997S, built in Feb 05, have already replaced the hood latch after the dreaded "System Fault" appeared after washing the car AND opening the trunk to dry off the channels. Have washed the car several times since having the hood latch replaced (all w/o opening the trunk) with no problems until today. After washing the car and drying it (and NOT opening the trunk), the trunk popped open by itself. I said WTF and went over to relatch it, to just watch it pop open again and again. I closed it again and it's held for about 15 minutes (I'm afraid to go back out to the garage...) I think my car is possessed.

I just figured it out - I went over 2000 miles yesterday and was in a pretty celebratory mood - P-car has brought me back to earth again.

 

I washed mine just yesterday, a Jan 05 build. I use a lot of water to wash my car, and had no problems. Could be something else effecting the latch and not the latch itself. Let us know how it turns out. I know the feeling, and it sucks, but hang in there, its still one heck of a car!

 

Aw Sheet. That's one darn good way to bring a guy down. I hope your dealer isn't very far away. In a similar vein, after washing and polishing my 03 BoxsterS (waiting for 997s in Sept delivery) I noticed a RMS leak! Pi**ed me off big time. I can't even look at the car without getting slightly disgusted. BUT: after I get it fixed and drive it home I'll again feel great about owning it. Just do what you gotta do to get it fixed.

 

I picked up my April build 997 S cab from the dealer in Cincinnati on Thursday and drove it 700 miles through the rain back to NYC. Washed it Sat. Fortunately had no hood latch problem. Hopefully making this post won't jinx it. I assume Porsche had the problem diagnosed and fixed by the time my car went into production. I know someone reported last month that a whiole boatload of cars were held back in Baltimore while they fixed the solenoid.

Well, maybe I spoke too soon. This weekend I washed the car and when I wasn't looking, the trunk lit popped open. I closed it, and it stayed closed the rest of the weekend. At least I didn't get the dreaded "Return to Workshop" message.

 

Well, at last! So others are having this problem too? My hood pops open randomly, but mostly when I've just parked and walked away. I often come back to the car to find the hood/trunk popped open. It happens so frequently now that I'm almost afraid to leave the car for long. A couple of weeks ago I found the thing popped open in my garage. The next time I tried to start it, the light in the trunk had totally drained the battery. I had to jump the red contact in the kickpanel with 12 volts to activate the solenoid trunk release so I could charge the battery. I took the light bulb out of the trunk so at least it won't kill the battery again. Is there a fix for this? It's really starting to **** me off that I have a $90k car 1 month old and it has this problem. I was planning on taking it on vacation, but I don't want to spend the whole time closing my damned trunk! I love the car, but I'm losing confidence in it fast. Any help would be appreciated if someone has solved this problem. Otherwise it goes back to the dealership. I really never thought a Porsche would be this big a pain in the butt! I can buy a Neon that works better than this!

Buzz

 

Buzz,
Is the popping of your hood in any way connected to water of some amount getting into the hood latch, either from washing or rain? Mine has only had the problem after washing the car. SInce last Sunday when I washed it and it popped open about 4-5 times, it has stayed latched for the following week.

 

Any System Fault accompanying these mysterious hatch openings?

 

DD964: Right after getting my car, I washed it AND opened the trunk lid to dry out the channels - resulted in the infamous System Fault message. Took the car in to service and they replaced the hood latch solenoid(?) only and reset the SF message. Had no problems washing the car several times after that first episode (I did not open the hood to dry the channels for these washings) until last Sunday when I washed the car, did NOT open the hood and then watched helplessly while the hood popped open several times. I reclosed it those several times and it has held now for almost a week. This time I did not get the SF message. I took the car in for its first oil change yesterday (just passed 2K miles) and had the service writer make note of the hood popping open problem, but asked that they not do anything about it at this time. I told them that the next time I wash the car and the hood pops open, I'm bringing it in and leaving it there until they fix it. Can't wait until I wash it again...

 

Well, to answer your questions about water.... yesterday it was sprinkling rain when I came out of Wal Mart and I found it popped open. But, that is not the only time it does it. As I noted above, when I first brought the car home, the hood popped open in my garage....no water involved... and ran my battery flat. It does it randomly. People keep telling my I'm setting it off with my keys in my pocket. That's not it.... I carry my keys in my hand now, and it still does it. I'll call the dealership tomorrow. I have to tell you that I am furious about this. I have less than 1000 miles on the car and it's done it since the day after I bought it. Porsche better have a fix for this soon, or the dealer can just take the car back and give me back my $90k! This is a PORSCHE....not a Ford or a Isuzu!!
Just what I needed... a car I can't even take a trip with because somebody will steal everything in the trunk. Now, I'm going to have to cancel my plans to drive it to N.C. next week. The car is totally useless this way. I'm starting to hate it.... and it was supposed to be the car of my dreams. What a disappointing experience. All these "fine german engineers" and they can't even make a car that has a working trunk. Maybe I'll trade it on a VW. AT least the trunk will stay closed.

 

Does anybody know why Porsche didn't put a mechanical trunk latch on the 911 in the first place? If the battery is drained you can't get to it because its in the trunk and you can't open the trunk (easily) without a working battery. You have to go through some contortions involving the fuse etc. Who needs this?

 

Well, I had to do it so I could charge the battery. Inside the breaker panel on the kickpanel beside the drivers left leg, there is a RED thing that looks like the head of the other breakers in there....but is the only one that is RED. Then, look for a yellow one. That's your fuse puller. Just pull it out and clamp the RED "fuse" by the head with it, like a pair of small pliars. . Then slowly pull out on the red thing and it will come out nearly an inch and stop. Get a 12 volt battery (I used a battery charger) and clamp the hot (positive) lead to the metal on the red thing. Then take the black clamp/wire and press it against the the door stop that slides out when you open the door. As soon as you touch the negative side to that piece of metal, you will hear the solenoid pop the trunk open.

Now, you are faced with problem number two. How do you charge the battery with the trunk lid open? You can't. The really bright light stays on unless the lid is COMPLETELY closed. So, in my case.... I decided I had two choices. Remove all the panels around the light and hope I can get the bulb out? That's a lot of screws and a lot of work. I found another way to route your battery charger wires, is to bring them out of the trunk just above the battery and run them up your windshield. Then slowly latch the trunk. The wires fit easily under the closed hood this way. If you charge it all night it will bring it up to a full charge, and you can then pop the trunk open with the lever beside the driver's seat and unhook the battery charger. You're good to go until your trunk light kills your battery again. Is this what you expected to have to do just to get your trunk to work? (and it WILL still pop open) No, you paid a lot of money for this car and like myself.... you're feeling pretty bumbed about it.

If your new 997 is doing this.... I'd like to start a sign-up list thread where you just post your name if it is or has happened to you. Then, I think we all should present the list to the dealership so we can say, "Hey, I'm not the only one. Look at this list!" In the meantime, I think I'll just use a hammer and a screwdriver to break the lens of the trunk light so I can at least avoid the dead battery issue again. The dealer can just replace them free. I know, I'm long winded.....but you have to understand how pissed I am about this. Porsche Owners UNITE! If I can figure out how to start a new thread for signups.....please go there and just put in your name, your first name...anything to identify you as a person with this problem.
THANKS!

Buzz

 

Please put your names or acknowledge that this fault is or has happened to you in the "Sign up" thread I started. There are others having this problem too. Thanks,
Buzz