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I was finally able to autocross the 993 this past weekend. I met a few other 993 owners there, and they were super helpful in sharing knowledge on the car. I was having a blast learning how the car handled and found myself sideways on multiple occasions. Terrible for my times, but I couldn't definitely worth the smiles. Unfortunately, I couldn't start the car in the middle of the second session of the day and had to tow the car home. Here's what I have tried so far.
1. Tried both key fobs. The PO provided me with two key fobs. I've been using the fob that has more wear on it and only used the secondary fob when I first purchased the car. I was hoping the lightly used fob was going to be my saving grace.
2. Installed new batteries in both key fobs.
3. Tried the key in the door lock sequence. This resulted in engaging the alarm, and now the car won't stop honking. The key card that was given to me by the PO only had a three-digit code instead of a four-digit code. Does anyone else have a three-digit code?
4. Disconnected the car battery overnight and tried the fobs again with no luck. My battery is currently at 12.41v.
I'll try the door lock sequence again later today. I understand it's not easy to get the timing down, so I'll try to be more patient while I wear some headphones. I did a bunch of searching, and I believe it could be the immobilizer but hoping there might be some "updated" knowledge on this issue. If it is the immobilizer, what are the current thoughts on removing it from the car?
Hi Jay,
--First of all the alarm doesn't like car battery voltages below 12.5~12.6.
I would get a properly charged car battery and swap yours out and try the fobs again.
By disconnecting the battery you may clear some sort of electrical system corruption from low voltage.
--Do you see the little red light go on on your fobs when you press and hold the button, if not try cleaning the battery terminals and bend them to make solid contact? The battery you purchased new may be old shelf stock and dead also.
The system usually holds on to the fob transmitter mating without issue but if you want to take the fobs out of the equation here is the sequence of turning the ignition key to start the car without one: https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...ming-made.html
Also if the door led is flashing in couplets, not an even cadence you may have a problem with a switch or bulb the system uses.
Here is some information to sort that out: https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...mobilizer.html
Hey, I recognize those cars - That was a fun day, sorry to hear you had issues. That was the best 993 turnout in years, 6 993s.
I’d just echo Andy’s comments to check battery and fob contacts. Simple stuff first. I’ve had similar problems and these were the solutions.
good luck
(edit) a pencil eraser is the best tool to clean the fob contacts. Cut a slice to fit.
Jay-
If the car CRANKS (at all) it's not the IMMO,
If it cranks but doesn't fire, could be the DME relay as others have suggested.
The IMMO is a nuisance but actually very reliable.
RE the code: you need a 4 digit code to pair FOB's to the IMMO, but it's highly unlikely the IMMO suddenly lost the "pairing" to both FOBs.
Problems like you describe usually come down to the FOB battery and/or dirty contacts in the FOB. When you press the FOB button, the red led on the FOB should be BRIGHT and STEADY. If not (and the battery is good), clean the contacts real good and retry.
If you want to be less dependent on the FOBs in the future, you can try an IMMO BLOCK bypass, available here:
...and yet another possibility: The damned clutch safety switch! If everything else seems normal but, when you turn the key with the clutch pedal depressed, absolutely nothing happens, the microswitch in the pedal assembly may be out of adjustment or faulty. Here was my saga and solution: https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...ro-switch.html
Last edited by NC TRACKRAT; 06-29-2021 at 05:24 PM.
Definitely should rule that out as well.
I assumed when the alarm went off after OP used the key, he tried pushing the FOB to stop the alarm, but maybe not. If he did, and it wasn't successful, it puts the focus back on a FOB-IMMO problem.
Does it crank with no start or not crank at all? Is the immobilizer light flashing on the dash/clock?
The car does not crank at all. When I press the button on the fobs, the door LEDs do not flash. The LEDs on the fobs are bright red (especially now with the new batteries).
The immobilizer light is not flashing on the dash/clock.
Hi Jay,
--First of all the alarm doesn't like car battery voltages below 12.5~12.6.
I would get a properly charged car battery and swap yours out and try the fobs again.
By disconnecting the battery you may clear some sort of electrical system corruption from low voltage.
I'll definitely give this a shot if I'm unable to get the car cranking after I try the door lock key sequence.
Originally Posted by pp000830
--Do you see the little red light go on on your fobs when you press and hold the button, if not try cleaning the battery terminals and bend them to make solid contact? The battery you purchased new may be old shelf stock and dead also.
One of the 993 owners had a few extra batteries for me to try at the autocross with no luck. I purchased two brand new batteries yesterday and installed those with no luck. However, the red light on the fobs is much brighter than the previous batteries.
Originally Posted by pp000830
The system usually holds on to the fob transmitter mating without issue but if you want to take the fobs out of the equation here is the sequence of turning the ignition key to start the car without one: https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...ming-made.html
In the process of going through that sequence, I triggered the alarm. Now the horn won't stop honking until I disconnect the battery. I'll try it again when I get home.
Originally Posted by pp000830
Also if the door led is flashing in couplets, not an even cadence you may have a problem with a switch or bulb the system uses.
Here is some information to sort that out: https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...mobilizer.html
Prior to performing the suspension refresh, I replaced all interior (Suncoast) and exterior (Tore) lights. I'll go through the interior lights to make sure they're all on.
Originally Posted by pp000830
Hope this helps,
Andy
Thanks, Andy. Definitely some more troubleshooting steps I'll go through before I tow it to my indy.
06-29-2021, 01:41 PM
Dead Immobilizer?
