Has anyone installed a solenoid trunk release? If so I'd appreciate some ideas before I start from scratch.

They work when they want to AKA not all the time Real pain in the ass.

if you are starting from scratch, you are on your own, if using a kit, they'll be a few people that have BTDT....

only tip I can think of is have a mechanical backup so that if the electronics fail, you can still easily get in the rear trunk....I had one 914 that had a small hole in the trunk floor with a heavy wire attached to the locking mech. If the valve failed to work, I'd just reach up behind the bumper and pull on the wire to un-lock the trunk

Installed my solenoid the Wednesday before the FFC. Arrived in Indiana 48 hours later, having tested the SOB 500 times without problem in those 2 days. Went to open the trunk to get my freakin luggage out. . . . . nothing. After 45 minutes or so, finally got the damn thing open. Bought a cable release kit from club member Mark Bland the next day.

In talking to Mark, who is an engineering genius, I learned the problem is there is no reliable way to rig a solenoid with enough power to reliably work with the configuration of our trunk latches. Thus, a cable is the best option. Mark makes a really nicely made kit, which I think is available through the vendors forum here for about $110 (I think. I've killed those brain cells already ).

Not a solenoid, but I've heard a lot of people rave about this item available in our Vender section....Engman's rear trunk remote release

Dang, beat me to it Chris....as I remember it, it was Mark (Engman) who finally got your trunk open too....hehe.

Indeed it twas

"If" the electronics (sic) fail. First, they're "electrics", not "electronics". And the word isn't "if", it's "when". The Cap'n

I think the source of most problems with the solenoids is the way people wire them. They tap off of the fuse panel and through a switch and then run a small wire all the way back to the trunk. The voltage drop causes the solenoid to not get enough juice to activate (especially if the solenoid has to overcome much force). The correct way to do it is to run a fat power wire from the battery to a relay located near the solenoid. Then run a ground wire for the relay up into the passenger compartment (so the relay gets activated by pressing a switch, which grounds the wire). This makes a HUGE difference in how well the solenoid works.

Solenoids are extremely reliable, and failure shouldn't really be an issue. But of course, you have now introduced a relay into the mix which can fail as well - so you should always have a backup plan of some sort.

Demick

I put in the engman cable release system....it is the best. Engineering on it is spectacular and only took me about 30 minutes overall to install it. Buy "engmans" cable system!

I agree.

Solenoids need plenty of current to work. This is also the problem with the starter solenoid on some cars. Old connections at the ignition switch and relay board (or tranny ground bad or missing) can create a high resistance path to the solenoid resulting in intermittent operation.

You can get high power solenoids as well.
Make sure it has a (fused) direct connection from the solenoid to the battery and trigger it from a relay. That's how they are meant to be wired---just look at shaved door handle kits---they all use relays.

Mark did exactly what you describe, and still had problems. I wired mine from the battery "junction" in my engine compartment (unbroken 2 gage from front located battery) using 8 gage wire but no relay. It still screwed me.

What kind of solenoids come in those kits? I don't really see the big deal. It can't be that hard to make this work 100% of the time. It is either a cheapo solenoid or the
'mechanical' setup. Can you post a picture?

I am definitely no expert here. I only know what Mark told me, and his engineering credentials are beyond reproach. As I understood it, he tried a number of solenoids, getting the best and strongest he could make fit, using heavy gage wire and a relay, but the result was always the same. Due to the required orientation of the solenoid to the release mechanism, short of a complete re-engineering of the set up, there is just no way to guarantee it will work, particularly if you put anything in the trunk that puts any extra resistance against the release mechanism.

[quote=aircooledboy,Nov 3 2004, 03:15 PM] [/QUOTE]
a complete re-engineering of the set up [/quote]
No debate here as I don't even know where mine is at the moment. It's bagged and
stored away amongst the great masses of 914 guts.

$.02 worth. I have a solenoid on JLO, it also has a cable that goes through a hole in the trunk floor, and itattaches to the bottom of the release for the rear trunk lid.
It exits behind the rear muffler. It has a round loop on it which I can pull, releasing the trunk lid and I then push it up and open. Hasn't failed me yet.
CCLINSUNNYPD

thus.....instead of a solenoid and drilling a hole in the trunk for the "hard to get and can't lock the trunk" just get engman's cable system. It has a protective cover so you can cram stuff against it in the trunk and it will still open..a problem the solenoid setups have with the release mechanism exposed.

If you MUST have a solenoid.....rig the button near the rear lid....like under the license plate. Typically the most common failure can be fixed by pushing down on the trunk while trigger the solenoid (same with the cable pull). Ya can't do that when the button (or the cable end) is in the cockpit.....

Next....since most also install the PORSCHE reflector over the keyhole....you can drill a small hole that will allow a piece of coathanger to open the latch.

OR install the cable pull release at give the piece of shit solenoid the float test like "I" did.....

My 73 had the solenoid and it sure sucks when you get caught in a unexpected rain storm and you can't get your top out of the trunk because this is the one time you need to push down on it and hit the relase button, which is every so nicely installed next to your steering wheel

I was the lucky recipient of Mark's trunk release kit at the FFC!!

I checked out the one he has installed on his car. It's a quality constucted, very clean, and most importantly effective alternative to a solenoid trunk release. Can't wait to install it. (presently have the solenoid step-up on the '73 jack stand hog)

I have a rear reflector and have had a solenoid installed in
my 74 for 20 years. Still works.
The solenoid never failed. It always worked when the top
was not in the trunk. BUT I'd say 75% or more of the time
I couldn't get the solenoid to release the trunk when the top
was in it. The problem is the black rubber holders that hold the top.
In my car, they touch/rub the trunk lid and put a slight upward pressure
on it. Once the trunk is latched, the solenoid just couldn't get it open.
I was always able to walk to back and push down on the trunk
and get it open. Some times it took 5 or more times going back
and forth to my button to the pressing down on the trunk to
get it to work. Keeping the latch mechanism clean and greased
seemed to help.

I now have the mechanical release described above
and will soon have a solenoid "kit" for sale as soon as I get it installed.

--- Bill

Oh and the other thing that kind of sucks about having only the electric
solenoid, is that you can't open the trunk when the battery is
disconnected and sometimes its just not convenient to hook it back up.

Thanks for all the comments - just got back in town.

I tried everything to get the solenoid to work properly - ran a 10g wire to the battery to the solenoid and a ground wire to the battery. Used a relay for the switch. Still not reliable. Tried changing the geometry of the arm (this helped, but still had issues). Tried new solenids 12V with the highest pull I could get - still had issues. Adjusted the latch - still had problems.

Thus the kit - now it works. And if the battery is dead or disconnected - it still works. The cover over the mechanism prevents anything from jamming the release - a result of my wife and I buying posters and puttin them in the trunk last year.


BTW - never pull a 28' trailer with 10,000 pounds in it with a truck rated for 8,000 lbs - what a pain.


Mark

The best rear trunk lid release is the factory latch. Until the pot metal cam breaks and then we all lose. I have had problems even with the nylon aftermarket cams.

So I just remove the lid-mounted side of the latch on all of my cars and dont have to think about it no mo. The lid stays down nice and tight at all times. This could be used with the rear reflectors if you have one.

Why not use a push type solenoid in place of the button?

Hi i think they should have ducts feeding in air for the front and maybe the rear brakes. And maybe and option to mount ur oil coolers near these panels like 9Apps: VidMate & Mobdro and it can be fed with fresh air.