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Which sensor not allowing alarm to be set?

Richard_Hamilton

Richard_Hamilton

PCGB Member
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I'd almost guarantee it's a microswitch inside one of the door locks. If you have a compartment switch problem it will only give you a single beep. A double beep means it is a system fault. Door lock switch problems are all too common. My C2 had a new drivers side lock, and the Turbo has had one on the passenger side. What happens is that the switch which signals the door is locked fails. The locking motor operates, but the alarm system doesn't get a signal to say that it is secure. It then unlocks the doors and double beeps. A diagnostic check would show which side is causing the problem, but you have to replace the complete lock assembly - c£120 + fitting. I would have thought it would be a warranty item, but who knows.............
 
Is there anyway of telling which sensor (e.g. door, boot, oddment compartment, radio) is failing ? Yesterday I found I couldn't activate the alarm/central locking without using the 'emergency mode'.

When I attempt to lock the car with key or remote, I hear 2 short beeps and then it unlocks again.

I noticed one of the hinges has broken on the oddment compartments tray, but despite holding the lid firmly shut with insulating tape, it made no difference - so I suspect that is a red herring.

Thanks,
Martin.
 
This just happened to me. OPC diagnosed both door locks requiring replacement and 2 new door inner membranes too to keep the rain out. The initial diagnosis over the phone was that it was likely to be a faulty tilt sensor as they are external and there is a modification upon repair to move the sensor to under the passenger seat although it turned out that wasn't the problem for mine.
 
ORIGINAL: rob.kellock ...... OPC diagnosed both door locks requiring replacement and 2 new door inner membranes too to keep the rain out......
Click to expand...
Both locks? Are they quiet in the service department?
 
Highly unlikely that both have decided to play up at exactly the same moment. If you are able to influence their diagnostic process, get them to clear the fault memory, and then see which fault immediately reappears, and get them to change that side only. The locks are about £120 each, plus the membrane, labour and VAT. At an OPC I doubt you will get change out of £350 a side. Personally, I'd take it to an indy, or have you got a warranty now? Just my 2p's worth.
 
Follow up to various points:- Emergecy mode: Was on final 2h of 10 day trip to Milan at services in Netherlands when problem hit. Using the remote failed to lock the car, so I tried manually with the key - same problem. Once on the ferry, the OH suggested I RTFM, which I duly did and found that if you lock the car with key 3 times in quick succession you get a single beep and the car will lock with alarm in disabled mode - hence it doesn't care if the sensors are not working. Rob: Did your warrantee (which I think you now have after your engine fiasco (?)) cover the locks ? Rob: What is the tilt sensor? I know my ride-on mower has one of those that cuts the engine if you flip it over, but didn't know the 996 had one too. That would have been reassuring for the swiss mountain passes ;-)
 
Richard ... spot on (as usual)! Just spoken to OPC and they suspect door switch too ... its booked in for next week under warrantee. Martin.
 
To be fair, my alarm had been playing up for a while with the double beep upon locking but it was okay when I deadlocked it so I just did that for a couple of months. It then broke properly! I then ended up with a car that wouldn't lock (didn't know about the emergency setting because I didn't RTFM!) so took it into Bolton who looked after me straight away. They charged far less than £350 per side. Regarding the warranty, no, I still haven't got one. My engine/flywheel (but presumably not clutch) is covered for 2 years as an OPC repair so given that the most expensive component is covered and I didn't see Porsche negotiating on the price of the warranty to reflect that, I decided to take my chances again... Surely there can't be that much left to go wrong with it (typed with crossed fingers).
 
The tilt sensor, I presume, is designed to set the alarm off if someone puts the car on a back of a lorry to re-sell overseas without the keys or the paperwork! Having RTFM there seems to be no reference to it, nor can I see a switch inside to turn it off for ferries like on my old Mercedes.
 
The tilt sensor and alarm siren are fitted to UK (and Belgian) 996s as standard, to meet insurance requirements - Thatcham Approval in the UK. The early tilt sensors were mounted next to the siren, to the right of the battery as you look at it, and had a tendency to fill up with water. On later cars they were fitted next to the alarm control module under the passenger seat. The tilt sensor will set the alarm off if you try to jack up the car too, not just load it onto the back of a truck! You can't switch it off or disable it either.
 
I must admit that Richard is a very knowledgable man when it comes to Porsches. He kindly helped me with this alarm/lock problem. His PST2 found that a microswitch in n/s door lock was faulty. Still haven't got round to changing the lock as when it double beeps I open the passenger door, close it and lock again and it does it! So I'm living with the inconvenience until I get round to it.
 
ORIGINAL: Richard Hamilton ... At an OPC I doubt you will get change out of £350 a side.
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Richard ... spot on again! Colchester just called to say it was "failed locking motor" on passenger side. Would have cost £365.66 to fix, had I not had the warranty.
 
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