Help!! 1998 Porsche in full lock down

[ellsie28]

Hi all,

 

i am am looking for some help prior to having to take some drastic action! I have returned from a two week holiday, I went to get the Porsche out to give it a wash prior to returning to work and the doors wouldn't open!!! Here is a list of things I have tried based on similar scenarios I have seen on the net:

 

• changed the the batteries in both keys ( neither key works)
• tried opening the car with the key - would not open
• tried to activate the door release button on the key whilst it was in the lock - both in full clockwise and anti clockwise positions 
• put jump pack power straight into mains connection in the engine compartment
• Disconnected and reconnected the negative lead from battery to "reset" the body control module 
• removed recharged and replaced the battery to ensure the battery had a full 12 volts
• had a Porsche specialist attend the car who tried the above but could not gain entry into the car
• Joined the nrma and had them attend to "break into" the car. They managed to hook the interior drivers side door handle but the door would not open

The next step is to break a window but before I do that has anyone got any other suggestions that might help???

 

I am getting desperate!

 

thanks

 

Nigel

[Raven]

Don,t break a window for god,s sake ...........Try asking this question on the rennlist and other forums ,,,if you have no success online contact the guy,s at AutoHaus Hamiltons they are Porsche specialists in Sydney,s Northern Suburbs and most likely have encountered this issue before ,,,just don,t break anything could end up costing you more time and money ..

 

 http://autohaushamilton.com.au/

 

Quick look on the rennlist and could be a broken lock mech ............just putting out there don,t want to see you damage anything .......also what model Porsche 

 

http://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/625706-cannot-open-door-with-key.html

[ellsie28]

Hi Raven

 

my car is a 996 911. 

[turboT]

are you sure you are in the right house?

[Joshstix]

If you don't unlock the car for a week it turns off the receiver for the remote entry to prevent battery drain.  Pressing the button on the remote and changing the battery etc won't work.

 

When you try to unlock the door with the key does it feel normal?  As in it only turns 90 degrees each way from its normal position with a bit of spring loading and automatically goes back to its normal position?

 

Most likely there is a problem with either the paddle that transfers the rotation of the key barrel to the actuator or the drive collar that transfers drive from the key barrel to the paddle.  If its the drive collar its a cheap fix once you can get the door open because you can buy a key barrel repair kit for a Mk4 Golf for under 20 bucks and use one of the parts out of it to repair the 996 lock.

 

I don't suppose there is a key hole on the passenger side door handle

 

[TrevMcRev]

http://rennlist.com/forums/boxster-and-boxster-s-986-forum/717584-unable-to-open-driver-door-from-outside.html

 

http://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/723246-key-blade-won-t-unlock-door-2.html

 

[Metal]

I had this problem. Car goes into "hibernation mode" after a certain period. Simply unlock the drivers door with the key (remote won't work) then immediately start the car to reset everything before alarm etc starts. Bobs your uncle. You are welcome.

edit: I just read you tried using the key to no avail.

Look up hibernation mode 996 on the net. The car shuts down to save power drain on the battery after 10 days of non use I believe it is..

From memory I just manually unlocked the car; key straight in the ignition and started her up. Everything reset itself and all remotes began working again. I doubt your door lock mechanism just stopped working but I guess you never know!

[ellsie28]

I had this problem. Car goes into "hibernation mode" after a certain period. Simply unlock the drivers door with the key (remote won't work) then immediately start the car to reset everything before alarm etc starts. Bobs your uncle. You are welcome.

edit: I just read you tried using the key to no avail.

Look up hibernation mode 996 on the net. The car shuts down to save power drain on the battery after 10 days of non use I believe it is..

From memory I just manually unlocked the car; key straight in the ignition and started her up. Everything reset itself and all remotes began working again. I doubt your door lock mechanism just stopped working but I guess you never know!

Unfortunately the key wont manually open the door and there is no lock on the passenger door. I was trying to understand how I can recreate ignition to get the car going without having access to the cabin??

[FAP911]

Flatbed it to a repair shop

Soapy water and /or diesel will help it easily slide up ( assuming handbrake is off ) 

Otherwise they may have to send a tech out on site who ever's closest

[Simonk]

How did you get access to the front trunk to get to the battery? I take it that this didn't set the alarm off like it should have? Also, once you reset the BCM, did the car respond in any way to the remote? I'll be honest and say I have no idea but I would expect the remote to at least arm/disarm the alarm once the BCM was reset. If not, then I don't think the problem is in the doors.

[ellsie28]

How did you get access to the front trunk to get to the battery? I take it that this didn't set the alarm off like it should have? Also, once you reset the BCM, did the car respond in any way to the remote? I'll be honest and say I have no idea but I would expect the remote to at least arm/disarm the alarm once the BCM was reset. If not, then I don't think the problem is in the doors.

I used the emergency mechanical pull cords to get into both the luggage and engine compartments. The alarm went off as it should when the latches were pulled on both front and back entry points after a period of about 15 minutes of ear splitting operation the alarm turned itself off.

I think the problem is in the alarm system somewhere.....

 

[sandy468]

Unfortunately time for this ..... or this .. I'd choose the latter and head it off to a Pcar specialist

 

[Metal]

The key in the door probably wasn't working due to setting off the alarm and the immobiliser becoming engaged after you got to the battery. Wait for it to reset itself. Try the key again to manually unlock the drivers door. If you can unlock the door immediately start the engine and everything will reset. It's happened to me. No tow truck and no breaking windows.

[Metal]

I highly doubt there is an issue with your alarm.

[Philbee]

Mate, don't break stuff, tow it to Porsche, not an Indy. Tell them to friggen fix their car! Geezus what a palava! If the manufacturer can't work it out then the world has gone to shit! The bots will be taking over next year... No, I'm not paranoid, I just work in IT. Or it's that damn c clip as per Trev's rennlist link. Good luck.

[asa572]

Manual release cables front and rear.

We have used this many times when we have bought wrecks with dead batteries.

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_5/Worst_Case_Scenario.html

[sandy468]

Manual release cables front and rear.

We have used this many times when we have bought wrecks with dead batteries.

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_5/Worst_Case_Scenario.html

ahh the beauty of the mk1 - manual things, not electronic!!!!! - (assuming mk2 and 997 etc are electric)

[dan_189]

ahh the beauty of the mk1 - manual things, not electronic!!!!! - (assuming mk2 and 997 etc are electric)

Mk2 and 997 do indeed have electronic releases however MK2s also have the emergency release cables for both the front and rear compartments.

To the OP I was thinking it was your drivers door mechanism but then I was thinking about the passenger door (you've tried opening that right??) did the NRMA try getting the passenger side open?

[asa572]

996.2 have them and 987.2 Cayman/boxsters have them so I would say the 997's have them.

Sometimes the can be a pain to find.

996 are on the drivers side were on the passenger side.

[dan_189]

 

Here is the breakdown of the drivers door handle, could be a solenoid but if the passenger door doesn't work either it could be a control module or fuse. Was it parked indoors or outdoors? Coupe or cab?

Unfortunately the key wont manually open the door and there is no lock on the passenger door. I was trying to understand how I can recreate ignition to get the car going without having access to the cabin??

I dont know if thats going to help because even if it starts the doors may still not unlock then you're in trouble

[ellsie28]

Mk2 and 997 do indeed have electronic releases however MK2s also have the emergency release cables for both the front and rear compartments.

To the OP I was thinking it was your drivers door mechanism but then I was thinking about the passenger door (you've tried opening that right??) did the NRMA try getting the passenger side open?

the nrma hook was not long enough and the hook i fashioned to do the job didn't have the mechanical strength to pull the latch, so no. 

 

[dan_189]

So logically, I think you've had both a mechanical and electrical failure.

Drivers door won't open because the physical mechanism has failed and the passenger door wont open because the control module has failed. That's the only logical answer I can come up with.

Although i'm not sure if you can open the doors from the inside if the car is locked.

[Philbee]

@ellsie28...   we want to see you sleigh this beast !!  update?

(No hammers or side windows were harmed in the making of this thread!)

[Joshstix]

My guess is the key barrel has been dead for a while.  I mean who here has actually used the key in the lock to unlock there car recently?  You just use the remote entry every time so its plenty easy for the key barrel to be stuffed and you have no idea.

I am fairly confident that once you get the door open and start the car the remote will start working fine and then just make sure you unlock and relock it at least once a week until you get the key barrel fixed.

[dan_189]

My guess is the key barrel has been dead for a while.  I mean who here has actually used the key in the lock to unlock there car recently?  You just use the remote entry every time so its plenty easy for the key barrel to be stuffed and you have no idea.

I am fairly confident that once you get the door open and start the car the remote will start working fine and then just make sure you unlock and relock it at least once a week until you get the key barrel fixed.

I use my drivers door look everytime I drive my car. As it's in storage the car goes into a semi sleep mode and the car stops responding, this is by design.  I then need to open the drivers door with the key then relock with the remote and unlock with remote. If I don't do that and just open the door after I've unlocked it with the key the alarm goes off.