Recently I was unfortunate enough to allow my Boxster S 986 (2000) battery to run completely flat. Usually there has been enough juice left in the battery to activate the solenoid which locks out the bonnet and boot catches but this time this solenoid remained locked preventing access to the battery to re-charge it. A trawl through various internet sites suggested a number of options:
a) charge the battery via the cigar lighter (didn't work - these early model 986s lighters are switched with the ignition)
b) Apply 12V supply to the little red pull-out contact in the fuse box (there wasn't one on my model year!)
c) Use a slim screwdriver to release the solenoid plate. This worked eventually once I tried to flick the plate in the opposite direction to the original post on Renntech (perhaps a LHD vs RHD issue?)
Anyway, since it cost me 3h and £20 to find out what didn't work I thought I'd re-post the revised (UK?) process for the benefit of anyone else facing this problem on an early 986.
1. Both trunk levers are cable operated. When the alarm is set, a solenoid latches the two trunk levers. If the battery dies while the alarm is set, it is necessary to open the door with the key. Opening the door with the key does not unlatch the trunk levers since there is no power to operate the solenoid.
2. To learn how to unlatch the trunk levers, examine under the front trunk lever by looking through the slot between the two trunk levers with a flashlight. Look for the tab on the underside of the front trunk lever. Directly below the tab is a small U shaped cutout. When the lever is pulled up, the tab drops into the small U shaped cutout. When the alarm is set, a small white plate slides over the small U shaped cutout from the outside of the car towards the centre of the car . This prevents you from pulling up the lever because the tab cannot pivot down into the small U shaped cutout.
3. To unlatch the front trunk lever, use a very thin shaft straight slot screwdriver (I used an Xcelite R3323 which has a very thin 3"shaft). Slide the screwdriver between the two trunk levers and insert it between the solenoid plate and inside rear edge of the U shaped cutout and slide the plate toward the outside of the car and pull up on the front trunk lever.
Hope it helps
a) charge the battery via the cigar lighter (didn't work - these early model 986s lighters are switched with the ignition)
b) Apply 12V supply to the little red pull-out contact in the fuse box (there wasn't one on my model year!)
c) Use a slim screwdriver to release the solenoid plate. This worked eventually once I tried to flick the plate in the opposite direction to the original post on Renntech (perhaps a LHD vs RHD issue?)
Anyway, since it cost me 3h and £20 to find out what didn't work I thought I'd re-post the revised (UK?) process for the benefit of anyone else facing this problem on an early 986.
1. Both trunk levers are cable operated. When the alarm is set, a solenoid latches the two trunk levers. If the battery dies while the alarm is set, it is necessary to open the door with the key. Opening the door with the key does not unlatch the trunk levers since there is no power to operate the solenoid.
2. To learn how to unlatch the trunk levers, examine under the front trunk lever by looking through the slot between the two trunk levers with a flashlight. Look for the tab on the underside of the front trunk lever. Directly below the tab is a small U shaped cutout. When the lever is pulled up, the tab drops into the small U shaped cutout. When the alarm is set, a small white plate slides over the small U shaped cutout from the outside of the car towards the centre of the car . This prevents you from pulling up the lever because the tab cannot pivot down into the small U shaped cutout.
3. To unlatch the front trunk lever, use a very thin shaft straight slot screwdriver (I used an Xcelite R3323 which has a very thin 3"shaft). Slide the screwdriver between the two trunk levers and insert it between the solenoid plate and inside rear edge of the U shaped cutout and slide the plate toward the outside of the car and pull up on the front trunk lever.
Hope it helps