DIY: Frunk / Trunk Release - dead battery
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
DIY: Frunk / Trunk Release - dead battery
First off, whomever designed the locks on the Frunk/Engine cover for the '99 cars has a special place in hell reserved for him.
Second, I spent an hour last night trying to find the front release cable through the right blinker. That was USELESS. So using my superior skills of trying to figure out how to open a very basic trunk. I decided to look at the source, the latch, from under the car. Here's my method for opening the trunk.
My car does not have the 3rd radiator, but it has the cut outs on the bottom of the bumper cover.
It is real tight, but you can wedge your head under the bumper cover and look through the radiator cut outs and see the cable running along the bumper beam.
Use a coat hanger, reach up through the cut outs and pull the release cable down.
Once the frunk was open I placed the cable in the bumper supports so that in the future I can reach under the car (ie not crawl under) and pull the cable.
SPECIAL NOTE - careful with your head, it is a tight fit under the front of the car. I gave myself a black eye from wedging my head under the car.
yes, my bumper cover is in bad shape - previous owner street parked it in Chicago and liked to tailgate.
Second, I spent an hour last night trying to find the front release cable through the right blinker. That was USELESS. So using my superior skills of trying to figure out how to open a very basic trunk. I decided to look at the source, the latch, from under the car. Here's my method for opening the trunk.
My car does not have the 3rd radiator, but it has the cut outs on the bottom of the bumper cover.
It is real tight, but you can wedge your head under the bumper cover and look through the radiator cut outs and see the cable running along the bumper beam.
Use a coat hanger, reach up through the cut outs and pull the release cable down.
Once the frunk was open I placed the cable in the bumper supports so that in the future I can reach under the car (ie not crawl under) and pull the cable.
SPECIAL NOTE - careful with your head, it is a tight fit under the front of the car. I gave myself a black eye from wedging my head under the car.
yes, my bumper cover is in bad shape - previous owner street parked it in Chicago and liked to tailgate.
Last edited by white out; 03-20-2013 at 10:07 PM.
#2
Glad you found the cable. Mine was tucked and coiled up under my headlight. Thank God I found this out when I was taking off my headlights to clean them or else I would've never been able to get to it in a real situation.
#3
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Yeah, definitely worth moving it to a reachable location while doing maintenance than getting stranded.
The bumperettes were used on my car. The front plate mount was also beat up. All minor cosmetics that are easily repairable with a re-spray, but PITA none-the-less.
The bumperettes were used on my car. The front plate mount was also beat up. All minor cosmetics that are easily repairable with a re-spray, but PITA none-the-less.
#4
Drifting
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Kill two birds with one stone.....Go in and clean the crap from between the rads and the condenser both sides and you will find the frunk release cable en-route on that diy job... As you have the full bumper off the car, re route the loop end of the cable to come out at the front of the car in the air scoop. That way it can be opened from the front. Easy as falling off a log.
#5
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
My write up was more for those who get stuck in the situation after the trunk has locked. But yeah, moving the release cable while the front bumper is off is a great idea.
#7
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#8
Instructor
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Only if you have another charged battery handy, and a set of jumper cables. If not, then it's either the release cable or a fire axe. Stupid of Porsche to make the hood latch electro-mechanical anyway. Is there any reason? Has anyone ever not bought a sports car because of the cable-operated hood latch?
#10
As long as you have a key to open your car, you can access the fuse box and jump point there to open your frunk. It is a two step process but better than nothing I guess.
#11
Drifting
We had a local member with a 997 reporting at the GTF yesterday that something else electrical was wrong with his car which prevented him from using the fuse panel connection points to jump start the car, had to get the car towed.....
So it's good to pre-plan these things.
On a separate note, I found the secondary release cable for my trunk to be under the left tail light housing, the million dollar question is that while I have a mechanical release for the trunk beside the driver seat, IF I needed to use the secondary trunk release which is under the left tail light, how do I get the trunk open to remove the left tail light before gaining access to the cable?!
So it's good to pre-plan these things.
On a separate note, I found the secondary release cable for my trunk to be under the left tail light housing, the million dollar question is that while I have a mechanical release for the trunk beside the driver seat, IF I needed to use the secondary trunk release which is under the left tail light, how do I get the trunk open to remove the left tail light before gaining access to the cable?!
#12
Lol, I was thinking about this too, considering this is the default way they come from the factory IIRC. I haven't looked closely enough to see if you could get a coat hanger under the taillight or not. But even if it did fit to fish it out, who is gonna have a coat hanger on them in all situations?
#14
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
But yeah, if the battery was connected, the way you stated would be much easier.