KEY FOB

Searched all the posts of course: I have the 1 button fobs for my 1999 C2. Just recently the one I use has stopped working to lock/unlock the car but will start the car. Over the last few weeks it would only work occasionally, having to press it multiple times until it worked. Now it will work but have to press it 20 or 30 times. FYI, I have tried all the quick fixes, such as reversing the battery , manually opening the car and pressing the button whilst the key is still in the door, pushing the dashboard lock/unlock switch, putting the key in the ignition and turning it to the second position and then turning it back and hitting the button within 5 seconds, and all the other suggested fixes. I have a second fob that is pristine, almost never used and it works fine so I'm using it. So I have ruled out a problem with the car electronics and figured it is with the fob since the second fob works. But I would like to fix the broken fob so i have 2 working ones. If this assumption is correct (that it is the fob that is at fault) I figure it is either the switch that is failing or a crack in the board. Seeing as the fob will work if I press it enough times, this seems logical. The red light works as normal, just no engagement unless i press it dozens of times and it will eventually work. But this is not practical to sit there and push the button that many times until it engages. Also it's a lot of wear and tear to press it so many times. My question is, which is more likely, a bad switch or a problem with the board? My plan is to inspect the board best I can and if I see no obvious problems, then solder in a new switch and see if that works. If the new switch doesn't fix it, it should be the board, correct? Since it will work occasionally I figure the switch is working intermittently or a connection on the board is loose/cracked and connects occasionally if i press it just right. If it is the board, any suggestions who fixes boards by re-soldering it or whatever?

cracked circuit board...I resoldered some joints on my board to no avail Now I just use the key

Let us know what you discover. I'd like to get my frunk button working on my two fobs one day.

Maybe a silly question, but did you try a new battery in the non-working fob?

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Yes. Actually 3, from different packs just to make sure the new one wasn't dead.

I replaced the switches, new ones about $10 on ebay, and resoldered all the connections and that fixed mine. I'd start with that. New fobs are pricy with all the dealer costs.

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To clarify, so you soldered on new switches, so you must have the fob with multiple buttons. I just have the one switch. Did replacing the switches fix it, or did you then have to re-solder all the other solder points and then it worked? I guess what I'm asking, do you know what fixed it, the new switches or re-soldering the other connections? Perhaps you did them all at once and didn't test in between and you don't know which one did the trick. Actually now that I look at mine, there aren't really any other soldering points others than for the switch(es). Just the 2 points that hold the battery carrier onto the board. So it was probably the switches, I'm guessing.

I did it all at the same time so not sure. Most likely it was a switch since it worked intermittently. I took the new switches and fob to a local computer store and for 50 bucks they did it all. My fob had several switches but I the bad one was for the doors.

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Thanks for the details. Looks like I'll order the switch(es) and see if that does it. Switches come from China, UK, Portugal, Hong Kong, Slovenia. Nothing US based? Seems silly to order a $3.00 part from China/overseas and wait longer.

Yep, China is where all that stuff is made, even stuff sold in other countries. Better buy soon before you get slammed with new tariffs . Pack of three switches, perhaps they sell two. I would buy a spare just in case of soldering issues. They claim they also work for 918s, so you are covered for both your cars. I purchased them from keyfobrepair. Description Unit price Qty Amount PORSCHE BOXSTER 996 986 CARRERA 911 918 SWITCH BUTTON REMOTE KEY FOB REPAIR Item# 323587038094 $10.00 USD 1 $10.00 USD

Just got my new switches in today from China. Going to have a local electronics shop solder a new switch in. Will see if this fixes it. I have the fob with just the 1 switch so if it's the switch, I should know tomorrow. My other fob it working fine still.

Also have them reflow the other solder connections while they are in there. sometimes those connections are faulty, esp the battery mount..

Switch did not fix it. Taking it to ECU Doctors this week. They're 20 minutes away from me. We'll see. They'll remove the battery mount and re-solder anything that looks suspect. If that fails, new fob time and my indie can program it. They usually charge $200 just to program, but I am having other stuff done and he's doing it no charge if necessary.

Dropped FOB off yesterday to ECU Doctors. They called today to tell me to stop by with my car and see if the FOB works after what they did. FOB still does not work. They put a new battery in it, removed the battery mount and re-flowed everything possible on both sides of the board. They also cleaned up my soldering job when I put the new switch on. They said it was not transmitting at 315 Hz at all when i dropped it off, but after their work it was transmitting. However, upon testing on my car it must not be transmitting the right information anymore. Thought I'd get lucky, but no. They didn't charge me since it did not work. Looks like a new FOB if I want 2 working ones. They quoted me $375 for a new programmed key.

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At $375 that's a little cheaper than the dealership. Good to know they didn't charge you for the work. I'd give them a try at making you new keys. Would they guarantee them? I know Porsche gave me a warranty if anything malfunctioned. Good luck!

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The below is from JMG Porsche in England to reset and resync a remote. I haven't yet tried their techniques but sounds like they are the experts on 996 keys and alarms: The Remote control's computer chip has frozen or crashed. A few years ago Porsche were so swamped with warranty replacements of the key remotes that they issues a technicial service bulletin (TSB) explaining how to reset a remote control which had crashed or frozen, the process is simple.. 1. Remove the battery from the key remote 2. Insert the battery the wrong way round, flip it, so the writing is facing the other way. Do not worry, this will not damage the remote. 3. Press the unlock button continuously while jumping on one foot for sixty seconds (Jumping on one foot is optional but helps pass the time and helps with fitness) 4. Flip the battery back around the right way. 5. Try the remote control again, if this works you can be sure that the remote had crashed/frozen and you successfully reset it. The Remote control has become out of sync with the alarm control unit. Through reverse engineering the software inside the alarm control unit, we were able to de-cypher how the alarm control unit and the key remote talked and how the rolling codes worked. Rolling codes are not top secret information, they are used in just about every alarm system remote control in the world, both in systems designed by car manufacturers as well as with after-market car alarm system manufacturers. In essence, every time you use the remote control to lock or unlock the car, the alarm system and remote control have a little chat and do not disclose all the details of a very special long number that they both have stored, they just ask one-another mathematical questions about part or parts of the number, and if both of them feel happy about the conversation, they then agree to lock or unlock the car.. Once they have done this, they both take their number and encrypt it slightly to change it for next time, but without ever again disclosing to the other what the new number is.. It should always match as they will have mashed up the number is a very specific way. However, sometimes problems occur. Potential causes of the alarm system and remote control going out of sync are numerous, they can include the weather, radio interference (such as even a taxi driving past with the driver using a two way radio) or even you being just on the cusp of being close enough or too far away from the car when you used the remote. In rare cases like this, the key remote or the alarm system may have mashed up it's code to a new version, without the other also doing the same. This is in effect what causes the remote and alarm going out of sync. Anyway, as we mentioned, at JMG Porsche we reverse engineered the alarm system hardware and software, so discovered a little known and undocumented process to re-sync the alarm control unit and the key remote.. There is a proviso, if the two have gone out of sync by too many steps, the damage has been done and the two will never be able to be sync'ed up again, even with our amazing abilities at JMG Porsche. The process to re-sync the remote key head is as follows. 1. Put the key manually into the door lock (it does not matter if it is already locked or unlocked. 2. Press the lock/unlock button and hold it in. 3. Turn the key to the lock position and back to the middle position five times and return to the middle position one last time. 4. Let go of the lock/unlock button. 5. Press and hold in the lock/unlock button again. 6. Turn the key to the unlock position and back the middle position five times and return the the middle position again. 7. Let go of the lock/unlock button. 8. Press the lock/unlock button in again and hold it in. 9. Turn the key to the lock position and back to the middle position five times and return to the middle position again. 10. Take the key out of the door lock and try the buttons. If the buttons now work, you have successfully re-synced your alarm system control unit and keys! Well done, go and pat yourself on the back and drink a well deserved beer/coffee/tea/vodka (delete as appropriate) while you reflect on how the key remote might have gone out of sync... Are you a persistent key in pocket fiddler? or did you let your young son or daughter play with your keys? If so, stop it! Or at least now you know how to fix it if it happens again. However, this will only work if the key remote and the alarm control unit have only stepped a couple of steps out of sync with the alarm control unit, if you are a supper "key in pocket fiddler" or your child has played with the buttons to such an extent that the codes have rolled more than a couple of times, then the key may now be so far out of sync, nothing will bring it back. Faulty Remote Controls They are pretty robust units really, but even a Porsche key head remote controls can eventually fail, here are some failure modes. � Main circuit board failure - This could be as simple as a "dry joint" needing re-soldering, or a crack in the board which may or may not be repairable. � Button failure - Usually the buttons fall apart because the plastic outer casings button area cracks, causing the button inside to move slightly sideways, rather than just in and out. These can be repaired with a new or used button soldered into the old ones location, and new upper outer shells are available to fix the actual cause. � Water damage - The remote control key heads have a rubber seal, if when you change the battery this is not re-fitted or if it breaks with age, damp gets in and can destroy the remote. Usually you will see water damage on the circuit board. � Designed in planned obsolescence - This I feel is a little bit naughty of the designers, or a very simple honest mistake in design. Once the code in the remote has rolled a pre set number of times, after literally hundreds of button presses, it will not be able to roll any more due to how the software was programmed. The alarm system however will continue to roll the code into infinity, so eventually they will go one step out of sync and the love affair between your remote key head and the alarm control system will be over forever.

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I'll try and report back....

Any way I could somehow convince (pay) you do to do this for me before I go to the Porsche dealer and get robbed for a new key? Thank you!

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Any update? One of my keys will lock and unlock but will not start the car. The other key will start the car but won't lock or unlock.