Don't immobilize me, dude ('99 Boxster)
 

Talking about a 99 base 986.

Backstory: Rainwater flooded the driver's side footwell while the car was parked needing a coolant pump.

Pump, thermo and sundry hoses replaced and good.
Drains cleared and not so good. Water is still coming in somewhere,
slowly. Top is brand freakin new. Ideas?

Most of all, the immobilizer seems to be toast.

The car had been starting oh, half the time after I installed the pump.

Now it won't crank at all. Everything else is fine, as in batt, idiot lights, etc.

So.

How to diagnose definitively?
Can the immobilizer be bypassed allowing the car to operate normally?
If I need to replace the immobilizer, is it a bolt-on job, or...?
If I need an immobilizer, can you recommend a solidly reliable source for a used one?

Cheers

I don't know of any way to bypass the immobilizer in the 986 and 996. If we could I certainly wouldn't have mine double wrapped in plastic in my Spec Boxster to keep it safe.

You may have luck buying a used ECU and Immobilizer pair from the web.

The immobilizer and DME are coded, along with the keys. If you get a new immobilizer you need to have it recoded. Unless the DME can be flashed like the 993's, and have the immobilizer bypassed so you can used any DME.

This. I think you are looking at dealer type work. It does what it says and is resistant to just being swaped out.

If you are still getting wet carpets, read the posting at this link.

http://986forum.com/forums/general-d...twell-wet.html

Summary: wetness along the bottom edge of the door means that water is leaking past the vapor barrier in the door panel, which then runs down into the footwell ie: wet carpet.

Cliff, thanks for the tip...that's a 993 fix that they're arguing about. I got hold of what looks like the grownup in the room, and he says it does not apply to my car.

Anyway, time to tow it to a shop.

As I'm in NW Fairfax co, I have three choices.

Tysons Porsche
Intersport
IMA

Where would you go in this situation?

I am also interested in this discussion as the same thing has happened to my 98 986. First the switch in the back of the ignition broke, then the immobilizer in the floor shorted out and shut down my car. I cannot believe that Porsche would actually put such a sensitive piece of technical equipment in the floor of a *convertible*. :bang: Must have come up with that design during Oktoberfest... . Really a stupid design. But I digress... .


So, do we need to pay a dealer to do everything? Or is it possible to replace the box ourselves and simply have the dealer program it to the car and keys (or a repair facility with the proper programming tools)?

Thanks!

Which person did you contact? Bill Verburg or Loren? Both will give very different answers.

LOL.....