luggage lid warning light

[silotwo]

I am trying to find out how the luggage lid warning indicator works on an 04 996C2. I had an accident where I must have failed to engage the latch and a few miles down the road the lid blew open and on top of scaring me nearly to death it caused about $3,700 in damage including breaking the windshield. I have a habit of checking the indicator lights with key on and the dash indicator is not burned out. The indicator does not work with the car running and the lid open. The dealer tried to tell me that there is no such warning light but I know it worked when I bought the car because I checked it and it is in the owners manual.

My question is about how the indicator light is wired. I did notice at the body shop that if the lid is open and the car locked, when I closed the hood the alarm went off, so something tied to the latch is working, but that light could have spared me from this situation.

[RFM]

What about the safety hook? Is it possible that the lock was closed with a screwdriver, in this case the safety hook and the light don't work, thus no warning.

[Lee Quave]

I have a 99 C2 and I found it strange that there is no warning light if the hood isn’t closed all the way. On at least two separate occasions the tire store didn’t close the hood all the way and I didn’t notice it until I set the alarm and the horn beeped. I looked in my OM but I didn’t see anything about a warning system for the hoods or doors for that matter. One would think this would be standard for safety reason. Good luck.

[silotwo]

I have a 99 C2 and I found it strange that there is no warning light if the hood isn’t closed all the way. On at least two separate occasions the tire store didn’t close the hood all the way and I didn’t notice it until I set the alarm and the horn beeped. I looked in my OM but I didn’t see anything about a warning system for the hoods or doors for that matter. One would think this would be standard for safety reason. Good luck.

My owners manual cleary shows and describes the function of the warning light in the dash, mine is an '04, and yes, it is definitely a safety hazard. I feel very lucky that I was able to get off the road with out hitting another car or anything else. Also very fortunate that I have a great insurance company. I had the car towed to the shop on Wednesday and a check for total amount less $100.00 deductible arrived at my home yesterday. I also found it interesting that the insurance company considers it a comprehensive claim if the hood remains attached to the vehichle, apparantly they have dealt with similar claims in the past. I am now considering if I can install some kind of tether for added peace of mind, I can't begin to describe the sound and I doubt I'll forget the sight of my windshield breaking in front of my face. Thanks for the reply.

[Tool Pants]

The trunk open warning light started in 2001 when the electric releases came out, at least on the Boxster.

The front trunk latch has a microswitch. The switch is for the trunk light, alarm, and I assume the warning light.

[Kim]

.... and yes, it is definitely a safety hazard.

By no means do I mean to minimize your experience or your horror while it was happening. In fact, it happened to me in a TR3 many years ago and frightened me silly. At the same time, I find it hard to accept that not having a light to warn of the lid being less than fully latched is a "safety hazard" .... if that is what you mean.

I have never owned a vehicle with a light to warn me that the front lid was unlatched. My 996 (MY00) does not have one. I have always understood that this is what the safety catch / release is for. When the 996 went to the electric release in 01, surely they did not eliminate the safety catch. If not, it does seem that your issue was not simply that your lid being not securely latched .... it was not even closed far enough to engage the safety catch. I just checked, and when that is the case with my 996, it is obvious from a casual glance. Have you checked to see if your safety catch is working properly? That sounds alike a must for the shop that repairs your car.

Again, let me stress that I am not belittling the horror of your experience .... just addressing the issue of whether or not the lack of such a warning light is a safety issue.

[silotwo]

.... and yes, it is definitely a safety hazard.

By no means do I mean to minimize your experience or your horror while it was happening. In fact, it happened to me in a TR3 many years ago and frightened me silly. At the same time, I find it hard to accept that not having a light to warn of the lid being less than fully latched is a "safety hazard" .... if that is what you mean.

I have never owned a vehicle with a light to warn me that the front lid was unlatched. My 996 (MY00) does not have one. I have always understood that this is what the safety catch / release is for. When the 996 went to the electric release in 01, surely they did not eliminate the safety catch. If not, it does seem that your issue was not simply that your lid being not securely latched .... it was not even closed far enough to engage the safety catch. I just checked, and when that is the case with my 996, it is obvious from a casual glance. Have you checked to see if your safety catch is working properly? That sounds alike a must for the shop that repairs your car.

Again, let me stress that I am not belittling the horror of your experience .... just addressing the issue of whether or not the lack of such a warning light is a safety issue.

Thanks Kim,

Perhaps my perception is a tad strong and I could chalk it up to lack of common sense and failure to pay attention. In fact, when it first happened I felt like an idiot and even told my wife that I didn't think my insurance covered stupidity. But after I settled down and came to terms with the fact that mistakes do happen and recalled seeing a 996 at a dealer with damage like mine, it made me realize that Porsche added the warning indicator for a reason. I can think of a few scenarios where had this happened, it could have caused me to have a serious accident where either myself or another could have been injured.

Of course, experience is the best teacher in the case, I highly doubt that I will ever enter the car again without first doing a thorough walk around. The good news is the car is being repaired, the bad news is that I miss driving it very much and I feel like a kid waiting for santa claus as I count the days remaining until I should once again be enjoying it as my daily driver. :rolleyes:

[Kim]

Thanks Kim,

Perhaps my perception is a tad strong and I could chalk it up to lack of common sense and failure to pay attention. In fact, when it first happened I felt like an idiot and even told my wife that I didn't think my insurance covered stupidity.

I can certainly identify with the "stupid" part. When it happened in my TR3 (you have to be old to remember that little roadster), I had failed to use the big T-handle to lock down the two front corners of the hood after having worked on it for an extended period. There was no safety catch. Just plain stupid.

That steel hood probably weighed 5 times the 996 hood, if not more, so it did not lift until speed was up on the interstate highway (285 for you ATL area guys). Then, it went very quickly, snapped off the chrome hinges, smashed the windshield and sailed off behind me like a berserk frisbee. I was unbelievably lucky that it did not cause an accident ..... or, worse .... decapitate someone behind me.

I was so disgusted, I retrieved the hood and drove to a British car specialist where I sold him the car .... at a price considerably less than it would have bought just an hour earlier.

[silotwo]

Thanks Kim,

Perhaps my perception is a tad strong and I could chalk it up to lack of common sense and failure to pay attention. In fact, when it first happened I felt like an idiot and even told my wife that I didn't think my insurance covered stupidity.

I can certainly identify with the "stupid" part. When it happened in my TR3 (you have to be old to remember that little roadster), I had failed to use the big T-handle to lock down the two front corners of the hood after having worked on it for an extended period. There was no safety catch. Just plain stupid.

That steel hood probably weighed 5 times the 996 hood, if not more, so it did not lift until speed was up on the interstate highway (285 for you ATL area guys). Then, it went very quickly, snapped off the chrome hinges, smashed the windshield and sailed off behind me like a berserk frisbee. I was unbelievably lucky that it did not cause an accident ..... or, worse .... decapitate someone behind me.

I was so disgusted, I retrieved the hood and drove to a British car specialist where I sold him the car .... at a price considerably less than it would have bought just an hour earlier.

LOL - I actually remember the TR6, a friend of mine in Tampa had one when I bought my 1968 911 which had him move to an MGB and then shortly thereafter to a 914. I remember how easy it was to tick him off when I'd say his 914 was a VW dressed up as a Porsche wanna be. So, yes I am old enough to remember, in fact TODAY is actually my birthday. I called the body shop today only to be told that they have yet to start on my car, I am considering having them retro fit an interior self dimming mirror, but I'm a little concerned because even though they are a Porsche dealer, neither the body shop nor the service department has any experience doing that. They said they'd "read up on it" and get back to me.

[oldgreenbay]

.... and yes, it is definitely a safety hazard.

By no means do I mean to minimize your experience or your horror while it was happening. In fact, it happened to me in a TR3 many years ago and frightened me silly. At the same time, I find it hard to accept that not having a light to warn of the lid being less than fully latched is a "safety hazard" .... if that is what you mean.

I have never owned a vehicle with a light to warn me that the front lid was unlatched. My 996 (MY00) does not have one. I have always understood that this is what the safety catch / release is for. When the 996 went to the electric release in 01, surely they did not eliminate the safety catch. If not, it does seem that your issue was not simply that your lid being not securely latched .... it was not even closed far enough to engage the safety catch. I just checked, and when that is the case with my 996, it is obvious from a casual glance. Have you checked to see if your safety catch is working properly? That sounds alike a must for the shop that repairs your car.

Again, let me stress that I am not belittling the horror of your experience .... just addressing the issue of whether or not the lack of such a warning light is a safety issue.

The safety issue for me is that the key on the 2006 C4S frequenty opens the hood (the latch is still operating) There is a signal that "hood is open" in the center gauge, but the problem is the frequency that the key opens the hood when it is bumped in my coat pocket. The key has the door opening "button" and the hood "button" but the hood one is the problem. Is this a safety issue. Has Porsche discussed the problem. Is there an alternative key. Thanks (new reader). Oldgreenbay

[silotwo]

I am trying to find out how the luggage lid warning indicator works on an 04 996C2. I had an accident where I must have failed to engage the latch and a few miles down the road the lid blew open and on top of scaring me nearly to death it caused about $3,700 in damage including breaking the windshield. I have a habit of checking the indicator lights with key on and the dash indicator is not burned out. The indicator does not work with the car running and the lid open. The dealer tried to tell me that there is no such warning light but I know it worked when I bought the car because I checked it and it is in the owners manual.

My question is about how the indicator light is wired. I did notice at the body shop that if the lid is open and the car locked, when I closed the hood the alarm went off, so something tied to the latch is working, but that light could have spared me from this situation.

Well, the car is back in my hands but it goes back to the Porsche dealer in Allentown Pa next week as nearly everything they touched needs to be done over - had I not seen the car in progress at their shop I would swear that they subbed the work to Maco, again, this is the Porsche dealer in Allentown Pennsylvania, I highly do not recommend their body shop.

As for the luggage lid warning light, it now works perfectly. The service department swears that they didn't touch it, it simply just operates at "manufacturer spec".

I did notice however that now it is impossible to lower the lid without it engaging the safety latch, previously if I didn't apply pressure the lid would rest on top of the first latch, now it automatically engages and this is a good thing.