how do you open the hood of a 1999 porsche boxster when the battery is dead?

Go to any hardware / automotive / department store and buy one of those battery chargers with a lighter attachment.

Charge it using your wall socket.

Plug it into your lighter and pop the trunk.

Half turn the car key.. not sure if this step is necessary but whatever can't hurt

First jack up the car and If the starter is accessable,tag on a hot jumper cable from another battery + to the starter hot connection and the hook up the ground cable to ground.Now pop that hood.

There should be an emergency release under the right headlight. If I am correct it will be a cable with a loop on the end that you should be able to pull with some sort of hook or tool. If worse comes to worse, check the owner's manual if you can't figure it out.

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My dads 97 carrera is a mechanical hood lift. Then you just mess around trying to get the latch open.

By-pass use the manual cable..take a closer look.. good luck!