Engine Lid keeps popping open
 

Hi all,

I recently exchanged my whale tail for a clean no spoiler engine lid. Since this time i cannot get the engine lid to stop popping open while driving.

It is weird - i cannot force it open when stationary, but it seems to open quickly and easily through driving.

I have tried adjusting the pin, the reciever and the cable. Not sure what else to do or what to try, and would love some suggestions.

Regards,

Chris in Aus

1977 911s if it helps.

I changed my whale tail to the original no tail deck lid.

When the tail was on I had two hydraulic pumps pushing up the decklid and tail. With a No Whale tail deck lid you only need one; in addition the individual force of my two little pumps was more then the standard one. So someone installed these two to keep the decklid open.

Perhaps this is your problem, you have a light decklid but two pumps pushing out.

I know that was my problem at the time.

michel

Had the same problem, but with the front. It is just a matter of geting it all adjusted properly, and it takes time. You could try turning your pin, as sometimes they get worn on one side and will not hold as well. I make sure the pin is centered properly, make sure the cable is adjusted correctly, and then I unscrew the pin out a litle further to make sure it goes all the way down past the lock mechanism. Then I turn it back in a little at a time until it both holds in the lock, and the hood sits properly in the opening (not too high).

It is a little tedious

It's not a bad idea to remove the engine grill (for access in case in gets stuck shut) if you are going to do some serious adjustment to the latch.

My SC used to do that.
Just move the latch post up a mm or two.

Adjusting/moving the pin seems the answer.
Center it by attaching masking tape to the opening, put a little grease on it, lower the lid carefully so the pin touches the grease, check the point of touching, if not centered, make adjustments.

When centered, adjust the pin lengthwise along with the 2 rubber stops to give you the right seat plus the correct alignment with the fender lines.

Dear all,

Thank you kindly for your suggestions, in my haste last night in posting this question (you see in Aus i usually have to wait overnight for answers...) I neglegted doing a search first.

Having search i also found the answers you all have kindly supplied. So i am looking forward to trying things further, as Chuck has suggested it is tedious because i have to test drive between each adjustment.

First stop will be to clean and lube the latch mechanism, then adjust.

Thanks all,

Chris in Aus

Hi guys,

Ok so i have adjusted pretty much everything in sight, cleaned etc and i really feel like i have it spot on. Yet still driving it will pop open. You cannot force it open with very vigourous movement in all direction.

I did notice the cable was very sensitive, so i slightly loosened this. It helped a little. I also carefully filed the catch in the latch, because it was rounded on the bottem edge.

I am running out of ideas - and am thinking of shortening the spring on the pin. Please do something before i start with the angle grinder again!

Cheers,

Chris

Hi Chris,

The mechanism that hold the pin from the engine lid in place has a spring keeping it in place which works againt the cable to open it. If this spring is defective or worn it could prevent you opening the lid while the car is stationary but might open the lid while the car is moving due to it being slid around. This is the spring I mean, its the lower trunk latch
Porsche 911 & Carrera Miscellaneous - Page 12

The spring pull the latch closed but also keeps pressure on it.

Something else you can check. I had the same symptom, it turned out to be my alternator clamp bolt was hitting the ac condenser in the lid and popping it open when driving. Eventually it broke the latch pin. When I rebuilt my motor I changed the orientation of the strap so that the bolt was on top.

On my '82 SC I'm parting out, I've got the female body side receiver part if you want to try a different lower trunk latch.

901-512-052-00-M100

ouch, I won't charge you anywhere near the $300 asking price off pelican. I'll sell it to you cheap.

pm me if interested with an email addy and I can send you a photo.

Thanks for your suggestions. Both springs (pin and latch) are strong, and i am pretty sure they are ok.

The thing that bugs me is that the pin in latch with lid closed is really firm, as is the pin part in latch when unattached to lid. So in other words, without road movement, it holds strong. Really strong, cannot pull open with vigourous movement.

This leads me to believe the latch catch is moving on teh road, or the cable is too tight and sensitive. My next stop is to undo the release cable completely, (with grill off of course) and test that. After that i am seriously considering a new spring or shortening it by say half.

will report back.

Chris in Aus

Mine was doing that for awhile. As much as I adjusted the hood would pop open while driving.
I asked my mechanic about it when I in his shop. He dumped a bit of oil on the mechanism and told me to see if that didnt fix the problem.
I kinda thought to myself "thanks for nothing".
Never had the problem again! Strange as hell.

look at the pin receiver

on the left side you will see a hole

put the largest nail in it that will easily fit

this will center both sides of the latch

you adjust the cable to this setting



there is a method of creating an emergency lid opening hole above the muffler that gives you access to the mechanism with a screwdriver

In the absence of further patience I haveworked out that with the lid shock removed (holds lid up), the lid will stay latched.

I know this is far from an ideal solution but needless to say i have removed the shock, and fashioned a short stick that will operate in its place.

I read someone else did this too in another post, but thought yall would like to know.

CJ

If this is the case then you have the same problem as I had. What I referred to above in my post as hydaulic pumps are indeed lid schocks. If your lid stays closed without lid schock then this means that the lid schock taht is in has too much power compared to the original one.

When my tail was on I had two of those each more pressure the the original one.
I believe you only need to find the original lid chock adn put that in to solve your problem.

Thanks vereeken, i will start looking for one.

Chris