Cydog

The Sharkworks site says that ROW 996s have key fob top actuation for the Cabriolet. Is it possible to have the same on the US 996 Cabrio, and if so, how?

Tool Pants

Someone is going to have to compare the US and ROW wiring diagrams to see if it can be done.

I met JayM last year with his 996 Ruf turbo conversion and made the top go up and down with the button on the key head. Jeff

<img src="http://www.986host.com/albums/ToolPants/ruf_key1.sized.jpg" alt=" - " />

Toreador

US keys fobs have only 2 buttons.
Could we modify the trunk one to operate the top?

Cydog

Better yet, can we get ROW keys with the 3 buttons? If we did would it work, with any mods or without any mods? If with mods, what mods?

Any help from the gurus?

Scouser

Hang on....two buttons should be enough!

My Cab key has only two buttons and I can make the top go up and down with it. In fact that's the first time I saw a three button key. As it happens I just got a spare from my P centre and it also has only two buttons.

Cheers,
Scouser

Loren

The top controllers are the same... the alarm controllers are not. RoW alarm controls use a different frequency so this may be a little tougher question. Jeff -- can Peter look at a PST2 and see if the setting is there for US cars?

Loren

Hmm... found this statement in the service manual...

"Opening and closing the convertible top of the 996 Cabriolet

The second button of the handheld transmitter can be used as a remote control for the convertible top provided that:

- Vehicle is unlocked and deactivated and Term. S is switched off for at least 2 seconds and

- Term. 15 is switched off and

- No valid transponder is recognised

If the convertible top is opened or closed, the convertible top control module output is activated first and then (with a 200 ms delay) the comfort opening or comfort closing output."

Toreador

Does that mean it's possible?
If we need a key fob with 3 buttons, we could use the one from Boxsters. I read somewhere that they have 3 buttons.
But if ROW has only 2 buttons (see Scouser's post above) then we could use our own keys.
The problem I think will be to have the car recognize the signal we are sending as a signal to open/close the top. It must have that ability built in since ROW cars have it. Could it possibly be as simple as having a dealer activate that option? Or is there a wire we can unplug from it's trunk opening function and plug into the top operating function?

Toreador

Cydog,
I have found an outfit called "L.A. Porsche" that has quoted me $1000 for remote operation + operation at up to 25mph of the top.
Their phone # is (818) porsche
I'm considering taking my car in for the mod.

Cydog

Thanks for the heads up, but that's an expensive way to get the hack done. What do they do/install? Is there any cheaper way to get it done?

Toreador

Cydog,
There was a thread on this board regarding operating the top while in motion. It involved cutting a certain wire and was very explicit, with detailed instructions. As for the remote operation, if you want to do it yourself, your best bet is to wait. The people on this board are very knowledgeable and I'm sure somebody (probably Loren) will come up with the way to do it

ettsn

The Boxster key does indeed have three buttons (we've got two trunks!).

-Paul

mivey

The European version of the 996 Cabrio has the capability of lowering and raising the convertible top using the key remote by pressing the secondary button on the remote (the one that opens the "trunk/hood" after being held for a few seconds). Also in the European version, when unlocking the doors remotely if you hold the first button, the windows will be lowered (or raised if locking). I have looked at the wiring diagrams for the US 996 Cabrio and it appears that all of the wiring (from the alarm to the convertible controller box) are in place so I think this functionality (referred as a "Comfort Function") has just been disabled either mechanically (wires disconnected) or programmatically in the alarm controller (under the driver side seat, I believe).

There are different frequencies for the US and European remotes, but I think this has more to do with the frequencies assigned by the governing regulatory agencies (like the FCC in the USA). I am not sure it’s what enables/disables this functionality because a specific frequency is used for all 996s in the UK and a specific frequency is used for all 996s in the US (different from the UK).

The information Loren provides earlier in this thread is also in the 996 technical documentation so I would bet it has more to do with understanding how to manipulate “Term. 15” to make it switch off with out the key being in the ignition.

I think the other items are the same regardless of country:
No valid transponder is recognised (not 100% sure what this is)

Vehicle is unlocked and deactivated and Term. S is switched off for at least 2 seconds (this seems to be OK regardless of the version... US or RoW)

One other point, I asked a friend who is a Porsche mechanic for my dealer about a setting in the PST2 or PST3 (latest version) that controls this and he said that there was not one. He took me through the options with my 2002 996 Cab hooked up to the PST3 and I did not see one either. He said he thought it was a profile setting when the 996s onboard computer is initialized for a country. That being said, I wonder if a 996 were to be re-initialized as a RoW/UK car, would the function be enabled. Thought of this after I left the dealership.

We have access to the technical manuals and wiring diagrams that illustrate where Term 15 is. I think what we need is someone who has an electronics background that can figure out how to switch off term 15 to test this theory.

Sorry for the long post…

Scouser

Mivey, that was an excellent posting and for your first a very informative one.
Welcome to rennlist.

However, I have to say that I am not convinced that it's worth the effort this key fob button. I am in the UK and hav a cab. So I have the feature of holding down the 2nd button to open/close the top. The issue is that I think I have used that feature maybe only half dozen times. You have to hold your thumb down on the button during the whole operation until it completes (either opening or closing). It's not like a one touch operation. If you take your thumb off the button then it stops the operation and then if you press the button again to continue it "takes a guess" at which direction you want the top to go "up or down". It wares your key fob battery down in no time at all and it becomes a rather embarrasing operation pointing your key fob at your car with your thumb firmly planted on the button, looking like your firing a alien lazer gun at the vehicle while waiting for it to complete (and often the top is going up and down like a yoyo because you accidentally let your thumb up off the button). It just ain't cool.
"looky hear, I can open and close my top with my key fob and stand here like a shmuck while I do it".

So, IMHO it's a nice extra but it has no real purpose. I think it would have been much more purposeful if PAG had made the dash switch a "one touch" operation.

Toreador

mivey, Thanks for a very informative post.
The L.A. Porsche people turned out to be flakes and couldn't do it.
It was "I am waiting for this" "I ordered that". After 6 months of this, I gave up and installed a AutoBahn top control unit that operates the top at up to 25mph and does it with one touch.
It seems to be a timer-like device. I had it programmed to open the top in 20sec and close it in 30sec.
Closing takes longer because of the windows (you want them open with the top down, and closed with the top up)