Need help pronto...front trunk stuck closed. Options

[Cuda911]

Hey, so I' up here in Lake Arrowhead, and when I pull the handle for the front trunk cable it isn't releasing the latch. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[Cuda911]

Ok, got it open. Still could use some tricks for the future.

[Olympic 914]

I think you have to take the front bumper off and you can access the back of the lock mechanism with a screwdriver

Four bolts for the bumper

[TheCabinetmaker]

Next time, have someone push down above the latch while you pull the handle.

[N_Jay]

Adjust and lube the latch and cable, don't over stuff the trunk and there will be no "Next Time".

[cary]

I may look at creating a secondary release like they put on the 964's.
Future Project .............

[TheCabinetmaker]

Adjust and lube the latch and cable, don't over stuff the trunk and there will be no "Next Time".

Hey, thanks for that tip

[Toast]

Time to lube and adjust the latch. If it gets stuck permanately you will need to take the front bumper off and remove the dog bones and released it from that way. Which we all know is a royal pain-in-the-ass put that back together.

[rhodyguy]

I had a bumper on my car with a mystery hole behind the front plate. When the release cable sheathing on the latch end failed, I figured out what the hole was for. a dab of JBweld on the cable sheath and retaining clip solved the no open issue. The cable end must be firmly secured at the latch end.

[Cuda911]

Thank all. Anyone got a good write up on making an emergency release?

[shoguneagle]

Need a safety release connected to latch and routed to left wheel well (front part). Have one installed on my 914-Sixer along with the primary cable going to cockpit; have used the technique for years on the different Alfa Romeo's I have owned. I have both a secondary cable arrangement on the front hood and the rear trunk (1986 Alfa Romeo Spider)

[mepstein]

Thank all. Anyone got a good write up on making an emergency release?

You won't need one if you remove the cable from the housing and lube it with teflon or silicon based lube. Lube the pull under the dash. Lube the lock mechanism at the hood. Tighten the set screw properly. Then the release will work easily and properly every time.

[earossi]

As noted above, simply remove the front bumper (fairly easy) which exposes a hole at the latch area through which you can use a screwdriver to actuate the hood locking lever. Very clever on Porsche's part. Took me about 20 minutes to get my hood open when the cable broke.

Lastly, over the years, water can find its way into the sheathe that routes the cable from the cabin to the hood latch. So, pull the cable out for inspection for corrosion. New cables are inexpensive and easy to install. The "trick" to installing these cables is to get the latch (in the cabin) to drop down allowing removal of the cable. That latch is secured below the dash board by (2) small screws that are accessed from inside the trunk. The screws are located close to the firewall on the right side of the trunk. I believe they are very small socket head cap screws. Once you see them, getting them out is very easy. Remove the two screws and the hood release latch will drop down from under dash making it easy to pull out the old cable for lubing and/or replacement.

[whitetwinturbo]

Hand grenade is the quick solution or....

[Cuda911]

Having the front trunk cable snap at an inopportune time has always been a paranoia of mine. So, I'd really like a way to fabricate an emergency release of some sort.

Looking inside of the front trunk, I can't see how removing the bumper gives me any access at all to the front trunk release. It's all sheet metal by the latch, no holes at all from the bumper area. Had a couple other teener owners take a look, and they couldn't figure it out either. What am I missing here?

Arrghh... on the way back from the Porsche Timeline got vapor lock when I stopped for gas. Now the freeking engine cover lid won't open when I pull the cable. %$#!

[earossi]

If you pull the bumper off the car, there will be a hole about !/2" diameter through which you should see the front trunk latch lever. I learned about this from another teener on this forum. So, his car and mine have the hole. Your's should as well. Once you have found the hole, you will use the hole as a fulcrum with a screw driver to move the lever sideways to open the latch.

If you want to do away with the latch, you may want to look at hood pins that lock the hood down in the front corners with fasteners that are external. A lot of guys install them for a number of reasons.

As I recall, pulling the bumper off the car involves 2 or 4 bolts that you access from the front wheel wells. Google the procedure to be certain. But, my memory tells me that it took me about 20 minutes to get the bumper off. And, once off, access to the latch had the trunk open in about 30 seconds.

Good luck!

Regarding the vapor lock, you might want to consider relocating the fuel pump to the front trunk. That seems to solve the issue for most folks.

[Dave_Darling]

For the front trunk: There should be a small hole in the front metal panel that is covered by the bumper. You stick a screwdriver in that and push to one side or the other to release the latch.

If you have access to an owner's manual, the process is detailed in there.


For the engine lid: Probably the L-shaped metal brackets on the firewall that hold the lid are failing. They crack at the angle of the L and droop, moving the lid out of alignment. You may be able to open the lid by having someone pull on the knob while someone else pushes the rear edge of the lid forward.

--DD

[Cuda911]

Thanks all. My front latch seems to be working fine now. I crammed a lot of luggage in there before the trip, and I think it was the upward force of the luggage preventing the latch from opening.

I'll take a look at the engine cover lid later this week and see what's up with that.

[mepstein]

Having the front trunk cable snap at an inopportune time has always been a paranoia of mine. So, I'd really like a way to fabricate an emergency release of some sort.

Looking inside of the front trunk, I can't see how removing the bumper gives me any access at all to the front trunk release. It's all sheet metal by the latch, no holes at all from the bumper area. Had a couple other teener owners take a look, and they couldn't figure it out either. What am I missing here?

Arrghh... on the way back from the Porsche Timeline got vapor lock when I stopped for gas. Now the freeking engine cover lid won't open when I pull the cable. %$#!

The front cable is too thick to snap unless it's really rusty. Lube up that engine cable and all the door locks and window mechanisms. Everything will work smoother and better. Promise.

Carry a plastic squirt bottle full of water for the fuel pump so you can cool it down until you get the chance to relocate it to the front.

[7TPorsh]

My handle broke and I was able to pull on the cable to open the hood from under the dash. Had to butched the housing).

Until I get this fixed I ran a cable under the spare tire and out the bottom through an existing hole. I bent and looped the cable on the outside so it does'nt go back up in the compartment. pair of pliers and I can pull on it and open the hood. Archaic but it works and nobody would ever know it's there.