Alarm problem on 996 (and hi from a new PH'er)

Alarm problem on 996 (and hi from a new PH'er)

Author
Discussion

M@verick

Original Poster:

976 posts

212 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
Hi All,

firstly apologies for the slightly cringeworthy username, it's become a tradition which really i should probably have some therapy for. I blame the eighties. Nonetheless hi to all! i look forward to posting here a little more regularly in the not too distant.

anyways... on with my warbling. I'm now the proud owner of a Basalt Black 2001 996 C4, which despite only owning since this weekend ive already decided is a *FANTASTIC* car, i love it to bits, and now realise just what everyone in here is raving about. It blows everything else ive ever owned completely away, its just miles better at everything.

However, i have one problem.
The car behaved itself perfectly all day Saturday, went to bed in a friends driveway happily and showed itself off with aplomb today. Then this evening when i went to put the car into my garage (which its fits into *just* - why on earth do home builders bother with garages so small they only look fit for a roof chopped mini?) but before i even had the chance the alarm starts going off. I put this down to chance, and reset it - then about 5 minutes later without any provocation it went off again. Im a bit flummoxed at this point so i RTFM and find out what areas of the car the alarm is triggered by, and open and close each one.

It went off again.

I tried a slightly more clever approach (i dont do clever very well. it has to be said) and checked the contacts i could actually get to - and found that the engine cover lid catch (what do you call that its not a boot is it, but its not the bonnet either ?) was corroded (lid side) so i considered that maybe it wasnt making a good contact - i cleaned this as best i could with good old WD40 and reopened and closed everything again.

Im now sat on the sofa homer simpson style some hours later, and (touch wood and whistle) it hasnt gone off again yet. So, in long winded fashion - my question is:

Is this a common fault that you guys may know a canny trick i can pull to fix ?, do you have a checklist of things i should look at ?, or is this something for someone considerably clever than me, with a Porsche badge on their t-shirt to look at.

Cheers all

R.

fidgits

17,202 posts

230 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
hi and welcome to PH...

glad you love your car - after having mine 3 weeks it still blows me away


Cant really help on the alarm - are all the doors/boot/windows shut? Could be the internal movement sensors - try the 'double press' lock to disable them see if that helps?

M@verick

Original Poster:

976 posts

212 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
cheers fidgits! (ive seen your posts over the last couple of weeks, and frankly you've already made me feel guilty enough to buy a Zymol complete Glasur kit, so shiny was your new steed!) I guess im going through the same period youve already been through - I cant shake the grin, and all the fears i had about "am i daft buying a Porsche when i should be moving house first etc" disappeared when i got behind the wheel.

I came to the 996 from an S2000, and i although i loved that car, and had a lot of fun (and some not so fun) with it, im staggered by the difference in the 996, friends who have them (a c4 3.6 and a c2 3.4 respectively) have told me how good they are but i didnt expect the car to be *this* good. my envelope has been truly pushed.

Thanks for the "double tap" hint, i dont think ive RTFM'd well enough yet as I didnt know about that. It also answers another question i forgot to ask (how do i disable the damned thing if it keeps going off).

im off to read the little white book over a beer.

R.

fidgits

17,202 posts

230 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
you'll find owning a porsche makes you drink more...

and i dont mean because nervy will drag you out on the piss (although he will) - its simply you open beers every night just so you cant take it for just one more hoon....


hope you enjoy

mike996

230 posts

239 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
I have had the same issue - thankfully, I was away and the mother in law was subjected to the misery of an alarm going off at ungocly hours (see, there is a god!).

The two things were 1) the glove box was not pushed down properly (its alarmed) and
2) the battery was on the way out - the first check showed it was healthy, but a week later, it was failing - replaced the battery and bobs your uncle, problem resolved.

Oh, you might want to also bear in mind that a mate of mind went through the same problem - alarm went off 11 times during the night, so he disarmend the alarm. In the morning - car gone - thieving sods had been setting it off deliberately to drive him to wits end.

M@verick

Original Poster:

976 posts

212 months

Sunday 24th September 2006
quotequote all
cheers Mike,

lol. I didnt quite have the luxury of leaving the alarm misery to anyone else as one of my neighbours took great pleasure in telling me "your new car, the alarms going off mate" - the curtains have been twitching all weekend, and i think the idea of the 996 going wrong already probably made his day.

ill check that - i did open and shut both the centre tunnel stowage bin, and the glove box just before the last time i reset it, so possibly that was the problem. Hmmm. Do hope its not the battery - theres a bill for a replacement in the service history, and it went through a 111 point check on wednesday last week. We shall see.

R.

sportsandclassic

3,774 posts

219 months

Monday 25th September 2006
quotequote all
Hi there get it in to a dealer as you say its had 111 point check done and get them to check the events and alarm actuations...if it beeps back at you when youre arming the system youve left something undone or 1 of the contacts are open when it should be closed..

They can see all of this on the tester in actual values.

The front bonnet section you refer to is known as front luggage compartment.

As for disabling the system....good luck...i hate porsche alarms.

Thanks


mike

sportsandclassic

Lurking Lawyer

4,534 posts

226 months

Monday 25th September 2006
quotequote all
Ah, another familiar name and refugee from s2ki....!

M@verick

Original Poster:

976 posts

212 months

Monday 25th September 2006
quotequote all
Lurking Lawyer said:
Ah, another familiar name and refugee from s2ki....!


Hi Mark, yup *busted* its me. We do all seem to be migrating towards Stuttgart these days dont we .
Ive lurked a bit on both forums for a while now, so Im aware of your quest and am currently awaiting a "Lurking Lawyer - found my 993" post - im sure you will love it when you find the right one they are truly fabulous machines, im blown away by mine.

incidentally ive noticed a few s2ki'ers having probs selling their machines at the moment - i didnt do too well either, i ended up taking 10K part ex on mine, mainly as id covered 80K miles, as stupidly i never got around to buying a beater. If any prospective buyer on s2ki asks about a BB with 80K on the clock in the South its probably mine, feel free to put them in touch.

Hope alls going well for you and Jen, i hope to see you in a 993 soon!.

R.