locked out numpty

so im currently in the process of changing my faulty driver side lock actuator mechanism as the alarm occasionally does a double beep on locking or unlocking and i narrowed it down to a faulty drivers side door actuator. i pulled the door card off a week or so ago and took the actuator out to find the part number but when i put it back in so i could temporarliy lock the doors i didnt bother to connect up the key operation part of it, just the remote fob access. Fast forward to a week later and i finally get round to replacing the lock actuator but the stupid car has gone in to sleep mode and the door wont open using the remote and i cant get into it with the key either as its not connected up. its a 1998 996.1 model with the cable bonnet release. my question is whats the easiest way to get into the car, is it the emergency bonnet release pull and if so, is this on the passenger side of the car being a 996.1 model.? where exactly should this be located? i know its up behind the wheel liner somewhere but if anyone has any info that would help me more accurately locate it or what it looks like that would be great. just to complicate matters, i cant remove the front wheel from the car due to the locking wheelnut being in the frunk. would access into the engine compartment be any use at all for getting into the car or is there any way to wake the vehicle from sleep mode other than putting the key in lock or disconnecting the battery. ? any advice gratefully received.

There should be a jump starting post in the engine compartment, not sure if connecting a charger or jump pack would wake the car up, maybe trying to set the alarm off would wake it up :?:

i did think about trying to wake it by setting off the alarm but didnt fancy explaining to the neighbours whn i couldnt shut it off. does the 996 factory alarm activate on motion of the vehicle or pressure difference? could i bounce it to try and set it off?

Looking at the owners manual, no, only doors, front trunk, engine compartment, centre console cubby, plus infared interior sensor will trigger the alarm, there is no anti-jacking/towing sensor :nooo: So opening the engine compartment will definately wake it up :thumb:

The cable for the frunk will be below the driver's side headlight, possibly protruding from behind the wheel arch liner. If you can't see it you're going to need to try to pull the liner away or get a hook behind it and go fishing. It's worth cable tieing these to the water pipe to keep it visible and accessible.

I'm just in the process of removing the wheel arch liner to go hunting for the release cord. Apparently the release wire for the engine compartment is a lot easier to locate. Does anyone know if by setting the alarm off it wakes the car, thereby allowing me to turn it off using the remote and ultimately getting access to the car... Or would i still need the key facility to disarm it?

Ok, so I've sort of answered my own question but no closer to getting into the car. Jacked it up to get a better view of the area behind the wheel liner and this set the alarm off, which i couldn't deactivate with the fob. I'm sure it will be the same for the engine bay. I can't for the life of me find the emergency release pull though, been looking everywhere underneath the headlight area and even tried a bit of fishing with a coat hanger. Does anyone know if the front headlight is removable without getting access to the luggage compartment? I've come to a bit of a stalemate.

Knowing the way the headlight fits, there is no way it would come out without turning the cam under the frunk, not without breaking it anyway :nooo: Whilst the lock mechanism is not connected, but, clutching at straws, how do the electrical connections work?... is the function to insert key and hold in the unlock position to drop the windows not working?

Have a look here ... http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=56267 Bit late i know but tripping the alarm wont wake up the system .

I've tried to hold the key in the unlock position to see if it lowers the windows, but no good. The emergency release cable in the nearside wheel well isn't there, and I'm slowly running out of options. Does anyone know if you can pull the bonnet release cable that goes to the drivers door cill lever, maybe where it's located somewhere behind the offside wheel liner to get access into the bonnet? Other than that, I'll have to try and find the least obtrusive way to break in. Top of the list currently is to smash the heavily taped up drivers door glass, but I'm open to better suggestions.

This happened to me when I left the car locked whilst on holiday for 3 weeks with a knackered drivers door lock. Neither my Indy or the AA could get in to the car. Ended up agreeing with my insurance company to break the passenger side window and get it replaced. Cost me my window excess.

Hmm, shame. I guess if it comes to it, the drivers door glass would be relatively easy to replace when you have the door apart afterwards. The rear quarter window would need bonding and the seals put back on. A mate got the AA or RAC to get into his Audi TT... they knew a Secret Squirrel way in. Maybe worth a go if you're a member

The only positive in this is that I'm in no rush to get it fixed, it's not as if i can drive it anywhere at the moment. I think I'll just wait for a cheap door glass replacement to come up on the internet. Is it a fairly simple operation to replace the door glass,? I've already got the door stripped down so I'm imagining it shouldn't be that much hassle.

Ok .. i have in the past smashed a window to get into the car with something very similar to this . If the key barrel to lock is not connected then holding the key over to one side won't works as obviously its not connected . My only suggestion .. perhaps disconnecting the battery and " flashing " it a few times .. which means touching then disconnecting the earth terminal several times on the battery then try the fob .. the alarm will sound though . If this doesnt work then its a window in time as i can't think of anything else . Pict below of the cable .. wheel off , arch liner of and its a very small cable close to the head light .. pull and you will open the bonnet .

I think the emergency cable release position shown in the photo is for the 997 rather than the 996 isn't it? On the 996 it just sort of floats around and could be anywhere, hence why i can't find it. I think if i could open the bonnet and disconnect the battery it might reset the sleep mode, but i can't currently get it open. On my car i have quite a big gap between the top edge of my front aerokit bumper and the bonnet itself. Is it possible to try and slide something I here to activate the bonnet catch?