I realize this has already been addressed multiple times on the forum, but I cannot figure out the issue with my keyless entry.

I had one key that I used and a spare that sat in the closet. The key I use started having issues that looked like a weak battery (the light on the fob would get very dim). I replaced the battery and it would work fine for a little bit, then would seem to go dead again in a very short time. I replaced the battery again, and started thinking there was some sort of short in the fob. I didn't have time to mess with it so I used it when it would work, and just unlocked the door with the key when it didn't for a while.

My wife drove the car one day and the battery mysteriously went dead (even though she did not leave the lights on).... I went to get her, jumped the car and it was fine with the exception of the continuing issue with keyless entry. From that point forward keyless never worked. We went on vacation, and after a few weeks passed I decided to look into it.

I took the key apart, desoldered the battery from the board and resoldered all the points I could get to with my iron. I put it all back together and the issue with the battery drain on the key appears resolved (the light on the fob lights up bright all the time).

I have tried resetting both keys by starting the car, shutting it off and trying the remote lock from the key multiple times, but nothing seems to work. I have tried locking and unlocking the car with the key before and after starting it, hitting the lock button while the car is running, after shutting it off with the key in the ignition, doors opened, closed, everything I can think of but it is not working.

I find it hard to believe that the problem is with the alarm itself as it was working intermittently before the car battery died, and the key fob definitely exhibited issues when it was working intermittently...

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, as I am dreading the dealers bill on this one!

 

Stick the key in the ignition, turn the key to the "on" position (without starting the engine), and press the lock or unlock button. If that doesn't reinitialize the remote, you'll need to have it done with a scan tool.

 

I've tried every iteration of this squence I can think of with no luck, but just to be clear. I should put the key in the ignition turn to the on position and hit the lock button on the key, or the lock button on the dash?

Anyone have scan tool in St. Pete?

 

Time to dig up an old thread.... So I am still having the issues with keyless. Finally found some time to get to the dealer and was told that they can't reinitialize the keys without the original key tags, and that I would need to buy a new key and have them program it. That didn't sound quite right, but at this point whatever. So they pull the car in and after about an half hour the service manager comes out and says, it is the wierdest thing, the new key worked once and then quit...

So after about an hour they come back and say, there are no codes or faults, all of the locks / sensors etc., are reading fine, so it has to be the immobilizer unit. They stated that the only code they were seeing were sychronization issues. (not sure if that was the exact term used) Was quoted $975 for the new immobilizer with 1 new key. They charged me 1 hour of labor for troubleshooting today.

Any thoughts? Does this sound accurate? For close to a $1000 I am heavily weighing the thought of an aftermarket alarm vs. just fixing the factory. I'd be curious to hear thoughts on that as well.

 

Not sure how deep the immobilizer is into part of the porsche security system, have you looked at pelican parts? i would imagine its just a box with a few harness that plugs in.... it just depends if it has to be dealer programed.

 

its funny. Im having simmilar problems. My key remote started working intermittently this winter and so i replaced the battery. Since then (which was 2 weeks ago), the remote has only worked once; and never worked again.

I think theres an issue with the reciever units in our cars or something.

 

From my previous research, usually it is actually the key fob that fails. You can still have the led on the key fob flash when you press button but it will not work. I have one key that flashes but does not work while the other one works fine. I would first try to get a new key fob and have the dealer program it for you to see if that would work.

 

Had same problem. New key & programing solved the problem.

 

That is exactly what I stated in my post. I took it to the dealer, they programmed a new remote, and came out and told me it worked once and then just quit.

 

My experiance is, these alarm moduals under the drivers seat (is that what you refer to as the immobilizer)? have a nasty habit of slipping back into 'transit or Handover mode' causing strange problems with normal working of the electrical system of these cars. My advice is get a Porsche Place to run their PIWIS or OBD2 testers on the alarm Modual under the drivers seat. Tell them to go into the 'SPECIAL MENU' portion and make sure that it hasnt slipped back. If the immoblizer you talk about is NOT the alarm modual. then forget this message. It only cost me $75 for a Porsche place to do mine. It took me a full 18months to find a post in the uK about this cure. Everything worked fine since. BTW Most mechanics never even heard of the "Hand over, or "In transit' mode" until you tell them to check for it with the Porsche Testers. Well lets put it another way... They wont mention it if they can sell you all kinds of other reasons first, and then they take it out of transit mode and BINGO.... when there was sweet FA wrong with the 'alarm system' in the first place. BTW again. there was nothing wrong with my alarm system when it was in fact in the transit mode. It showed up in other non working electrical parts of the car. ie petrol door, door lights, inside lights, (but I could get dome lights to work manually) didn't work as I unlocked the car either manually or via the fob. So get them to check that first. It may be worth the $75....to find out one way or another. I saw this cure in 3 other posts who all had differant electrical faults. We ALL could not believe that this was where the fault was coming from..(The alarm modual under the drivers seat)

 

Further to my last posting...

When my wife bought my car for my 70th birthday, She didn't noticed (or was she told by the dealer) that the inside dome lights and the little door lights, did not come on as the fob or the key manually was used in either door. The petrol door had a part missing so it was always unlocked. I could however turn on the dome and map lights ,manually but not the bottom of the door lights. I searched for 18 months and tried everything until I was blue in the face. Eventually a chap in the UK on a forum suggested that my car appeared to be still in Transit/handover mode which was controlled from the alarm modual which is situsted underneath the drivers seat on my 99 996. I believe that when a car is being transported between garages, the Porsche dealers put the alarm system into this mode via their diagnostic tool. That way the alarm does not keep going off for whatever reason. Everything else worked on the car BTW. Even the alarm was still working although NOT the flashing turn signal part as I locked or unlocked the doors with key or fob. I could however hear a clicking sound when locking and unlocking which after repair turned out to be the sound of the unworking turn signals (a visual aid part of the locking and unlocking of the car). The guy on the forum suggested I take it to a Porsche dealer for them to check the 'special menu' of the alarm modual. I did, and it was in fact in the transit/sport car hand over mode. Mine is a Cabriolet BTW and has the hard top which was on the car during purchase. When postings where being made on THAT forum, another chap was having simlar problems with his car. He took his car to Porsche and came back on the forum saying all was good now after they returned the modual into normal mode. He had been trying for many months to solve his problem. I dont know exactly what was not working correctly but it was electrical in nature and no matter how everyone tried, he or anyone else including Indy's could not solve the issue. Thats when I took mine, an hour afterwards, everything worked fine. Including the petrol door. They ordered the missing part to the door which the pin went through. 2 days after, I put the part on in 2 seconds. BTW the bolt arm was not working, but is now. The turn indicators flash twice on locking and once on unlocking. Thats when I discovered that the flashing sound was in fact the indicators trying to come on but couldnt. Now they do. Everything now works perfectly on the car.
An added but very important note here is that the guy who was trying to solve his problem was in fact the owner of Pelican Parts Wayne Dempsey. Here is the link to the postings about this issue. http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic...en-doors-open/ You will see the ongoing postings which solved his and my issues.

Your car just may have dropped back into transit mode. Hope this helps.