alpine003

We'll agree to disagree.

For anyone that wants to buy a new alarm module, assuming you still can, be my guest.

If you want to keep your existing but have CBR hack it for you, have at it.

If the latter case is true, it sure be nice if he would let everyone know how to do it, even though I asked him three times and he claims he doesn't do it for business.

CBR786

I will even go far as saying a used alarm module will not have the used key that was married to that alarm module also the used alarm module will not have the used ECU that was married to the alarm module. So getting a used alarm module plugging that into a unlocked car that was never alarmed to begin with also have the issue that the alarm module cannot open communications because for an alarm module to talk to Porsche PIWIS the alarm module has to be married to the ECU. The alarm module can only marry an ECU once. you cannot remarry alarm modules to different ECU's because even the work shop manual states when you get a Virgin module you have to marry it to ECU. If during the marrying process you get some input digits wrong then that is tough the result will be you cannot marry the ECU hence that Virgin module now is junk and you have to by another blank virgin module. What I did was I bought a virgin module and removed the Eprom chip read the codes and saved it as image file on my pc. when I get a used module I remove the Eprom from that also read that and saved a copy on PC then deleted all data on that eprom chip and added the Virgin data. which makes a used alarm module which was scrap now into a virgin module.


I also by studying the image found which lines contain the transponder codes and which lines contained the remote frequency codes. this enables me modify information for my purposes.

TO MARRY the alarm module to ECU the original alarm module has to be blank and a used alarm module will not be blank. you cannot with a piwis delete data on eprom chips piwis will not allow it.

you have to think out of the box . I know this if a alarm module and ECU and key head are not all on the same page then conflict will happen and the modules will not allow communications to each other with piwis and hence dealer stuff like programming keys cannot happen.

alpine003

Problem could be you used a PIWIS and if you did, was it a genuine or copy?

When I got mine done, a PST2 was used so that might've made the difference. I had no issues pairing a used immobilizer to my existing ecu. There were no issues programming new keyhead/pill to used immobilizer. I should state that this was on a mk1 car. That could also be a very important distinction.

Atrox

It's obvious both points are trying to be helpful, so help each other by working the solution together.

Ahsai

Alpine, when your tech reprogrammed the used immobilizer, is it possible he actually reprogrammed the DME to accept the used immobilizer? This thread seems to support what CBR said about immobilizer can only be programmed once.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic...eprom-deleted/

CBR, it's also a fact the Alpne was able to install a used immobilizer and got everything working. How to explain that? Maybe mkI vs mkII and different Porsche testers used?

ZuffenZeus

Whooooosh!! I just finished reading this thread and frankly have never been so exhausted in my life. hahaha! Can we all just have a group hug or something???

Seriously, I've owned several cars like my Porsche with transmitters linked to alarm systems/immobilizers and can't understand why this is such a big challenge to at least get his darn hood open and make him some silly key replacements at the dealer. I thought the weirdest was my BMW... We only had the one key and I didn't want to go on any long trips with the family with just one key fob and so I went to the BMW dealer to purchase another one. They refused without the actual GA title. He was super nice, but I said, "the actual car is sitting outside" and he said, "sorry, those are BMW rules." He said we don't need your car, just the title, I.D. and VIN #, once we confirm your ownership, BMW will ship a new key FOB from Germany programmed and ready for use. He went on to say, that if I wanted to reprogram the keys, the car would be needed and there will be a charge for the service. I decided to purchase two new keys at the tune of about $300 each. They came in about the same week and work perfectly.

For my Porsche 996, I have two keys and both of them have worked flawlessly with the exception of one of the batteries died and I quickly replaced it with another and it worked, but the whole trunk thing is really strange issue. Makes me want to go to AutoZone and have them check my car's main battery. hahaha

Cheers and let's hope the Hammerthrow finds a solution.

dgmark

My shop is registered with NASTF as a security professional as such we have access to keys and security programming for Porsche cars. It also gives us access to all other makes in the US. NASTF is the licensing mechanism for independent shops in the US. CBR 786 is right If you lose both Keys and the system is armed, you are buying a new alarm module. You cannot use a used module as the vin and passcode is written into the old module and cannot be changed. If you use a used module you need the keys and engine DME that are matched as a set, but this creates other problems because you will have a vin mismatch with other modules in the car.

I applaud CBR 786 for his ingenuity in hacking the security module. His fix will work in that he has the virgin code for a non programmed module he can drop in a used one.

In short make sure you have duplicate keys

ZuffenZeus

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RGrove

PM Sent

alpine003

It doesn't matter to me if someone even has a nuclear thermodynamics phd, but unless you personally programmed one of these in this situation, everything else is just theory and static to me, just like a lot of the threads here.

There's no ingenuity here if you've been in the game long enough. The same guy that made me keys and reprogrammed my BMW can do the same for the Porsche (pick lock, get right cylinder combo, cut key, reprogram that keyhead/pill onto your EXISTING immobilizer, all from his small smart car at a remote location of your choice aka driveway, parking lot, etc). He's been doing this for years and has a legit business for close to 20 years now.

Ahsai, I will reach out to get the specifics from the horses mouth and report back. I know what I did and it worked. I just may not remember all the specifics which I'll try to get from the horses mouth(my tech guy).

dgmark

Its all well and good that your guy was able to program your existing security module to accept the key, but in my experience without a programmed key and with the alarm set I have not been able to program a new key. Also I don't think you will find many dealerships that will be able to do it without replacement of the module.

alpine003

Ok, I got a pretty quick response from my guy.

He did verify that the only way to recover an armed ecu is by soldering in a new eprom, which has already been stated here with no debate.

For me in my situation with using a used alarm box(in an unarmed state obviously), he was able to change the DME info to the vin and codes from the vin in the alarm ecu. He then reprogrammed the DME to match the alarm ecu and then programmed the key.

He also mentioned if the alarm ecu is the only thing damaged due to flooding and such, he could swap over just the eprom to the new used alarm module so that all your existing keys would work and would be basically plug and play without any further reprogramming.

So bottom line:
- You can't program used immobilizer that has been left in an active alarm state unless you swap eproms
- You can program used immobilizer that hasn't been left in armed state but you have to program the DME as well

Slakker

And now we have two cats, both without skin..... I learned a lot from that debate. Bravo to all participants.

Ahsai

Mystery solved indeed!

dgmark

That is where the problem lies. There is no dealer in the country that will program a used module and no dealer is swapping eproms. Same is also true of independents. The original poster is going to have to purchase a new module. As far as opening the trunk that is way above my level of expertise.