Electrical Problems?????

[Chuck937]

I'm having a problem,...1999 Boxster....upon start up my hazard lights start automatically flashing....the only way to stop them is to switch off the car and remove the key from the ignition....after 3 or 4 attempts it finally stops. Is it a short, or something concerning the security system? The security system seems to act funny at times....when I use the fob to lock my doors my lights signal that the doors are locked but my horn does not always sound.

[thom4782]

The hazzard light circuit is energized by the hazzard warning switch whether or not the key is in the ignition. For this reason, I would doubt the ignition switch is the cause. The lights are also energized by the central locking system. Because your horn beeps sometimes when you lock the car. If it's an occassional quick double beep, then there's a central locking system problem. Mostly, likely the random double beep would indicate a locking system synchronization issue.

Assuming I've made a good guess...

If you have a diagnostic tool like a Durametric, you can look to see if there are any fault codes stored in the system. You can also test the locking system components to see which one might be acting up. If you don't have a diagnostic tool, then a dealer or independent shop can do this

Taking an even bigger WAG, I'd bet one of your door latch sensors works intermittently. You might try the following sequence to see which one it might be.

1. With the key out of the ignition and both doors closed, lock and unlock the doors using the switch on the center console.

2. With the key out still of the ignition, test the hazzard lights using the hazzard warning switch and verify that they work as expected.

3. Open both doors, try to lock and unlock the doors using the console switch. Put the key in the ignition. If the hazzard light problem doesn't occur after several tries, then one of the door latches might be broken.

4. Take the key out of the ignition, close one of the doors, lock and unlock again using the center switch, put the key back in the ignition and see if you can re-create the problem.

5. If the problem happens, open and close the closed door and repeat the test. You might try this a couple of times to see if the sensors in the door are working intermitently. It the hazzard problem happens all the time or occassionaly with the door closed and it didn't with both door open, then the closed door's latch is probably defective and indicating to the locking system that it isn't synchronizing properly.

6. If the problem doesn't re-occur, open the door you've been working on and close the other door. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the newly closed door. If the problem occurs, then that's the likely problem area.

The general idea hare is to see if the problem is with one door's sensor or the other door's sensor. If the problem occurs with only one door closed, then I'd guess the problem is in that door, If the hazzard light problem occurs with both doors independently, then I'd guess the source of the problem is somewhere else in the central locking system.

Hope this helps you to narrow down the source of your problem. Perhaps, others have a simpler or better way to test.

[Mark_T]

Your horn isn't supposed to beep when you lock the car. If it does beep then it is telling you that something is not closed properly. Could be doors, trunk lids, top latch, or center console compartment. The function is described on this page from your owners manual:

[Chuck937]

Thx Thom4782...tried your suggestions....couldn't seem to get either door(s) to lock with just 1 door or both doors open. Here's what I did notice...with both doors closed and locking the doors with the center console switch, once I inserted the key into the ignition and turned to start position both doors unlocked.....and the hazard lights began flashing. I did check the hazard lights and they are working properly using the hazard switch.

[ppbon]

.... a bad ignition switch.
The fact that the doors unlock when you activate the ignition is programmed into the Central Locking Unit (CLU). That can be modified with a PST-II, PIWIS or Durametric.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Originally Posted by Chuck937

Thx Thom4782...tried your suggestions....couldn't seem to get either door(s) to lock with just 1 door or both doors open. Here's what I did notice...with both doors closed and locking the doors with the center console switch, once I inserted the key into the ignition and turned to start position both doors unlocked.....and the hazard lights began flashing. I did check the hazard lights and they are working properly using the hazard switch.

[thom4782]

When the horn beeps when locking the car using the remote key, does it beep once or twice?

[Chuck937]

Horn beeps once.....but this only happens occasionally

[thom4782]

Pedro's advice is better than mine.

If it were a central locking system problem, my understanding is you would hear two beeps. As Mark_T said, one beep means something is open. If no dash light, then most likely the center storage box.

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by thom4782

Pedro's advice is better than mine.

If it were a central locking system problem, my understanding is you would hear two beeps. As Mark_T said, one beep means something is open. If no dash light, then most likely the center storage box.

Call me what you will, but I leave the oddment tray unlatched on purpose so I can have an audible alert that the car has locked. I wish it did that without my "assistance."

[Mark_T]

If Porsche were owned by Microsoft they would tell you that, in order to get an audible confirmation of locking, you must leave the center console open. If they knew this prior to releasing the car it would be described as a "feature", but if they found out about it afterwards as a result of user feedback then it would be called a "work around".