996 sleep mode

It can easily be 5 days between drives and I getting a bit fed up of setting the alarm off! This morning I simply put the key in and turned it and the alarm went off. The neighbours will be getting thoroughly fed up with me. My plan was to unlock it and then relock and unlock with the fob but apparently no. So what am I doing wrong?

I don't know if it's the same as the 997 but they can be "woken up" simply by pulling the door handle - then use the fob as normal. Worth a try!

Doesn't work on a 996 Alan. I recall that the owners manual says to unlock it with the key, but don't open the door, after which you press the lock button on the remote. (ie don't relock it with the key). If you do unlock it with the key and open the door, you have to switch the ignition on within 10 seconds.

Richard is correct. Certainly from 2001 onwards (maybe earlier) you just turn the key to unlock the door, but don't open it, then press the "lock/unlock" button to turn off the alarm. No annoyed neighbours. [ ]

Daft thing is that this is what I did. I forget which way I turned the key but the alarm went off without the door being opened. Very odd. Ah well I'll look more carefully next time. I then spent 20 mins in solid stop start traffic. Great way to get the best out of a 500hp car!

Turn the key anti clockwise in the door lock, this won't unlock the car but should re set the alarm and central locking. Use your fob as normal after you've done this. I'm sure that's how I used to do it when I hadn't used the car for a while.

ok cheers Gaz, I'll give it a go

With my 1998 996 I believe I have tried every combination of turning the key and using the fob. All have failed and I'm afraid you, like me, may be stuck with having to remember to operate the fob every 4 days to avoid the alarm going into sleep mode. When I forget and have to open the car early in the morning I always think that it is probably about time the neighbours were awake anyway!

My 98 996 is the same. None of the recommended steps have ever worked. I've always suspected the early cars don't have this function to stop the alarm sounding when it's coming out of sleep mode.

It was the same with my '98 too. I never found a way to stop the alarm going off immediately after I turned the key in the lock. I got darned quick at getting the door open and the ignition on though.

Strange but I have to turn my key clockwise, then press remote to wake car up..... it doesn't always work 1st time but always OK when I repeat putting key in lock & turning it..... I keep it held in clockwise position a little longer & all seems OK! It's when I turn key anti clockwise my alarms go off!! hath Paul

Evidently this facility was not available on the earlier cars. [&o]

On my 996.1 C2 I turn the key just enough till the interior lights come on. I then remove the key from the lock. Press the button on the key fob and the doors unlock without the alarm going off.

I unlock, then lock again with the key to activate and then unlock it with the key fob. Likewise I could never get the hang if it initially and this combo worked for me so I've stuck with it! Craig

I turn key anticlockwise in lock once or twice and then use fob button as normal, and it has always worked, and never set alarm off.

I have finally found a way of geting in my 1998 C2 without setting off the alarm! First, without unlocking the car, I turn the key slowly clockwise until the interior lights come on. I then hold it at that position until the window goes down. I then take the key out and reach in through the open window and put it in the ignition and turn until the dashboard lights up. I can then remove the key and operate the fob button to unlock without the alarm going off.

Its like the krypton factor! I walk past the car everyday even if I'm not using it so I just try to remember to unlock and lock it every 2 or 3 days! Its easier.

Brilliant. I tried getting into my car without setting it off last week after 3 weeks holiday and discovered that the windows go down, as you say, if you only turn the key half way. Still set the alarm off when I turned it the whole way. Didn't think about reaching in to put the key in the ignition as you suggested, but that's the perfect suggestion!

Glad I could help

Thought I'd bring this up to date. I found that if you turn the key slowly clockwise until the interior light comes on then the key fob will work, so lock and unlock and all is well. No alarm!