Trunk release cable snapped, now what?

there's an emergency handle on the firewall behind your seat.

 

It has a way of hiding itself behind the seat belt sometimes. Should be a small black plastic handle directly attached to the cable that you pull straight out.

 

look behind the driver's seatbelt towards the top. It will be there.

 

In theory yes, but... if that one breaks, or the link between the 2 latches breaks (there's no backup for that part), then you'd have to smash the taillights to get the latches open. Use your best judgement... if it were me, I would use it only when necessary and get the other fixed ASAP. Broken latch cables are one of my only true fears about these cars.

 

Best to rig up a back up to the back up cable with s piece of wire while you wait.

 

+1 -- the emergency cable is really a marginal thing (and not meant to be used many times).

 

The cables are actually different? What in the hell?? If Ferrari went to the trouble to run two lines, how hard is it to just cut more cable from the same spool for both?

I always thought the high beam switch was total dumbass but now I have to think the same thing about the emergency cables too?

 

You have an extra emergency release for the front too.

 

Yes, the cable part doing the pulling is similar (i.e., a braided steel cable), but there's no outer sheath for protection on the emergency cable and many just pass thru (and rub on) a bare hole in a steel bracket.

 

I used the emergency cable for the deck lid for over a year and it still worked fine and i tend to check the engine after every drive. A replacement was ordered

I wouldn't suggest that you do the same though.

 

I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Can one of you guys diagram that, please?

 

I have actually broken two on my Alfa Spider's trunk since 1996. No idea how old the first one was but it was likely original. The second lasted about 13 years. Fortunately for me, the second time it broke the moment the trunk opened. Easy replacement then.

I have worried quietly about the Ferrari since I have owned it

 

+1 on the high beam..

 

Broke mine main cable at the latch last fall. After looking at the original setup, I deiced to tweak it a little. As Fig 1 shows, the original setup has the main cable running from the latch to the drivers side latch and continuing on to the passenger side latch. The emergency cable only runs to the drivers side latch. So if the main cable breaks between the latches, the passenger side can not be released without drastic means.

Extending the run for the emergency cable to connect both latches was done by adding a break line hosing from a bicycle shop and extending the run from the drivers side latch to the passenger side with a 3/32" stainless steel cable. Fig 2. To keep the steel cable from wear and tear, the steel tube (on the car) was filled with a Teflon lube. All so from the bike shop.
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That's a very good idea. I've already doubled up the crimp fittings on the latches for redundancy in case of slippage. Will probably do this mod soon.

 

It may not be the cable!

The cable is connected to the lever and is held in place with a small nut, the lever is connected to the black plastic housing via a small hinge pin and spring.
If the plastic housing fails at the hinge pin or the hinge pin comes out of its hole, this could give the impression of the cable failing.
The plastic housing is held in place with one screw and the cable with one nut, pull the handle up and you will see them both.
Remove them both and unhook the cable then slide out the housing.
You will now know whether it’s the cable or the housing.
Best of luck
Roy

 

Where did you find this cable as it isn't listed on the usual parts sites?

 

I have a 77 which has the stick to hold up the engine lid. My scare was when I went to a golf tournament and while pulling the latch to get my clubs out it would not unlatch. Had some one pull the latch while I pressed down on the lid. It opened just as the cable snapped. The emergency wire only opens the driver side latch . My break was the 1 wire from the driver latch to the passenger latch. So my solution was to remove the "J" hooks that go into the latch and just let the hood weight hold it down. Now you guys with the 2 lift cylinders can't do this but until I got the replacement cable I would remove the cylinders and the hood latch brackets instead of using the emergency pull.

 

Normal cable is part 60277001
Emergency cable is part 60510500

They are both readily available AFAIK

 

Thank you!

 

Forgive me if the answer is obvious, but what good does the emergency pull doing it only released one of the two latches?