manual trunk release cable
Asked by Trax_2847 Oct 18, 2019 at 04:43 PM about the 1998 Porsche Boxster
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
while replacing the spoiler deployment mechanism on my 1998 boxster I forgot to prop up the trunk. When I removed the old unit and put it aside a gust of wind closed the trunk. Since there's no actuator attached it cannot be opened electronically. Are Porsche engineers that stupid that they could not foresee such an issue and provide an emergency trunk release (like there is for the hood) cable for such instances? I can see this happening if ever the actuator failed. How does one access the trunk on a boxster with no electricity?
3 Answers
Mark's answer is akin to the "get a bigger hammer" technique. I'd prefer a less destructive method...
I doubt a "Boxster forum" would do me as much good as a social etiquette seminar would do for you. Since you're one of the "1%" who have never locked themselves out of their houses you probably have not hidden a key to resolve this predicament. This is quite a lot like a Porsche engineer who has never had an actuator fail locking them out of their Boxster trunk so they never even think to leave a simple mechanical cable to address this. Along those lines, as an engineer who has worked with the automotive industry I have to question why anyone would depend on a problematic electrical system using relays, fuses and servomotors when a simple cable from the release lever to the mechanism would save money and weight and create a better, more robust and reliable product. Oh yes, it's to keep people like you in business instead of producing a better product! Honestly, it never occurred to me that anyone would use anything but a simple cable release mechanism but there's no way to include every stupid decision people make. This is why I didn't think about propping up the trunk. Common sense suggests that a problem like this could never happen but I underestimated the incompetence of people....
All stupidity of Porsche engineers and idiotic mechanics I did discover methods to get into both the front and rear storage compartments on the '97-'05 Boxsters. In true Porsche fashion, they don't want you to know about this in the hopes you will have to go to the dealership. The access cable (manual) for the front is behind the right side headlight. Similarly, while there is no knowledge of this in the outside world, the emergency release cable for the rear is behind the left side taillight. You must remove the rear tire and well liners to get to it (same as the front) and be careful-the cable is VERY flimsy and breaks easily. I broke it trying to use it! But there are methods to get into both which will be a surprise to the idiots who put in their comments even when they did not know what they were talking about!
