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

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.

Rob-00BoxsterS · 09-17-2008, 07:24 AM

QUOTE:

"... 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... 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...The car will not start unless the remote is programmed to the vehicle..."

I only have one key that came with the car. It works properly but I do not have the bar code that (I'm assuming) originally came with it. I have been wanting to buy another key (item 16 on my "Porsche to do" list) and get it programmed at the dealership but it looks like my original key may lose it's programming. If I don't have the bar code, does that mean my original key will now be un-programmable?

sd_boxster · 06-12-2009, 08:50 AM

My remote made it through the washing machine and still works fine - so I am not in a position to talk smack about the Porsche alarm remotes...

sandyman65535 · 06-26-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

"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."

The cayenne key has separate lock and unlock buttons. Not sure whether you could reprogram it to do exactly what you want.

Would it be possible to use a 987 key? They're a bit prettier (IMHO) and look more robust.