Im in quite the predicament

[Racecar_Dave]

If you wanna know how i got into this predicament i would say it was bad timing that my battery died while my top was in service position and then my front trunk servo stopped working and the emergency release isnt releasing........


These things would help me

Can the 2002 boxsters battery be charged externally? I tried hooking my charger up to the little copper tab in the fuse bix but my fancy charger refused to supply it with any current.


Can i disconnect my top from the motor to close my top manually?

If i can close the top i can tow it to my porsche service center and let them figure out how to get in the hood.


My other idea was to cut the hood around the latch, fix it, buy a different hood and install it.

[Gilles]

Dave, just apply 12 VDC to the cigarette lighter plug.

A friend of mine purchased an lighter plug extension cable that had pretty thick cables and we cut one of the plugs and applied 12VDC from his other car and we were able to open his frunk right away (w/battery completely dead).

[78F350]

If you can't get the top to operate by 12V through the cigarette lighter, take a look through this thread for how to operate the top manually by disconnecting a few parts:
Stuck Convertible Top - Manual operation...

[dghii]

One other note, I tried hooking up a battery pack to the fuse box tab but had no luck popping the hood. Jumper cables between the fuse box and my 'always reliable' Alfa Spider did the trick just fine.

Both setups used the same ground so not sure what the issue was.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by 78F350

If you can't get the top to operate by 12V through the cigarette lighter, take a look through this thread for how to operate the top manually by disconnecting a few parts:

78F350, I used the 12VDC on the lighter plug to open the front "frunk", I am not sure about the top as must likely uses a considerable more amps than the frunk.
.

[Stl-986]

If the battery is hooked up, then charging via the 12v outlet will work. Will take a while to get it to the point where you can start the car (at least a day depending on how dead the battery is).

You still have to figure out how to get in the front trunk though. Best thing is to take the front driver wheel off, remove the liner and then pull on the release cable. If that doesn't work you are stuck with cutting the hoot & replacing it.

[Racecar_Dave]

So i got the cigarette adapter and got the electronics to somewhat turn on. They were blinking on and off and there was an additional 5 sec counter that ive never seen before. I couldnt get anything to work. No windows no top nothing. I did try the starter but i think that blew the cigarette fuse

[Racecar_Dave]

And ive already been in side the wheel wells. Ive found the release but it is not releasing the hood

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Gilles

78F350, I used the 12VDC on the lighter plug to open the front "frunk", I am not sure about the top as must likely uses a considerable more amps than the frunk.
.

I hesitate to tell people to use the cigarette lighter because it can lead to problems if it's limitations are not understood. The trouble that people get into with it is that it is made to be of adequate gauge to use a battery maintainer or trickle charger, but can not withstand high amperage tasks such as jump starting or attempting to quick charge a battery that has failed. --Good for low charge, NOT for Dead.

To open the frunk electronically without having the battery in the circuit you can follow these old instructions, directly applying power to the central locking module connector under the driver's seat: How to open hood when battery is good

[mikefocke]

And some trickle chargers require the battery to be at a certain voltage and won't do anything if the voltage is below that.

Helpful post 78F350. Never saw that link of yours before.

[Stl-986]

the fact that you got lights to work means you are getting something into the battery. Just keep it closed up and charging. Give it a day. you are putting very low current into the battery so it is going to take time.

once you get enough power in, roll the window down, close the door & use the key to lock then unlock the car. Then try the front trunk button. If you can roll the window down you have more then enough power to open the trunk. If it still doesn't work then you have a physical problem with the latch (or it isn't connected to power).

You have to give the cable a very good yank for it to release when doing it this way and make sure you are pulling the front part. I used a set of vice grips to give myself a better handle on the cable. Firgured worse case I would have to replace the cable which is far cheaper then a hood.

[Jeffd]

Originally Posted by Racecar_Dave

And ive already been in side the wheel wells. Ive found the release but it is not releasing the hood

The emergency release cable may be binding on something and not pulling against the latch effectively as it makes a 90-degree turn to the wheel well without anything nice to pivot around. It may also have been pinched behind something if anything in that area has been disassembled/reassembled before.

You could try tying a pull string to the end of the emergency release cable (Just so you don't lose the end). Then you may be able to push the emergency release cable forward into the bumper, at least enough to create a loop up there. I have an aftermarket front bumper (NR Auto - GT3) that doesn't align perfectly with the factory radiator/condenser cowling... but, the duct is flexible. You may be able to pop out the grill, then reach up into that void behind the bumper by pushing the cowling back and outboard, and grabbing the emergency release cable. Then you'll have a better angle to pull directly against the latch instead of around the body panels via the wheel well. I was able to grab, pull out, and use my emergency release cable in this manner but, as I mentioned my front bumper isn't the stock bumper.