Broken Lock

[Lux]

Hey Sub,

Welcome back.

I think JonnyBGood might be right. Check with your dealer to see if you can just replace one lock. If not and your solenoids are still working (and it sounds like they are), go to an audio shop and get an alarm with auto door locking feature. Should be less than $150 depending on how fancy of an alarm you want. That way, you won't have to bother with the keys again.

[Subanez]

YEa, Lux, that was one of the ideas I was thinking about. Its not a problem with the key, because the ignition and passenger side door still work fine, and I am at least relieved that I can lock it one way or another.

I think I'll just use the passenger side for a while, as dumb and "un-porschelike" as that may be, mainly because I just dropped close to $4Gs last month getting everything wrong with the car fixed...so we'll see what happens.

THanks for all the input, though, guys. That tinkling sound made me a little nervous, but at least the car is still driveable.

[donv]

Can you turn the key in the driver side lock? If so, does it just spin and not seem to "connect" with anything? If it spins, the lock "tumbler" mechanism is likely not the problem...

I don't know the details of the lock mechanism on the Boxster, but most other cars I've worked on had some sort of rod that would connect to the lock cylinder via a lever of some sort and then the other end would connect to the parts that would physically lock/open the door. If the Boxster is the same then you may just have had the rod come disconnected and the "tinkling" could have been the clip they usually use to retain it.

Unfortunately, I've not seen the deep interior of the door myself and any photos I've found on-line in a quick search did not show far enough inside. The closest I found was http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/window/ .

If you happen to go poking around in there, two ideas:

1) take and post pictures
2) be aware of this caution posted on the 986faq site, taken from the Porsche tech bulletins:

Potential for Injury [grp5 3/97 5717 9/9/97] 1pg

If repairs to the door locks, door handles, or door window mechanisms are required and the vehicle battery is connected, be sure to remove fuse #1 in row D. The reason for this precaution is because of the comfort feature of the "automatic window lowering" of the Boxster windows. This feature could be activated unintentionally while working on the door locks, door handles, or door window mechanisms, and injury to hand or fingers could occur if caught in the window opening.

[Subanez]

I wouldn't want to electrocute myself! Haha.

No, when I put the key in, there's the same pressure, and same amount of movement as usual. If I were deaf, I wouldn't notice a difference. There's just no "KACHUNK" of the lock engaging/disengaging. I only get movement when I put the key in the passenger side door.

::sigh:: I love this car, but for the amount of money I put into it for repairs...sometimes I wonder...

[JonnyBGood]

Hmmmm, so it turns. Perhaps the boxster door lock system is really not mechanical at all. I suppose if my battery was dead, I could try to unlock my door with the key and it woudln't work because its not really mechanical.

Okay, so here is what I'm thinking... as you turn the key, it makes an electrical connection. Now, I don't have any idea how the door knows its your key and not my key. I know the ignition key requires that the RFID tag be in your key. (thats the little glass looking pod inside of your key). I don't know if the door key works the same way.

That doesn't explain the tinkling sound you heard though.

Sorry that I can't be more help.