The Saga Of the Door That Won't Open.

I was hoping for my first post to be more along the lines of celebrating my accomplishment of things I've fixed on my new to me 2006 CS. Instead it's asking for any advice that might be out there on a strange problem. Specifics: I replaced the door handle mechanism inside the door panel. I reused the old bowden cable. I put the door back together and everything worked perfectly, both inside and outside handles opened the door, no more handle flop. I was quite proud. Ready to go for a drive and decide to test the central lock, the door no longer opens. The only thing I did out of the ordinary during this was leave the door open when I reconnected the battery . My assumption at this point is when this happened, the door lock actuator went out of sync. The door locks and unlocks with the key and central lock button, but the lock has a significantly less audible movement than the passenger side, which operates normally. Two locksmiths have given up, the others in town refused to look after an explanation. The lock actuator cannot be moved with their tools due to it being geared. Two dealerships have turned down the car. Porsche USA basically shrugged their shoulders. Only dealer suggestion was to start taking off body panels and see if they can access it another way. I am down to cutting the interior door panel to remove it and just replace it with a new or used one, or cutting the exterior handle out to have room to reach in and break the actuator and force it to move. I am looking for any other possible suggestions or past experiences to help me drive my car again, as going Dukes of Hazzard for the foreseeable future isn't exactly appealing .

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I think that is a new one. Just a thought, but what if you try using the key in the key hole and the central lock button at the same time. Maybe turning the key a bit, and then pressing the button will dislodge something, or knock something into place?

I've tried that a few dozen times to be sure. Several locksmiths I talked to were very helpful in calling their friends in the industry. Lots of stories like that, or by putting the key in and hitting central lock and opening from the inside quickly will sometimes knock it back into place. Also to bang on the outside of the door right next to the locking mechanism while turning the lock manually and opening the door. Tried all of them many times until my wife and I both ran out of optimism.

Just to be sure I understand your current state - You can get in on the passenger side (unlock w/remote?) You can open the frunk? I'd keep that battery on a tender - if it dies, you're really SOL. Besides, the extra juice might help with the actuator. If you can get inside - lower the driver window and try the interior handle and exterior handle at the same time. Maybe with someone gently forcing the door in (from the outside - careful not to dent the sheet metal) Maybe it will release some tensiion on the bolt.

Tried that as well. Locksmith used a air wedge and his tools on both sides of the window, the locking mechanism is just too strong to move with any tool that can get to the position to move it. Used a borescope camera to watch. Even tried it myself a few times with him. Gave him full permission to break the actuator, but every tool was just bending. Passenger door, hatch, both windows and frunk all function as normal. The lock on the drivers side tries, it just can't make the full motion. Turning the key and bringing the window down doesn't work either. I assume it's predicated on the full motion of the lock mechanism to trigger the microswitch. Car itself is fine, I drove it around quite a bit today to make sure the battery was good and to make myself feel better. I ordered some reverse torx overnight to remove the seat so I can start cutting the inside panel off. At best I break some plastic retainers which I have plenty of, at worst I destroy the panel. With the estimates I'm getting from scared body shops I can buy a used panel, the lock actuator, and have it rekeyed if necessary before reaching the cost of someone else taking things off and hoping it works out.

This is just an idea, but s there any way to access the wiring harness for the actuator? Would it be possible to apply power to it directly to get it to unlock?

Actuator is getting power, it's moving when you hit central locking, the key fob, or manually turning the key through the door. It's just stuck so it won't move it's full motion, keeping the lock in the way of the door release. The best explanation is that the lock is a clock that moves from 12-6 when you lock or unlock, right now mine is stuck in 9-3 instead of 12-6 so it never gets out of it's own way.

Maybe if you tried pushing in on the door (without damaging the sheet metal of course) when trying to unlock. Obviously something is binding. Good luck.

So access to the door actuator through the panel is not possible, as there is the metal panel underneath the plastic door card in the way. First thing to try is disconnect the door harness connector that is in the driver footwell fusebox area and then reconnect to see if things cycle back to a working location. It is a big connector, clipped into the right side of the fuse panel, you may need to unscrew the panel (3 screws) and pull back the carpet to get the slack needed. The connector has a 'slide bar' that needs to be pulled out to make it disconnect. I have swapped doors and lock actuator mechanisms and handles between my OEM and GT3 doors a couple of times, with no battery disconnects, and not seen this issue.

Is it worth disassembling the other door to maybe get more insight? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As I understand the OP's problem, he can't even get the driver's door open to disassemble it. Makes dis-assembly on that door extremely difficult if not darn near impossible without sitting inside with cutting tools. Good luck.

Took a break from the Cayman to change the timing belt on my Subaru, which was a blast. Glad the Cayman won't be getting that maintenence. So I came to terms with needing to cut the panel. Tried the plug mentioned above, lock cycles just fine, but was stuck. I wanted to remove the seat but couldn't do that without removing both seats and the center console due to not being able to get the seat out without opening the door. I got out my interior removal pry tools and removed all of the bolts holding the door in. Reached in the armrest storage and pulled and popped all of the clips free. The main problem of course is the rear bolt that is hidden when the door is closed. After trying every maneuver using pliers,magnets, flex carb screwdrivers and even cutting a t30 nut driver to make it fit in the space to turn, i gave up and ripped it. Once that ripped the whole panel fell down. Was able to get a pair of needle nose in an disconnect the bowden cable, it had gotten bent 90 degrees and twisted in the lever mechanism. As soon as I freed it the locks released and the door popped open. I bent the cable back into shape, tested the system with no door retainers or bolts and all was well. Used some plastic epoxy to create a new bolt surround where I ripped it, cured and put it back together. Everything is back to normal thankfully. Any time I open the door panel from now on I know I'll be checking locking function with the plastic retainers and bolts out before putting it back together. Keep in mind the door worked just fine until he battery was plugged in and the central locks hit, something caused it to bind at that point. Cause is still uncertain, but it's fixed now and I'll be happy driving my car again.

Terrific. Nice job. Any chance it was just temporarily stuck and then the locksmith bent the mechanism in trying to open the door? Seems strange that just locking with the central lock button or just reconnecting the battery with the door open had anything to do with the problem or would have bent the part.:cheers:

I'd be more convinced of the locksmith bending it if he even got near it. He only worked with the actuator in the door, not much he could have done to affect the door lever mechanism. He noticed how tight the bowden cable was and commented on it, but left it alone when I said it had worked fine before the lock actuated. He never worked between the interior panel and metal panel, only between metal panel and outside panel. I have to assume I did something wrong when fitting the panel back on that caught the cable and it may have already been bent when I tested it out, and once the lock swung it was just enough extra tension that it all went wrong.

Wow. Great cautionary tale. Thank you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hate to revive an old thread but I'm in the same boat as OP. I changed out my busted door hinge on drivers side, all went well, did NOT disconnect battery during install of new hinge. Tested it all, worked fine this morning - door opened and closed like normal from both inside and outside. Drove the car less than a mile, and then I realize drivers door is stuck in closed position. Won't open using inside or outside handle. When locking/unlocking I can hear a click at the door but it will not open using the key or the remote. Everything else, including passenger door, front/rear trunks, all work fine. When I pull on the exterior handle the windows cracks like usual maybe 1/2 an inch, but it doesn't actually open. I was able to pry off the top portion of the door panel and open up the cover enough to see the hinge and bowden cable (PICTURE ATTACHED) and verified the bowden cable is still in the hinge and when I pull the interior handle it is yanking on the hinge, but it won't open. Used some needlenose pliers to pull on the bowden cable as well but the door wont unlock and open. I am at a loss - anyone got any ideas? Already tried leaning on the door, etc., trying the interior unlock button, none of those worked. Thanks.

Lots of information here (read thru all the pages) http://www.planet-9.com/987-cayman-...n-and-boxster-problems-and-complaints/59900-interior-door-handle-snapped-1.html Someone mentioned that the service manual had a warning about the lock could be permanently engaged - might have this happened? But if all you did was replace the hinge, I don't see how this could have happened. From my memory, both handles are mechanical. So you should feel them manipulate (tension) the actuator mechanism.

I ending up taking to a European service facility nearby and they got it fixed and ending up replacing the bowden cable, all for an affordable price. I'm not sure how they took it apart or even got the door open but was a happy camper. If anyone needs the name of the shop for future reference feel free to reply.

Congrats! Glad you got it fixed without tearing holes in things.

I had the same issue 2 months ago. couldn't open the door from inside and out. pounding the door next to the handle only worked sometimes and became worse over a simple course of 2 days. door lock actuator was at fault and the workshop told me that in that month alone they had replaced 5 units for different porsche models incl. 997, 987. apparently audi also uses the same part.

Wow, pretty scary, what if you were in a location where it was imperative that you move your car right away, climbing in from the passenger side is not fun!