Porsche VTS system
- Thread starter bobfair
- Start date
I have now had time to do further tests and take my car to my OPC. Its "official" my car will not start unless the drivers card/fob is in the car so the fob is acting as a mobile imoboliser. My OPC did not believe me until they tried it for themselves. They now believe me. They are now checking with Porsche as they have not come across this before. Will report back once I have the OPC's/Porsche report
Whilst I was at the OPC saw my first 997 GT3RS in orange with black wheels fabulous looking machine
Whilst I was at the OPC saw my first 997 GT3RS in orange with black wheels fabulous looking machine
this is odd and I would suggest quite rare, I can only think that the cobra system has different internal software setting for different customers and maybe this was not 'porsche ' programmed.
"When I started the car the first time the satellite 'saw' the sender and the car within a few metres of each other and was not concerned, and does not take any further notice unless the car is started again (which was some hours later in London). So, the theft alert only takes place when the engine is started at the beginning of a journey and when the satellite sees a substantial horizontal distance between the car and the sender. I don't know what this distance needs to be but I now keep the sender about 15 metres away! "
Bull !, the sender does not transmit a GPS signal, it transmits a coded radio signal (or similar) every 3 seconds and when in range with the immobiliser the signal disables the immobiliser and the car starts,
sidicks
PCGB Member
No !
As has been stated above, the VTS card is not required to be close to the car for the engine to start. However, if the car is driven without the VTS card being present, then the system will trigger an alert and the car will be tracked until the owner can be contacted to verify a true theft or a false alarm.
Sidicks
OK1904
New member
This is a bit harsh! How then do you explain the fact that my car starts 50 miles away from the sender, but Cobra in Watford are aware that the sender and the car are not together so phone me to alert an unauthorised MOVEMENT of the car (i.e. the car is not immobilised but is being driven)? Methinks you should rethink your hasty criticism.
OK1904
New member
Agreed, and it only performs this function at start-up, not during a trip. So if it sees the sender somewhere near the car (as in the case I described when I stupidly left the thing by my bed) the car could be driven 100 miles away, switched off for 2 weeks, and you would have no alert! My March 2006 car was one of the first to have Porsche VTS fitted; perhaps this topic has been raised because later versions work differently. I like the idea of the sender immobilising the ignition if it isn't in the car.
I heard form my OPC this morning that the specification of the VTS system has indeed been changed and that the drivers card/fob does now act as an imobilser so car will NOT start unless fob is in car. OPC was a bit miffed that the system was changed without them being told. My car was the first to go out from my OPC with this new system hence the confusion.
The consequences of this mean that you need to be very careful with the fob because if it is damaged or lost you can not start the car. I would not have chosen this if I had been given a choice
The consequences of this mean that you need to be very careful with the fob because if it is damaged or lost you can not start the car. I would not have chosen this if I had been given a choice
interesting...must admit its a bit of a hassle having to remember. I must admit I leave mine in the car, as its a second car it tends to go out for a blast & then back into the garage...the garage is locked & the ignition key is hidden well ( ie not in a kitchen drawer!), so whilst my car is at home Im confident that it will not get nicked with the key. It must be a real pain to those daily drivers having to remember the thing all the time.
I also dont see how my insurance company can fail to pay out if its nicked with the card in the car, as they dont even know what the Porsche VTS system is, they just insisted it has a tracker, which it has regardless of the fob function.
I also dont see how my insurance company can fail to pay out if its nicked with the card in the car, as they dont even know what the Porsche VTS system is, they just insisted it has a tracker, which it has regardless of the fob function.
simonm
New member
As the value of your car drops, so the need for a tracker for insurance purposes becomes less e.g. a ceiling above £40,001 or £50,001 may impose new restrictions.
I read this message at lunch time and (in the interests of science) left my wallet and VTS fob in the office and checked my MY 07 997 S - it starts without the VTS fob.
Since I didn't move the vehicle, the VTS alert wasn't triggered - it also means I don't actually know it works!
Is it likely that the same device has various options available and that the Porsche VTS scheme may change either for new sales, or by firmware upgrade?
If too many owners false trigger alerts, the managing company may impose changes e.g. firmware upgrades so that either the owner is forced to upgrade after an incident, or all vehicles are upgraded to a no VTS fob - no start policy?
I would be interested to know when Porsche cut over to a new system.
Could they impose a change on existing owners?
Kind regards.
GaryORIGINAL: garyw
You do indeed get two cards...[]
VTS does come included within the price of certain cars, however the first years subscription doesn't...... or did the OPC rob me again..[:'(]
garyw
Just had a letter from Cobra today asking me to contact them to pay for the subscripion - not bad seeing as I got the car back in Oct!!
They had actually contacted me back then and asked for some money - I said then -"..having a laugh arn't you, just paid £***K..., and you want another £200. - Ask the OPC for it"
Suppose it delayed the inevitable really!
Graham
OK1904
New member
For the definitive answer to the question "how DOES this thing work" talk to Clint Thompson at Cobra (Vestatec) on 0115 912 1922. I renewed yesterday after the first 12 months of ownership and he told me about the changes made mid-way during 2006. He was also able to check how far away my driver's card has to be to arm the immobiliser (we tested it from his computer) and we discovered that the car could still 'see' it 10 feet away. 30 feet was OK and armed it. He also said that the only time the 'unauthorised movement' signal reaches their system was when the engine was started, not during a trip or at any other time. I guess this means that you can start the car with the card in your pocket and then go back into your home (i.e. out of range) without triggering the alert. For those with the later system (which I don't have) and unsure about its operation, give him a call. If I understood him correctly the new system should NOT prevent your car from being started and this may be an error in the programming.
garyw
Moderator
Well I know my system works [].
OPC collected it for the door handle repair, I gave them the keys but completely the rest...
Only five minutes later I got a text asking me to contact the service centre (cobra). So three things
1) It works []
2) The car will start []
3) I had no idea how to contact the cobra service centre [&:]
Had to rummage through the paperwork and later in the day take the fob over to the OPC, who were a little surprised to see me.
It also proved that even though they collected the car at 07.30hrs, at 13.00 they hadn't started/looked at my car.
Possibly why it took them three days to repair it in the end.
garyw
].OPC collected it for the door handle repair, I gave them the keys but completely the rest...
Only five minutes later I got a text asking me to contact the service centre (cobra). So three things
1) It works [
]2) The car will start [
]3) I had no idea how to contact the cobra service centre [&:]
Had to rummage through the paperwork and later in the day take the fob over to the OPC, who were a little surprised to see me.
It also proved that even though they collected the car at 07.30hrs, at 13.00 they hadn't started/looked at my car.
Possibly why it took them three days to repair it in the end.
garyw
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