HELP-Engine Lid cable release broke

[MIK911]

How to open engine lid when the cable/pull doesn't work? Nothing actually broke, everything intact, but pulling on the T-bar, i can hear the lid latch swivelling, but not enough to open the lid. Any help?
This has happened before, and i 'shortened' the cable at its attachment to the lid release, but it keeps recurring, and now i cant' open it.
Thanks
Mike

[Hatari]

Mike,
The latch is supposed to release if the breaks (by design). I have had the same thing happen on the luggage compartment lid more than once. Up until yesterday, when the lid wouldn't open, I've had to remove the front bumper (having an RS replica with the removeable oil cooler cover in the dam, which then gives access to the latch mounting mechanism with 10mm wrench). We had to have some emergency work done on our garage door yesterday while I was away and my wife opened the 911's luggage compartment to get the cover out. The release knob pulled off in her hand in the process (which she forgot to tell me about). I noticed the trunk was ajar last night and went to close it properly. It wouldn't hold and I noticed the base of the latch would not close to hold the spring catch on the trunk lid. The mechanism "thought" the cable had broken. I braced the base latch in the full open position with a hammer handle (as if the handle was pulled all the way out in the car) and used needle nose pliers to hold the interior end of the cable and re-threaded the knob good and deep. Worked like a champ. I assume the rear will work the same way...mine looks like the same mechanism.
Try pulling the handle all the way out and hold the base of the cable with needle nose pliers and unscrew the latch handle. It should then release and you can diagnose the problem with the latch.

Jack McAllister