Q: Infrared sensors with the top down
 

I'm new here. Bought my 01 Boxster less than two weeks ago. The info I found on this forum (and others) was invaluable -- and the social aspect that I observed here and elsewhere was also instrumental in this purchase. The credit for all the useful information goes to not only those who answered the queries, but also to those who posed the questions. So, thanks all!

That said, I do have a question of my own :). Per the manual, the infrared cabin sensors (that check for activity inside the cabin) get activated when the car is locked with the top up. However, these sensors are deactivated when the car is locked with the top down.

Now, I've seen a red "clip" that apparently fits into the overhead top latch (the one we finally "press into" when putting the top back up). This clip is supposed to fool the car's security computer into thinking that the top is up, thus activating the infrared cabin sensors. This ensures that the car alarm will sound if someone tries to reach into the cabin area.

The rub is, when I called the porsche service dept. to ask about such a thing, they said they knew nothing of it. I have also tried searching on various forums, without any luck.

Do any of you know what I am talking about? If yes, any ideas where this clip could be obtained (and for how much)? Is this a DIY item (e.g., bend a piece of metal and connect here and here...)? Thanks!

Welcome to the forum and the wild world of Boxster ownership.

I think you can order the red clip from Sunset Porsche in Oregon. They sell Porsche parts cheaper than any stealership and have had most everything I have ever asked for.

Thanks for confirming that it exists :). Do you know if the red clip has a part # or any other "official" name it goes by? The parts dept at Stevens Creek porsche here in San Jose knew nothing about it. Thanks again!

I purchased mine at the local dealership. IIRC it was 7 bucks, same as Ebay without the extra shipping.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PORSCHE-Genuine-Boxster-986-Red-C-Clip-Activates-Alarm_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33720QQihZ016QQit emZ260153995569QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Awesome -- thanks guys! Worst case I can now take this to the parts dept. to show them what I'm talking about. Love this forum :)

Not sure of the part number but you might want to explain to the parts department its the same clip that comes with the Speedster Humps.

Thanks, that helps! Will post in the thread if I do get a part # from the dealer (for posterity's sake).

..........

I was just about to tell you to send a PM to "toolpants" and he could tell you what it is and where to buy it. He's near you geographically. You are lucky. You should meet up with him when you can and shake his hand for me. He's been a world of help to me over the last four years!

Jeff, one can always count on you and your incredible archive of boxster-related photos!

Already met him, at the Laguna Seca drive.

I had a bunch of the clips that I would give to new owners. Back in the old days I could get them for 50 cents. Porsche has since jacked up the price.

Vbhagwan should call Chris Boyd in parts at Stevens Creek Porsche. In the old days they use to keep them in stock, and sometimes give them away at tech sessions. But Stevens Creek was sold last year to Penske....

Red Clip
 

Just recieved the following quote for a "red clip":
--------
From: <JeffClark@****************************************************.com>
To: <ed-ait@pacbell.net>

2.74 for that and in stock, plus 7-10 dollars UPS shipping but I can
slide this through the mail system for about 2.50 I'd think. Let me
know. Jeff.

Have it on order, just waiting for the mailman to arrive.

Thanks Toolpants and others. Now I have one more reason for wishing I'd bought this car a few years ago ;). I'll make my way to Stevens Creek this afternoon to pick up the part.

I did meet toolpants (and duster and unklekraker) at the laguna seca drive -- great bunch of folks. In fact, I ended up riding shotgun in Jeff's car on the track. I got to learn the origins of the name toolpants, witnessed that his car was chock full of tools, laptops, parts, more parts (spark plugs in the map pockets, iirc) :)

He even did a diagnostic check on my car, and I was so darn pleased when he told me that the car had been babied :). I can't wait to spend more time with the wonderful community locally and start working on these cars!

I know I'm repeating myself, but thanks again all!

Went to Stevens Creek porsche, met with Chris, picked up the clip for <$8 ($7.xx). He just gave me a used one (it appeared that he had one lying around), but of course charged me full price :)

In any case, thanks all for your help with this! Now I can step away from my car when the top is down (but only for a min or two, don't want to tempt the neighborhood cat or the kids chewing gum :) )

Well, don't get too cheeky about the infrared's efficiency. It really only scans the area around the cubby holes and as far back as the shifter.

Anyone can reach down and get things out of your door pockets, so keep your windows rolled up to the top when using the red clip. This really cuts down on people being able to reach into the car to snag stuff.

BTW, I NEVER leave my radar detector on the windshield when I step away from the car. If the wife is with me and we're in a public place with a lot of cars and people, I will often ask her to put it in her purse in case someone watched me drive into the parking lot. Of course, pulling down as I enter a crowded place is the best course of action, but you probably know all of this.

The other thing you must watch out for is thugs stealing your center windstop and your roll bar inserts. They pop out very quickly, are not tied to the alarm system, aren't covered by the infrared sensor, and sell very quickly on fleaBay. Someone said they took a couple of long black zip ties and secured the roll bar inserts at the bottom where it was not noticeable and that seems to keep sticky fingers from popping them out or the insert from blowing out on the freeway when a gust of wind hits them just right or worst of all, when one's passenger decides to recline their seat so far back that the headrest pushes it out of its place.

You made a good point with the gum. People of all ages can be disrespectful when they are envious and I had someone spit out their gum into my driver's side and it landed on my brand new floor mat. :troll:

Thanks for the comments Randall. I did "try it out" in the dealership parking lot, and realized that the sensors had limited "vision". I could however make out that reaching in with the windows up is very tough even for a tall person (I'm 6'2"). Good tip on the zip-ties -- I should do that.

Very helpful info here. But will the alarm go off if someone just removes the red clip when the alarm is activated?

^ Probably because the sensors with notice the movement of your arms, while your trying to remove it, if not because it notices a change. :cheers:

No........

You really don't even need the clip.
You can set the infra red sensors by pressing the microswitch with your finger while activating the alarm, either by using the remote or with the key in the door lock.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro, I don't doubt for a minute that what you're proposing is true.

However, with the windows up to prevent reach-in thefts of the contents in the map pockets (which are not covered by the infrared motion sensor) one would have to have to possess freakishly long arms, no? :D

tool pants... do you still have any of those red clips?

i wish they were black :( but i still want to get one :)

If he doesn't have any (and I suspect he ran out a long time ago) you can get one cheap from Sunset in Oregon, and you can paint the clip black if you like.

I have a black boxster and wouldn't paint that clip black for any reason though. Two reasons cause me to make this statement:

1) It's bad enough as it is with a red clip when I sit in my car, very frustrated, assuming the worst, when I cannot raise the top. Eventually I look up and see the red clip and realize that's the cause! If it were black, I might sit there even longer and not see it at all, thinking my car is broken in some way again.

2) With the clip on and being red, anyone who knows boxsters (and thieves do know a lot about the cars they steal or steal stuff out of) can clearly see that if they reach in to grab something out of your cubby compartments, the motion sensor is going to go off.

Just my two cents' worth on this subject.

Forgive my ignorance, but why would you ever leave your car unattended with the top down ?? I hate leaving it alone with the top up, much less down.. lol

GM, you make an excellent point! Why would anyone in their right mind leave the top down on their coveted Porsche Boxster?

I rarely leave my car in a public parking lot top down or top up for that matter. The one time I left the top down and ran both ways into a store to grab something, I came back out and found a fresh wad of gum spat on my brand new driver's side floor mat... I'm sure the jealous idiot who did it was aiming for the seat and missed.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for not using your top mechanism frequently. The parts and repair costs are as costly on our mechanical tops can easily exceed the cost of replacing a motor on my buddy's Toyota Forerunner!

So, I leave mine up a lot or down a lot, and I carefully consider whether to take the car out if I can't leave it up or down.

Of course, this paranoia is all based on the fact that I have a 1997 boxster with 1-4k miles on it and I'm always waiting for something to break in the top mechanism... hence my longing to upgrade to a cayman s.

Is there a red clip available for the 987's?

or is it not required?

I pretty much leave the top down and hope for the best, unless there is a chance of rain. Its a convertible and I want to drive it and park it as it is meant to be. Of course if I drive it to work and am going to be parking it all day then I will close the top.