Anyone ever activated a Valet Mode?
 

I loaned 98 Boxster to Dad to drive. He's allergic to key fobs, bless him, and he uses the key manually to lock/unlock doors. So when I got the car back, doors unlocked, and opened the driver's door to unlatch the rear trunk, the handle was locked down. Tried the front trunk, same thing. So, I shut the door and armed the alarm/locked doors with fob and walked away to scratch head for a while and knock back a few. Came back, unlocked with fob and poof! the trunks both opened normally with release levers. Just curious if anyone else had tried/experienced this little trick? Almost thought Valet Mode to keep nosy parking attendants out of your trunk. If so, I got a key FOB with dead battery I never have time to replace... would make excellent Valet Key.

I did this too I just dont know how i did it

I believe this a security feature which allows the valet key to only lock and unlock the doors and turn the ignition. This feature allows you to secure personal items so no one can get it while using that key. :cheers:

I beleave that for watever reason the selenoid just failed to unlock the trunks levers.. :P

Yes... this is the Valet feature as described below.

Cheers!

I think my car is in valet mode and i only have the valet key ..... no remotes :-(

how can i turn it off with only having the valet key?

any info is much appreciated?

im not sure how it was even turned on to be honest

You are probably going to want to look into getting a real key. The right key to look for and what you need to do with it is well documented on this board.

I am hoping and praying there is another way to open both the trunks becasue i need to do an oil change on it.

I cant be the only one that uses a valet key on there boxster ???........ after all they are the poor mans porsche....joke ..... and poor men dont like to take the car into porsche dealership.

Good luck. I'd think that because the purpose of the valet key is to keep the valet out of the trunks, it wouldn't be defeatable with just the valet key.

Found a solution .... was very easy too

I could not find the manual trunk openers at the front or rear of the car so i needed to find a different solution.

for anyone that doesnt have a key with remote on it(only valet key) and has both there trunks locked by the security system:

1.) locate and remove the 3 bolts(alen) on the side of the trunk release latch Assembly. They are right next/accross to the controls for the driver seat.

2.) The entire trunk Assembly then pulls upward and out, allowing you to move the trunk lock manually and disconnect the locking servo like I did so I never have to worry about the latched becoming locked in the future.

3.) Both trunk latches will work all the time now with no worries

Link with more info =
http://www.renntech.org/forums/inde...runk+lid+locked

It beats having to go to Porsche dealership and pay hundreds of dollars for a new key with remote on it which I could care less about having..... simple valet key gets the jobby done for me!!

Also keep in mind that not every Boxster came with a remote-style key. If we're really talking base of base models, or it just being an option someone simply didn' want, that would have a regular key that looks just like the valet one, smaller in appearance since it doesn't have to house buttons and hardware, leaving you to manually lock your car via the door keyway, and only the handles by the driver's seat as your only method to open your trunks. So if one only has regular keys, I imagine there'd be a way of knowing which is the master and which is the valet key.