Matt, did you ever find the solution to this issue? Something tells me it might be the shocks that raise the hatch beginning to lose their strength. I am starting to have a similar issue with my Targa, so let me know what you found that worked!

Also, sorry for reviving this old thread!

 

My Porsche guy diagnosed it down to a bent arm on the micro switch and reset the brain now it works perfectly

 

Any more specifics on this - Was the bent arm replaced, or the computer only reset and then it began working properly?

Thanks.

 

He just straightened the arm and reset the computer

 

I had a problem with my 2003 996 Targa hatch glass yesterday and was able to resolve it and wanted to post some further details related to this thread. What happened was the catch hook had worked loose and had slipped under the spring mechanism that pops the hatch open once it is released by the lock motor. I could hear the motor activating the release but the hatch would not open. So here is the repair procedure I used:

1. Remove the lower panel to access the hatch motor - just reach under the edge and firmly pull it off as it is held in by four spring clips.

2. You can also remove the top panel by removing the four screws with the funky lock washers. You may need to twist out the rubber bumpers in the corners to remove this panel and I would suggest a little silicone spray to help lubricate the bumpers so they come out freely.



3. This will fully expose the motor mechanism which is held in place by two screws. It appears in my case that the motor had been replaced before by a previous owner because it is a 997 part number.



4. The offending problem was the spring lever that the catch mounted to the liftgate pushes down onto when closing the lid. The catch should not go under the spring lever and should just push down on the nylon piece mounted to the spring lever. When the hatch is released, this spring lever just pops the lid up slightly so it can then be raised by hand.



5. In order to free the mechanism I had to work out the screws that mount the catch to the glass lid by hand. The catch, which was a little loose, was trapped under the spring lever. This was an extremely tight fit and a tedious process and if the screws had not already been loose I am not sure what I would have done next. Here is a shot of the lid finally freed with the two screws removed.



6. Once everything was removed it was just a matter of reassembly and testing the fit of the hatch catch relative to the spring lever and locking mechanism. There is some adjustment in the catch and the motor when reassembling. I moved the catch some to the right (as viewed from the rear) to help ensure the catch would not slip under the lever again. I also put some lock washers on the screws so they would not work loose again. Were these lock washers originally there, I don't know, but it seemed to make sense to add some.

7. While I was in there, I also made sure the drain holes at the corners were clear by blowing some compressed air into the holes.



My guess is that over time the catch just worked loose enough to slip under the spring lever. So I would suggest checking those screws periodically to ensure they are tight.

I hope this helps someone else in the future!