Bigmac_4000

This is an old thread but im grasping at straws here. In full panic mode. I'll give a quick recap to save some questions. 2002 porsche boxster with aftermarket garbage stereo and amp and sub. I got the car back from storage last weekend, I put a brand new battery in it while I was at it. Got the car home and decided to remove that garbage stereo and just install a basic deck nothing special. Once I got the deck most of the way out I realized i was in trouble. His wiring job was a hack. He just cut wires and used tape, some of the wires had actually come apart while removing stereo. With the old stereo out I tried to start the car and all that would happen was all the dash lights come on. I can't roll windows down I can't start the car or open trunk / hood. After reading for hours I found out about the green wire under dash but I don't see how this would effect it since it was already a after market install. I decided to go to plan 2. Lifted driver seat and took out the immobolizer box. It looked dry and clean, but came out easy. I figured maybe plugs were loose. I reinstalled the box and just out of curiousity while still on ground I pushed in clutch pedal with my hand turned key and car started. YAY fixed. So i bolt down seat climb in went to restart and BAM back to no start. Samething, dash lights but no windows or hood functions. So why would removing immo box for 5 minutes allow it to start and whats stopping it now. If it was the green wire it would not allow it ever to start so it can't be that. I checked clutch pedal switch. It's in place tight and clean. I tried spare key also. It didn't work either. I'm lost. and I cannot afford wasted dollars on guessing

Macster

This will sound like a broken record but a car that just came out of some kind of storage and is manifesting weird electrical/engine/car problems could be due to mice damage.

'course the hacked aftermarket radio install can account for weird behavior too. Just plain bad or wrong electrical connections but if CAN bus wires were cut...

Have to mention too the behavior suggests to me a bad ignition switch. If the switch is bad you can probably affect the car's start/no start behavior by putting side pressure on the key and ignition switch as you turn the key from off to on to start.

Not only can this result in intermittent start or no start it can also cause other systems to work or not work.

Bigmac_4000

So I have been lost for days. No trunk control no power windows and of course just dash lights no start. This morning bored I sat in car to cry and I decided to hit hood latch and it worked. First time in a week. So I tried starting it. Also worked. Now I don't want to turn it off. But what would cause anti theft immobilizer to shut down features on Saturday but work Sunday. Now I'm really lost.

Macster

If the immobilizer has been subjected to water it can act up intermittently. But you I believe have dismissed water damage of this controller.

A bad ignition switch though could also prevent the engine from starting one day but not the next. Whether the switch works or doesn't work can be affected by how the switch is manipulated. I note you managed to start the car sitting on the cabin floor working the clutch pedal by hand. Also certainly to work the key from this position you subjected the key to forces in different directions than the key experienced when it is operated with the driver in the usual position.

Did you ever try experimenting trying to start the engine by pushing the key in various directions as you turn it from off to on to start to see if you can affect engine start behavior possibly even dash light or other electrical system behavior? This is a "standard" test for suspected bad ignitions switches.

Bigmac_4000

Thank you for the reply. Yes I beat the hell out of both keys in ignition. Tried things like pushing left right up down banging tapping wiggling it. I tried leaving car unlocked or locking it 20 times over and over. I even took the keys apart to make sure pill was in place. It just fixed itself and that scares me. I even tried gently rolling the key in circles while in various stages of ignition. From off to acc to start.

Bigmac_4000

So I drove the car for about hour around town but never shut it off. I'm sitting in a parking lot with car on. I cannot put up windows or open trunk / hood. It's gone back in immobilizer mode while car is on. The odd thing is the hood / trunk dash light is on. That's what gave me a sign there was a problem. So even with car running it will immobilize itself. Hopefully I can get home.

Bigmac_4000

OK folks. I MAY have found the problem. The trunk open indicator came on while driving which means it's locked me out. So when I got home I shut it off and sure enough couldn't start it. Decided to take whole seat out of car and while I was unbolting seat the indicator light went out. Great sign. Turns out the guy I paid to do install of immobilizer crimped a wire under the seat rail. So I took whole seat out cleaned under seat re did the connections bolted down immobilizer and re installed seat. So far flawless. I just wanted people to see my solution maybe it'll help someone one day.