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Dead Battery, key stuck in ignition, how do I pop frunk?
Stupid of me. Last night I was getting some stuff out of my car and doing some stuff in the garage, and also checking my oil level. Turns out I went to find my key tis AM and I couldn't find it. Of course, I left it in the ignition of the car. Went to try and start it and it was completely DEAD. I once had a dead battery and I just hooked up jumper cables from one of my other cars to the fuse box and used the trunk opening latch next to the car seat. Then charged the battery with a charger and was fine.
This time, the key is stuck in ignition. I used jumper cables, but they aren't long enough based on garage layout. I used some 12 gauge speaker wire to extend the length and put little clasps on them to do the fuse box trick. Pulled the latch for the frunk, and NOTHING!! When I connect the wires to the fuse box terminal and the door frame, I do hear the electrical connection like something is happening, but it wont pop the frunk. Is this because the key is still in the ignition (some kind of security thing?), or does it still have to charge a while before there is enough juice to pop it? I did a long search and can't seem to figure it out. I drove another car to work and I did find one post where someone said to use the key fob to pop the frunk. Is this the correct way VS using the latch next to the door? Will I still be able to use the key fob if it is stuck in the ignition (assuming it has enough juice from other car battery).
Others have mentioned using a charger though the 12v lighter and leaving it for a while. The battery may be sucking all the juice out of whatever jump source you are using causing the voltage to drop so much the actuator does not have enough torque to function properly.
Last edited by ejabour; 08-22-2019 at 01:16 PM.
Reason: I can't read
The fuse box in the drivers footwell has a positive and negative terminal. Hook something up to it and it will power the frunk release.
The fuse box just has a red positive terminal. The owner's manual shows using the door latch as a ground. In order for this procedure to work you do need a good ground plus OP should use the trunk opening button on the remote fob to activate, not the door sill switch.
The fuse box just has a red positive terminal. The owner's manual shows using the door latch as a ground. In order for this procedure to work you do need a good ground plus OP should use the trunk opening button on the remote fob to activate, not the door sill switch.
Thank you!! I guess that was my main question, using the Key fob is the way to do it, NOT the latch? And that being the case, will it still work even though it is in the ignition (stuck)?
Also in case you are not aware we make a Lithium Battery that actually has WIRELESS built-in Jump Starting. So you would never be stuck with a frunk that won't open, or a dead battery that won't start the car. Our system actually puts the battery to sleep right before it is completely dead, then saves a reserve so when you press the provided Keyfob the battery awakens and you can start the Car, or open the frunk. I posted a video below.
We also have this product that is a longer wire harness that you can route from the battery to outside you hood.. as the picture below depict. Then you can just plug in one of our MICRO-START products, or other brand Lithium Jump Starter and energize your car to easily open the frunk or even start the car.
You can see one of the Harnesses here>>>> https://shop.antigravitybatteries.co...s-msa10b-long/
As stated above, connecting a battery 12V (or even 9V) to the fuse panel but... you need to use the FOB to open the trunk, NOT the switch on the door sill.
thats funny, I actually have a similar attachment, I was planning to install it and then have a trickle charger above my car so I can just easily plug it in without pop the Frunk or using the cigerette lighter method.The attachment is sitting right on my work bench.LOL
Originally Posted by Antigravity
Also in case you are not aware we make a Lithium Battery that actually has WIRELESS built-in Jump Starting. So you would never be stuck with a frunk that won't open, or a dead battery that won't start the car. Our system actually puts the battery to sleep right before it is completely dead, then saves a reserve so when you press the provided Keyfob the battery awakens and you can start the Car, or open the frunk. I posted a video below.
We also have this product that is a longer wire harness that you can route from the battery to outside you hood.. as the picture below depict. Then you can just plug in one of our MICRO-START products, or other brand Lithium Jump Starter and energize your car to easily open the frunk or even start the car.
You can see one of the Harnesses here>>>> https://shop.antigravitybatteries.co...s-msa10b-long/
If it doesn’t work remove the wheel trim and yank the cable, I did it with the wheel on as I wasn’t able to get a ground on the fuse box (battery was totally disconnected in my case). The cable method wasn’t too bad, maybe 20 minutes. You do need to pull quite hard though.
thats funny, I actually have a similar attachment, I was planning to install it and then have a trickle charger above my car so I can just easily plug it in without pop the Frunk or using the cigerette lighter method.The attachment is sitting right on my work bench.LOL
As and FYI be aware that you cannot put enough current through the Cig Lighter... the wires are a very thin gauge, we checked the wiring specs. Also, I think I see that you are saying you are going to use something like a Battery Charger SAE Cable? That is good for Charging with your charger when you bring the car into the garage, and a good idea, but keep in mind you can't Jump Start through a Battery Charger Pigtail because it is too thin of a wire gauge. Also it has a plastic rubber coating that will melt when the wires try to handle high current. Maybe that was not your intention though... I'm just putting out that warning.
The harness kit I show is a 10 gauge Silicone Wire.. so it can handle a jump starting current, and the Silicone sheathing can't melt.
Last to activate the Frunk latch mechanism... you need roughly 8 amps.... so a Charger/Maintainer will not usually allow you do do this just by plugging a charger into the Cig lighter, but if you do leave it in long enough it does charge the battery enough to pop the frunk. But the Cig Lighter port should not have a high current put through it , as I said the gauge of wire is too small. I verified this with the Porsche Schematic with a Porsche tech because originally we were going to make a frunk opener you could just put in the Cig lighter socket... but abandoned that idea after seeing that it was such a thin wire gauge.
Last edited by Antigravity; 08-24-2019 at 04:03 PM.
As and FYI be aware that you cannot put enough current through the Cig Lighter... the wires are a very thin gauge, we checked the wiring specs. Also, I think I see that you are saying you are going to use something like a Battery Charger SAE Cable? That is good for Charging with your charger, when you bring the car into the garage and a good idea, but keep in mind you can't Jump Start through a Battery Charger Pigtail because it is too thin of a wire gauge. Also it has a plastic rubber coating that will melt when the wires try to handle high current. Maybe that was not your intention though... I just putting out that warning.
The harness kit I show is a 10 gauge Silicone Wire.. so it can handle a jump starting current, and the Silicone sheathing can't melt.
Last to active the Frunk latch mechanism... you need roughly 8 amps.... so a Charger/Maintainer will not allow you do do this just by plugging into the Cig lighter, but if you do leave it in long enough it does charge the battery enough to pop the frunk. But the Cig Lighter port should not have a high current put through it , as I said the gauge of wire is to small. I verified this with the Porsche Schematic with a Porsche tech because originally we were going to make a frunk opener you could just put in the Cig lighter socket... but abandoned that idea after seeing that it was such a thin wire gauge.
Agree on all accounts. Was just going to use a speaker wire to pop the frunk using the fuse box, but it didn’t work. Probably not enough current.
I wasnt planning on doing it with cig lighter attachment.
I ended up doing the emergency release in the drivers wheel well. Then charging the battery a bit with another car running and then using the juice from the other car to start it. Did that last night and then drive around for an hour. Then put trickle charger on it. Been driving it all day today and it looks like it worked.
08-22-2019, 01:02 PM
Dead Battery, key stuck in ignition, how do I pop frunk?
