open front luggage compartment..????? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

jaybee · 01-20-2010, 07:41 AM

hey all....

the old girl ( 2001 s) has been lying up for a while and what with the freezing weather the battery is kaput... tried the usual battery to the fuse compartment do-hickey but that's not working.... does anyone know where the emergency access cable is located... someone suggested in the wheel arch but as the security bolt head is in the locked luggage compartment I can't get the alloys off...!!!

cheers

jaybee

rick3000 · 01-20-2010, 07:58 AM

It is possible to do without removing the wheel. Just turn the wheels to one side and you should be able to get under the wheel arch. It will be difficult but it is possible. If you bought the car second hand it would be worth checking the tow hole in the bumper, you might get lucky and the previous owner moved the cable there.
The next best thing would be to try a cigarette lighter battery charger, if you can get the battery to hold a small charge you should be able to pop the trunk.

Boxtaboy · 01-20-2010, 08:10 AM

Yep, good suggestions from rick. Easiest method, in my opinion, is to just plug a trickle charger into your cigarette lighter long enough for your battery to get enough charge for you to electrically pop the front trunk.

jaybee · 01-20-2010, 10:02 AM

thanks for the tips chaps...

I'll give the trickle charge a tilt...

any idea why the usual method wouldn't be working...

and if the battery is fully kaput... ( we had an unseasonal -12 degrees so it could have frozen)

how do I get at the cable through the wheel arch... I doubt it is at the towing eye as it only had 10000 on the clock when I bought it

ps apologies for bad grammar but I'm on the iPhone

rick3000 · 01-20-2010, 10:08 AM

I am not sure why the usual method would not work. But I would definitely try a charger and then if that doesn't work you will have to get the release cable.

Once you turn the wheel, you will see some plunger type bolts holding the well liner in place. You need to get these off, I found a plying they up with a screw driver and then using pliers to work well. Once you get a few of them out you should be able to pull the liner back enough to get your hand behind the bumper, the cable is normally around the bottom of the headlight. For more detailed instructions search for a guide on removing the front bumper.

jaybee · 01-20-2010, 02:11 PM

thanks for the tips chaps...

I'll give the trickle charge a tilt...

any idea why the usual method wouldn't be working...

and if the battery is fully kaput... ( we had an unseasonal -12 degrees so it could have frozen)

how do I get at the cable through the wheel arch... I doubt it is at the towing eye as it only had 10000 on the clock when I bought it

ps apologies for bad grammar but I'm on the iPhone

jaybee · 01-20-2010, 02:16 PM

is the cable on the left or right side...

(from the drivers perspective!!)

rick3000 · 01-20-2010, 03:21 PM

It is on the passenger side. So to the right from the drivers seat, however the poster is in Ireland so I am not sure which side it would be on. I would image it would still be on the right side, but you might check on boxa.net, the UK Boxster forum.

Steve Tinker · 01-20-2010, 03:22 PM

Jaybee - its on the RHS (drivers side to you and me) but its a swine to find - especially with the wheel on...

Turn the steering wheel hard left as far as it will go. The pull wire (it really is a thin "catgut" type line) is located behind the front plastic splash guard engine side, close up behind the coolant pipe where it goes towards the rad.

I only found mine after removing the front of the splashguard. I then lengthened the pullwire it and tucked it around the coolant pipe where I can see and reach it with the wheel on.

jaybee · 01-21-2010, 02:16 AM

thanks for that... I'll give it a whirl as soon as it stops raining!!!

jaybee · 01-21-2010, 06:43 AM

hi steve,

is it low down or high up....

as i understand what you're saying it is to the left hand side (as I look at it) of the rhs wheel arch....

just wondering if it is near the ground or up towards the top of the arch.....

cheers

jaybee · 01-22-2010, 02:55 AM

oh my bleeding knuckles....!!!!

no joy as yet.... I was able to get the left hand side of the liner off okay, but all I could find in there was two metal pipes (routed from the engine along the underside of the car to a metal box) no wire at all.....

the rhs was proving a swine to get off and I didnt want to damage anything by forcing it off...

reading your post again steve, you say you can get at it now with the wheel on.... doe sthat mean without removing the arch liner or do you still have to do that...

also is it the oil rad or the water rad pipe....???

Boxtaboy · 01-22-2010, 03:17 AM

I've found that the wire is really hard to get at, as it normally tucked right below the underside of the headlamp unit, which is rather hard to reach unless you find a way to fish it out.

I think you'll find it much easier to just go to a local autoparts store, purchase a battery charger that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter socket, and just wait till you have enough juice to electrically pop the trunklid. Then, you'd not have to worry about busted knuckles or breaking any wheel liner pieces.

jaybee · 01-22-2010, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

I've found that the wire is really hard to get at, as it normally tucked right below the underside of the headlamp unit, which is rather hard to reach unless you find a way to fish it out.

I think you'll find it much easier to just go to a local autoparts store, purchase a battery charger that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter socket, and just wait till you have enough juice to electrically pop the trunklid. Then, you'd not have to worry about busted knuckles or breaking any wheel liner pieces.

if that was going to work, surely connecting a good battery via the fusebox red do-hickey would work also.... (that could be wrong though...

)

I've tried with two different vehicles, and a battery charger....

Steve Tinker · 01-24-2010, 02:01 PM

Sorry Jaybee - I've been away this weekend and only just seen your later posts....
Any luck with getting the front boot open?

ARModen · 01-26-2010, 02:13 PM

Once a battery discharges to a certain level the lead sulfate can collect on the bottom thick enough to short out plates of the battery. Then it's effectively a short from positive to negative sides of the electrical system and can not be recharged. My '66 sat for an entire winter one time and the battery was so dead that the car actually ran better with it disconnected.

Kim-M · 01-26-2010, 02:55 PM

I just set a charger to the fusebox and open it

Can't remember which one you need to connect it to. But you can find it with a quick search on google