[ds968]

Could not open the hatch yesterday morning. Neither the switch, nor the key itself will make it open . Tried both several times , and turned the key all the way to the max limit but still .. no response. I checked the fuse, and it's ok, even replaced it with a new one just to make sure, but still nothing. So what now , do I climb into the trunk, and pull that manual release cord which I presume is somewhere behind the rear wall carpet and hopefully easily accessible ? And then what ? Is there a latch lever that's visible without taking anything apart which I should grease, or tighten or just jiggle it a couple of times and hope that solves the problem ?

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[ampegboy1]

Here's where the release cable is on mine:







Michael

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[Cloud9...68]

I feel your pain - this has happened to me a few times, and it isn't fun. Just be thankful you don't live in a hot, humid area - amazing what a sweat you can build up from just ten minutes of nonstop cursing...



First, do you hear a click when you turn the key? If so, at least the switch is still working. Then, I'd try the easiest thing first. Get an assistant, insert the key, carefully place the fingers of one hand (yours, not your assistant's) under the hatch under one of the latches, and the other under the other side.Carefully but firmly start pulling upwards, then have your assistant turn the key, while simultaneously pulling up as hard as you dare without breaking anything. With any luck, the simultaneous application of upward force as the switch is trying to release the latch will break it free. Then, if you get it open, lube everything up really well, and check the alignment of the latches before daring to close it again. Good luck.

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[PorscheG96]

Dan, your hatch release motor probably died. It happened on my riv blue 968 and is slowly affecting all of the coupes. The motor is NLA but you can find used ones out there - luckily I did.

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[968Syncro]

Agree with Cloud: do you hear the motor or release mechanism cycling? If yes, then it sounds like the plungers are stuck, or more descriptive those little sliders that catch on the torpedo head of the plungers. Try pushing down (an assistant perhaps) on the hatch to reduce the upward pressure that might be playing a role in keeping those little sliders stuck. And last thing, I noticed that the rubber seal can keep the hatch stuck also, depending on how often you open it - no way to know that I can think of except use more force to open it. I sometimes coat the seal with silicone to help prevent it from getting sticky.

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[Cloud9...68]

Yes, I've found the sliders can get out of alignment relative to the plungers, and getting everything back into alignment can be tricky and time-consuming, but mine has managed to stay working for several years since the last sticking incident. You might want to try spraying as much lubricant as you can get in there before you start the tugging test I described.

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[ds968]

Ugh. No clicking or cycling sounds whatsoever. Time to look for a used motor I suppose..

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[ds968]

If the motor / switch is dead should I worry that once I manually open the hatch ( by pulling that cord ) I won't be able to close it , or does the motor / switch only activate the retraction of the latches that hold the torpedo head bolts in place ? I'm thinking the latches have springs which naturally return them to the extended position and once I close the hatch they'll act normally to catch and hold the bolts in place ?

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[Bulti]

"I'm thinking the latches have springs which naturally return them to the extended position and once I close the hatch they'll act normally to catch and hold the bolts in place ?"



My left nut if this isn't the case.. ( please be right, please be right... ;-) )

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[PorscheG96]

Dan, it will close just fine without the motor operating. I wish we could adapt the 944 cable release for reliability, reduced complexity and...weight <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[williamoss]

So if i get this correct Porsche in their infanate wisdom improved the release by making it more comlicated and heavier than the 944. Why fix it if it anit broke i always say..

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[Cloud9...68]

[quote name='PorscheG96' timestamp='1403451321' post='158848']

Dan, it will close just fine without the motor operating. I wish we could adapt the 944 cable release for reliability, reduced complexity and...weight <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

[/quote]

I had the exact same thought. Is this not possible, or just one of those things that's more work than it's worth?



I've already converted my sunroof to manual operation, and couldn't be happier with the result.

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[flash]

can be done. i know some of the the club sports have a cable release on the driver side, i think just inside the door

before replacing the motor, i would mess with the micro switch, and test for power to all points it should be going to.

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[ds968]

where is the micro switch ( are you referring to whatever unit is behind the switch plate we push to open the latch ? ) and how to test the power ?

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[flash]

nope - it's in the rear. it's been years since i looked at how this works though. i'd have to go back in and look to see where it is.



more important than that is to verify power to the motor at activation.

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[kwikt]

There is a micro switch behind the keyed hatch lock accessed from the inside of the trunk. It usually blows a fuse when bad(happened to me). You can remove it and test it with an ohm meter or test light. Simple job to remove. Very expensive switch though(around $60 last time I checked). I would check for 12v at the hatch motor first.

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[ds968]

Stopped by Trevor's shop :-) for a test of all systems - there is power in the entire wiring circuit going all the way to the motor but that's where nothing happens any more.. Unfortunately, there was no time left to remove everything else in order to check the motor itself, but does anyone know if that motor has its own switch which might be a separate piece next to it, or is it all integrated in the unit and I should just look for a replacement motor ?

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[robbgerard]

Hey Dan, 

 

My hatch motor just stopped working - no sound or clicking or anything. Did you ever diagnose/fix yours?

 

Thanks!

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[ds968]

Yes, in my case it turned out to be a bad motor. After a few calls I did manage to find a used one at a Porsche salvage yard, installed it ( fairly easy task ) and it's been working fine ever since . BTW, very odd that I did not post a follow up re fixing the problem on this thread, not sure what happened there...sorry. Anyway, back to the hatch and the motor : just recently I had another incident where nothing would happen when pushing the switch but in this particular case the motor was perfectly fine, and it was the cable fastener / clip which fell off the motor's rotating arm . I think I may have posted the incident and cause on another thread bu here is what you need to check : once you manually open the trunk and get to the motor ( there is a protective plate you have to take off to expose the motor ) you'll be able to see right away if the cable is in place on that rotating arm or not. Honestly, how that retaining clip manages to stay in place cycle after cycle is a mystery to me ; it's very small and the groove in which it goes is extremely shallow . So there is a possibility yours could have disengaged the same as mine did and the motor arm is just spinning freely ; it's extremely quiet when it rotates without the cable attached to it , so you won't hear or feel anything when you push that switch, or , try to open the hatch back with the key. If you're lucky and that's the problem, and you can see where the clip dropped it's going to be a ten second job . If that clip somehow vanished in the depths of the side panel and is nowhere to be found , I think Porsche still sells those trinkets but you can probably also find replacements at most hardware stores I'd think . So take a look but if the cable is on and secure on the arm, just to see if anything happens when you push the switch make sure you have a new fuse in, and then see if the arm moves when you test the motor with the switch or the key - if it does not, the motor is shot I'm afraid , and I believe it's not repairable, you'll need another motor.

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[robbgerard]

Thanks for the reply! After reading it, I was just hoping it wasn't the motor. Turns out it wasn't the motor, but a different problem altogether. There are two bolts holding the motor to the metal plate, one above the turning arm and one below. The bottom bolt had rattled loose and unscrewed to the point that it blocked the turning arm from moving so the motor was just stuck. I was worried because the motor was warm to the touch and I could hear a faint clicking so it was obviously still trying to work. Luckily, the motor wasn't burnt out and once I tightened the bolt it immediately sprang into action. My battery was drained from the motor's efforts but after a boost I was good to go! I'm going to add an inspection of those bolts to my annual check-list just in case. 

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