996 keys

[bigdry]

Hello all,my 996.1c/locking radio part of the key stopped working. I opened it up to put new battery on and the chip fell out....A friend has given me a good condition key from s previous 996 he had. Does anyone know if it's possible to get key re coded for the alarm/ central locking to work? Obviously I can swop over blade and transponder for immobiliser to be able to start car. Has anyone used any independant key /locksmiths for sort of thing or do I need a new key and code from main dealer and their services to code the key? Thx

 

[Peter B]

There's a chip and a small glass bead in the key. If you buy an Ebay replacement key case it should be possible to transfer the whole lot over. The key blade might need filing to fit.
I've done it with both my keys as the originals seem to dissolve in time!

 

[bigdry]

Can the micro chips be swopped over then? Not soldered in?

 

[Peter B]

The glass bead simply clips in to the case and works by proximity...

 

[deMort]

You require a new fob which your old blade will fit into .

So the answer to your question is no .

The key you have been given .. i could code it onto your car so that the car would start but the central locking part is a separate function and once a fob has been coded to a car it can never be used on another vehicle.

The main cost of this is you have to buy a new one from OPC .. INDYS can replace the fob for you and it will be a bit cheaper due to lower labour costs but its still going to be expensive .

One last thing ..

If you or anyone has 2 new fobs then dont chuck one in a draw and forget about it as when you do need to use it a year or 2 down the line it wont work .

Rotate the keys and you'll be fine .

 

[Uber996au]

One last thing ..
If you or anyone has 2 new fobs then dont chuck one in a draw and forget about it as when you do need to use it a year or 2 down the line it wont work .
Rotate the keys and you'll be fine .

On this topic, I had to buy a pair of new keys for my new-to-me 996.2 in October 2020. Both old keys opened and started the car, but the remote did not work on either. The dealer diagnosed, found no problems other than a worn out key and one which was brand new (had been in a safe for 10 years) but too far gone to re-code back to the car. I ended up with two fully functional new keys.

I was aware of the problems, so I made sure to use the second key every so often, although I basically just went to the shed every month or two and unlocked and relocked the car with the 2nd key and figured that would be enough to reset the 'shot clock' on it.

Late in 2020 I went to do the same thing and the second key had been excommunicated. Again it would open and start the car but the remote was not functioning.

My understanding was that there were only so many 'rolls' of the code which the computer would accept before turning off a key which had not been used in a while. I thought that by using the 2nd key to unlock and relock the car it would reset any difference in codes that existed. It does not seem to have worked.

Is there any other info on how exactly the car triggers giving the 2nd key the cold shoulder? I am booked in to get the car checked out yet again by the dealer on Thursday, and see if they can re-enable the 2nd key. No way I'll bother to get another key if it doesn't work, since it seems all but impossible to keep two keys working on these cars.

If the difference in codes is cumulative (ie it never resets), then it's simply a matter of time before one ends up too far out to work? Has *anyone* been able to keep two keys working for a length of time eg 10 years or something? No other car I've had exhibits this issue, the second key always works even if you've not used it in a decade.

Cheers

 

[GMG]

...another example of very poor ' engineering ' from Porsche...frankly ridiculous when you think about it...family has a 16year old Honda jazz...daughter currently using it...lost her key...I searched the drawers found an old one, didn't touch the battery just pressed it and of course it worked perfectly :thumbs:

Love the brand but needs Honda engineering quality...couple the two for perfection

 

[deMort]

Uber996au

Unfortunately you need to unlock the car with the spare key then start the car with it .. the " coil " in the ignition lock is what writes the info to the key ..

Pressing the fob button is a one way signal so the code won't roll on in the fob .. it's not taught .

There are some instructions in A1 that might help ..

I would personally try it ignition key in the lock for a couple of seconds then out of the lock .. might have to do this with both keys :dont know:

That's the only info i can find on these .. as its a security system then Porsche dont give much info .

Bear in mind it's a poor translation and i think it means .. the main key has been used 256 to 1024 times




I feel you need to look back to the age of these cars .. 1997 .. its a rolling code which is written to the key fob .. probably a complicated system for the time and not the same as a honda which may well have a single code .. or just a set frequency ..

Thatcham and cat rating i suspect .. our market is different from most of the world when it comes to alarm systems with each country telling manufacturers what they expect ... ours is more complicated .

997 and it's a different and easier system .. to code a fob you only need a working Pil .. the key starts the car basically then its a press and hold of the fob button to code these onto the car .

996 and its a 24 digit code for the fob on a tester .. far too complicated which is why it was changed with the 997 .

996 and once the fob has been coded .. even if incorrectly ( you entered the wrong 24 digit code ) its then useless for any other 996 .. code is written to the fob basically .

 

[Uber996au]

Uber996au
Unfortunately you need to unlock the car with the spare key then start the car with it .. the " coil " in the ignition lock is what writes the info to the key ..
Pressing the fob button is a one way signal so the code won't roll on in the fob .. it's not taught .
There are some instructions in A1 that might help ..

@deMort you are an absolute tippety-top dead-set legend! It was only through you that I was aware of the 'resynchronising' procedure previously, though unfortunately I had not understood it properly.

The dealer was unable to recode the fob back to the car, so it is toast after just 13 months and maybe a dozen button presses total. It was disappointing that the dealer would not provide a goodwill extension to the 12 month warranty on both new keys/fobs purchased October 2020. I discovered the failed second fob mid December and visited the dealership the week before Christmas, so maybe 7-8 weeks out of warranty.

Anyhow, a good cautionary tale - you need to DRIVE THE CAR with the second fob in order to reset the $$$ clock.

My main annoyance is that Porsche and the dealership does not provide the information on this peculiar 'feature' of the 996/986. With such an unusual mode of operation/failure, there should be specific instructions given on how to avoid this issue if they issue a second key. Car company with head in the sand, pretending they are oblivious and not legally liable to provide goods with a 'reasonable lifetime'.

 

[deMort]

Uber996au ..

Bless you , whilst i've been called many things in my life .. not all good ( que wife here ) lol .. that's a new one on me

I was hoping the ignition on then off then key out and fob button pressed might have fixed it .. obviously not .

Run with one key and use the spare as a car start only for now ..

As and when your main key dies then just get a single fob .

The down side to locking with just a key ..

The car has lock function and secured ..

Lock and if you pull the door handle inside the car the door will open ..

locking with a fob and its secure locked .. door handles WONT open the door .

OPC i'm afraid follow rules .. porsche won't pay for a part outside of 12 months so the opc can do nothing .. not their fault really ... they have to pay otherwise .

Last thing .. i still work on these cars .. OPC techs and rarely so even if they have some old timers like me they work on so few they will have forgotten .

everything i know about these systems i've worked out .. 10 years at an opc and on training courses the software side was never explained to us .. that's on every car system ..

Porsche dont like giving away very much info .. we only ever get an overview of the system .

 

[Uber996au]

Uber996au ..

Bless you , whilst i've been called many things in my life .. not all good ( que wife here ) lol .. that's a new one on me
....
OPC i'm afraid follow rules ..
...
Last thing .. i still work on these cars ..
...
Porsche dont like giving away very much info .. we only ever get an overview of the system .

Cheers deMort! Yeah, I cranked up the Aussie jingoism to 11 for dramatic effect!

Understood re all your other points. I'm only mildly miffed with the dealer, they actually did me quite well on the purchase of the keys in the first place, as there was a mistake on their part in ordering blades rather than fobs, long story short after several long delays I ended up with two fully new keys for basically the price of one. So I guess the second key failure was just a reversion to the mean!

What I do find odd though, is that the second key definitely worked in late August, when we went back into a long lockdown here and I was only driving the car once a week to get groceries at most, then after that very busy and usually just driving the $h1tter e36 till mid December when I knocked off for holidays and noticed the second key problem. Per your info above, the key should stop working after 256 codes but still be able to be re-paired with the procedure for a further 512 codes. Now it took from October 2020 till some time after August 2021 to reach the 256 codes, so there's no way I would have done 512 codes in the time until December.

Anyhow, doesn't change the facts. I'll just stick to maintaining one fully-functioning key, any more seems an exercise in futility. Thanks again for your sage advice.

BTW... a question... what is the source of the two images you posted above? Are those from the factory workshop manual or something?

 

[deMort]

I like it

As mentioned Porsche don't teach their mechanics how things such as software work so i've had to figure out what i can on my own over the years .

Spare keys not being used is a common one , i've coded on 1 that came back about 13 months later as not working and never been used ...

I've seen this many many times as well over the years .

Your fault could well be something different if the key in the ignition and fob press didnt work :dont know:


The info pages above .. this forum actually has a workshop manual for these cars but it's a little hidden away ..

The interesting stuff like this is in the General section .. something im guessing even people that have this manual have never studied .


http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=83491

 

[Uber996au]

I like it

The info pages above .. this forum actually has a workshop manual for these cars but it's a little hidden away ..

The interesting stuff like this is in the General section .. something im guessing even people that have this manual have never studied .

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=83491

Pearls of wisdom again, you're a bloody legend.