Engine cover release cable

[Dave Wilkinson]

I thought many of the 964 forum readers might be interested in my recent experience as I was about to leave for Silverstone yesterday.

For reasons that I can't explain I noticed that the pull handle for the engine cover release was bent so in my dubious wisdom decided to pull it straight. Bad idea!! The handle broke off from the cable inside the guide pipe!! I had no opportunity to do anything about it at the time so proceeded to Silverstone as planned. By chance I met Steve Brookes (brksy16 on here) who cheered me up no end by telling me that he had a similar experience and his engine cover popped up of it's own accord. In the vain hope that he was right I spend the day having occasional tugs at the cover hoping I was going to avoid a huge bill from somebody to get it open. No amount of tugging would shift it. So I though, when I get the opportunity I'd get a pair of needle nosed pliers and pull the remaining stub of the cable. That plan went awry when I got home to discover that the stub had withdrawn so far into the guide pipe that I could no longer see it!!!

I then spent much of the night convinced that the cover would pop open before next morning, leave the engine light on and flatten the battery to scupper today's trip to Silverstone. I needed not worry - no action during the night.

We left early this morning and I noticed less than a mile down the road from home the rear spoiler was sitting a little higher than normal. Aha, I thought. Maybe we're in luck. True to Steve's word, the cover HAD popped open. Just a normal jolt from the road was enough!!

Looking at the mechanism once we got home it seems a very clever bit of design which requires the tension on the cable to hold the latch in the "latching" position. When or if the cable breaks the latching slide is released completely allowing the cover to lift. Because there is an amount of friction between the peg and the slide it may, as in my case, take a jolt to free it. So, rest assured, if it happens to you - don't panic. It WILL sort itself out.

BTW, the replacement parts only amount to about £25 from an OPC so I'll happily replace the cable and handle knowing that it's less likely to break again anytime soon.

It seems that 91- cars use a 993 cable which seems to have an integral handle whereas -91 cars use the older design with a seperate cable and handle. I have no idea if the two are compatible though.

Thanks again Steve for the confidence building!!

Regards

Dave

 

[Steve Brookes]

Glad to hear you got it sorted Dave []. Because of your and my experiences I would recommend everyone to check their cable. If the cable looks rusty when you pull the handle back, go get a new one. They are very easy to replace. Once the lid is open!![] You can even re-use the handle as it screws on to the end of the cable.

 

[tim_haskins]

Dave,

In the trusty manual it does say that the boot and bonnet should pop open in the event of a cable snapping. Just be careful not to push it shut again!!. This has happenend to a few people. On later cars I believe that there is an emergancy release handle under the front passenger side (RHD) wheel arch and also behind one of the rear lights. I dont know if it is possible to retrofit the newer style though.

Glad you got it sorted

Tim

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Tim,

As far as I can tell from looking at PET, the cars from '91 onwards use a different latch mechanism which looks a litle like a "U" which locks into the bottom fixing. On the earlier cars the bit that the notched peg locks into is a circular hole with a latch which catches the notch (if you see what I mean).

On the older style (which I have), once the cable has broken the latch is withdrawn completely from the hole and there is no way that you could get the lid to latch down again until the cable is replaced and the tension set correctly. On this style of latch I can see no reason to fit an emergency release since it will do nothing more than the snapped cable anyway. The later design is the only one where PET itemises the emergency release so it's possible that the later design doesn't release automatically.

BTW OPC Silverstone were very helpful this morning. A new handle, grommet and cable on order for tomorrow morning at the grand price of £18.17 including PCGB discount!! Marvellous service for a 19 year old car I think.

Regards

Dave

 

[tim_haskins]

glad you got it sorted dave. I did think you had the eairlier version which i think opens in the event of failure but for others it could be useful to know about the other cable.

Does the boot/bonnet not shut once the cable snaps??

thanks

Tim

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

ORIGINAL: tim_haskins

glad you got it sorted dave. I did think you had the eairlier version which i think opens in the event of failure but for others it could be useful to know about the other cable.

Does the boot/bonnet not shut once the cable snaps??

thanks

Tim

With the early style latch the broken cable releases the tension on the catch and there is nothing to snag the detent in the post that drops into the hole. Are you following this?? In this situation it's impossible to make the cover stay shut - it just pops open against the spring.

The later style is very different - in fact, very similar to the front catch. I haven't studied that in any detail at all but I wonder why the factory felt the need to introduce the emergency release on those later cars. Perhaps the fail safe doesn't work in the same way. I have seen quite a few reports on the various forums about luggage compartment covers being locked shut with broken cables but rarely, if ever, the engine cover. I'll have to study the front latch in some detail to discover more - when I can't find something better to do!!!

Regards

Dave