OK - I researched Rennlink forum, compared to stupid owner's manual guidance, and have questions still becasue my car does not do exactly what the Rennlink write-up says it should do. So I am chicken to proceed on pain of buggering my one current remote (don't ask how I screwed up my spare...). See para 2 and 3 in below.
0. When you lock your car with the FOB, the LEDs in the door should flash quickly for 10 seconds and then slow down to once per second after that. If you have this condition there are NO issues with the alarm system and programming should work. If you have double flashing door LEDs instead of the single slow flash, make repairs to alarm sensors first.

1. Unlock the car with the remote (then sit in car, close the door, leave it unlocked.) and wait at least 3 minutes for the immobilizer to prime.

2. (Insert key and) Switch the ignition on. The warning light (looks like a remote symbol) in the clock will go on and then off after 15 seconds.
Q: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “TURN THE IGNITION ON:” Could be 1) GO TO POSITION 2 WITH THE IGNITION KEY, OR 2) DO THAT AND ALSO DEPRESS THE WORKING/CURRENT REMOTE TO DISENGAGE THE IMMOBILZER?

3. Switch the ignition off and on again within 5 seconds. Same Q: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “TURN THE IGNITION ON:” 1) GO TO STEP 2 WITH THE IGNITION KEY, OR 2) DO THAT AND ALSO DEPRESS THE WORKING/CURRENT REMOTE TO DISENGAGE THE IMMOBILZER?
The warning light in the clock will light up and start to flash after 15 seconds.

4. Start to enter the key code within 5 seconds. Enter the code by turning the key off-on for each digit of the code. Wait for the warning light in the clock to come back on between each digit of the code. For example: 1302

1 = ignition off-on
wait for warning light to come on
3 = ignition off-on, off-on, off-on
wait for warning light to come on
0= ignition off-on (10 times)
wait for warning light to come on
2=ignition off-on, off-on

5. If the number was entered correctly the warning light will flash after the last digit is entered. When the light is flashing the remote can be programmed and MUST be programmed within one minute.

6. Press the button on the remote until the LED of the alarm system flashes. Operate all the remotes one after the other, wait for the LED to flash after each.

you have to do both your remotes right after the other in one session, because if you only introduce the new remote and finish the procedure, the system will delete your old remote from it's memory.

7. When all of the remotes are programmed (no more than 4) switch the ignition off.

I am totally not wanting to bug up current wokring remote by messing with this when the car is not waiting 15 seconds to turn off the remote symbol in the clock. Comments?
Charlie

 

PM me and I will send you a pdf with the instructions - it's easier to follow than the one above. It's highly unlikely to reprogram the working remote into a non-working remote. It's more likely that you will screw up the programming sequence and not enter into the mode where you "couple" the remote to the car. It took me 10 minutes to program my second remote.

 

I followed the instructions in the first post with no problems. If you are afraid you will screw it up perform the programming in the parking lot of your Porsche dealer. That way they can bail you out if needed. Good luck

 

FWIW, all the ignition switch fandango (steps 1-5) is mostly just to get the immobilizer in "learn" mode, where it can discover all your remotes. If you fail to achieve "learn" mode, then the existing programming applies. No harm done.

It may take a few times to get it (and double-check that you have all the correct numbers BEFORE starting), but it's really not that bad.

There are other things in life to be nervous about.

Good luck!

- Dave

 

2: "Turn the ignition on" means 1) go to position 2 with the ignition key. You need to turn the key so the dash lights up.

3: "Turn the ignition on" means go to position 2 with the ignition key. "Turn the ignition off" means go to position with the ignition key so the lights on the dash turn off.

No need to be touching the remote during step 2 or 3 or 4 or 5

Hope this helps
Dan

 

It might take you a few tries to get it right. Don't worry when you set the alarm off. You can't screw it up, either it works or it doesn't. When I did mine, it took quite a few tries, & was a bit frustrating.

Just be prepared for the noise, & a few tries. Be patient.

 

actually, as I alluded, the immobilzer light NEVER comes on. not for 15 seconds, not at all. The whole sequence is thus inoperable. I tried it by timing it for fun, but of course it did not work.
I recall now the immobilizer symbol in the clock has been disengaged years ago in order to avoid an immobilzer "fail to start" problem when I got the car. The bulbs are fine - just that the circuit was shunted upline by the dealer mechanic. Never an issue except when programming a remote! But I also recall a dealer programmed a remote for me regardless, I believe after this shunt was done, so it can be done. So back to the dealer, unless you folks have another insight.

 

At the end of the day, dealer who originally programmed FOBs in 2007 had to use a mechanical hand held switch activated at proper time in the coding process to bypass the ignition lock switch. My more local dealer did not even have such a hand held switch. The electronic part of the switch will be $89 plus around 4 hours labor to replace. I also note my cigar lighter (with a good fuse) does not have any power. May be related? I'll post separately on that.

 

Got the new ( spare ) remote in the mail today from Sunset and, anxious to try the mystical 'programming' program, I unlocked the car with my (original) remote, hopped in, closed the door and waited.

Sure enough, after about 2-3 minutes there was a 'clunk' the doors locked and the led in the doors began its single blink thing.

I put the key in the ignition and turned to the 'on' ( all lights on the dash light up, seat belt 'bong, bong', etc. ) AND the alarm started howling! Had to push the remote to stop all the racket before the neighbours called the LEO's.

So when the instructions say, 'unlock the car, get in, close the door, wait for the immobilizer to arm, place the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position and wait for the immobilizer light to go out, then turn the key off and on again within 5 sec...', are you supposed to be doing all this with the alarm howling?

No one mentioned that part...

What am I missing? Besides a brain.

Jim

 

OK, done. And it was simple once I waded thru all the different versions and culled the 'does not apply' stuff out.

1. Approach car with a positive attitude and all remotes in hand.
2. Get in the car and close the door.
3. Put key in ignition and turn to 'on', ( all warning lights on ).
4. Watch the immobilizer ( remote icon in clock ), when it goes out...
5. Turn the ignition to off and back on again, ( within 5 sec of the light going out ).
6. Wait for the 'remote icon' light to begin to flash. You are now in the 'program' mode.
7. Enter your immobilizer 'code' ( 4 digit # ), using the 'off/on' method, i.e. number 2 is two 'off/on' cycles. The remote icon light will come on steady between each number entry.
8. After you have entered the fourth number the 'remote icon' light will begin to flash again. You are now in the 'tune the remotes' mode. Press and hold the button on one of the remotes until the led in the door begins to flash. Do the same with each remote, up to 4 remotes can be done at a time.
9. Turn off the ignition
10. Exit the car, pour the 'good stuff' into glass, enjoy.

Note: there are a bunch of 'time limits' on all these steps but really, if you proceed at normal pace they will not be a factor. No need to have the 'coach' sitting in the passenger seat with a stop watch calling the relays...

Jim

 

Well done, Jim. I tried a few years ago, with no success. I even had the Rennlist spread sheet, and practised before trying it (on my deck, with a glass of good stuff).

I think the problem was what I did at the very start; I couldn't get into the program mode. I felt better after it took the dealer 4 hours to do it.

Just to clarify your point 2, you approach the locked car, unlock it with the remote, and then get in?

I wonder about the extra wear on the ignition switch, doing this stuff.

 

Did they ever find the German engineer who came up with this stuff, or did that guy just run of to Siberia or so ??

 

Well I tried all the 'lock, unlock, lock', the first couple of times, and no luck, so I just said the heck with it and walked out to the car as it sits in my garage normally, which is to say unlocked. Opened the door and got in, closed the door and put the key in the ignition and turned it to 'on'. When the light went out I did the 'off/on' thing and waited for it to start flashing. Did the 'off/on' thing the appropriate number of times, waited for the light to start flashing again and pushed the button on each remote, one after the other. Done. Got out of the car smiling.

Jim

 

Where is the code located?

 

The key sets that come with the cars include one skinny one that has a cardboard tag attached to it, with the code printed on.

But any dealer can pull it up out of the Porsche data base.