Yes -- well,... ummm, the later version is so much more reliable, see?
(...that it needs a backup mechanism.)

Hmmm
a) pre-92, a failure mode that reveals itself to everyone passing, frustrates/embarrasses the hell out of the owner, while leaving (till fixed) a persisting access of the engine compartment... to all.
vs.,
b) 92 & on, a failure mode that reveals itself only to the owner & his wrench, requires non-trivial di$a$$embly time/measures to fix, and (till fixed) essentially welds shut the engine bay... to all.

Pick yer poison, boys!

 

I have discovered that I can no longer open my trunk! Fortunately its not the cable itself the broke but something that holds the black sleeve in place - If I hold the sleeve from the backside a pull on the release I can pop the trunk. Any suggestions on how to re-attach that sleeve so that the cable can move but not the sleeve?

 

I have discovered that I can no longer open my trunk! Fortunately its not the cable itself the broke but something that holds the black sleeve in place - If I hold the sleeve from the backside a pull on the release I can pop the trunk. Any suggestions on how to re-attach that sleeve so that the cable can move but not the sleeve?

 

What you need to do is, undo the cable at the lock, then you take the plastic cover off the side of the release handle, ( inside the car) now you can seperate the cable and the handle, there is a pin you pull out first. You will see where the sleeve fits into the handle, there is a little boss that may be broken or worn out. You will need to put something like a small washer between the sleeve and the handle so the sleeve is kept from moving through the boss/hole. Then just reasamble the whole kit and kaboodle.
Hope this all makes sense, I even got myself confused.

Steen

 

I updated my hood with the Porsche-approved emergency cable. Had to locate a new hood latch with the two holes. Should have bought the cable from the hardware store or bike shop though. Nice piece of mind.

 

You can buy the cable from sears. They have spools of various sizes and the crimp bits to secure it back on itself to make a pull loop.

Can you tell us a bit more about the new latch with the dual attachment points? Where did you get it? Was it a simple drop in replacement? Anything interesting about the install?

Thanks.

 

After reading everyone's approach to an emergency release cable, and it being 58 degrees here today, I decided to try to hook up front & rear energency cables in my 90 C4.

 

Sorry about the double post.
After reading everyone's approach to an emergency release cable, and it being 58 degrees here today, I decided to try to hook up front & rear emergency cables in my 90 C4.
For the front, I found a rubber grommet on the driver's side fairly low down, inside the trunk. I removed the rear most part of the directional lens (part with the screw at the rear) and fished a bicycle brake cable through the hole. I ran it through a regular bicycle exterior casing, which I pushed through a hole I poked in the rubber grommet. I looped it around the release,
and used 2 electrical crimp caps to secure it. This only took 15 minutes.
For the rear, I removed the left rear tail light, & pulled the rubber grommet off the wire. On the inside of the engine compartment, I removed the corresponding rubber grommet. I then fished another bicycle brake cable through the two holes. This was a little harder, since the holes in the double walls did not line up. I slid an outer casing on to the cable, so the casing extends from just inside the outer
metal wall, to about 2 inches shy of the release mechanism. I drilled a small hole through the rubber grommet, for the bare cable to slide through. I secured the outer casing with zip ties, looped the end around the release and used crimp caps to secure. I made a loop on the other end. This took me around 45 minutes. Both work great. Now I have I can access these release cables in just a few seconds.
By the way, on my car. if the rear release cable were to snap, the rear hood would stay locked, since it's held in place with a spring, which gets pulled against to release. Perhaps this was changed in later years.

 

(Even now, your Factory wire-snaking-troll certificate [Journeyman-class] is slowly making its way to your garage work bench for display...)

Snake on, man -- snake on.

 

I managed to get the trunk latch handle assembly apart. It took a bit to figure out. Porsche was kind of enough to hide a couple of screws behind other screw holes. The receiver that the first set of screws - screws into pops out with a bit of force. I discovered that the plastic that holds the cable assembly was cracked and therefore not holding the sleeve around the cable. I am in the process of ordering this piece - hopefully it goes back together the same way.
Thanks for the advice.

 

This seems like the problem I have at the moment. My truck cable is fine, still attached at the handle and the latch, but pulling the handle does not open the trunk as it seems the cable isnt being held tight. It looks like there might have been a piece of the back of the handle where the cable goes through that has broken off.

I was wondering if anybody have a picture they could share of the part of the handle where the cable goes through? Or if someone has tried the small washer method described by Steen and would have pictures?

 

wondering if anyone has had this "lately"
Wifey broke mine - cable pulled straight thru into cabin
Pulled both front tires - no emergency cable...
Pushed hard on front of hood - No "auto" release..

any suggestions besides drilling greatly appreciated...
thxs Chris

 

I wish I could help you, but as you already know, I was faced with the same problem and ended up drilling the hole, was the only way I could figure out how to get in there. I made a plastic plug for the hole that fits flush with the bottom of the car, hasn't given me any trouble, and no leaks.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or detail of how I went about it.

 

copy that thanks still hoping for a Christmas in July miracle

 

Good luck with that one.
There is another way to get in there, but it is not easy. There are rubber grummets high in the left side of the frunk, they can be pushed out and give access, but you will be looking right into the carpet on the inside. You can then push that out of the way, shine a light through one and use something like a coat hanger through another opening, but you will be working in a very tight environment, can't remember if you have to remove the A/C condenser.
To my knowledge, that's the 2 least invasive options you have.
If you decide to go with the hole in the bottom you don't have to drill it as large as I did, that was the smallest hole saw I had available, a 1/2" - 3/4" would do just fine as long as it is in the right place.