Rear Trunk Release W ire has snapped..

Hello all..

My rear trunk release wire has snapped. I was wondering before I take the rear bumper off and wing, can the broken wire be re-wired or is this something I will have to replace? Thanks!

If it didn't break flush with the mechanism ou an splice a new cable onto the existing stub using copper ferrules and a crimping tool.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Thank you Pedro..I appreciate it!!

Well I'm at the end of the road..I finally got around to taking the bumper off to check the condition of the trunk release. I actually had to because my rear break light is out, my coolant light comes on intermittently without over heating ( I assume its low on coolant) and I need a oil change . The trunk release is totally severed and I'm at lost as to how its possible to get in the rear trunk. Is there any other way I can get in the rear trunk??? I very worried this is going to end very costly and bad!

Hello all..I know its been over a year since I've replied to this thread but its been a busy year for myself, along with my car sitting for a little while. I just wanted to take the time and follow up on my post in hopes it may help someone in the future. I was successful in getting into the trunk and repairing both the electrical release that is activated from inside the car and the key fob as well as the emergency release that hangs behind the rear bumper.

With the bumper off, there is a small opening on the left and right side of the rear of the car that is covered with a foam type flap. Initally I overlooked this because the flap hid the opening quite well. I entered on the left side. Here is a pic with the flap tuck under the left side of the rear quarter panal/tailight exposing the opening:


Here's a closer shot of the opening and the piece that surrounds the opening:




In this shot you can see the latch mechanism that releases the trunk through the opening:


I twisted two wire hangers together to make it sturdy and made a hook at the end of it. I reach in pulled back on the release lever that holds the cables and open the the trunk. It took some patiences and persistence but it was open in less than five minutes.


I fix the cables with some ferrlules, wire and a crimping tool. Here's a shot where I attach the new ferrule and wire to the release that works with the inside button/key fob:




Next I made a separate emergency wire and threaded it through the rear (with a large loop on the other end to pull from behind the bumper) and attached it to the lever on the latch mechanism:


Here's a picture of the emergency release cable and the inside car/key fob release cable attached to the lever with a clip at the end to secure it. Also you will see a third cable (black)in the above photos that is a manual release from inside the trunk (I assume if someone is trapped inside?) I did not repair this cable:


It was very satisfying to get the job done! :-) I was able to fix the waterpump then bleed the coolant and an oil change!

Pedro, MikeFocke and others thank you so much for your input! Highly appreciated! :-)

This view shows the two cable sleeves, one white and one black, and the broken cable, plus the metal bracket hiding the rest of the white plastic doohicky. I've contacted the body shop for the correct name but haven't heard back yet.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2012 01:44PM by Kinnick4Ever. (view changes)

Hey Kinnick..Thanks a lot for the reply, its highly appreciated. My car is a 2002 Boxster S. Its the first year for 986 where you can pop the trunk electronically from inside the car and the key fob. My car does have the emergency trunk release. It was hanging when I took the bumper off. I'm at a lost as how the emergency cable severed as well. I'm still not sure where your body shop started to get in the trunk? Like I said in my other post, I was only able to take off the bracket that the top of the bumper screws into. I didnt see any other bolts I could unfasten. Did the body shop enter the trunk from the rear by the wing or from the side near the tail light? What kind of special tool did they use?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2012 08:45PM by djw8282. (view changes)