what is an 'early' 3.4 996?
Discussion
I found another way to open the boot when battery is dead on 996.1, the easiest by far is to:
- remove fuse cover
- undo 4 screws around the fuse panel
- remove the outer cover
- there's a cable to the right of the fuse box
Pull hard on it.
Boot opens!
Done today and it works.
Took 3 minutes in total.
The boost pack I bought for £70 on Amazon was perfect to jump start the car. I now added a battery breaker and will keep the boot open and car locked on key.
- remove fuse cover
- undo 4 screws around the fuse panel
- remove the outer cover
- there's a cable to the right of the fuse box
Pull hard on it.
Boot opens!
Done today and it works.
Took 3 minutes in total.
The boost pack I bought for £70 on Amazon was perfect to jump start the car. I now added a battery breaker and will keep the boot open and car locked on key.
stuckmojo said:
I found another way to open the boot when battery is dead on 996.1....
Was this as a result of the manual lever being locked in position so you couldn't pull it up? I experienced this on mine the other day. I tried to locate a pull cord behind the front wheel arch liner without success; maybe that's just the electric button release cars?
giraffeinbath said:
stuckmojo said:
I found another way to open the boot when battery is dead on 996.1....
Was this as a result of the manual lever being locked in position so you couldn't pull it up? I experienced this on mine the other day. I tried to locate a pull cord behind the front wheel arch liner without success; maybe that's just the electric button release cars?
It's also possible to remove the trim around the interior levers which makes circumventing the lock there very easy.
shalmaneser said:
There is a pull cord from the frunk on the manual lever cars, of course where it is depends on how the bumper was refitted!
It's also possible to remove the trim around the interior levers which makes circumventing the lock there very easy.
it's the same cable. it runs from the lever to the boot release, but when the battery dies, a retaining pin rests in place and prevents the opening of boot/bonnet. It's also possible to remove the trim around the interior levers which makes circumventing the lock there very easy.
if you pull on the cable strongly enough from around the fuse box trim, it opens. A game changer for me
Morning all. Quick question to see if anyone has had this problem...
Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
I started changing the ignition switch on mine and it is a right pain in the arse. Currently half way through the job and hoping for some inspiration to finish it. Pelican will tell you its doable from underneath but I dont think it is - possibly RHD cars are trickier or I am just not that good at screw twiddling. So I then started ripping the dash apart. Now I'm thinking I might need to remove the entire steering lock assembly. So what I am saying is you dont want to rush into this unless absolutely sure you need to.
You could remove the plug from the switch from the lock mechanism and attach a replacement switch which you just leave flapping around and not attached to the steering column. This will allow you to test if it does in fact fix your problem. And you can do this from the underside ok. Let me know if this of interest and I'll post some more deets.
You could remove the plug from the switch from the lock mechanism and attach a replacement switch which you just leave flapping around and not attached to the steering column. This will allow you to test if it does in fact fix your problem. And you can do this from the underside ok. Let me know if this of interest and I'll post some more deets.
ATM said:
I started changing the ignition switch on mine and it is a right pain in the arse. Currently half way through the job and hoping for some inspiration to finish it. Pelican will tell you its doable from underneath but I dont think it is - possibly RHD cars are trickier or I am just not that good at screw twiddling. So I then started ripping the dash apart. Now I'm thinking I might need to remove the entire steering lock assembly. So what I am saying is you dont want to rush into this unless absolutely sure you need to.
On RHD cars the ignition switch is upside-down compared to all the videos out there on LHD cars so you'll never get it out from underneath. But all you have to do is remove the drivers side air vent to get to the screws, which is easy enough. Once you've done that the ignition comes out pretty easily.SteveStrange said:
Morning all. Quick question to see if anyone has had this problem...
Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
Same thing on mine… cured with a new HL switch… are you sure the headlight switch is good and installed correctly? Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
Chris Stott said:
SteveStrange said:
Morning all. Quick question to see if anyone has had this problem...
Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
Same thing on mine… cured with a new HL switch… are you sure the headlight switch is good and installed correctly? Both headlights have stopped working on low beam, which is obviously a pain at this time of year. Sidelights, fogs, rear lights etc work, as does high beam. I've replaced the headlight switch - no change. Should I do the ignition switch too? Wiggling the key, or slightly turning back to the left once started (as google/rennlist searches suggest), doesn't seem to make any difference, so would a worn ignition switch present a fault like this? Any other thoughts? Obvs not fuses as both lights woulnd't stop at the same time (would they?)... what say the PH massive? (1998 car)
ETA I used a Mercedes part which is identical, except the Merc part has an additonal pin. Strangely, the Porsche socket in the dash/wiring loom had a hole for this additional pin to go in to.
Part I used:
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/meyle/2112498
Various vids and articles online showing they are interchangable, eg
Edited by SteveStrange on Tuesday 10th January 12:00
deckster said:
ATM said:
I started changing the ignition switch on mine and it is a right pain in the arse. Currently half way through the job and hoping for some inspiration to finish it. Pelican will tell you its doable from underneath but I dont think it is - possibly RHD cars are trickier or I am just not that good at screw twiddling. So I then started ripping the dash apart. Now I'm thinking I might need to remove the entire steering lock assembly. So what I am saying is you dont want to rush into this unless absolutely sure you need to.
On RHD cars the ignition switch is upside-down compared to all the videos out there on LHD cars so you'll never get it out from underneath. But all you have to do is remove the drivers side air vent to get to the screws, which is easy enough. Once you've done that the ignition comes out pretty easily.I had to replace the light switch which was a similar failure but it seems unlikely that the ignition key would cause this. Surely if if was the ignition the whole car would loose power? Have you checked the plug on the back of the headlight or the internal wiring? I think the cable insulation has been known to fail in the headlight units themselves? Odd if it's both sides though...
Mikeeb said:
Silly question. But have you tried bulbs. I’ve had both fail together more than once. I guess there’s a slight voltage surge when one blows and if they’re both the same age it’s enough to finish the other.
I have not. But, the lights went out whilst I was driving, and both failed at exactly the same time. There wasn't even a split second difference - that I could tell. Good idea though, I've got a few spares so I'll pop the lamps out tonight and see if that's it. How embarrassing if it is! 
ATM said:
deckster said:
ATM said:
I started changing the ignition switch on mine and it is a right pain in the arse. Currently half way through the job and hoping for some inspiration to finish it. Pelican will tell you its doable from underneath but I dont think it is - possibly RHD cars are trickier or I am just not that good at screw twiddling. So I then started ripping the dash apart. Now I'm thinking I might need to remove the entire steering lock assembly. So what I am saying is you dont want to rush into this unless absolutely sure you need to.
On RHD cars the ignition switch is upside-down compared to all the videos out there on LHD cars so you'll never get it out from underneath. But all you have to do is remove the drivers side air vent to get to the screws, which is easy enough. Once you've done that the ignition comes out pretty easily.You're right that space is still limited though. I used a precision screwdriver from a kit I have for computer repairs. I don't think it was much more than a couple of inches long anyway,
deckster said:
Interesting that you destroyed the vent! From memory it was a couple of screws and then pry it off. Mine certainly came off and went back on without any drama.
You're right that space is still limited though. I used a precision screwdriver from a kit I have for computer repairs. I don't think it was much more than a couple of inches long anyway,
Interesting - just put this down to frustration. After fumbling around on the floor I removed the seat. Then I fumbled around some more. Then I gave up but thought no don't let this beat you. So then I started removing the vent.You're right that space is still limited though. I used a precision screwdriver from a kit I have for computer repairs. I don't think it was much more than a couple of inches long anyway,
I couldn't see the little screw underneath the light switch and as I pulled the vent more and more it basically started falling apart. Then I thought sod it. My other explanation is I have now sourced a pair of clip on cup holders but my vents didn't have the little holes so I need new vents anyway. That sounds much better.
So I have a little set of precision screw drivers but mine are around 5 inches long. So this means the one in question doesn't really fit on the trickier screw. Also the screws are so tight I can't even loosen the one which has reasonable access.
So I either need another set of smaller screw drivers or my back up plan is ro remove the complete steering lock assembly and then it should just pop off.
A bit more preventative maintainence & a few upgrades due, and hopefully another fantastic year of motoring!
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