Life of your key fob/remote...how long does it live? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

porsche986spyder · 09-12-2008, 01:38 PM

I'm kind of pissed right now because my remote keeps eating up batteries. Something is definately wrong with it. New battery in it only lasted 2 weeks! The lights do not indicate the it is "in use" or stay on while I'm not using it, so I have now idea how it is draining them. I've gone through 2 so far. What makes me mad is that I just had this key/remote reprogramed at the dealership only 2 years ago for $220.00!!! and it's already dead! Can't porsche make a desent key fob that works? Anyone else have any suggestions before I go back to the steelership and have my remote fixed? What a rip off!

dja1980 · 09-12-2008, 01:56 PM

One of my buttons no longer works, so I was actually thinking of purchasing a new keyhead from Suncoast Porsche...

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=P&Product_Code=986RECONTROL&Category_Code=986Keys

Does anyone know if this is something I can program myself, or does the dealership have to get involved. The notes on the product description state that dealership programming is required, but I always wonder how true that is. I wonder how many labor hours they would charge me to program a new keyhead.

porsche986spyder · 09-12-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dja1980

One of my buttons no longer works, so I was actually thinking of purchasing a new keyhead from Suncoast Porsche...

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=P&Product_Code=986RECONTROL&Category_Code=986Keys

Does anyone know if this is something I can program myself, or does the dealership have to get involved. The notes on the product description state that dealership programming is required, but I always wonder how true that is. I wonder how many labor hours they would charge me to program a new keyhead.

My dealership charged me $220.00!!!! to program the key. There is no other lway around it. I'm thinking about having my own alarm and remote installed. Can get an entire new setup for the cost of a reprograming Porsche key.

dja1980 · 09-12-2008, 03:32 PM

Whoa... $220 just for the programming??!! When you first posted $220, I figured that included a new keyhead. What is it about the programming that ONLY Porsche can do it?

RandallNeighbour · 09-12-2008, 03:45 PM

The key must be programmed to the car while a Porsche System Tester Tool (computer) is hooked up to it. It's a security thing so thieves can't easily duplicate keys.

Programming only takes about a half hour or less... book rate is an hour I think. If you pay more than $100 for programming, you're getting ripped off.

They're not termed "stealerships" for nothing.

Quickurt · 09-12-2008, 03:45 PM

Obviously Porsche has no-one who comes on these forums. If they did, BS like this would end.
I'm sure it takes no more than two minutes to "program" the key. How could it?
You can download an entire complicated CAD program into your computer in less than ten minutes. I know, I did it today.
Do they take the chipo from one key and put it into another, or do they "burn" a code into the chip in the key housing?
I bet it's no more complicated, or time consuming than programming your home button for opening the garage door.
My mech. buddy at my Mazda dealer, just happened to "burn" the new ECU MAP while he had it hooked up for diagnostics. I stood there while he did it and it took about three minutes. Had I requested it through the service writer, it would have been a $250 charge. For three minutes labor, admitting the ECU was already hooked up. That had taken another four minutes. Looks like about two mpg improvement with the new map and less noticable turbo lag on initial acceleration.

Quickurt · 09-12-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

The key must be programmed to the car while a Porsche System Tester Tool (computer) is hooked up to it. It's a security thing so thieves can't easily duplicate keys.

Programming only takes about a half hour or less... book rate is an hour I think. If you pay more than $100 for programming, you're getting ripped off.

They're not termed "stealerships" for nothing.

Whoa, check this out!
All of your post from this quote, is not on your origianal post!
So does that mean I can say, when you're tired of your posts not showing up, get a PC?

Quickurt · 09-12-2008, 03:50 PM

Okay, now it is!!
It must be the magic post genie screwing with our heads, or maybe you were editing as I was doing my post?

Jacques79 · 09-12-2008, 06:35 PM

That's funny because I went to my dealer yesterday because my remote trunk button wouldn't work and they told me it's covered under my CPO warranty.

It's odd because my regular door button works; it's just the trunk one that doesn't make the red light on the remote go off.

I bet I'm the first customer to get a key remote fixed under warranty....

And on top of that's they've agreed to fix my radio.

I'm suddenly happy to have a CPO warranty...

Tool Pants · 09-13-2008, 07:57 AM

Mine was made in January 1997. The batteries have never been replaced, believe it or not.

9 years ago I opened up one of the remotes because one of the buttons was operating intermentently. There are tiny switches soldered to the circuit board and the switch had a bad solder joint. Got out a small soldering iron and fixed it.

I have also seen the buttons break off the circuit board.

So if one of your buttons are not working and you know how to solder you might be able to fix it.

Jeph · 09-13-2008, 08:15 AM

Porsche can make a decent key that works. Mine. Same batteries for me since 2003. (I don't know if they were the originals or not.)

Were the batteries that lasted only 2 weeks from the same batch/package? Where did you get those batteries? Maybe they were bad.

Buy a new, reputable brand of battery (Duracell, Energizer) from someplace like Best Buy (or any other place that wouldn't seem to let a stock of batteries pile up for a long time) to see if you get the same results.

If that doesn't work, I wonder if you're somehow pressing the button while it's in your pocket or something.

FrayAdjacent · 09-13-2008, 08:51 AM

$220 for programming a key? Ripoff! My local dealer said they would charge about an hour of labor. This included programming as many keys as I wanted them to, AND cutting new keys from a blank.

I only have one key for my Box, and the remote head has stopped working. The rubber over the buttons is pretty much completely separated, and the underlying main button has physical issues. The light will still blink when I hit the button, but the car does not respond.

I've wondered about getting a Cayenne key and seeing if the dealer can program the car to work with it. Might be a little odd with the different buttons, but I think it has three. One can be the main lock/unlock and the other two for the front/rear trunks.

ekam · 09-13-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent

The rubber over the buttons is pretty much completely separated, and the underlying main button has physical issues.

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=P&Product_Code=986KEYBUTTON&Category_Code=986Keys

fragdude · 09-13-2008, 11:42 AM

Often times companies make the key programming process unnessecarily long so that if a thief does get their hands on a PST2, it still takes them time to program the key. The reasoning behind this is that while they are doing someone will hopefully notice them...

I know this is what BMW does and I wouldn't be surprised if porsche does it too. With the dealerships you just have to argue with them and demand to be charged for the actual amount of labor used. Its hard, but sometimes you can get lucky

FrayAdjacent · 09-13-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ekam

http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=P&Product_Code=986KEYBUTTON&Category_Code=986Keys

Nice, but the button under the rubber on my key is already fubar.

Paul · 09-14-2008, 05:58 AM

You could always buy the same tool that the dealer must buy, somewhere around $18,000 each plus a yearly subscription charge. Porsche is the problem, not the dealer.

Paul · 09-14-2008, 07:01 AM

From Sunset Imports (a Porsche dealer) who charges $105 to program a key:

The remote portion of the key is sold separately from the metal cut
key part. The metal cut key portion can be transferred to the new remote or
a new blank metal key can be sold and cut by your dealer or a qualified
locksmith and then snapped into place in the new remote. The bar code that
is sold with the remote is necessary for the technicians to use in order to
program the remote to the cars anti-theft and central locking control
system. If that bar code with the programming codes is lost then the remote
fob cannot be used as intended. This is why buying one off of ebay is a
waste of money. When bringing your car in to have one key programmed you
should bring all the keys that you have. The other keys might lose their
programming codes and get overwritten by the new key code. This includes the
non remote keys, as they also have a transponder that has to be programmed.
The transponders only function is to start the car. On push button remotes
they are programmed to lock and unlock the doors as well as programming the
transponder inside the remote key fob. Non remote key heads are also sold
but they don't include or need the bar code tag that new remote key heads
come with. You need to take your car to your local dealer to get the
programming done. This can't be done over the phone or by VIN#. The car,
remote, technician and special tool must all be together in order to get
this done. The car will not start unless the remote is programmed to the
vehicle. I don't have access to any of these codes.

Paul · 09-14-2008, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent

$220 for programming a key? Ripoff! My local dealer said they would charge about an hour of labor. This included programming as many keys as I wanted them to, AND cutting new keys from a blank.

I only have one key for my Box, and the remote head has stopped working. The rubber over the buttons is pretty much completely separated, and the underlying main button has physical issues. The light will still blink when I hit the button, but the car does not respond.

I've wondered about getting a Cayenne key and seeing if the dealer can program the car to work with it. Might be a little odd with the different buttons, but I think it has three. One can be the main lock/unlock and the other two for the front/rear trunks.

I just bought a proper remote head from Sunset Imports for $99.18.

Boxtaboy · 09-14-2008, 09:14 AM

Not sure how it's lasted so long, but I haven't needed to change my key remote's battery ever. It's an 01.

porsche986spyder · 09-16-2008, 08:31 PM

Yesterday I went in with my key fob and a new battery installed in it and showed them how it WAS working but continuously drained the battery inside it. They took it away and could not figure out why it was doing it and completely replaced the one I gave them with a new one. Took my car away to program the remote and all is good. No cost out of my pocket. The dealership said my last replacement covered it under warranty.