Key Fob/Alarm

[Starter986]

My 98 has a habit of the alarm going off after dark... maybe 2-3 times a week. The alarm horn will honk forever, or until the battery dies (not yet), or my wife or I walk out to the carport to disarm the alarm. That's a hassle because the key fob literally has to be within ~5 feet of the car... to arm or disarm it.

It's a hassle when it's 230 in the morning.

The pics illustrate what I'm working with. This morning I opened the key itself and the transponder(?) pill is resident. Also appears to be a very small battery which, I suspect, powers the little LED at the top. Then the button in the middle. Press it? Zero.

I opened the multi-button remote... and it's just the battery inside.

Question 1. If I purchased another, identical... as close to it as possible... would I need a dealer visit to match the new remote? I'd like the end result to be a remote that can shoot a signal from at least 15 feet away... killing the alarm without having to leave the house. Also... arm/disarm from 15-20 feet away.

Question 2. Could I purchase an updated-looking key fob... an all-in-one key and remote... move over the transponder-pill...? Or would that, too, necessitate a visit to the dealer for a reprogram to the alarm/immobilizer?

What would be the recommendation? What fob... key would be the best route.

Thank you.

[particlewave]

Your key is just a key...no remote functions.

The fob with buttons on your key ring is an aftermarket keyless entry. Replace its battery if range is getting low.
You can purchase a new Porsche key with keyless entry and have it programmed to the car. It will cost around $400 for the key and programming.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Your key is just a key...no remote functions.

The fob with buttons on your key ring is an aftermarket keyless entry. Replace its battery if range is getting low.
You can purchase a new Porsche key with keyless entry and have it programmed to the car. It will cost around $400 for the key and programming.

Thank you.

I'll pick up the 2 batteries for the fob... and 1 for the key (led).

Yes... the new Porsche fob. ~$400 when last I checked. However...

Can't I just purchase another fob identical to the one I have... and have it paired to my system? Is that the same process as the Porsche fob? Is that a dealer visit?

Further... I revisited the internals of the key. I found no identifying information (like the barcode so another key/fob could be registered). Watcha think?

Thank you, again.

[boxfix]

\I just went through this with my 2003.

There is a little piece of something that sort of looks like glass almost like a piece of pencil lead that is the immobilizer part. There is a coil built into the key surround gasket that reads this little thing. It is commonly called a "pill". With this in the key head and a properly cut key blade you can start the car.

The rest of the remote locking etc. is in the key head. The trick here is that you need the code and/or barcode for the key electronics to "marry" it to the car.

I bought a new head from our site sponsor, Pelican parts for $250 or so.....it was a Porsche OE part with the right codes.

Next you have to go to a dealer with the registration, ID and maybe title and have them print out a list of codes for your car. Or for $100 or so they can program it for you. I got the codes and went to my indy, TRE in Van Nuys. Jeremy tried, but he said Auto Gallery in Woodland Hills gave me the wrong list of codes. I went back to Auto Gallery and they said they would program the key for $105. They did it while I waited and it worked.

Particlewave had rebuilt my original key head by soldering in new switches, but it lost its programming. The dealer could not marry the key because they did not have those numbers.

Now you probably know more than you wanted to about the key.