Newbie with lighter and remote issues

[momo187]

hey guys.....i just bought a 2001 boxster with 20000 miles on it and I absolutley love it. I have been driving the same car for the last 10 years 1997 jetta glx vr6 and had a lot of fun with that but decided it was time to move up to porsche. this car is making me love to drive again despite the ridiculos gas costs! anyway I belonged to the vw vortex and could always find diy posts to common issuses on my car and was checking out this site and it also seems very helpfull........the thing is I am having an issue with my keyless entry not working and my ciggerate lighter not working......the cig lighter is not powering my cell phone charger and its not even heating the lighter which is causing me to think that its a fuse...does anyone know where the fuse panel is and which fuse??? also my keyless entry remote is not unlocking or locking anything.... I changed the battery and the led lights up but is doing nothing to the car.could this also be a fuse?....any help would be appreciated, I would hate to take it to the stealer for 2 minor issues like this....thanks again

Mo

[rsfeller]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Now the 2nd purchase you should make is the Bentley manual. No owner should be without it unless they are the type to take EVERYTHING to the dealer...

This is one of the two most useful sites on the web for Boxster owners and gets my vote for #1. If you get any good answers from this group you should donate to the site to get more functionality (such as access to TSBs) and keep the owner buying more bandwidth.

The fuse panel is located by your left foot and this is clearly explained in the owners manual too. The manuals for model years are on this site if you didn't get one, just look around at the links at the top. Although you may ahve to donate to have access to that area. Others can verify if I'm telling the truth or not.

Now if you are a DIY then you also need to cough up a couple hundred dollars and get the Durametric software that emulates many of the functions of the Porsche Tech2 device. This would include pulling codes, resetting codes and viewing more specific information that a standard ODB2 scanner will not provide. Google Durametric or this board for more information. The durmatric software will tell you if you have any error codes associated with your alarm system.

Keyless entry is tied into (obviously) the security system and there is much that only the dealer can do there but there may be some commone issues at work. Have you replaced the battery, what do you mean "not working". Are the doors locking but no horn/alarm or lights? More info there for more specific comments from the group...

Like all cars there will be about 10 very common failiure trends with your Porsche if you have the ability to google, check this site and wrench a little you will save a ton of dollars and have the satisfaction of knowing what is under the engine hatch of your car. Not everyone wants or choses to participate!

Shawn

Ohio

[1schoir]

hey guys.....i just bought a 2001 boxster with 20000 miles on it and I absolutley love it. I have been driving the same car for the last 10 years 1997 jetta glx vr6 and had a lot of fun with that but decided it was time to move up to porsche. this car is making me love to drive again despite the ridiculos gas costs! anyway I belonged to the vw vortex and could always find diy posts to common issuses on my car and was checking out this site and it also seems very helpfull........the thing is I am having an issue with my keyless entry not working and my ciggerate lighter not working......the cig lighter is not powering my cell phone charger and its not even heating the lighter which is causing me to think that its a fuse...does anyone know where the fuse panel is and which fuse??? also my keyless entry remote is not unlocking or locking anything.... I changed the battery and the led lights up but is doing nothing to the car.could this also be a fuse?....any help would be appreciated, I would hate to take it to the stealer for 2 minor issues like this....thanks again

Mo

I couldn't agree more with the comments made by Shawn.

Cigarette Lighter fuse is at position D5 (4th row from top, 5th fuse from left).

Fuse C3 is for the Alarm control module, but also for the interior lights and power windows, so you should be able to narrow that down.

Check for moisture/water near/on/ or in the alarm control module, which is located under the drivers' seat (left side). These units often get wet from water leaking into the cabin, sometimes when the convertible top drains get clogged (2 in the front trunk on either side of the battery, and 2 below the clamshell, below the V-levers that operate the top mechanism). Since you just bought the car, it's a good idea to check and clear those out. If you search this site, Loren or Tool Pants has posted diagrams of where these are located.

Congratulations on your new purchase. Drive it in good health!

Regards, Maurice.

Edited November 13, 2007 by 1schoir

[JimEE]

I have a 2000 Boxster and had trouble with the cigarette lighter, as it tends to blow fuses in certain situations. I think the issue relates to a slightly sloppy fit for some things you might put in it, like the cell phone power plug. It might fit too loose and short out, blowing the fuse. This has also happened to my LED flashlight that recharges in the lighter socket. I've had to take a plastic screw driver and jimmy out the prongs near the back for a more snug fit. But sometimes just putting in the flashlight will short out the lighter fuse. Easy fix though.

Jim

[1schoir]

I have a 2000 Boxster and had trouble with the cigarette lighter, as it tends to blow fuses in certain situations. I think the issue relates to a slightly sloppy fit for some things you might put in it, like the cell phone power plug. It might fit too loose and short out, blowing the fuse. This has also happened to my LED flashlight that recharges in the lighter socket. I've had to take a plastic screw driver and jimmy out the prongs near the back for a more snug fit. But sometimes just putting in the flashlight will short out the lighter fuse. Easy fix though.

Jim

The size of the lighter socket in the Porsche is a slightly different size than the one that is standard in U.S. cars, so what Jim says makes perfect sense. I think that Sunset Imports sells a socket that can be retrofitted that is the "correct" size.

Regards, Maurice.

[momo187]

thanks for all the help guys....i will replace the lighter fuse today to see if that works. as far as the remote it does not do anything at all...I have to unlock/lock the car with the key manually. i checked underneath the seat and the alarm module appeared to be dry. also when I lock the car the red led light is flashing on the dashboard which would lead me to believe that the module is working and not wet.....i know 1schoir said that the fuse for the alarm controlls the windows and interior lights which mine are working fine does anyone know if the alram module itself has its own fuse inside of it becasue perhaps that where the problem is??? is this a really common problem on porshes as far as the keyless entry not working?

[1schoir]

thanks for all the help guys....i will replace the lighter fuse today to see if that works. as far as the remote it does not do anything at all...I have to unlock/lock the car with the key manually. i checked underneath the seat and the alarm module appeared to be dry. also when I lock the car the red led light is flashing on the dashboard which would lead me to believe that the module is working and not wet.....i know 1schoir said that the fuse for the alarm controlls the windows and interior lights which mine are working fine does anyone know if the alram module itself has its own fuse inside of it becasue perhaps that where the problem is??? is this a really common problem on porshes as far as the keyless entry not working?

Momo:

The alarm module under the seat DOES have its own fuse. Sometimes just taking it out and putting it back in a few times will correct the problem (cleans the contacts slightly).

Regards, Maurice.