Not that I know of.

This is off topic Deanski but can you suggest anyone of your caliber in central NJ

 

You can get access to the front trunk by hooking up a jump box or battery to a post in the fusebox that pulls out and gives electric power to the trunk button. Technology for technology's sake...WHY NOT HAVE A CABLE-OPERATED MECHANISM???

 

That'll work if your only problem is a dead battery. Once the anti-theft system has been activated the trunk button (and the engine compartment button) is deactivated and you can power away at the fusebox till the sun comes up and I guarantee you the trunk is still locked.

 

Seems clear to me that the manual release for the boot was not installed with the intention of being accessed by the owner. It took a body shop tech who specializes in Porsches hours to get to it and to put the car back together again. It's not something you reach for and just pull. You need a well stocked toolbox, a shop jack, lug wrench and probably a shop manual. Was in a hurry when I picked up the car so only got a quick post briefing: The cable is located somewhere between the driver's side headlight and the left front wheel well "and i shouldn't even bother trying to locate it myself". Ok....whatever. At least there was no charge for this fiasco. The body shop is owned by the Porsche dealership so I guess they'll sort it out internally......as well they should.

 

The dealer absolutely should have known to tell you. I've been spoiled by the guys at Princeton Porsche in New Jersey. They are meticulous and first class. I've learned the hard way that other dealers - including award winning ones are not as careful or thoughtful.

But to be fair - they obviously did reprogram the key they had. I am sure they would have told you if you had just picked up your car from them, but the lines of communications got dropped when they sent it to the body shop. They may have owned it, but its a separate operation and I am guessing different location. The body shop guys probably aren't normally told the full skinny of your service. I am told that DME replacements aren't that common. They are ordered from Porsche with the VIN.. The body shop who just followed directions. Personally I like one stop projects and service. I would have had the car returned to the dealer and get it there. Might take longer, but worth it. That way they can tell me everything they did and why. And THEN I would accept the car and pay for the work. I put my car in their hands and get it back from them.

Awkward, but honestly I kind of like the theft protection that Porsche has. Cheaper in other ways. You don't have to grind the key at a locksmith. And safer.. No more duplicating a key just from the visible VIN..

I know about the DME key issue the hard way. I got my car CPO on trade from a dealer in another state. They owed me a second key. They supposedly ordered the right key by VIN, but sent me a 997 key which could not be programmed on my 996. Also didn't seem to remember that the key had to be programmed. Dopey.. I went took the car to the track two weeks after I got it to shake it down. The DME had a fault which I wouldn't normally get under sane street driving.

Here's what happened:
Faulty DME's really aren't that common, but you can fry them easily.. If you jump start the car and accidentally reverse the polarity - the DME can be damaged. I called the dealer in Ohio and asked them if they had jump started the car while it sat in the showroom. Yup.. You'd think they would get THAT right.

It isn't that uncommon for a shop to jump start a car - especially if they have the bonnet open for a while or it just sat too long. They should know how to do it right - given the consequences.

No big deal. Everything was taken care of under warranty. There is a reason that I got my car as a CPO.

There is also a reason that I drive 75 miles out of New York City to have Princeton Porsche work on my car. A shamelessly sincere plug for a great dealer and really nice people.

 

1+

 

I think Sand did pick it up from the dealer last week and dropped it off at the body shop himself this week. Considering the money we pay, I find it inexcusable in either case. Even at McDonald's I expect my food to be accessible and edible. Maybe I'm overly critical because I'm a marketing professor, but from all I've read in the 2+ years I have been on Rennlist, this definitely makes the Top-3 horror stories (non-accident-/non-health-related). May even be the winner. What a nightmare.

 

Exactly right. Maybe I wasn't clear enough but I said as much in the first post. Poor showing on part of the dealer for sure but this was the first slip which is why I've left the name out of the discussion. Service manager is like an old buddy, a loaner is driven up the moment I hand over my key and the car has been washed when I pick it up whether it needed it or not. Always first class with this lone exception. The tech who programmed the key with the new DME is the one who blew it imo. As he worked on that key he knew he was also making any and all spare keys useless which should have triggered a "must tell customer" memo to himself.....which it didn't, or it did and someone else didn't forward the memo my way.

 

Why the drivers door doesn't have the ability to read the chip in the key so that you can just unlock the car manually by inserting the key, without having to then press a remote button to tell the security electronics its ok, is beyond me.

I suppose, if the security module is replaced (or whatever module remembers the valid keys), it needs to know about the new key identities. Given that, there is no way to prevent someone from inserting a key that can mechanically open the door, but thats not electronically authorized (for whatever reason) to operate the car.

How often does one lose a key that then needs to be 'deactivated' in the security electronics. I'd think its not a common occurrence. A broken key, sure (washed it, dropped it, ran over it)... but a lost key (ie a key that's still perfectly good, but we don't know who has it)... does that happen enough that we cannot just say that any new module that keeps track of keys ALWAYS comes preprogrammed for the keys the car was delivered with?

The failure was with the service folks, who did not ensure that all keys would be reprogrammed together.

 

Because it's probably using a challenge/response PKI handshake, and not "reading" the key at all. If it's doing anything else, it's insecure.

Without teaching several math and computer science classes, I'm not sure how well I can explain this, but there is basically a mathematical way to prove you have a particular unique thingy without having to show it. Thus, the security system doesn't actually know what the thingy in the key looks like, and can't "analyze" it if it is passive.

 

These sorts of events are starting to pile up for PCNA. It's all a part of enhanced security for these cars, but it can be quite problematic for the legitimate owner! About a year ago one of our club members had his car locked by accident. It was a complete fluke,--nothing anyone at Porsche AG or anyone else could hae anticipated,--much like yours. He had placed his key case with the one key he had with him on the trip upon the upper area of the luggage compartment. He and his son were changing shoes to go hike the Grand Canyon. They shed unnecessary weight, e.g., jackets, keys, cell phones, etc. planning to simply take the little case with the Porsche key in it. When he went to shut the front trunk that action pressed down upon the 'lock' button on the key and viola! It locked the doors! When he closed the trunk the car was now totally closed up. A call to 1 800 Porsche followed (with a borrowed cell phone) and they arranged for the Grand Canyon licensed lock picker to come to the South Rim parking lot and attempt entry. After some time he had to admit that he was stumped! Porsche then called a guy in Flagstaff and he headed up there to open the car. He eventually got a slender rod into the right side (coupe) door window and over to the inside door latch. He manipulated it twice (as in opening it) and the door unlocked and they were in. Cost was about $350 which PCNA paid.

It's unfortunate that the dealer wasn't cleared about bringing all the keys. I happen to like the little black spare key (which they discontinued in 08) and I have it with me all the time,--on a key chain with my cell phone. Since the cell phone (latest Razr) is small, it goes inside my pants pocket all the time, and I always have it with me (even when driving another car). When on a Porsche drive (either away from home or local) I always know that I have my spare with me.

Best of luck with the car. Aside from these frustrating things, these things are the most amazing handling cars on the planet. That stuff far exceeds the frustration of key issues!

 

LOL, we can't fit a spare tire but they are worried about a person getting locked in there....yeah, right.
abe

 

Same thing I said to my service guy when he was explaining that "latch" - then he said, oh yes, one of our guys had to get in with a flashlight to find a water leak while they hosed down the outside of the car. Boot had to be closed for that to work. Crummy job, that one....

 

Digging up an old thread....I was at Deal's Gap this past weekend with our local PCA chapter and one of the members locked his keys in the trunk with the alarm armed. After many conversations, a lot of head scratching, a flat bed tow, and some internet searching on rennlist, we were able to access the manual cable to release the latch. His car is a 2002(?) Cabriolet and it got me thinking this could also happen with my 997. The cable was accessed by removing the front passenger tire and inner fender lining. Is the cable located in the same place with a 2006? Many thanks to this forum for coming to our rescue in a time of need.