Hypothetical Hood Popping Question
11-28-2010, 02:59 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Hypothetical Hood Popping Question
Let's say by some chance today while prepping the car for storage you had disconnected the battery and accidentally closed the hood. Is there a way to physically open the hood without ruining it since the battery is now disconnected? Does the button still work to open it from the drivers side door sill?
Sorry for the idiocy, it occurred to me after I left the car at the storage spot.
Sorry for the idiocy, it occurred to me after I left the car at the storage spot.
11-28-2010, 03:27 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
there is. It's all reviewed in the owner's manual. It's in the right front wheel well.
11-28-2010, 03:35 PM
#4
Admin
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Usually the loop is unreachable, you can hook a 12v battery in the fuse box inside the cabin to operate the button to open lid.
It's in your manual p128, if you don't have a copy let us know.
It's in your manual p128, if you don't have a copy let us know.
11-28-2010, 04:37 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Even if battery is disconnected u can open hood by jumping that thingamajig on fusebox with portable jump starter to open lid. Positive on fusebox and negative on door latch press hood button. Mike
11-28-2010, 05:56 PM
#7
Nordschleife Master
Yeah, but shouldn't you also be trickle-charging for the 4 months? ... unless of course the battery is hypothetically at home and not at the storage.
Trending Topics
11-28-2010, 09:02 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I'll probably end up doing that. I've disconnected the battery and left it that way when storing my M3 several times and never had an issue.
Should I expect to have an issue on the Porsche if I don't bring it home and leave it on a trickle?
Should I expect to have an issue on the Porsche if I don't bring it home and leave it on a trickle?
01-08-2011, 10:10 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
01-09-2011, 12:07 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
Here's an excellent DIY from a different forum, thanks 'GT4'...
The Boxster, Cayman, 996 and 997 are all designed with a battery stored under the front bonnet.
This is great for weight distribution, not so great when the said battery dies and locks itself in.
There are 5 basic entry methods. Three electrical and two mechanical.
Early Boxster and 996 models have cable operated releases, activated by levers by the driver's seat. Later models and all Cayman and 997 have buttons by the driver's seat to operate the locks by electronic solenoid.
The early models have the levers locked out when the car is locked and the button versions are isolated when the car is locked.
If yours is a Button Model zip straight to the last entry of this post. On the way note the pain you have avoided by having a later model!
LEVER MODELS
You have four options with the mechanical lever models: access the cables internally or externally or energise the unlock relay circuits via engine bay or fuse box.
External Cable access (Designed by Porsche if keys, battery absent etc)
There are two external cable release "eyes" - one at each end of the car.
NOTE: Lever release cables are routed to the Passenger side (front and real) (RHD).
Electronic Release models also have these cables, but the front cable is routed to the Driver's side (RHD).
Front Release
Access this "eye" via removal of the wheel arch liner. Remove from the Passenger's side (Lever Model) (RHD).
The centre pin plastic rivets for the liner just prize out (pull up centre pin with long nosed pliers/screwdriver and they "shrink" to release).
Look a bit like this:
The problem with this method is that a previous "helpful" owner may have moved the cable to somewhere more accessible (which you don't know) or it has been dislodged by repair work.
Rear Release:
Inside the engine bay there is a +ve jump start and charging point. This can be accessed via the rear cable release. Simply slide in a plastic ruler or hook to fish out the cable lying under the Passenger's side (RHD) rear lamp cluster. You can energise the car via this terminal and an unpainted earth.
Internal Cable Access
It is only the levers that are locked out by the dead battery, so the aim of this method is to overide the locking plate or pull the release cable directly.
Locking Plate Overide
If you carefully "pick" the release locking plate down the gap between the levers with a long thin screwdriver you can release the cable locking mechanism. Now you can pull the lever.
Cable Pull
Carefully prize open the lever assembly structure (by drivers door) and unscrew the three M5 Allen bolts and you can manually pull the release cable with a pair of pliers or hook (it is the levers that are locked, the cable is free to move).
Unscrew the panel on the right of the driver that houses the bonnet release. They need loosening and the whole housing should lift out. Don't take the Allen bolts out all the way otherwise they are a real pain to get back in!
Once you have moved the housing a little (you don't need to remove it completely), you should be able to pull the bonnet. You should see the deadbolt behind the lever which is preventing the lever from moving. Once the bonnet is open a bit of charge should allow you to unlock with the remote and disable to deadlock.
The Allen bolts will be covered by some plastic caps. Just lever them off (there are 3 of them) and the allen bolts are beneath. Once you've loosened these the plastic plate will lift off enough to bypass the deadlock and the bonnet will open
Tedwedz Cable Pull
Energise the locks with a "Fuse Buddy"
The Lever Models don't have a "Red Terminal", so make your own!
Connect both spades of a dummy fuse into position C3 with 12v positive and connect the negative to an exposed part of the body (ie not painted) - you should be able to use the door catch hoop on the rear of the door frame.
You can use a jump-pack or set of jump leads to another car battery for example. (connect the negative of the donor battery last in case of sparks etc)
Make one yourself using a spare fuse (solder on to both spades) - the lump of pig iron on the end is so your 12v crocs can actually hold it!
There is an OPC TSB (Porsche Technical Service Bulletin) if bonnets lock (and the techies cant be bothered to reach around for possibly displaced cables etc)
The TSB also suggests fitting an inline 30 amp fuse (if you dont use a "buddy" with built in fuse carrier).
BUTTON MODELS
This is the easier solution (that's why Porsche evolved it!)
Just pull the red +ve terminal out of the fuse box and attach the positive of a 12v battery.
Connect the negative to an exposed part of the body (ie not painted) - you should be able to use the door catch hoop on the rear of the door frame.
You can use a jump-pack or set of jump leads to another car battery for example. (connect the negative of the donor battery last in case of sparks etc)
Now you have energised your car you can open the bonnet (or run anything else in theory).
This is great for weight distribution, not so great when the said battery dies and locks itself in.
There are 5 basic entry methods. Three electrical and two mechanical.
Early Boxster and 996 models have cable operated releases, activated by levers by the driver's seat. Later models and all Cayman and 997 have buttons by the driver's seat to operate the locks by electronic solenoid.
The early models have the levers locked out when the car is locked and the button versions are isolated when the car is locked.
If yours is a Button Model zip straight to the last entry of this post. On the way note the pain you have avoided by having a later model!
LEVER MODELS
You have four options with the mechanical lever models: access the cables internally or externally or energise the unlock relay circuits via engine bay or fuse box.
External Cable access (Designed by Porsche if keys, battery absent etc)
There are two external cable release "eyes" - one at each end of the car.
NOTE: Lever release cables are routed to the Passenger side (front and real) (RHD).
Electronic Release models also have these cables, but the front cable is routed to the Driver's side (RHD).
Front Release
Access this "eye" via removal of the wheel arch liner. Remove from the Passenger's side (Lever Model) (RHD).
The centre pin plastic rivets for the liner just prize out (pull up centre pin with long nosed pliers/screwdriver and they "shrink" to release).
Look a bit like this:
The problem with this method is that a previous "helpful" owner may have moved the cable to somewhere more accessible (which you don't know) or it has been dislodged by repair work.
Rear Release:
Inside the engine bay there is a +ve jump start and charging point. This can be accessed via the rear cable release. Simply slide in a plastic ruler or hook to fish out the cable lying under the Passenger's side (RHD) rear lamp cluster. You can energise the car via this terminal and an unpainted earth.
Internal Cable Access
It is only the levers that are locked out by the dead battery, so the aim of this method is to overide the locking plate or pull the release cable directly.
Locking Plate Overide
If you carefully "pick" the release locking plate down the gap between the levers with a long thin screwdriver you can release the cable locking mechanism. Now you can pull the lever.
Cable Pull
Carefully prize open the lever assembly structure (by drivers door) and unscrew the three M5 Allen bolts and you can manually pull the release cable with a pair of pliers or hook (it is the levers that are locked, the cable is free to move).
Unscrew the panel on the right of the driver that houses the bonnet release. They need loosening and the whole housing should lift out. Don't take the Allen bolts out all the way otherwise they are a real pain to get back in!
Once you have moved the housing a little (you don't need to remove it completely), you should be able to pull the bonnet. You should see the deadbolt behind the lever which is preventing the lever from moving. Once the bonnet is open a bit of charge should allow you to unlock with the remote and disable to deadlock.
The Allen bolts will be covered by some plastic caps. Just lever them off (there are 3 of them) and the allen bolts are beneath. Once you've loosened these the plastic plate will lift off enough to bypass the deadlock and the bonnet will open
Tedwedz Cable Pull
Anyway solved the problem by pulling the cable from by the fuse box! You just yank the whole cable! Anyway pulling the cable by the drivers door floor works, between bonnet and floor handle
Energise the locks with a "Fuse Buddy"
The Lever Models don't have a "Red Terminal", so make your own!
Connect both spades of a dummy fuse into position C3 with 12v positive and connect the negative to an exposed part of the body (ie not painted) - you should be able to use the door catch hoop on the rear of the door frame.
You can use a jump-pack or set of jump leads to another car battery for example. (connect the negative of the donor battery last in case of sparks etc)
Make one yourself using a spare fuse (solder on to both spades) - the lump of pig iron on the end is so your 12v crocs can actually hold it!
There is an OPC TSB (Porsche Technical Service Bulletin) if bonnets lock (and the techies cant be bothered to reach around for possibly displaced cables etc)
Front and Rear Hood Release Inoperative [grp5 1/96 5510 1/21/97] 1pg
Should the front and rear hood releases become inoperative due to a disconnected or discharged battery, the following procedure will allow the hoods to be operated electrically under these conditions.
Open the driver's door.
Using an external battery, connect the negative lead to the door stop.
Connect the positive lead to both sides of fuse "C3".
With the door open, move the door latch with a screwdriver into the closed position.
Using the key, lock and unlock the door.
The front and rear hood releases can now be operated.
Note: If the vehicle is in the workshop and the battery must be disconnected, try to park the vehicle in a safe area where it is not necessary to latch the front hood.
Should the front and rear hood releases become inoperative due to a disconnected or discharged battery, the following procedure will allow the hoods to be operated electrically under these conditions.
Open the driver's door.
Using an external battery, connect the negative lead to the door stop.
Connect the positive lead to both sides of fuse "C3".
With the door open, move the door latch with a screwdriver into the closed position.
Using the key, lock and unlock the door.
The front and rear hood releases can now be operated.
Note: If the vehicle is in the workshop and the battery must be disconnected, try to park the vehicle in a safe area where it is not necessary to latch the front hood.
BUTTON MODELS
This is the easier solution (that's why Porsche evolved it!)
Just pull the red +ve terminal out of the fuse box and attach the positive of a 12v battery.
Connect the negative to an exposed part of the body (ie not painted) - you should be able to use the door catch hoop on the rear of the door frame.
You can use a jump-pack or set of jump leads to another car battery for example. (connect the negative of the donor battery last in case of sparks etc)
Now you have energised your car you can open the bonnet (or run anything else in theory).
