Hoping I can repair a stolen, but recovered 2000 996

Greetings: Can�t find my old ID or login info or PW, and Rennlist couldn�t either so I�m effectively a newbie...but from the past. As before, any help or ideas appreciated. The car: 2000 996 Cabriolet, Tiptronic 3.4L and just 42K on the clock. The problem: The car was stolen and recovered, but because of a punched out dashlock and missing key I can�t start it. Electrically dead, as it sat in a tight garage for two years with a blown cooling system. It blew about � mile from the garage, so I managed to limp it in, and it dripped for a year. Peed all over the garage floor, as it were.* I THINK the cooling problem is likely to be something simple like deteriorated hoses but without the ability to even start it to verify a cooling system repair I won�t be able to confirm that even by doing something simple like watching for leaks and overheating. I�m told the immobilizer and lack of a key or even an unbroken place to put it will require the car be reprogrammed in real-time to a server in Germany, and that will require it be done at a Porsche dealership...and it won�t be cheap. Insurance company has been reasonable so far (USAA), and I have a couple of years yet before the claim is closed out and finished...but I�m going to be out a fair chunk of change before I get the rest of the costs back. [*long story, and I won�t bother anyone with it unless there is real interest. Involves a family health crisis, a probable gang, and some slow responses on my part�I was astonished when they boosted it, but live and learn. They were more serious than I was cautious] So�can I bypass or even eliminate the immobilizer system entirely? The car is 26 years old, and even though it�s a low mileage vehicle, it won�t break me financially if it�s ever stolen again and NOT recovered. And I like to keep things simple so even I can understand them too. I wouldn�t mind not having the thing I don�t think. Any thoughts welcome. For various reasons I�m only starting to formulate a plan, as all the other crises are still higher priorities. Thanks for any replies. KCS

What does a punched out dashlock look like? Do you have any photos of the damage? Regarding your cooling system problem: are you handy with tools or do you think you would pay someone to fix a leaking hose upon completion of diagnostics?

I have more time than money, so I have to be handy with tools such as it is. If it matters I once dove deep into a 914 (916 part no?) transmission and replaced a couple of gearsets and a first gear synchro, (my Haynes manual gave me the confidence to try it) and also managed to conjure up on my own a cardboard tool to let me realign the shafts when I put it back together, so I'm not entirely untalented. This was all before I found out the normal path was just to exchange the failing transmission for another. I had even less money then, as I was still a teenager, with more enthusiasm than talent. But it worked out. Also changed out a set of Kolbenschmidt Pistons and a carb on that 1.7L Swapped in one of the stainless exhausts, etc. All type 4. However, it's been years, I'm 65 now and I take absolutely NO offense at your query, and do appreciate your reply. I realize you need to feel out what level of talent I might have and might not before offering advice. I do have, at least right now a flat pad to work on and jack the car up...and just bought a set of skates to roll it around as needed. The only problem right now is...it's February. Could I recreate any of that today? Doubtful. But I can manage a few hoses if I can drop the exhaust (I hope it's that simple too, but really haven't investigated it yet). I do have a photo too of the key punchout on my phone, but getting it over to the PC will challenge me at this hour. Suffice it to say if you take a large screwdriver, pry off the key escutchion and start banging on the end of the screwdriver with a hammer you too can create a nice fireworks like pattern in the dash fabric. But as it happens too, I THINK that might just be covered over by a new escutchion such that you might not see it. And if keep the car, I might look at it as a "badge of survival," so to speak. If I see any remnants of the crime. When they get serious and won't quit easily.

Not a bad looking car, although the seats need work. My fault. Left it open during three straight nights of rain. Leather. I'm an idiot, no argument. Both shots at the recovery/tow yard, not at my location

Thank you for the photos. I didn�t read your post carefully enough and assumed you were talking about a 986 Boxster. A 996 is a fine car and is surprisingly expensive. And thank you for not taking offense. Indeed I was trying to gauge your skill level, because this could get costly very quickly. I want to give you an outline of your options and a roadmap to resolving your car�s issues while keeping costs down. I also want to thank you for qualifying yourself in such great detail. I think you are well-qualified to address your cooling issue! As you know, your car has two major issues: it�s leaking coolant and a missing key/inability to start. Because we don�t know why the coolant leaks, I�d prefer we address this first to get some understanding of its severity. First off: Do you remember where the coolant was leaking from? Was it the front or the rear? Can you crawl under the car, while it�s on jackstands, and spot any signs of dried coolant? It�d be best to have the fender liners and plastic floor panels removed for this inspection. Do you have a vacuum filling coolant tool? If not, I�d recommend you get one, because this will help your diagnostic process. Here are some products, ranging from inexpensive , to mid-priced , and top-tier . These aren�t the only products available, so you may fancy others with different features elsewhere too. What I would do in your situation is to use the vacuum filling tool to pull vacuum on your cooling system. If your system does not hold vacuum, then I would search for any obvious signs of a leak. If the car holds vacuum, I would proceed to fill the car with distilled water. The only reason I would recommend distilled water is because it is cheap and will not make a terrible mess like coolant. But if you think the water is at any risk of freezing, then I would opt for coolant instead!!! After filling the car with water or coolant, I would pressure test the cooling system to check for leaks again. Here is a link to a pressure tester that should work for our cars. Hopefully with these steps, you will be able to identify the source of the leak and possibly remedy it. At the very least, you will have an idea of the severity of the cooling issue, and whether you will want to proceed with getting the car started. ������ Before I address your key issue, I would like to ask a few questions: -Where do you plan to park your car at night after you finish fixing it? -Where was your car parked when it was stolen? -And were the thieves able to drive your car? Did you notice any additional miles on the odometer after it was recovered? Your photo of your punched out dashlock was very helpful - thank you. Your ignition lock assembly appears to be irreversibly damaged and will need to be replaced. You�ll need a new ignition lock cylinder and you�ll obviously need a new key. I might recommend you get a second key, because spares are useful. Your comment about the interior being rained upon for 3 days is helpful, but disappointing. The 996 has an immobilizer module beneath the driver�s seat. Due to its location, the immobilizer module is susceptible to water damage - especially in cabriolet models. I fear that your immobilizer is damaged and will require repair. The immobilizer module is responsible for many things. As you may have guessed, it�s responsible for immobilizing the car from unauthorized starts, but it also transmits signals from the key fob (remote) and controls the central locking and power windows. A malfunctioning immobilizer module could even keep your gas door locked, inconveniencing you at the most inopportune time. You asked whether it�s possible to bypass the immobilizer, and the answer is yes. These guys can program your engine control module to ignore the immobilizer function, making it possible to start the car with a non-programmed key (as long as it can turn the ignition lock). Unfortunately, it also means that a thief can also start your car with a screwdriver, too. If your car will be parked outdoors overnight, then this may not be the best option for you. If it�s kept indoors, then you might want to consider this option. Do keep in mind that bypassing the immobilizer will illuminate �Check Engine� light on your dash. Also, remember that your ignition lock assembly still requires replacing. Your most-economical option is to actually buy a set like this . You�ll have a key, an immobilizer that recognizes the key, an ignition lock assembly that matches the key, and a DME that is paired with the immobilizer module. Briefly scanning eBay, it seems some sets do not include the door handles, so you may need to visit an automotive locksmith to get some �dumb� keys to unlock your doors - should you decide to keep your original door locks. Don�t actually buy the set I just linked earlier, it�s only an example. You will need to find a set that matches your car in its entirety. You have a 2000 996 3.4L with an automatic transmission. If you can�t find one for a 2000, then a 2001 will work ( as long as the engine size and transmission type are the same )! A drawback to purchasing and installing a set from another car is that the DME (engine control module) will contain the VIN of the donor vehicle. You could correct it through programming, but it really isn�t going to hurt anything if you leave it as-is. Also, you�ll probably only receive one key, which can be stressful knowing that you do not have a spare. The ECU Doctors can sell you an additional key and may be able to program it if you send them your immobilizer module. And if you�re going to go through the hassle of mailing them your immobilizer, you might as well ask if they can program the correct VIN into the DME, and mail that too� slippery slope. Your other option regarding a spare key is to find a local automotive locksmith that can program a new key for you. You can get yourself a valet key to keep costs down. I wouldn�t dare ask the dealer to resolve this issue. The cost would be astronomical.

I�m actually interested in hearing your long story about this car, if you�re willing to share.

I too would like to hear the whole story. I have insurance on my keys and that reduces the worry a bit but none of the headaches, and I greatly miss bygone days when about the only electronics on a Porsche were the horn and lights. I've heard a manual transmission lowers theft risk substantially, but if thieves are targeting Porsches you can be sure they have no problem driving stick. As what happened to you shows, even the most fool-proof, state-of-the-art anti-theft systems aren't invulnerable, and the costs of repairing damaged electronics and getting the car back on the road can be astronomical. For years I drove a 500 c.c. Fiat around Europe and often parked it overnight on the street in places like "Barceladrona," Rome, Naples and Palermo. Before walking away I pulled out the distributor rotor, put it in my pocket and left the car unlocked and with nothing valuable in it. Never any problems. Pros didn't want a Fiat and amateurs couldn't figure it out. In Mexico I once lost the keys to a '59 coupe in the ocean. A parkero was watching the car so I hadn't locked it. No trouble hot-wiring the car and then later getting a key made. Life used to be simpler.

I would not bother with the coolant bit until the dealer can replace the lock, reprogram the keys, and get the immobilizer to fire up the car and get it started. After that, troubleshooting the coolant leak is 15 minutes. So, in 15 minutes tell us your long story.

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Confused about this theft...? So,how did you limp it in if no key, (no transponder pill), lock punched out, flooded immobilizer under seat, but you started it & drove (" limp it in" ) 3/4 mile...?

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The possibility of a cracked head discourages me from spending all that money on the keys first.

I guess you could also get yourself a DME with a bypassed immobilizer and start your car with a screwdriver. Drive around like that temporarily until you get the cooling system sorted, and spring for the complete repair afterwards. The car would be at an extreme risk for another theft, though.

I realize I cut enough corners trying to keep things simple the story doesn't make sense. It's definitely longer too. When your eyes glaze over, just remember--you asked for it. The coolant issue happened about three years ago now, and everything was running just fine. Only had the one key, and securing a backup was on the list, but it was then and still is now a long, long list. By that point I had already left top down in several days of light drizzle, and I did, later on have an issue when the top would not go up, but the original damage was caused by being at a point in life where it just wasn't important enough to go out and put the top up. Deep depression (which I would not wish on anyone). The lady closest to me in life was diagnosed with cancer, and the last thing I cared about at the time was cars. But she's still here, and I don't think I would be if she weren't. Anyway, I parked the car that day in a narrow garage, and I always had to angle it in to even open the drivers door wide enough I could get out...and I'm built like Dan Gurney--tall, thin galoot. But for that I don't know if I ever could have garaged it. When the system blew it leaked from the drivers side about a third of the way forward from the back. Ahead of the engine. It leaked for months and I couldn't do a thing about it. Couldn't even hope to get a jack under the car on the P-side either due to a large concrete step, so it just sat for a long time. And leaked. I was living at the house, but mom's health took a sharp downturn one day, and I moved back to the house I grew up in (about a mile away). Threw some stuff into a few boxes and was out the door. Went back on a regular basis to get mail, check on things (the smaller house was built in the 50's), but never for long. I was mom's sole-care provider for eleven months, and during that time I managed about six entire hours of "off time." Otherwise, 24/7. No internet either, but I did get reasonably good with the cell phone. Otherwise I'd have gone completely round the bend, I'm sure. Moved home in April, and I had last been at the small house at the end of July. Went back about four days later, drove in and had one of those "geezus, did I leave the garage door open like that" moments. Got a bit further in and realized no--the back door was bungied wide open. I sure didn't do that. So, royally ticked off I went in, found all my keys were gone, and also found a naked gal lying in my bed. Her english wasn't very good, and all she wanted to do was find the bus station. Not confrontational, apologetic, and embarrassed...just a gal trying to get through life any way she could, so I didn't call the cops, but just invited her out. She said her friend "Jose" had just left, and "he said we could use this place." With a bad left leg and a few other issues, it's a good thing I didn't meet him face to face, 'cause I'd have lost the fight and maybe my life. So I got lucky, really. Found out they had smashed the front door lockset to gain entry, and at some point they had a vehicle in there too, as one of the gate posts had been bent. But the 996 was still there. They certainly wanted it, and had the keys, but the battery was long flat, and they may not have taken much time trying to boost it, but planned to come back later. However, since they realized I was back and the the cops (by then) WERE involved, they just evaporated and didn't come back. This was about the time Tren de Aragua was making it's presence known in the Denver metro area, automatic weapons and all, and I don't own guns, so I had to be pretty cautious. Couldn't go near the place after dark except to see if they were there again and call in the law...but after the first time, they disappeared. They DID get a fair bit of personal items, certainly enough to have made the connection to the big house where mom lived--they got my father's GA flight bag, which I kept after he passed, and the connection was easy to make, so I was pretty worried about mom's safety after that. She was terrified, I was pretty much on permanent watch at the big house just in case...and so I couldn't do much of anything about recovering the burglary scene at all, including getting the cars out and away (the other one, which had been under a tarp is a '99 Boxster 5 speed). Unfortunately, the small house attracted a second group of burglars about eight months later--definitely a gang, and they just kept coming. I had police in there several times with weapons drawn and the bad guys just destroyed the place over the course of two months. Piled four feet high with boxes, bags, furniture, etc. and I just couldn't do much of anything about it because I couldn't leave mom alone. And more to the point I couldn't risk a confrontation that would get me injured or worse because it would leave her without the care she needed. So they just kept coming back. I realized they were going to want the 996, but since I couldn't get it out myself, I figured they weren't going to either. They were also focused on the house...but eventually they tired of that and started focusing on the car. Several obvious attempts and quite a few fingerprints later they succeeded, and it turned out they lifted it up onto skates (had to lift it because there was no way to get a jack under the P-side) and got it out. Turns out they sold it on Facebook to a collector who just wanted the motor for another car he was restoring. Detective said he drove down about 150 miles with a flatbed and they sold it to him right there in the driveway. I had been there the previous night, cops had cleared it out (again), had seen the punchout and printed the car (again)...but they still hadn't got it out. So I figured right up until it was taken that they were having the same problems I had getting it moved anywhere at all. But they were smarter too, and more determined. The guy who bought it knew there was no title--I had it--and he did a VIN check before buying it. I didn't get back to find it gone until about four hours later. Reported it stolen, and the good guys with the lights did NOT spot it being moved at all, because by that time it had gone all the way to it's new home. BUT the new owner did another VIN check, realized then that it was stolen and he was involved, so he did the right thing and reported it. I got it back a week later, and now it sits under a tarp at the big house, alongside the Boxster. Mom passed in April, and the last months were very difficult due to the onset of dementia, but in our family, and with my grandfather too some years before we like to meet the end at home. Was able to do that for my dad (COPD) and managed it for mom too. And then, trying to deal with estate and a HUGE amount of her stuff--love her but the house was just packed to the gills, and it's still somewhat the same even now--the neighbors from hell started raising hell about stuff on the property. My brother had worked construction and had "staged" stuff to take to his own property project, but died before he could move some of it, and it fell to me. We've done this twice now with them over the summer and again this late fall. I've had three 20 yard dumpsters already and will probably need a couple more before we get stuff pared down to the estate sale point next year. Also have a 10x30 storage unit still filled too, and when the weather was better we were going through stuff outside the house...but then the neighbors leaned in.... This is a property about of about 1 3/4 acres, built in 1930 and with four outbuildings. When dad reached 60 he started telling my brother and me both that he just couldn't maintain it any more. We worked it out between the two of us that we could keep them there, and we managed it for a good ten years, but after bro passed it's just been me...and now I'm 65. Sis and I have pretty much agreed now that it's time to divest and I expect that we will finish it up in the next two years. So that's where I am today. As it happens I also own a 330xi and a Cherokee XJ...which is needed just to maintain this place...and neither of them is running either. So I'm selling some market assets to get from here to the next crisis. Further updates as events warrant. Film at eleven [Thanks for listening]

There is one, somewhat amusing part to the ongoing burglaries: One of my other hobbies is model railroading, and there is a particular weed ("cow parsnip") I had been collecting for about six months before the original breakin. It's a good natural scenery item and I had collected about forty paper grocery bags of the stuff, all sitting in the upstairs bedroom at the small house. It finally dawned on me that the reason these guys were taking paneling down, pulling grates off the walls, and even diving into the ductwork under the furnace is that they were, almost certainly, looking for a safe...or a large money stash. Seeing all those paper bags filled with dried weeds they figured it was WEED...and that I was a grower and...retailer. I can picture them getting all amped up when they found it, rolling it and smoking it...and being pretty disappointed at the results. If anyone ever got high on cow parsnip I've never heard of it. Took me a while to figure it out in large part because I have never smoked anything in my life. Not even once--it killed too much extended family and didn't do dad any good either. I still do get a small chuckle out of that bit. Small.

What a story. And I thought your problems with the 996 were by themselves a nightmare. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post it.

It's been...interesting, if nothing else. Worst year of my life by far, and there was another one I still call "my year in a California prison," which was actually trying recover the situation and house mom's two oldest sisters lived in. They both passed that year, but it was a particular problem because they had been the two who had taken care of a cousin with Cerebral Palsy. When they passed, we had a huge problem because she couldn't come live at altitude--we had to keep her there. Did manage it though, and one good thing about it, for me was getting a day to see the Historic races out on North Island Naval Air Station. Didn't get to talk with Pete Lovely (who owned a Lotus 49) but did pick the brain of one of his mechanics for quite a long time. And got to see a 908 Flounder, an Alfa T33 and one of the F1 Warsteiner scheme Arrows ground effect cars. But unfortunately no 917's. Ah well...maybe next time. I will say the LOUDEST car that day...by far...was the AMC Javelin (one of the Trans-Am cars). It just rocked the entire harbor. I do occasionally "sim race" on PC's, and being a DIY guy my rig is somewhat unique. Projector and Hydraulic brakes. In theory it's '67 911's this Sunday night. In theory.

OMG, the 996 is the smallest of your worries. Good luck with everything.

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I would love to see your rig. It sounds awesome. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story. I�m sorry to hear that you�re dealing with all that, and I hope everything gets resolved quickly.

Holy moly Friend, Life is certainly a rodeo. Good for you doing what you can and soldiering on given circumstances/travails. I for one certainly hope you are able to get your car running reasonably. I would have to say clearly you deserve it. And, should that not be a possibility, I would hope that another one is in your future as this episode fades away in your rear view mirror. Perhaps a roller is a path of least resistance and best value engineering. Then recoup costs with the surplus parts.

Well, after that response won't even ask again about how you drove it 3/4 mile with no key... Good luck, seems you've got your hands full. But will try to help by suggesting a coolant system pressure test to find your leak before starting on the probably very expensive no start/immobilizer/key problem.

It is possible to leak test the engine cooling system without the key or running the car. Simply fill it up with water / coolant. The system takes 6 gallons. It would be better to vacuum fill it as much as possible. If there is large leak, the vacuum will not hold so you might end up having to fill it manually anyway. Then, buy/borrow a pressure tester that fits the coolant tank and pump it up to 15psi. Or, splice in a coolant hose port somewhere on the engine (plenty of spots), apply 15 psi of pressure from an air compressor, and notice where the leak is. Depending on what you find, you can make a decision to move on or not. Good luck.

Exactly what I would do, just do a pressure test of the system with water in it. Unless you are in freezing country. Shouldn't be hard to find.

Sorry for the lack of communication, and thanks for all the replies. Several have set my mental transmission turning, such as: "...but if you do this (to take the immobilzer out of the equation), your check engine light will stay on." And maybe I could live with that. In most cities a part of the Colorado Denver Metro Area, aka, the "Front Range" we have emissions testing, and in our case (being progressive) CO has adopted CA standards. So I can't legally replace a catalytic (not an issue here, but it is on another vehicle) with a 48 state cat. I have to install, or have installed a CA cat, at somewhere around seven-to-ten times the cost. An illuminated check engine light will fail any test, and they will, of course, cycle the light to make sure I haven't simply disabled the illumination feature. So, and on top of my more prominent problems, that might literally seem a "non-starter...". But maybe not. If I were to re-title the car in another state which did NOT require emissions testing...or if I were to move from the front range out to the "Western Slope" which still does not, then living with the illuminated light would not be a show stopper. Yes, I would lose the actual intended function of the light--to alert of imminent engine problems, true...but it seems to me that's what engine codes are for, as read by a basic OBDII system, anyway (and not the Porsche extended system). So just go plug it in now and then and see what it tells me. As it happens, I'm considering an out of state move anyway for oh-so-many other reasons, and WY is high on my list. --------- That said, thanks for all the other responses too. I've been investigating the ruined dash lockset/key options and several of those look like good starting points (ebay). Let me also add, and after my first reply earlier tonight, that EVERYONE agrees a pressure/vacuum test is a good place to start, and it makes sense. Will it surprise anyone to know I already had a vacuum kit for the BMW 330xi? And that they trashed it? Didn't exactly steal it...although I can't find the vacuum gauge...but most of the caps were all over the place. No worries. Not an expensive kit, really, and always recommended by any competent folks all the way up to suppliers like Pelican Parts...or even the factory. So...VACUUM test the blown coolant systems before going much further in planning is a given. Thanks to everyone here. I do think I can check all the leaks (there will be some) and plug enough to figure out where the worst ones are. I guess diagnosing enough tire leaks over many years will teach anyone. K

Re: The Sim Racing setup: Thanks for asking. Given that my house was burglarized multiple times, it won't surprise anyone that the projector was stolen...but I have a new (much better one) in nearby box and I hope to get that rigged up at the big house soon. I'm in an historic league currently racing '67 911's (2.0L) cars, and I've already missed two races. Meh. I have nine days until the next race. It's February and the real, deep blue 996 is outside under a tarp. And I would rather stay warm.... My own rigs over the years have been set up so that the projected image is a life-size image. It's sometimes known as "SuperFOV". Mine is (was) dimensionally based on the Lotus 49, but also the Porsche 908/917...and if you know the latter you will know these are both "lay-down" setups, rather than more upright GT3 setups where the bucket angle is roughly 90 degrees. With a lay-down rig it's more like 45 for the lower back, and then--60-70--steeper for the upper back. Typical overall height of just 29" from the bottom of the seat to the top of the skull inside the scooter-type helmet as worn by Steve McQueen in "Le Mans"... and not up to modern standards) of a total vertical height of maybe 31" from to top of the helmet to the actual deepest bottom of the butt. or maybe a bit more back in the day. Old style stuff for me, not modern...but with our leagues there is something for everyone. Since the burglars got most of it, I can't point at any current photos of my own setup. However I CAN point you at a couple of very similarly imaged projecter rigs/setups on YouTube, and from those you can basically see what I see. Note that the link here is not to a a VR/HMD setup (which can also be great), but to an actual (2D) projector rig. So let's go with this one, a 1973 McLaren (Yardley scheme) It's washed out here because of the video camera shooting video of the projection screen and rig itself. The driver is a guy I've known for 25 years now, a real devotee. He's using a cutting edge wheel 12" wheel here (classic flat six bolt pattern), not a MOMO 360mm as with the 908/917s...and crashbox/Hewland type H-shifter too, of his own design: You Tube [Sim-racing (it's big stuff on serious PC's--this is not mere gamepads) attracts a LOT of well known real-world racers. I raced, way back in the day, against a gentleman who had himself battled (in the real world) up through F-Ford, F3 and even into the F2 ranks in the UK against FOUR men, all of whom went on to become (real) World Champions: Lauda, Hunt, Scheckter and Jones. And even a fifth who didn't, after he moved to NA: Gilles Villeneuve. I'm always amazed at how many real world racers the hobby attracts...from even the very top ranks. So I think there must be something to it.]

Thanks for sharing the video, the projector setup looks very immersive and far better than any monitor setup. I hope the rest of your rig wasn�t taken. Good luck with your diagnostics and repairs!