Found the darn window issue - pictures of wet immobilizer board attached.
 

I think the pics speak for themselves. What options do I have now, if any? Can this board be saved? Do I even try the "bathe it in alcohol" trick now or is that a waste of time. Has anyone ever saved one of these, and if so how'd you do it? I hate to spend the $875 on the Florida repair if there's a cheaper alternative. Darn, that's expensive! Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. And I have to say - Particlewave, you are clairvoyant. You hit it right on the head. http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518497058.jpg

More photos of bad immobilizer board
 

The underside.....http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518497129.jpg

One last photo of the connector
 

Here's the connector. The other half of the board is clean. Only this part got wet. No that this helps any......http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518497212.jpg

That thing is shot. I've tried repairing them when they're not nearly that bad and had little luck.
I'll send you some details via private message later, but the cheapest will be the cost of a good used immobilizer and an EEPROM read/write tool.

Ok, if it were me, I'd get out a toothbrush and some 90% isopropol rubbing alcohol and scrub the board to see exactly how bad it is... (if you clean the board up and it looks good, make damn sure it's 100% dry before plugging it back in!)

But, damn, that doesn't look good... (so much water damage (white spots) and burned spots)...

This is exactly why I'll be ordering a waterproof case from Specialized ECU Repair... (just verified that my car doesn't already have one installed)...

You're a genius, sir! :cheers:
You had the problem called right on the spot without even seeing the car. I've spent the last 45 min or so VERY gently dabbing, not wiping, the dirt and corrosion away from this board using alcohol, Q-tips and even my wife's makeup brush. Wow, is she gonna be pissed off! The board actually looks pretty good.

While I don't know much about electronics, I do know that what the board looks like has little to do with how it works. I have little hope that this thing will actually work. The question is, what is the risk, if any, of making 100% sure it's dry, then plugging it back in, hooking up the leads to the box and the power seat so I don't get a airbag light, hook the battery back up and turn on the key to see what if anything I have? Can I cause further damage, assuming the board is completely dry?

As far as getting a used one, that may be tough to find. Other than Woody, I wouldn't know where to score one. I checked with Woody already as a pre-emptive strike and he has none available.

As far as a EEPROM read/write tool, what it is, what it does and how you use it......darned if I know!:confused: Guess I better get studying! http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518500582.jpg

Bottom side shot after cleaning....
 

Bottom - http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518500645.jpg

I just made a quick pass at trying exactly what you said. It looks better, that's for sure. However, no idea how it works. I agree completely that it must be 100% dry before I try it, if in fact I try it again. I don't know if I can cause any further damage that way. Hopefully someone much more experienced in this than I am will chime in and let me know it I should try it again.

I’m with Particleweave. That thing, even cleaned up, is most likely done. IMO with that much visible corrosion, (that was wet for awhile) no telling how bad it is at a micro level. Given that is completely necessary for the entire car to function, it’s time for a replacement. Give these guys a call/email.

Porsche 996 & Boxster ECU Test and Repair, Immobilizer Removal, and Performance Tuning Upgrades - Specialized ECU Repair

Check with Qmalas (Steve) on here. He might be able to help you

Imobilizer
 

You say we can program the EEPROM?

yuck,

sorry to see that. check your drain plugs and your convertible top foam trays.

can we link the original discussion here and vis-versa so folks at home can find it with search.

Mike

Mike,

I'm not sure how to link threads, but if anyone else knows how, that's fine with me. As for the drains, I have read about drains clogging but my educational curve has not yet reached the point where I actually know where they are.

Other than this immobilizer box issue there's nothing major wrong with the car. However, there are lots of very small things that I am trying to organize and sort through. Checking the drains is on the list. I'm trying to search and not ask lots of questions so as not to be yelled at to "DO A SEARCH !!!!!" :)

If you have time and can give me a very brief "drain locating and cleaning 101" type course I'd certainly appreciate it.

Thanks

Check this out.
https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/drainsdiagram

That's great, thanks so much!

Don’t worry so much about that here. It’s a great forum. You seem to be trying your best to research and most here are happy to help. And those that aren’t usually just keep quiet

As Particlewave and others predicted, the immobilizer is toast
 

So I put it in the immobilizer board back in its plastic case and reinstalled it, plugged in the seat, etc., and it's as dead as it was before. Unless someone has a better idea that a neophyte Porsche owner like me can handle, I guess I have to bite the bullet on the $875 Florida immobilizer repair. Thank goodness the car was very inexpensive.

Well I wouldn't fool around with that for that money just go at the Porsche Dealer buy a new one get it programmed and they give you a two year warranty on the parts. OK you will pay extra for programming but it for peace of mind.

Another option is just get rid of the thing. The guys in Florida do a immobilizer delete setup as well. If you don’t need the alarm, IR etc, then it is worth a look IMO. Not sure the $$$ but it eliminates the problem forever.

I like having the remote locks with the keys. I think I'll just pick up one of their waterproof boxes and hopefully that'll be it for the rest of the time I own the car.

Has anyone ever talked to their insurance agent to see if this can be covered under comprehensive coverage? I was surprised when State Farm covered rodent damage in my sister in law's Honda.

I just ordered mine today.

What about getting a good used unit from someone like Woody (ItsNotANova) and sending it down to the guys in FL with your old one to have them program it using the info off your old one? I don't know if this can be done, just throwing ideas out there...

Thanks for all the input to all. What I am ending up doing, thanks to good input from Woody, is sending my unit to Steve (Qmalas) in Colorado. he's going to repair mine at what will in all likelihood be a significantly lower cost. I am sure going to put it in the waterproof box, that's sort of a easy decision to make. I don't want to go through this again.

At least one of us has been successful in having their car insurance cover this....

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/71315-need-help-water-drivers-floor.html

Ive read a lot of these threads on wet Immobilizers and was wondering would it be a good idea to raise it up off the floor with spacers and longer bolts? I have not removed the seat to look yet

Unless the repairer is going to entirely swap out the circuit board, I wouldn't want it repaired. What is the repair shop warranty - 90 days? That circuit board is a problem waiting to recur.

Porsche gives two years warranty on their parts and labor.

Building post count for some reason, or just like a lot of what you are reading?
Harap gunakan aplikasi dan pos penerjemah dalam bahasa Inggris.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1521044631.jpg

I have not heard a single report of an immobilizer repaired by Qmulus or ECUDoctors failing. Not one.

Same here. I would trust either of them to repair my board.

Hopefully I'll never have to worry about it - my board still looked factory new when I installed it in an ECUDoctors waterproof case last month.

I had mine repaired and it didn't work out in the end, I was having problems with it and I finally put a new one in and had it programmed by Porsche and even that one didn't last more than two months but they put a new one in and didn't have to pay the second time. So I think like you replace it.

Mengapa Anda tidak berkomunikasi dalam bahasa Inggris?

terutama karena ini adalah papan berbahasa inggris

Translated (thank you for your post)


Your Welcome

If your insurance company covers this under comprehensive and if you have 0 deductible on comp, why would you go anywhere but the dealer?

I saw my name, or business name (Qmulus Technology) mentioned, although spelled incorrectly, so I thought I should respond.

First off, there is no reason that a properly repaired alarm/immo module should not last as long as an undamaged one, *as long as it does not get wet again*, then it is just as likely to be damaged as any other. Repair is a good option as it usually runs ~$225+shipping, and requires no programming or replacement of remotes. If the damage is too significant to make a reliable repair, the programming can be transferred in most cases to a good used or new module if a used one is not available. In some rare cases, the programming can get corrupted or lost, so it would have to be programmed from scratch. That is unfortunate as you lose remote programming, which cannot be recovered without the code that came with the remote. That is when things get expensive.

The key is if the alarm/immo gets wet, don't wait until things stop working to do something about it. If there is water under the seat, disconnect the battery, take out the seat and take out the alarm/immo and dry it out thoroughly. Removing power from the wet module is the most important step and should be done ASAP. You can soak it in water for days without damage if there is no power to it. If there is corrosion on the board, just drying it out or spraying it with electronics cleaner, etc. will not help. The worst corrosion occurs under the relays, and the ONLY way to take care of that is to remove the relays, clean the corrosion and properly repair damaged traces.

My advice is if insurance will cover it, go to the Porsche dealer and have it replaced. Book time is 10 hours, as it includes stripping the interior, shampooing the carpet, drying it out, replacing and programming the module (perhaps replacing the remotes) and reassembly. That can run $2500+ depending on labor rate and if you need new remotes because their diagnostics cannot communicate with the damaged module to transfer the remote data. (I can usually fix damaged ones to communicate to get the remote data if necessary, but dealers don't do that.)

If you have to pay, dry the car yourself, clean the drains(!), and get the module repaired or replaced with a good used one for $225-$400. Worst case a new module runs about $500-$800 (depends on part number) + programming.

Oh, and I have said this before, but I think it is good to reiterate. I do not recommend replacing the DME, alarm/immo, and key from another car as a set. Yes, it works, BUT the big problem is that those have all been tied to the VIN of the donor car. You will not be able to add keys, or replace those components individually if you have an issue down the road because the programming information that Porsche keeps in its system for your car will no longer be valid. The car will also report the donor cars VIN in diagnostics, which could pose issues on emissions tests, etc.

Drains diagram are here.