Spare key transmitter not working

Hi all - I finally picked my 911 up today...but the spare key transmitter not working - the light comes on etc. Apparently is was like this when previous owner picked it up. Can I get it reprogrammed/replaced? what sort of cost am I look at and and recommendations in london? Thanks!

Hi have you tried opening the car with the key in the lock as the key is set to go into some sort of shutdown to save batery life after 5 days and you then have to insert the key in the lock unlock the car to reactivate it again hope this helps :?:

Oh, i have not tried this - presumably the alarm will go off? I leave for work too early and return too late to set the alarm off so may have to wait until the weekend to try that. So I open the car with the dead key and how do I switch the alarm off? How do I resynch the transmitter? I did notice from the paperwork that the previous owner had to get the keys 'reset' as a battery change or something took over 3 minutes and it went into a security mode. Thanks again for your help!

handboo k page14 (the remote control standby function switches off after 5 days) it says switching on the engine reactivates the remote, TB

Oh right - that might be it then. So can I just unlock the car with the active key and start with the deactive key? Whatever I do I want to avoid setting the alarm off due to the non-friendly times I access the car.

So I didn't think it was the key but the car that went to power save? My 996 gets left for over a week (as I commute by tube) and whenever I go to it after its been left it won't open on the remote. You open with the key and get in (hazard lights are flashing but no audible alarm) and you start the engine with the key and the alarm system stops. Remote works again afterwards until you leave it for 5 days and then same again. My spare key doesn't remote at all (even after doing this) but I'm not that bothered as long as one key works properly. The second key will open the door and start just not remote. Hope this helps.

There is one possiblity that the remote battery needs replacing. CR 2032 if you get one elsewhere TB

The car receiver (and other circuits) go into "sleep" mode after 5 days. To wake, simply unlock car using key in lock. The car will awake, lock/unlock using remote again to turn off alarm. If key fob is at fault (or no battery), you have 20 secs to turn on ignition after opening door before alarm goes off and it will be disarmed. It sounds as if your fob is either unsynchronized or dead. A dead fob requires a replacement and is about £85 including reprogramming. IF the fob is unsync'd, you can check/reset using one or more of the following:

That's helpful GT4. Hadn't seen that post before.

Well, it wasn't "before your time": http://www.911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=48669

Wow - thanks GT4 - will try this tomorrow. The led light does flash on the dead key remote - but that is no indication of a dead battery is it? I was reading the manual and it said you get 2 remote keys plus another key with just the metal key bit (no remote). Is this true? I only have the 2 remote keys.

It is very probable that the remote is unsync'd. If you get a red light that goes on and off, unfortunately this doesn't necessarily mean the battery is good (the LED can light when there is not enough power for an actual signal transmission). The remote fob can burn out its transmitter/transponder circuit, this is usually accompanied by a permanent LED red light. At some point Porsche stopped supplying the "valet" key (the flat key).

True but it doesn't mean I read it.

It does, however, mean you didn't search for it though!