key problem (frustration)

Hi Guys. in the last three years i've spent 1k on two key heads and an ignition barrel. I've also fallen out with my local Porsche dealer but accept i did try it on by presenting one of the keys as faulty (which isn't surprising as it'd been in the washing machine!). That key fob had lost the will to live and thereby leaving me with my sole key. Well that key packed up a few days ago. When pressed the little red light would only flash intermittently but not open/ lock the car (unless done manually) I thought it might be a battery issue so changed it. Still the same! Any ideas other than to buy a third key head?! QM

Years ago i coded a Cayenne key onto a car . 2 Days later the service advisor came up to me , threw the key across the desk and said .. that key you coded dont work so fix it as the customer is waiting . I unclipped the cover to look at the battery .. soapy water and corroded electronics .. i refitted the cover .. threw the key back across the desk and told him to tell the customer that perhaps next time they should try taking the key out of their trousers before washing them . Basically .. every mechanic knows water damage to Any electronics . Anyways and moving on .. there is a fault with the key head , you have tryed a new battery so i doubt any fix will work but some listed here you could try .. http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=110233&highlight=reset+fob Personally i feel it will need a new key head . I would suggest using an Indy .. they will be cheaper .

Thanks deMort, I'm going to give it it to a specialist electronic key company to attempt to repair it. Queenmonkey

OPC Wilmslow are picking my car up this week to honour a spontaneous key failure within 2 years of purchase

This seems all too familiar to me :? I had 2 new keys supplied and coded to my car just over 1 year ago. 1 key is faultless, as one might expect really. The other is about to go back this coming Tuesday to OPC in Glasgow.....for the 4th time :eh!: Last time the key stopped working, same symptoms as on each previous occasion, works perfectly then out of the blue the red light ceases to flash and zero response from the key. I am in the habit of routinely rotating the keys in use for our cars on a month on month off basis to equalise wear and tear. So the problem key had been in use for just 3 weeks before failing again. I thought I would try changing the battery, but no luck, still dead with a fresh Duracell. Dropped in to OPC Glasgow and after a little bit of fiddling with the battery and the contacts the technician got it to function again. However it has now failed again, so back to OPC Glasgow it goes :frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated: I am so fed up with this and to rub salt into my wounds the Manager had the gall to suggest that I may have invalidated the warranty by replacing the battery myself with a non Porsche item :evil: I am dreading next Tuesday as if there is any suggestion of not actually replacing the key I am very likely to explode c: :nooo:

@ peterzoom You are doing the correct thing .. rotate the keys , the system is based on a rolling code .. if one key is not used in a long time it falls " out of sync " .. too far behind on the code advancement and will no longer work . The batterys in these .. i know them off by heart .. CR2032 . Porsche do NOT make these batterys .. a third party supplier does . any battery listed as this model number is acceptable . manager as usual is not living upto the standards that Porsche would like to set and indeed i would expect they would be rather annoyed at comments like this from him . I would also add .. a manager is NOT an ex mechanic .. he's a pen pusher who really has no idea how a car works . Simple answer to that comment .. my solicitors will chat with yours in court if that's your answer and i will also be talking to customer services about your comments and we will see what they have to say . Throw in the usual comments about ill never buy another Porsche if you speak to customer services and it will soon be sorted . my feeling .. the circuit boards in these are perhaps not brilliant .. i suspect it's nothing more than a broken solder joint .. but thats still a new key head to fix as no mechanic will attempt to find the fault .. it's just not cost effective im afraid . if i was going to blame you in any way .. you have large fingers / thumbs and apply too much pressure on the buttons and that is the reason it has failed lol .. fobs ain't what they used to be if this is the case . Basically you have used it as normal .. it has packed up .. see what response you get from the OPC but if your not happy then please .. ill say it again .. please phone customer services and explain your problem .. OPC will give you their number should you request it .. that alone will send a few shock waves down their spines !!

This key business is really poor and it beggers belief that a Porsche product is so poor. What really frusrtates me is the attitude of Porsche staff. Porsche Hatfields service is abysmal, 1K spent on key related items and still have a faulty key (not the one that went in the machine). I've also been back at least 3 times when they've packed up! The bit i really dislike is the apparent disdain toward me and my (tatty) 996. I've written and complained with no satisfactory outcome. Now i've got another problem (see other thread). I've avoided going to Hatfield Porsche for an OE part. I called Porsche Silverstone yesterday morning. Couldn't speak to someone in the stores so the receptionist took my number and assured me they'd get back to me. No call back from them (over 24 hours later) despite me trying two more times! I've got a Range Rover and BMW 640 besides my 996. The customer service from both those marques is so much better. Apologies for the rant but it's quite cathartic! QM

I take offence to that comment a bit, I'm a service manager at a franchised dealer (ok not cars), and I am an ex mechanic, in fact we have nine depots and most of the service managers are ex mechanics.

I'm not sure of your other problem unless its the warning light post . This is unrelated to the key obviously . I can only say .. customer services .. this is a liaison between the OPC and the customer .. an arbitror so to speak . OPC should be able to give you their number and you can explain your problems to them .. the outcome though i can't say . I'm not siding with OPC or the customer .. both are right and wrong at times .. you know what i feel about trying it on so i'll not go on about that other than to say .. the mechanic ends up paying for things like this .. OPC doesn't .. its bonus related shall we say and it has cost me money in the past through no fault of my own ... we are not payed huge amounts ... try £21k Basic . Phone them always in the event of a problem . OPC and phone back is indeed a joke . ive read many posts about this and they really should know better .. It makes no difference what model you have .. a service is a service regardless .

Fair enough .. some are some are not .. i can only talk from Porsche experience .. i've yet to have a service manager that has ever worked on a car .. what they and indeed the service advisors tell customers is not how i have explained the fault to them ... i do sometimes cringe when i hear their take on what is wrong with a car when i have explained it in detail to them . It's no different at an indy to be fair .. i can only tell it as i see it .. if i caused offence then i apologise and sincerlearly i do . .. you would seem to be the exception to the rule from my humble experience .

Yes deMort, i understand your point and sympathise if it's the mechanic that gets it in the kneck. My issue is not with the quality of the work. My gripe is that if i'm paying premium rates i expect a premium service. If i get that with R/R and BMW why not with Porsche? Sorry i'm back ranting and it's probably time i went to bed! QM

You will find no argument from me .. i am at times not happy with OPC or indeed Indy .

Thanks for the tips and wisdom De Mort. I will let you all know how it goes. Plan for the worst and hope for the best etc etc

I recently sent a dead key to an Ebay seller who refurbished the circuit board and provided a new key case. Now works perfectly and all for £35!

Wow, do you have a link/ebay seller name to share with us :?: