I have a lovely ageing 986 / S reg / UK
battery went dead & couldnt open front trunk!
read this and other various forums/guides
options seemed to include -
1 cigarette lighter charge 1 hour and see
2 use a 12V jumper onto the C3 fuse, third row down, third fuse, 15AMP, blue
3 use a 3 - 4 inch flat thin screwdriver to somehow jimmy the lever
4 use the pull cable by taking the front driver wheel off
other descriptions said the pull cable was in the headlight passenger side
others talk about re-routing the cable somewhere more accessible
1 didnt have patience to try
2 didnt have the kit
some reports said there is an emergency red fuse ?newer models
some nice diagrams about how to make a circuit but it seemed a bit above me to be honest
you probably need to be quite handy and at least know some basics
3 had a try but descriptions didnt work for me and i couldnt see between the gaps between the front trunk lever and the back trunk lever
so couldnt see the solenoid, U plate, white bit that some people were talking about so gave up before i broke something
4 worked just fine!
you need to take the wheel off
keep your wheel nut stored safely inside the vehicle - not in the trunks!
you need your bolt nut, a jack, torque wrench, flat head screwdriver, size 10 nut & 13 nut
master key to unlock door
check handbrake on
jack up under drivers door
take off wheel
undid wheel arch cover - size 10 bolt, plugs - flathead screwdrive to prise out - and then pliers to pull out
see the picture
the cable on my car was coated in black plastic, about 5 mm thick, you can see a bung on it
gave it a pull and then click! the front trunk was open
then you can mostly close the front trunk (after you take the battery out) but do not fully close it!
i kept my car out overnight with the front trunk slightly open, it was fine
also another tip is to have the master key in the ignition dialed to the number 2 spot so it doesnt alarm
also when you put the battery back in the horn sounded when i reconnected the negative
(i had the key in the ignition again but i suspect that you dont need to on this stage)
so my plans are -
1 in the future charge my battery up over the winter to avoid it happening again (it was cold and infrequent use so it just drained i guess)
2 going to look into a solar charger into cigarette lighter to keep it topped up (i only drive it once a week)
3 if it happens again, i'd be happy to take the wheel off again
of course not so easy if youve left your car in the airport for 2 weeks and your dad isnt just around the corner to help!
the other options might be easier but (2) and (3) above seem complex to me
REMEMBER to keep your wheel nut stored safely inside the vehicle - not in the trunks!!!
i hope this helps someone
i posted this because some of the comments here & elsewhere helped me
matt
