter.

 

I looked at the driver's door on my 90' S4 tonight. Three observations which make using the locksmith's tool very easy to pull the lock button up and unlock the door, are ....

- The shield panel's top is mounted 1-1/2" below the exterior weather stripping.
- At the rear most corner of the window glass (near the lock button), the glass bottom is only 1/2" recessed below the weather stripping.
- The lock button rod penetrates the top of the shield below the lock button.

So, the pictorial of the locksmith's tool is very accurate in regards to these observations.

 

Borland,
Excellent information and I should have referred to my WSM first.

Did you actually remove the internal panelling and gain access to the inside of the door?

Bill,
I await your finding with interest.

Wnen I went into the internals of the door I tried to get a piece of wire down past the external weather shield, held out with a nylon wedge, and into the area at the rear top of the security plate as shown in Porsche's schematic, however, I could not achieve this.

In reflection IIRC the top of the door is parallel to the rear of the window aperture and did not appear to have the open section as show in the top illustration from the WSM.

The actual top rear section of the door insert panel has a horizontal metal strip attached that slides under the outer side of the bracket that guides the locking **** up and down, hence the continuous parallel section of the door top at the back end.

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto