Immobilizer acting up

[bigmac_4000]

2002 porsche boxster
Quick recap, last spring Lost keys. Locksmith picked door cut new keys took my immobilizer out and sent to company with keys to be programmed. All worked fine for few months. Then one day car dash lights would come on but wouldn't start. I took out seat took out immobilizer everything looked ok so I put it all back and it started. Yay. So I figured buddy was lazy and maybe it wasn't clipped in right. Since then car randomly acts up. Dash lights no start. This also includes windows don't go down. It always fixed itself randomly so I could never track down the problem. I just need to start it once to get it to winter storage then tinker all winter. First question does anyone have ideas on what would allow dash to power up but stop power windows from working.
And if worst case the immobilizer is acting funky what would be most economically way to fix it.
Running out of time.
Even a way to trick it just to start it. Winter storage is 2 minutes up the road. Or a reset for immobilizer. Anything. Getting desperate

[particlewave]

Have you ever replaced the ignition switch? That would be a good start.

[bigmac_4000]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Have you ever replaced the ignition switch? That would be a good start.

Oh? Never pondered that. Would it still light up dash lights and oil check sensor and everything but prevent windows from working?

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by bigmac_4000

Oh? Never pondered that. Would it still light up dash lights and oil check sensor and everything but prevent windows from working?

An old ignition switch can cause all kinds of electrical gremlins, exactly as you’re describing.

Either way, it’s almost 20 years old and the replacement can be found for $20, so it’s a good place to start.

[bigmac_4000]

Originally Posted by particlewave

An old ignition switch can cause all kinds of electrical gremlins, exactly as you’re describing.

Either way, it’s almost 20 years old and the replacement can be found for $20, so it’s a good place to start.

Would I have to reprogram anything or just switch the rfid pill thing

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by bigmac_4000

Would I have to reprogram anything or just switch the rfid pill thing

No reprogramming needed, and no pill to swap. The part you'd be replacing doesn't have anything to do with that.

Here's a link to instructions:
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/86-ELEC-Ignition_Switch/86-ELEC-Ignition_Switch.htm

Also, search the forums for valuable time/frustration-saving tips.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by piper6909

Also, search the forums for valuable time/frustration-saving tips.

That. 100%. My recommendation, new guy, is religiously to start reading threads in this forum. General, Performance and Technical, DIY, all of them, and even if the subjects/topics are nothing that interest you or which currently you don't suffer. For sooner or later you're going to run into a challenge that will cause you to ask a question that 1,000,000 times already have been asked and answered. Likely any question you would need to ask has been answered since these cars came out 22 years ago.

[bigmac_4000]

Well I changed the ignition switch. Brand new. Still same problem. Dash powers up but no starter and no power windows no trunk or hood. Heat vents and radio and fan all works. I'm going to get a tow truck but I'm still stranded. Oh also I checked every fuse in the car. All good.

[particlewave]

Jump the start lock relay and see what that does.

http://986forum.com/forums/new-member-introductions/74545-ignition-switch-replaced-now-wont-start.html#post589606

[piper6909]

This may sound crazy, but a similar thing happened to me when I swapped the ignition switch.

I had no idea what the hell happened. Out of desperation, I remembered once someone once told me that you can do a computer reset by disconnecting the negative cable from the battery and touching it against the battery terminal 3 times. Then reconnecting it.

I've never seen or heard anything like this before or since, but when you're desperate you'll try anything. So I tried it. It worked!


If that fails, Try what Particlewave said regarding the start lock relay. At the time this happened to me, I didn't even know a "'start lock relay" even existed.

[bigmac_4000]

OK for anyone interested I have new information. So after the ignition switch was replaced I was out of ideas. So I decided to take a small micro heater and place on driver side floor on the foot matt (I live in Ontario Canada snow belt and we have a pile of snow and it's about - 8 most nights now)

Afternoon 3 hrs of heat on low I thought I'd try to start car. Car started first try. I left car running with heat on high high for able an hour then went out and shut car off. I'll try in morning to see if it starts.
I'm open to suggestions?

[bigmac_4000]

Thanks guys for the new ideas. I have new information though. So after changing the ignition switch and nothing new happening I decided to try an experiment. I live in Ontario Canada where right now it's - 8 and half a foot of snow. So I put a micro heater in car on driver side floor matt on low. Left it for 3 hrs. Went out and car started first try. I let it run for an hour with heat on high high.

So either something has moisture in it, or something reset when I changed the ignition switch and sat for 3 hrs. What do you guys are of this new development. I'm going to google how to jump that relay you mentioned but I'm curious why the 3 hrs with low heat fixed it. Was it just time to reset or something dried out. If it was something drying out. What?