996 flat battery woes

Hi all, I’m after some advice please, I have foolishly let the battery go flat on my 2001 C2 tip. Having searched for a solution to opening the front hatch and realising that Porsche had installed a solution for this very eventuality, I bought a new battery to replace the one installed and with some jump leads tried the official solution. Unfortunately no luck. Frustratingly I have an optimate 3 charger and a cigarette socket adaptor that I hadn’t been using! As I can’t open the bonnet with a Battery, will using the trickle charger now revive the battery enough to open the bonnet? One concern is with the charger plugged into the cigarette lighter socket, there appears to be constant solenoid activation noises from both doors. What is this? will they burn out? will they "fight” the trickle charge and drain the little juice the charger is trying to put in. Apologies for the long winded questions. Any help gratefully appreciated.

As a follow up can anyone categorically say which side wheel arch the pull release cable is located, drivers or passengers? I’ve read conflicting information.

Just checking that you pulled the red/+ve connector out a cm or so from the fuse box then connected the positive cable then connected the -ve to the door jam before trying the bonnet switch. If it doesn't work wiggle the jump leads whilst still connected. I've never had a car where it hasn't worked. The clicking solenoid is due to the lack of power via the cigarette lighter and the windows trying to wind down. Leave it for a few minutes it may stop and start charging. Make sure everything is switched off even bulbs.

Yep.. about 19 years ago, returning from hols I has same problem in railway car park, but I could enter my 1999 c4 car (with key in driver lock) but not open boot nor bonnet. If you have the 996.1 then they are cable pulls and you (I got AA recovery to do it!!) can remove the locked panel by door kick board and then he could pull the cable bypassing the central locking. I had to wait for second AA man because he needed "long" allen keys! The ex If I get an inkling of a bad charge, central locking stops working, I jump the car with a NiCAd booster these days.. Ill do anything rather than blooming have to reset all my Digital Radio radio settings. Ive had serval batteries in the last 18 years and added the biggest I could, personally I no longer blame the battery I think there some small current usage at rest, and also the battery has to then get current has to go a long way to the starter motor, so I got a tiny NiCad booster - works every time - haven't had to reset setting for ages - even after 4 weeks in lockup... But if you have the electronic bonnet release, then ignore what Ive said!!! Mark

I believe they are switches not cable operated. Yes I pulled the red positive contact out and connected a new battery via jump leads using the door latch as the negative. With the battery connected I can hear what sounds like a flasher unit or solenoid activating very fast Operating the switch at this point doesn’t do anything. It is so frustrating having a battery I can’t replace. I’ve also started to pull the drivers side inner wing liner looking or the cable release. I can’t see it. Although it’s difficult as the wheel is still fitted due to the locking wheel but being under the bonnet!!

Hi the cable is located at the side or the base of the headlamp support tray, hope this helps!

Thanks for the info, and this is on the driver's side? I'll have another look tonight when I get home.

A colleague recently had this problem on his Boxster and eventually got the bonnet open by using seat frame bolt as a charge point rather than the door clamp, if you get what I mean! Its a better earth.

Thanks, any suggestions gladly received. Ill have a go later.

I think you'll find that the emergency release cable can be reached from the driver's side wheel arch. Just turn the wheel to gain better access to the liner. Jeff

Do you have a decent picture of it. I’m looking and i can’t see it.

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Great thanks for the picture. Ill have another look now i know where I'm looking.

Having had a look and not being able to locate! I have now undone the 2 allen bolts holing the front and realise bonnet and boot switches. They unfortunately are definitely switches not cable operated. As I now have this off ( putting it back together is going to be interesting) can I apply power directly to the connector for the switch? I am faced with 4 contacts, Im assuming brown is earth and red and black is live, what is the white and grey? Honestly im having a mare today, my photo from flickr will not load either.

Well, as an update, I have exhausted any resolution. Through my own stupidity of not putting the car on trickle charge, this is now going to start costing me money and probably lots of it. I cannot see an emergency pull cable in the right hand wheel well even with the photo kindly provided by Jenik1914, although my inner wheel well doesn't look like the photo. I don't have the black hose shown crossing the thick sheathed cable that goes to the gland!? And the Porsche official solution of connecting a new battery via a jump lead to the red + contact on the fuse board and the negative to an earth point on the car just makes what sounds like a relay flasher unit cycle, no power to the switch. To say this has soured my first foray into Porsche ownership is an understatement. Im absolutely gutted. Ill be contacting a local Porsche specialist tomorrow to see if they can help. Thanks for the the advice from everyone and Ill keep you posted.

Daniel I‘m sorry to read your tale of woe. I would have suggested the same as others, solutions that should have worked. This may sound silly but have you viewed YouTube videos on the subject? They should give you clear picture of what you’re looking for. Good luck. Please update us on how you solve the problem which I’m sure you will. Once your behind the wheel and enjoying driving it again the problems you’ve had will fade away quickly. incidentally the independent I use, Revolution Porsche, strongly recommend using only Bosch batteries since they’ve dealt with many problems when other batteries have been fitted. After 2 years of finding a flat battery on my VW CC. after about 7 days, I’ve replaced the 2 year old Yuasa battery with a Bosch and the problems have gone. Halfords tested the Yuasa several times and just said all it needed was charging! I’m bench testing it now.

Hi sorry a bit late but RHD 996rMK1s the cable is under the passenger side wheel arch and I think it's hit and miss as to location on mk2s. Should be easy to locate Good luck Andy

ok thanks, so I’ll have to try under the opposite, ie passengers wheel arch. Could be interesting considering I reversed the car into the garage, so not a great deal of room that side. What is classed as a mk1 996? Mine is 2001 and has the electric switches for the bonnet and engine bay release.

My understanding is 996 mk1 or 996.1 has a 3.4 engine, the flat headlights with the corner that was shared with the Boxster, and the GT2 Lemans winning car... the mk2 or 996.2 has the rounder fried egg headlights, 3.6 engine and a glovebox. My 1999 996.1 has cable release but I think they replaced it with electrical release in the following year ...

Hi again just a thought....when you connected the battery to the fuse box and the door striker did you leave the key in the door lock? In Richard Hamilton’s Ultimate Guide this is what he says to do, if the alarm sounds just switch it off by locking and unlocking with key in the door then try the switch again, maybe worth another try before you start stripping the car down any more!

Or you could try the engine compartment, the cable for this is behind the left rear light, there is then a battery connection under a flap and an earth point to connect to within the engine bay.

Hi Jenik1914, I hadn't, but after reading the owners book last night I did try this. No joy. Aside from the point when I discovered the flat battery when unlocking the door, the alarm hasn't gone off. Well, it has chirped a few times when trying to trickle charge via the cigarette socket. I'm going to see if the pull cable is on the passenger's side inner wheel well tonight, if still no joy.......................?

Hi Daniel, Sorry to hear about your continuing woes. I'm not sure if this helps but here's the PET for your car (996 Carrera 1998-2005?). Have a look at Illustration 803 in the Main Group 8: Body section which shows the emergency release cable. The problem is that this looks like the PET for a LHD car, in which case it may be on the opposite side for your RHD car - all very confusing! https://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/originalparts/en/E_996T_KATALOG.pdf Hope you get it sorted soon. Jeff

Hi all, as an update I am finally sorted. Thanks to everyone for their advice. I had tried to find the pull cable in the passengers wheel well last night with no joy. After a suggestion from an AA chap, the batter connection on the fuse board was tried again and even though the bonnet release switch didn't operate the button on the key fob did! I have now replaced the dead Halfords Yuasa battery for a shiny Bosch S4. Everything is now good apart from the drivers door window isn't operating, my fears about the constant relay sounds from the door when trying to trickle charge are being realised. At least I can still drive it. Thanks again all.

I’m pleased to know that you’ve been successful. I bet you have a huge feeling of relief and your blood pressure will be dropping to normal. You’ve made a good move replacing your battery with a Bosch. You may be right about the window but on my VW the windows reset after several operations, you may be lucky. You may have various warnings displayed but they should reset once you drive a short distance at I believe over 15mph. You can now get back to driving and feeling the passion for Porsche again. Roger

Whenever I return home and park in the garage, I pop the hood and the deck before getting out the car as it makes life much simpler. I mean literally always.

That is very good advice.

It's part of my checklist before getting out, 1=frunk, 2=trunk, 3=dashcam parking mode off, 4= plug in ctek (might change this to a solar panel) But I only got there by learning from my mistakes the hard way. Off topic, a while back I replaced my17 year old Bosch S4 for an updated 85a Bosch S5 and it lasted 3 month's You can check the date by the batch number on the side, mine was new but still fubared. The sales guy told me they ain't what they used to be. Yuasa however are some of the best batteries I've ever seen.

Glad it's all sorted chap, have dropped you a DM. Now, go and enjoy it

Sorry I'm late to the party, but just to clarify - If you have an early 996 with mechanical release levers on the sill, then the emergency release cable is on the passenger side (RHD) under the headlamp tray. If you have electric releases, the cable is on the driver's side. Another option under such circumstances is to fish out the emergency release cable for the engine compartment lid from behind the rear light cluster on the passenger side. If you get the lid open there are points in there you can attach jumper leads.

Holy thread revival Bat Man. I have a flat battery in my 996 GT2 and can't access the bonnet using the tab in the footwell, nor by pressing the key fob. I found this video that may help. I will try this tonight and report back in the morning.

Have you found the terminal in the footwell fuse box? Next to my accelerator pedal in RHD spec. If it won't take any charge it can help to put a known ok battery in II.

Yes as stated, tab in the footwell ie terminal in the fuse box. I tried the method as per the video. This is the best way, as trying to find the bonnet release behind the wheel arch is a waste of time too. You can even see the cable between the rear near-side light and the bumper when you pry it apart a little. As per the video, I attached a battery jumper and opened the bonnet using the normal switch in the driver sill.

I had to do this recently, I would suggest the best thing to hook it with is a long kebab skewer, the cheap ones you get from the pound store that are a good 18 inches long, longer the better, they're made of 10mm wide stuff and wide enough to get good purchase on, plus you can rotate them to get on the loop easily. Open up the loop on the end of the kebab skewer just a touch so you can hook it around the cable. Best access to hook it is full steering lock to the right, and if you need to take it off (assuming you keep the locking wheel nut out of the frunk) do take it off. Wheel arch liner(s) will need to come out, again this is possible with the wheel on the car (18 inch wheels), but it might take a couple of rotations of the steering wheel from lock to lock as you undo things and a bit of jiggling. A really decent torch you can position on top of the wheel or wedged into the suspension will give you a look into behind the headlight, then you will catch a glimpse of it up high in the corner, mine was barely visible, loop the corner with you skewer and give it a good hard tug. patience is the key here, removing the liners... once you here the bonnet pop, you're away. Also, one extra thing that happened was the bonnet release was stuck open as friction in the cable run was holding it that way, so I had to slacken that slightly, then one thing i didn't do is make sure it's tucked back in a place where you can get it next time.. as will inevitably happen. couple of photos! the light blurry vertical line in the second is the actual loop. The grommet and loom is the abs / wheel speed stuff. The warning sticker is the back of the headlight (xenon) hope this helps. Cheers JB