24 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHKey fob distance issue
Reported or suspected cause
wide spread
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Leading evidence: 'wide spread' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'wide spread' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check battery' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
The battery is cheap enough and easy enough to change so might just try replacing the battery with a new one.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
Oh, and be sure to replace your fob battery before you need to.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
24 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
3 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
New key head made no difference and I've come to accept it.
I'm not sure if it's my fob, battery or just a design issue, but my fob does not work unless I'm right on top of my car. With my other cars, I can be 20 yards away and the fob works, but not the case with my Porsche.
Anyone else experienced this? To be fair, I haven't researched or searched threads on this issue....
Porsches have been generally weak in their range but you should still be able to unlock it without being on top of your car. Check your battery.
IIRC, the earlier mk1 immobilizers had external wire antenna sticking out of the box, whereas the later ones had internal antennas. It's been awhile so it could be the other way around.
You can easily peak under your driver's seat to see which one you have and to make sure the antenna connector is on tight if you have the external version.
There is some variation in how far away I can be from one of my cars and yet still have the car react to a press of the one of the key module buttons.
I generally do not bother to try to operate the key too far away. I prefer to wait until I'm at the car to unlock a door or trunk lid. And when I want to lock the car I prefer to do that while close to the car. I kind of like the fact the key doesn't work from a distance away it makes an accidental unlock of the car less likely.
Since the variation in sensitivity is not constant I don't think I can attribute it to a low battery in the key module.
The behavior you observe might be due to a weakened key module battery. The battery is cheap enough and easy enough to change so might just try replacing the battery with a new one.
There is IIRC a mod to improve the reception of signals from the key buttons. It involves doing something with the RF antenna.
Here's a link:
http://boxster.wikia.com/wiki/Procedure
I have not done this and can't vouch for its correctness.
Added: Sorry, I posted the procedure link for a Boxster. There are I'm sure similar producers document for the 996.
Issue is wide spread. Just bad design, antenna is actually bundled up with a bunch of wires in the right A-Pillar. Porsche actually issued a TSB, you can find it on renntech.com to fix the issue.
On my 04 C2 I have always needed to be practically on top of the car. New key head made no difference and I've come to accept it. When I was purchasing the car from a Porsche dealer in 2007 I mentioned it to the salesman and his response was that it was by design for security reasons. He said with a car like a Porsche you didn't want to be very far away from it when unlocking it and signal someone else that the car was now easy pickings. Funnier than his explanation was that I actually believed him!
In my 04 C4S the remote has a great range. Same year car with identical options and two very different ranges from the remote.
My 996 fob range has always sucked, even with a new battery.
With one of my Subarus, if I can't remember where I parked I can hold in the button and it will beep and flash from all the way across a large parking lot.
Oh, and be sure to replace your fob battery before you need to.
The battery in one of my fobs died a few months ago. Replaced it, but it would no longer work. After searching around RL a bit, I found that this is VERY common, and the fob then needs dealer reprogramming at something like $300 or more.
i've had a similar issue with both my 993s. new batteries doesn't really change much. gonna research the antenna mod and see if that will improve things for me. thanks for the info
I remember seeing a thread that was a how-to complete with pictures on Rennlist or maybe RennTech. Search for antenna mod in this forum and you should find enough. You basically open up the the left hand A-Pillar trim and unfold the antenna wire.
The range is by design. It is to keep the immobilizer from seeing too many "bad" signals intended for other cars. Unlike most cars, ours will turn off the radio if it sees more than 256 "bad" codes before it sees a good one. This is to prevent the old key-code-generator attacks in parking lots.
Edit - I just reread this thread and someone else mentioned the right A-Pillar so maybe I'm not remembering correctly. There is a TSB but RennList had to take them off the site so you are better off looking for a how-to thread.
I have both original fobs for my car. One works only within 6 inches from the car and the other one works from 30 feet like a normal car fob. New batteries made no difference in each fobs behavior.
Hold the key so that the blade touches your chin when you press the button. Yes, looks funny but works if more range is needed at that particular occasion.
+996! I finally got around to doing this. Range wasn't bad at about 30 feet. Took it apart (wow those clips are tight) and found the wire to be about 133 mm so it was already close. Snipped off 3 mm and then wire tied it to the outside of the bundle facing the inside of the car to be as far from metal as possible. Hanging in the air before buttoning it up it up range was a good 90 feet. After reassembly it was solid at 50 feet and sporadic out to 60 feet. Totally worth it. Thanks to OP!
