Hood opens by itself! help!

Just recently my hood keeps opening on a 2001 996. I will be driving and it randomly pops open. Dones't seem to correlate with road bumps or anything specfic. Anyone ever had this issue? I'm scared to drive my car faster than like 30mph.

Yup. It was a bit of grit under the release switch that would literally roll under and trip it. Just lift the switch as to release it and vacuum it clean. Did the trick on mine 3 years ago. Now I just clean the switches area whenever I'm vacuuming my interior.

You should be scared - when the lid lifts, smashes the windshield and comes to rest rolled over the roof, it is pure shock and awe from the sounds and complete loss of visibility, all in what seems like a nano second. Dealer never did figure out what happened, no warning light. Took me quite awhile to trust driving the car after that. I have been very religious about double checking the latch and on the look out for the warning light.

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Is your hood operated by an electrical switch? God I would crap myself if the hood shot up when I was driving at 80mph. Mine is a manual release on the sill under the drivers door. Even if it is electrical, don't you still have to manually open the hood via the red latch at the front of the car under the lid? That in itself should hold the hood down if it was to slip the first switch.

Thanks pongobaz, after some more extensive thread searching I found this same advice. I think it is this same problem, dirt/sand/etc under switch. I rocked it back and forth several times and could hear it crunching. Problem seems to be fixed for now, but I am going to pick up some contact cleaner and spray it out.

I just had the same problem. I'd close the front trunk, a minute later it would open. I looked for liquid under the car, under the seats, everywhere. All dry. I pried my key apart to see if the button was stuck. Nope. I started looking for places to pick up a new battery. Like I need more bills. Then I tried to click the "open trunk" lever by the driver's door. It didn't work. In fact, it fell in through the opening of the kick plate (or whatever it's called). Then I remember I had accidentally kicked it while getting out of the car yesterday. I apparently kicked it out of place and it stuck in the "open" position! I pulled the plate up, snapped the little lever thing back into its place, and - no more problem. The trunk lid stays shut as it should. Anyway, check the simple, easy-to-fix (and free) stuff first.