Ignition Key & programing Question - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Before I start, I would like to say that this is my first time to post a thread and thank you very much for allowing me to use this website. I just bought a 2002 Boxster (Base) with 68k millage from a Used Car dealership (non-porsche) and I became the 3rd owner of this car. To make the story short, I got the car and I promise not to go back to that dealeship again (after having a misunderstanding in the price). My Question is, I got the car with 2 keys with it. Both remote keys doesn't work from the beginning. The alarm button and the two small buttons for opening the rear and front hoods doesnt work, however the red LED is working. Everytime I entered the car, I have to start the car within 10 seconds to avoid the alarm. I tried to fix the problem by changing the batteries, cleaned the circuit board inside the keys, follows all possible solution from this web site. Nothings work. So I ended up going to one of Porsche dealership to have my remote keys activated (re-programing). Unfortunately, when I got to the dealership, the mechanic is looking for the key's serial number written on a white paper tag. I told them that when I received the car, the dealer just gave me all the manuals but no key's labels. I went out to look over the manuals but I did not see any white key labels from the package. The mechanic told me that when you buy a brand new Porsche car, the 2 keys has a white labels with bar code and serial number on it. Without this serial number, he can not program the car to accept the signal from the keys. But unfortunately, I wasn't the original owner. Maybe the original owner just trashed the labels thinking it is no use anymore. The solution is a new car key and it will cost me $328 per key plus re-programming charge of $120 per hour. So the total for 2 keys will be $776 plus tax. I told my wife about the cost and she said "for just 2 remote keys, F..k them! We can buy a new washer and dryer for that amount of money." . So right now, the car is still drivable and we just got to use to open and close the doorshoods manually and start the engine within 10 seconds to avoid the alarm. I would like to know if there is any way to re-program the Porsche car's computer without the car's key serial number? I though you can just give them the car's VIN number to re-program the car's computer specially the original keys are still in use. Thank you all.

Only a Porsche dealer can take care of your problem. The keys are program to the alarm system under the seat. Now if the top leaks and you get standing water that shorts out the alarm, then you need the alarm and new keys made for it too. Cost is about $1200. Now, how many days do you have to get this dealer to make good before you need to take him to a small claims court. He knew that this was a problem and he sold you a defective auto not disclosing the real problem. He might play dumb, but he is not that dumb. Call Suncoast in Sarasota Florida and ask them what the cost would be...I have them like Sunset on the East coast to be reasonable and they are both Porsche dealerships. GOOD LUCK. :ah: PS: You need to have the alarm module under the seat checked.

You can buy a key head for $140 or so and a key blank for $20 from Sunset Porsche in Oregon. Then, the dealer will charge you one hour of labor to program it and it will have that magical barcode tag on it. Then you'll have one good working key and two backup keys in case you lose it. Buy your wife a new washer while you're at it and she won't gripe about the one key as much. This was one of my first shocking thing to learn about Porsche ownership... not the last for sure. Welcome to our expensive little world. These cars may be the "budget" Porsche in the lineup and reasonably priced when used, but you better get used to expensive repairs. It goes with the brand, not the model.

Funny, this is my first post and same exact problem here! I just picked up a 2002 S with 34K miles two days ago. Have both keys and both lights but need to be re-programmed. Good news is, if I have to go to the dealer at least I have that tag! The battery was dead when I picked up the car. Would this make the keys lose the codes?

This might be a good excuse to join the Porsche Club of America (PCA). In my region (Northern NJ) there are number of dealers that offer 10% off parts and labor for members. It doesn't take much to cover the cost of a $60 membership and you'll get two nice magazines monthly, the national and the local. Buy one key plus programming and you'll have almost paid for membership. I buy most of my parts and maintenance supplies mail order, but I do buy a few things here and there from the local dealer with the hope that they'll remember me - and not screw me - if I come in with a problem that only a dealer can take care of, which hasn't happened yet, or need a dealer only item on short notice. My '02 S came with one key w/remote head and one valet key (no head). I thought about getting just a head for the valet key and then decided to get another key w/head because programming at the dealer was going to cost me $120 no matter what and it's the head that costs. I bought the key from the dealer. With the PCA discount it wasn't that more more from the dealer. BTW, I agree with the other poster about threatening to sue the dealer about the key. He absolutely knew about that problem. He owes you at least one key without issues. Ask him once to take care of it and tell him if he doesn't you'll sue for two keys, which will cost him even more. He'll screw you around hoping you'll go away. When that happens, just file. A complaint with the Better Business Bureau, which will cost you nothing, is definitely worth trying as well. Either way you'll clean his clock and get what you're entitled to.

Haven't ever heard of that. My car's battery has completely run down a number of times, and then it was recently replaced. I've never had any key issue as a result.

More information: If the key blade fits the ignition and the car starts, that indicates that the "pill" in the head of the key is talking to the car and the car recognises it. This has nothing to do with the remote portion of the head. The pill is an RFID chip. So if the remote doesn't work and you don't have the numbers, your pretty well as the mercy of a dealer... AKA screwed. You can buy just the new remote head (comes with the pill/RFID) and install the old blade. Don't buy one off E-bay unless it comes with the barcode/numbers. The dealer needs that to program the remote feature.

I bought 1 remote control head from Suncoast Porsche for $120 and brought my car to the dealer. The new remote is now working and cost me $128/hour to have it programmed. By buying it from the internet saves me $200. Thank you very much from your comments.