550 Manual Trunk Release Cable

Congrats for looking for it and trying it. That alone puts you in the top very few percentile of owners. It isn't often the trunk will "POP" when pulling that cable. It often requires a helper lifting on the lid at the same time.

 

+1 to Brian's comments, and congrats on your purchase. Also have a look at your main hood release cable and make sure it's working smoothly, as well as the emergency hood release. Most of us don't become aware of this emergency release until it's too late

 

Hmmm, emergency hood release?? I've had the car for 3 years and I don't know what you are talking about. Please enlighten me.
Sad to say I didn't know about the manual trunk release until my fiancee showed it to me. That reminds me it is getting a little stiff and I need to get it lubricated.

 

Well described with pictures in the top secret book in the glove compartment known as "The Owners Manual".

 

There's also a little known towing fitting in the lower right front grille of our 550's, and this is where that large hook in the Ferrari toolkit can be fitted if your car needs to be towed or winched up onto a flatbed. Unfortunately this fitting is open to the atmosphere, so rust, road debris, bugs, etc. accumulate in it and make it difficult to screw the hook in when needed, and a ham-handed tow truck driver or owner can get it cross threaded, ruining both the hook and the fitting. So it would be a good idea to get an M16 x 1.5 clean out tap and run it through, then plug the hole with a plastic, brass, or aluminum plug, so it'll be ready if/when you need it.

 

And speaking of back-up releases on our cars...there is also a manual release cable or the fuel filler door, for when the remote release filler door switch/solenoid mechanism decides to quit working. Have to be able to open the trunk/boot lid to use it, though.

 

Do you need the "J" hooks that hold the angle bar?

 

Tracking the car is a solution since usually tracks require the tow hook to be installed - so when you track regularly you have to screw / unscrew it frequently so you do not have issues

 

I'll include a couple with your visor when I return it.

I installed a Interstate AGM which is a bit too tall for the original "J" hooks so I can't use mine. I made new longer hooks.

Just remind me when you send the visor

 

Assuming that is not MIA, too, of course!

 

Right...


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I have a plastic plug to seal the tow hook fitting. I carry the tow hook in the trunk.

 

Yup, the only thing in my glovebox is my registration and insurance card. I think I am the 8th owner of this car and some of the paperwork has gone MIA over the years.

 

That cable goes down under the «hook» that you see at the entry (down) when you open the trunk. What it does is that it pops a little screw upwards up from the plastic cover around that hook and straight up to push a button on the mechanism on the trunk itself where the electric opener is located. A VERY strange way to make this all happen in my opinion. Instead of having the hook on the trunk and the complete mechanism at the bottom, it is the opposite way around. So when the bottom side screw pops up, it push on a big plastic button that goes in on the mechanism on the trunk and manually release the opening mechanism. Both the bottom hook and the mechanism is adjustable. I just worked on this myself. I have never ever had any problems with these things, but the other day, the trunk would not shut and click tight. It would just slam down. So I went to a paint shop near by who usually know how to put things back together after painting and stripping a car. They gave up. So I went home and fixed it myself. I believe, If you adjust the bottom hook slightly down, the tension that lock the trunk to the bumper/bottom will be stronger. Then also you need to push the trunk slightly further down. That way, the bottom screw that will go up when you pull the manual cable, will go higher up and then the trunk will probably be released better. I don’t know If it is the perfect way of doing it but you can try. There is a mechanism under that hook too with a spring. I bet that is never used and is stuck. The way I adusted mine, was that i slackened the screws of the mechanism on the trunk and shut the trunk a few times while opening it with the switch. The. Tightened it. Now it works perfectly. The mechanism is in fact a BMW part! There is a plastic cover around the bottom part and a small screw. But it is a bit hard to bend it off.... you need to take it off to get to the but that you use to adust the hook up and down. Don’t screw the bolts out like I did. It is difficult to etter the bolts back in. Good luck!!

Erik
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Dave- Sell me some J hooks, too. I have the same Interstate and the old ones were too short.

 

I have a digital version somewhere. I'll see if I can post it here for you.

 

Sorry, it says the file is too large to upload. If you let me have your email, I should be able to send it to you.

 

Email me your address