Won't Start - I think it's the immobilizer
 

I was on my way home from work, my wife called to say that my alarm (horn/lights) on the Boxster was going off. I don't know what triggered it. When I got home, the alarm was going off so I put the key in and tried to start it but it wouldn't turn over so I took the positive battery cable off to stop the alarm and then put it back on...but now the car won't start. I'm almost certain that it triggered the immobilizer but I don't know how to reset it to get the car to start again. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Also to note: the lock/unlock buttons on my key fob do not work so it can only be locked manually (not sure if that is a part of the reset process). Thanks again for any advice!

First check the immobilizer for anything strange. Disconnect the battery, move the driver's seat, and take out the immobilizer. Check the fuse on it for signs of damage or being blown out. If that's fine, open the case up and make sure the board doesn't have corrosion or liquid damage on it.

X2

If you do open it up and find moisture. Let it dry out for awhile and pray that it didn't fry anything. Most likely it did though:(. Then you need to see how moisture got down there.

I will do this as it has been raining while I was out of town and there does seem to be some "dampness" in the inside....hope it's not damaged.


Thanks!

I believe rain is a far more serious threat to these cars than the IMSB ever dreamed of being!

Replace your key fob with a generic from China:

Replacement 3 Button Case for Porsche 911 996 Boxster s 986 Remote Key Fob | eBay

There are youtube instructions on how to do this. All you really doing is moving the transponder chip from one to another. I replaced mine with the Carrera gt setup and it works fine.

Did you have to have the new key blade cut or did you use the original key blade?

Hi, I made an immobilizer repair procedure here: http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/66422-turn-key-no-response-2000-boxster-base.html

Sounds like your immobilizer is damaged. Here is a video of my 986 with a bad unit, and how I found to fix it.

Brian :)

https://youtu.be/BOB2cL2J6XU

What’s happening, here?
This is all very strange. :confused: