Front Trunk Locked - battery dead, security locked????
 

Hi folks,

My trunk is locked due to dead battery and flooded security system (long story). I'm trying to charge battery thru cig lighter socket but doesn't look like the battery is taking any charge.

If I'm not able to get power to the battery, does anyone know a way to unlock the trunk handles on the drivers side or other easier way to get the front trunk open?

The long story.. I moved to Cozumel MX and brought my boxster with me which was doing great for a year and half until I drove through a flash flood and wet a great deal of electrical parts. It sat outside for a couple of days during the monsoon - second night the alarm went off at 1am, emergency lights blinking.. alarm would not turn off and would not unlock the levers on the side to get to the trunk. I got in the car using the car key but car was locked down. Turned air, radio, lights on to kill battery - was the only way to shut it down. Trying to drop some power into the battery to try and click the alarm off but if that doesn't work, i'll need to get into the trunk some other way.

Appreciate any help on this!

Nearest Porsche dealership is in Cancun and need to be able to get it on/off the ferry to get it there :(

This previous thread should help.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/61089-another-dead-battery-locked-frunk-thread.html

I don't know why you'd try to dump power from the battery, but oh well! There's a mechanical hood release cable in the right wheel well inboard of the headlight. Or there's a tap to connect a jumper cable to the car in the left wheel well in the fuse box. Either will work, probably the mechanical release is the most positive method.

Even here in Tucson, I'm not close. And I totally screwed my back yesterday. Good luck!

Before you drop a new battery in, pull the drivers seat and remove the immobilizer. Open the case, remove the board inside, and get it bone dry before you put it back in the car. You also need to get that carpet around where it sits dry. This could take days, or longer if it's been sitting with water in it. I guess if you can get the carpet dry to the touch (like with a shop vac) you could seal up the immobilizer (AFTER its dry) in a plastic bag for now.

You may have already fried your immobilizer, but there's a chance you haven't, and because of the cost to replace or repair it, you should make every effort to ensure you don't do more damage to it. If it is damaged, contact forum member Qmulus to see if he can repair it for you. Alternately, there's ECU Doctors in FL.

SO, don't apply power until you are sure the immobilizer and everything around it is totally, 100%, swear on your mother, dry.

Cancun - you might be able to tow it there (check with ferry).

Thank you! I was able to pull the cable from behind the fuse box and popped it open. Charging the battery right now and thanks to the advise below I will make sure everything is dry before attempting to fire anything up. Have a feeling I might be taking a trip on a tow truck on the ferry to get it fixed :(

Cable from behind the fuse box? That’s not what the above is talking about. There is a box under the drivers seat called the immobilizer. It controls pretty much all of the systems of the car, to one degree or another. This is the box that he referred too. Leave the fuse box alone.

No worries.. the cable to open the frunk is located behind the fuse box (easier than accessing the emergency frunk cable).. simple tug on the cable opened the frunk allowing me to get to the battery to charge it. Now i start work on removing the seat and checking the immobilizer which was replaced about 5 years ago - hoping it's salvageable. Sorry for any confusion, addressing several issues on this and have a feeling i'll be running into a few other unknowns shorty :(

Ah, I think older models have a different setup? Mine is an 02 that doesn’t have a cable from the interior switch it is electronic. I simply pulled my left hand (passenger) headlight and relocated the cable pull down to where the tow bolt goes, I don’t think I have a cable behind the fuse box.

02 model doesn't have the cable for the frunck.

My "03 has a terminal in the fuse panel (drivers foot well), to which you add power (hotbox, jumper cables, whatever) and it provides power for the electronic frunk release.

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Yep, that's what I have, along with the pull wire/cable in the left fender.

Before you take it to the dealer in Cancun let me know, I have an ex porsche mechanic in Cancun that comes to work on my car 2002 S. Very good and 1/4 of the Price the dealer will charge.

Mine does.

Your '02 has a cable behind the fuse panel, inside the car?

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Didn't know that. I was told that I didn't have the emergency cable under the front fender. I didn't know about the cable under the fuse box.

Well, no. Let’s be clearer.
There’s the emergency release cable under the passenger (right side) headlight. My ‘02 has one (all do I think). Earlier cars with mechanical levers (not electric switches) to release front and rear trunks will have physical cables connecting to the latches. Never dug around behind the fuse box, but I imagine that’s what the above are referring to: a way to “intercept” the front pull cable if it is broken or disconnected from the handle.
A handy tip.

Right. That's why I quoted your post. You were (as near as I could determine) replying to a question about the cable behind the fuse box, and affirming that your car has one. But what I THOUGHT you meant, was the cable behind the headlight.

Glad you clarified for any future readers who may think that they can dig-around behind the fusebox on their '02 and find a cable to pull: CAN'T ! :-)

If you have an 02 it's under the passenger headlight in the fender well. The other option for the electronic release is as Maytag said, there is a jumper in the fuse box to run 12v power to pop the hood/bonnet.

Apologies on delayed response Tanque55.. I would love to get in touch with him if possible - my car really hates dealerships and the logistics of getting it there is a big pain in the arse.

Much thanx!../mc

Don't forget to drill holes under the driver's seat (near the immob.) so the water can drain out next time. I found drilling 2 - one on each side in the lowest part seems the most logical. Surprisingly thin metal between your butt and the road.