Mystery frunk release in headlight well
 

My frunk release on my '99 base has been slightly problematic for the 3 years I've had it. I pull the lever by the seat and it makes the proper click noise and feels right, and releases the frunk hood lock. I go around to open the frunk and it has not popped up one iota after having pulled the release- it looks exactly as if I hadn't pulled the release. It's tricky, but I can barely get my fingers under the edge to pull the hood up enough to slide the release lever, and after that, everything is fine. I tried spinning the black rubber cones that hang down from the underside of the frunk lid like fangs, but there is no adjustment to be made there- I had hoped if I could spin them down that they would help pop the frunk lid up when released. I've just lived with it.

So I replaced the low beam bulbs when one burned out the other day, and after getting the headlights out, inside the passenger side headlight well I saw this metal cable release with a loop that pops the frunk hood. Huh? Should it be inside the frunk for anybody trapped in there? (Predates the glow-in-the-dark pull handle requirement.) It doesn't seem like there's a way to route it to be inside the frunk.

What the heck is it doing there? With the regular release, it's redundant, and anyway, you can't get in there without having already opened the frunk. But it occurred to me it might be related to the problem with my frunk lid not popping up enough.

Ideas? Thanks!http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1583988582.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1583988678.jpg

The engineer's plan was that you could reach it from the wheel well. You'd have to jack up the car and probably pull the tire. My guess is that they wanted to have an emergency access, while at the same make it difficult enough to deter theft.

Most people re-route it to the front of the car. Some place it behind the tow hook cover, I moved mine to a spot underneath the car.

Interestingly, after re-routing, it pulls a lot easier. My guess is it's because it doesn't have to follow the 90-degree bend that's in the original route. I was concerned that with the original route you'd have to pull so hard that the cable could snap. Of course, it's not easy to snap that cable, so it's very unlikely.

To address your concern, I think it has zero change of keeping your frunk lid from opening properly.

My 2000 S was exhibiting the exact symptoms. I lubed the latch and squirted some lube into the cable housing where the cable end meets the latch. Immediate improvement.

Thanks! I now remember having read about that feature a while ago.

So, this is useful in the scenario where: the battery has died and you have to be able to get to it, but can't open the trunk because you left the car locked and can't get to the frunk release, and you have to jack up the car but can't get to your jack or lug wrench, but you can still do all that. Correct?

Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

Haha! reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where he bought a knife in a clamshell pack but needed a knife to open the clamshell!

I guess they expected you to get roadside assistance to do that.

Like I said, a lot of people, like me, re-routed it to a more accessible location.

I venture to guess that unless you own a 986, or similarly equipped model, no one knows about that release.

I ran mine to the passenger side front bumper duct. If you look closely you can see a little less than half the loop. There's no way in hell I'm going under a fender well to access it.

Thanks for the info! I'm coming to steal you car! :D:D But before that, I'b buy you a cup of coffee! :cheers:

You're the only one that could steal it... or other forum members... for you know how to work on it. A regular Joe off the street, if he could steal it and eventually get it started... unless he had lots of quid he'd return it the first time it broke down. He'd be like, "$%#* it. Dude can have it."

However, I'm always up for a cup of coffee. :cheers:

Haha! I really have no clue how I could start it even if I opened the frunk. But it would be fun talking about it over coffee.:cheers:

Thank you for the inspiration! I'm going to get a nice custom sticker that will say:

OK, So you opened the frunk. Now what you going to do **********er?

HAHA! You should make a spring-loaded sign that pops up when they open the furnk, like a Jack-in-the box!

Nowe you've got me thinking... a glitter bomb! ;)

I may be staying the obvious, don't leave it in the headlight area, reroute it somewhere that you can get to if you ever need it. I have mine behind the plug for the tow hook.