Completely Locked Out, Dead Battery, Missing Frunk cable

So after I finally got back into my car a month ago, I took it for a drive, then locked it up for the night. I discovered the battery is completely dead the next morning. Here are the details: Can't push windows down to fish a wire or other object No manual key tumbler in driver door Emergency Frunk cable is missing Fished wire through top of frunk to jump the battery. Trickle charged for hours and nothing, it's completely dead Tried using the EMERGENCY START on battery charge to juice the system, didn't work Tried using a slim jim but can't find anything in the door to snag and pull Tried using a wedge to pull door away from frame to fish a wire, could get enough distance There is zero access to the inside of the car What are my options? The only thing I can think of is break a window, crowbar the frunk, crowbar the lift gate, somehow use a screw driver on the frunk latch to force it open. I'm not sure at this point. I found out about all the broken and missing parts a month ago, EXCEPT I didn't know the battery was completely spent. It was a new battery I put in 8 months ago and has been working great, until it didn't

Unless you have information that the emergency cable was removed, the very first thing I’d do is keep looking for the release cable, they are frequently found “ shifted” a bit from the expected spot. How did you “ fish” a charge wire in under the frunk without also having access to the secondary latch? Anyhow, you might reconsider that approach as well with any improvements you can achieve on the battery connections and wire gauge. Leave the trickle charger on, “ hours” needs to be “ days” depending on the unit, batttery and its condition.

Sorry to hear about your situation. You may already know this, but if not, to access the frunk pull cable do the following: -remove the front driver side wheel, safely.. -remove the most forward wheel well liner section(or at least the upper portion) t-30 or t-27 bit and 10mm socket required -You may need a flashlight, look up into the upper forward area of the wheel well, you should see the cable which may only be the small loop portion of the cable. It comes out through a very small hole in the fender well with a rubber grommet surrounding. A screwdriver or small socket extension may make a good handle to put through the wire loop for pulling. - when you find it it will take a consider amount of pull to disengage the lid, you will hear it when it happens I've had to do this about four times over the years, unfortunately.. Good luck!!

About a month ago when the battery died the first time, I tried to find the emergency cable and it was missing from the wheel well. I got the car open because the window had a gap large enough for me to get a wire in to pull the handle. I opened the frunk and discovered the pull cable had been cut or rusted off. I ordered another one to install after I charged the battery and took it for a drive. Then a day later, I tried to open the car and it was absolutely dead again and the windows were completely up and wouldn't lower enough to make a gap. As for the fishing, I left the plastic cover off the battery under the frunk and you can see both batter posts under the top of the frunk near the wipers. I was able to make a lasso out of electrical cable and loop each post and pull it tight. I'll try to charge it for a couple days when it stops raining.

Last time I had it open because of a dead battery , I discovered the cable had been cut or rusted off near the latch. I ordered another one to install. After I charged the battery up, I was stupid and just assumed the battery was good and closed the car up. The next morning it was dead again and I can't get the windows to make a gap to fish a wire like I did last time.

Damn..I feel you. Hopefully the charging will work. Although I have never done this, what about connecting another car battery directly, using the electrical connection / wirign you already made...just to get enough juice for you to open things.

I didn't even think of that! My mind is toast right now! I'll give that a shot as well. Thanks for the idea!

I've opened the car more than once with a motorcycle battery I keep on a charger in the garage just for that purpose.. but I never lock the car in the garage, so I have access to the emergency release terminal in the fuse-box. A jumper box won't work since there isn't any voltage on that terminal until you put voltage there, and then the key button must be used to unlock it (the door-sill button doesn't do it..) I think the idea of hooking another battery to the car via the connections you made already is a valid one. Let us know how it goes..

Thanks for the info, will do!

Before you break a window or crowbar the frunk lid, lets explore some other means. You state that you can’t access the interior, but if you could, maybe you could pop the frunk using a donor battery attached to the pull-out in the fuse panel. Then you could access the battery for replacement. So, after reading your original post I went out into my garage to put myself in your shoes, thinking “what would I do in this position”? I found that by using a plastic trim removal tool at the lowest part of where the drivers door glass meets the weatherstripping, and with some finesse, I could insert a coat hanger into the interior. And I reckon that with the right bends and curves, and a small hook-shaped bend at the tip, one might be able to reach the drivers door handle. It may not be the easiest task, and may require an assistant to talk you through the maneuvering to get to the right spot, but I believe it can be done. I set out trying to replicate this on my car, but due to the facts that 1) in Southern Florida my garage was waaay too hot to continue my efforts for long, 2) my windows are tinted, making it impossible to guide the coat hanger to the appropriate spot, and 3) not having an assistant to peer through the windshield to give me verbal directions which way to maneuver the tip of the coat hanger to reach the door handle. Granted, this may take time and patience but I have done this successfully over the years on various vehicles. While employed as a firefighter years ago, we carried slim jims on the rig to respond to lockouts, but discontinued the practice when the risk of doing more damage inside a car door due to the advanced mechanisms inside outweighed the benefits. Our policy became, if it wasn’t an emergency the owner could call a locksmith, and if it was an emergency such as an infant in a hot car, then we would take out a rear window. The pics below show where I inserted the trim tool and the approximate length from the insertion point to the door handle. I believe it can be done with enough determination and patience. Keep us posted.

Also, make sure the battery charger you're using is actually charging the battery . Some will refuse unless they see some voltage on the cables. Some have an override for this, but in the end, make sure it's actually providing power, and not just sitting in idle-mode. Like Don said, a battery is the best option, because it doesn't have such issues. You could use jumper cables from another car, if you don't have a spare, charged battery .

I'm going to ask a perhaps really dumb question/suggestion.. somewhere you mentioned you can't find a slot to put a key in.. On the cars that look keyless, usually the button or something around the opening handle can be removed, revealing a keyhole. You might ask someone to look in their owners manual - that's usually explained and illustrated. Do you know the transmitter on your key is working? Do you have another key you can try? Do you have a replacement battery for the key you're trying? If the key is dead - it can appear that the car is dead, when actually the car isn't receiving a signal to do anything. As far as I know - there is no warning light on the key for low battery . Just sayin' - sometimes it IS the simple thing..

Sorry for the confusion, what I meant is the door slot has no working tumbler behind it. It's like it was drilled out, so I have to replace it as well.

Good news, I was able to hook jumpers to the 2 wires I had snagged the battery posts with and it allowed the frunk to pop open. Once again you guys have save my tail! I'll be replacing the emergency cable, fixing the door key tumbler, and installing actual cables I can access to jump the car without popping the frunk. Thanks again, guys!

there is also a cable to release the rear hatch, inside the left rear wheel well, behind the liner and up near the tail light.

Why does Porsche make this so difficult. Stupidly.

Tell us how you do it. This problem is one Porsche 's dumbest errors. They should issue recalls and fix it.

I hope my experience can be helpful for you. I was able to have my AAA road service. Use an inflatable bag to get the window, separated, far enough to get a tool into the door handle and open the door. On my Cayman series 981 once the door is open there is a fuse panel on the driver side. Once the panel cover is off, there is a lug that can be extended out where a positive charge can be attached to that and then attach the ground on the body latch for the door. That allowed me to charge the system and open the frunk. my problem turned out to be that the negative battery clamp on the battery was loose enough to keep from completing the circuit. Hope that helps

Good knowledge, I'll check and make sure that cable is functional.

This is good knowledge. I've actually used the fuse panel before to jump it when it had the original battery .

Thank you