No more clunk in the trunk

Hi Folks, A number of you have reported the rear end clunk issue so I thought I would pass this along. I took delivery of an '07 CS (18's, no PASM) ten days ago and experienced the problem over sharp bumps at speed. My dealer resolved the problem by adjusting the lower portion of the hatch locking mechanism. The service advisor tells me that the position of the locking mechanism is adjustable, and if set too high leaves excess play when the hatch is closed, thus producing the clunk when the too loose hatch slams down on the lock. The dealer had to remove a fair amount of carpet and trim in the rear of the car to get at the point of adjustment so I am not sure that this a DIY job. It is probably too soon to know that this has corrected the problem for good, but so far so good. Otherwise my car is perfect, and a real hoot. I loved my '96 993, but the CS is is a much more modern car and way more fun to drive. As those of you who have taken delivery know, the handling is simply beyond belief... Steve

Hi, Yellow Submarine. Interesting. It may be that in some Caymans the play in the hatch locking mechanism allows the rubber/metal phase cancellation apparatus inside the hatch (as identified by Ranier) to manifest its clunking sound. If so, I predict that if ever you drive your own Cayman over the right kind of bumps your car will manifest the dreaded clunk. May you never drive over such a bump. Congrats on the fix so far! Snaxster

I too have had mine for 10 days and it clunks. I have wound up the rubber bumps stops on the tailgate, which is a cruder way of doing the same job as outlined above, namely it tightens up the lock. This has definitely reduced the amount of clunking, but it has not eradicated it entirely. John H

Thanks for the info. Keep us posted.

Hi, John. Have a look at this thread, follow the links therein, then please tell us what you decide to do and how you fare: http://www.planet-9.com/showthread.php?p=81176#poststop Good Luck! Snaxster

Mmmm, very intersting. I have read all the stuff about the weight thing inside the hatch, and I have my suspicions that it is not the culprit. The thunk in my car sounds more like it is coming from the floor of the car, as if a heavy tool kit was poorly strapped down and was being jostled on certain bumps. For the avoidance of linguistic doubt, can I assume that the American "bumper" is the same as the UK "bumper" ... ie the rear PU? I have not rushed back to Porsche for a fix, precisely cos I don't want them taking the car apart until they know why they are doing so. I will wait and watch By the way, how woud I know if my car has the older or later style rubber bump stops? ANyone got a picture of the two? John H

I had/have the clunck too and it drives me nuts. The dealer "fixed" this the last time I had it in. THEY MADE IT WORSE. I need to take it back in and will mention this method. Thanks. -sjd

In case it helps, the work was done at Reeves Porsche in Tampa. The service advisor was Matt Rouse, who should be able explain what was done. Steve

I sold my '95 993, which I really loved, in favor of the CaymanS. Got a lot of grief from my 993 loving friends, but I agree with your assessment of the CS. I have never looked back.

Snaxster, Thanks for that. Yeah bumpers, the panels front and rear, made of polyurethane, hence often referred to as PU's. The bump stop rubbers on mine look unusually complex, which makes me suspect they are the revised ones, but I'll take a pic and publish it tomorrow. I may also tighten them another half turn and see what happens. I can see how both sets of components could have a part in this. The damping weight may well be the ultimate culprit, but it might be a slackness in the locking set-up of the tailgate which is causing it to move and clunk. One thing is for sure, I don't wan't anyone dis-assembling any of the trim panels needlessly. Most of the fittings used are intended for "one-time" usage only, and will never fit as snugly if removed and replaced. They should of course all be renewed, but I'd bet a weeks wages they aren't. John H

Ah... cheers, John. About this: I tried tightening mine. Even with small increments I sometimes reached a point where the hatch was noticeably more difficult to close (though a side door was open to let air escape.) I have wondered whether Porsche needed to leave a certain amount of slack to prevent too much shock being taken by the rear window. I think others have discussed this here in older threads. My thinking exactly. Oof. I wish you hadn't said that. Reality check! But thanks for mentioning this. I'll ask my tech about it. Snaxster

I took my CS to the dealer today and they performed the Workshop Modification to fix the "trunk clunk" and so far its working, I didn't hear it at all on the way home or driving over some rough roads to test it out. So far so good.