Help! Bonnet & boot releases broken!

[colin129]

Both my bonnet & boot releases are broken [] within 12 hours of each other.

How can I 'break-in' at either end so that I can try to sort out why & how to fix it?

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Steve Brookes]

First off, don't panic. Remove the front boot handle assembly and try and find the end of the cable. Get some pliers and pull on the cable to open the bonnet. If the cable has snapped at the bonnet latch end the cable will just pull straight out. Then you'll have to hope that an emergency cable has been fitted and is hiding in the nearside wing. If it hasn't, you're going to probably need surgery - a hole cut in the bottom of the car and a boroscope to get it open.

Rear lid is spring loaded on early 964s. Lots of pressing, pulling and jiggling side to side will see it pop open of it's own accord. Replacing the cable is easy - just attach to the old handle and thread it through.

 

[kevinl]

Did I read somewhere once that some models have an emergency engine bay cable behind the nearside light cluster??

 

[Steve Brookes]

ORIGINAL: kevinl

Did I read somewhere once that some models have an emergency engine bay cable behind the nearside light cluster??

Yes, the later models have emergency releases front and rear and will probably be there on your '92. The design of the rear catch was changed so that it doesn't spring open when the main cable snaps. So in that case you have to use the emergency release.

Last year I changed the front cable precisely because of what has just happened to Colin and I fitted an emergency release to the front. I didn't fit an emergency release to the rear because there's no point seeing as I have the earlier spring open catch. I remember Dave Wilkinson's rear cable snapping....initially he couldn't get the lid to open but sure enough when he drove a few miles down the road, it popped open of its own accord.

Here's what I did at the front:

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/964-forum/653054-preventative-maintenance.html?highlight=emergency+release

 

[colin129]

Turns out the handle mechanism was broken at the front, so no surgery required.

The engine cover release was just very stiff so a little grease has been applied, I was worried about pulling it too hard in case something terrible happened.

I am using a very local garage called Ninex Motorsport, who run cars in the Club Championship, literally 5 mins walk from my house. I've also asked them to look at the earthing issues. I'll see how it goes & maybe I'll give them my next service.

 

[Steve Brookes]

Glad to hear it wasn't as serious as you thought.

 

[tat]

Couple if articles on the subject here: http://www.rsamerica.net/articles/tech/index.htm

There's some interesting information on that site about 964s generally, but I can't say how authoritative it is.

 

[turbo jonny]

I had been waiting for a fine day to do this job ( mine was a bit frayed , but the emergency one was there )
Yesterday i felt like a bit of bonding maintenance and had a go. A bit tricky dismantling the handle ( pin seized)
and routing the new cable back through the rubber grommet at the bulkhead all took longer than expected - about
3-4 hours in all and a stiff back this morning. I ended up attaching a wire to the loop on the cable and pulling it
through the grommet & bulkhead.

 

[colin129]

btw, I wouldn't recommend the garage mentioned in my previous post.

Am I allowed to say that on here Steve? Is there another thread dedicated to specialists recommendations or not, as in this case?

 

[Steve Brookes]

There's no thread for specialists as such but there's nothing wrong with saying what you've said. I only have to moderate things that get ugly.