ok.. so windows don't work, top won't move, trunks & *@#! gas door won't open
 

Title says it all.

I don't know what's going on with this stupid car but seriously.. I'm getting pretty tired of it deciding whether or not it will roll down the windows on any given day. Whether or not the top will function on any given day. Today, 1000 miles from home it decided it wouldn't even allow the gas door to open. Ridiculous. Effing ridiculous.

Got the gas door open (thank owners manual). Got my luggage out of the trunk (thanks manual override mod). Everything else is still DOA .

Best guess, the central alarm system is broken. Do you have any diagnostic codes?

Yeah, that's my guess too.. Stupid thing. I did get a CEL the other day too. Is there a way to read the codes without hooking up to an obd2 reader?

Autozone does it. Oreilley's should too.

If you pass through SLC I have a reader and Dash Command.

Hey Tim, I'll be heading thru SLC tomorrow afternoon on my way back up to Idaho falls. U gonna be around?

Yes. I'll IM my cell number. I can meet you at my shop.

Stupid question, but did you try the lock/unlock procedure with the key using the physical lock? Mine did this once and it was as simple as locking the car at the door, wait 30 seconds, then unlock.

It's a long shot, but you never know.

I wasnt familiar with the lock/unlock procedure.... Let me do a search for it and then walk out and try it.

OK, so quick update... Met Tim (who's a very cool dude!) in SLC and we ran my CEL codes. Nothing remarkable or relevant. Just a couple of emission related checks that appeared a couple of weeks previous when I pulled it out of winter storage. Stale gas or some other such thing. Anyway, we cleared the codes, then spent a half hour chatting Porsche talk.

I left his shop and drove home 3 hours north. In the rain. With the top down (because it still wouldn't function).

Recent Progress:
I decided to go after the one problem that seemed to occur right before the anti theft lock down - the passenger side power window shi tting the bed.

When I took the door panel off today, the cable had come off the rear upper pulley and the cable inside the spool behind the motor was all kinds of tangled and deranged.

Got it pretty well straightened out and respooled but finally said to hell with it and ordered a new regulator. I figured with as kinked up as the wire cable is in so many different spots, Id probably just run into further problems down the road anyway. Solution: replaced the whole regulator component. It should be here Thursday or Friday.

Edit: in case anyone was curious, the entire regulator cost me $130 and thats new rails, cables, etc.

So, step one complete: identify and correct the bs with the right side power window mechanism.

Step #2: reset the anti theft system.

Can you guys think of whats going on with this thing? I don't have any codes or anything. The car fires right up and drives fine. Its just that the windows, trunks, roof, and gas door are locked down tight.

I don't know anything about the electrical system or relay locations etc. I tried the lock/unlock thing (I think..) and I've left the battery unplugged for a couple hours but no luck so far.

Hey, it was a pleasure to meet you and your friend! Sorry you got rained on!! Have fun with those bearings.

What about the key switch contacts? Sounds like you lost a lot of electric power in one event. Does the key switch close a contactor that may have a bad pole or contacts? Actually, my trunk will open without the key. Have you checked for power at the fuses for each of these? Isn't there a primary fuse that protects several smaller fuses in the block?

my 99 did this once with the whole anti theft lock down (mine also didnt start tho)
long story short the CAS(m535) under the drivers seat had gotten a tiny amount of water from a clogged drain. If you just got it out of winter storage, id assume you washed your baby so that water could have been enough to short the system. Id recommend that you pull the seat up, pull out the m535 box take it out make sure all connections look good let it dry out or hit it with hard core Alcohol to aid in drying it, reconnect it, use silicon to seal up the box. and HOPEFULLY it works. I also advise using di-electric grease on all the connections to help keep them in tip tip shape, but i am a wee bit ocd lol

I'm pretty sure its a relay or a fuse. I was on the last leg of a 1800 mile road trip. No issues prior to this happening. The passenger side window has gone up/down a lot slower then the driver side since the day I bought it. Anyway, we got in the car and suddenly the window would only move about 3" in either direction before stopping. Did that a few times and suddenly nothing else would move. Any ideas guys?

I don't want to get to focused on any one idea and end up chasing my tail but its very likely a anti theft relay. Just based on the fact that it locked the trunks and gas door...

However, with that said, what fuses/relays are likely candidates to check? Where can I start with troubleshooting this thing?

I have issues with the locking system on my 98. I have to press the unlock button on the dash in order to unlock the levers for the trunks and the gas cap. If I don't hit the button before opening the door I have to lock the door and then unlock with the key. I would imagine I will have to replace the control module under the seat at some time, at the very least the passenger locking module, which has been buggy.

Sam C: great idea to check fuses. the fuse for the locks/trunks et all is.... drumroll.......in the m535 under the seat!
that is why I and others suggested you look into it.... it is 4 bolts to remove the seat! very time effective to check it out if you ask me so you wont be "chasing your tail," and you can kill 2 birds with one wrench!


I had to remove mine on the side of a street in Eugene OR, it is a pretty easy task.
and again let me suggest after drying it out and checking fuse/block for corrosion that you use silicon and di-electric grease upon re-assembly
Best of luck and keep us updated!

relay chart if it helps:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1365553095.jpg

That's why I asked, brother... because I didn't know where the relays were. If they're under the seat, then so be it. I was just saying the immobilizer or the m535 or whatever we're calling this particular magical box designed by Porsche for the sole purpose of frunking over their customers by shutting down their cars at the most inconvenient time was probably not the problem since the car starts and drives just fine and has never gotten any moisture inside.

Of course, this one magic box is just one of many installed by the demigod like engineers (read: "retards") at Porsche to make these cars as finicky and ridiculous and failure prone as possible. Just my opinion.

Thanks for the feedback though, I'll yank the seat tomorrow and check things out.

As for the potential difficulty of removing the seat, I'm not too worried about it...
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/43775-winter-mini-overhaul-complete.html

Mini update:
The roof decided to start working again this evening for no particular reason whatsoever.

I'm pretty sure one of my next tasks during mini overhaul #2 (suspension, wheel bearings, electric PS pump, glass rear window) will be to remove all the ridiculous circuitry etc. that allows this car to decide whether or not various components will function at any given time. It will have a direct link between the button and the motor. If my finger is pushing the button, the car will no longer have the power to decide if its going to obey or not.

So my assumption with the roof is that it wasn't ever immobilized or part of what's going on with the windows/trunks etc. Nothing changed and then all of a sudden the roof starts working. Its been a little finicky before... I'm assuming the double relay or one of the limit switches is going out on that one. Now just need to figure out the windows and locks.