no interior lights unless key on ...996 coupe

[Roach]

Guys;

I just bought a 1999 996 coupe and it exhibits the following problem. no front trunk light, no engine compartment light, no interior lights (dome or door) when door is open.....until..... you turn the ignition key to the on position then all lights work fine. Key off- no lights. Everything else seems fine. Doors lock, alarm LED flashes, just no interior lights. Quite an issue if pitch dark and you are tying to figure out where the $%&*##?! key goes.

A brief item I read in another forum suggested the interior lights are controlled by the alarm system and a programming correction needs to be made. Local Porsche dealer claims interior lights are not part of the programming options.

Any advice regarding what it is, how to fix it, or who to fix it? I would really appreciate the benfit of your knowledge.

Thanks,

Bill

[RFM]

A repeating of the "vehicle handover" with the PIWIS can help you out, visit a good dealer to do the job.

[Roach]

A repeating of the "vehicle handover" with the PIWIS can help you out, visit a good dealer to do the job.

Thank You.

Should I know what a vehicle handover and PIWIS are? I assume it is nothing I can do?

Bill

[X-UFO]

Guys;

I just bought a 1999 996 coupe and it exhibits the following problem. no front trunk light, no engine compartment light, no interior lights (dome or door) when door is open.....until..... you turn the ignition key to the on position then all lights work fine. Key off- no lights. Everything else seems fine. Doors lock, alarm LED flashes, just no interior lights. Quite an issue if pitch dark and you are tying to figure out where the $%&*##?! key goes.

A brief item I read in another forum suggested the interior lights are controlled by the alarm system and a programming correction needs to be made. Local Porsche dealer claims interior lights are not part of the programming options.

Any advice regarding what it is, how to fix it, or who to fix it? I would really appreciate the benfit of your knowledge.

Thanks,

Bill

Did you buy the car privately? 'Handover' means if it was from a dealer then it should be ok to take it back to them to sort out if it was bought recently.

PIWIS I assume is a kind of computer connected options changer. In the VW/AUDI world it's called VAGCOM. Usually an independent garage or dealer will plug a laptop into the car and change various options like 'autolock' etc etc.

However, it is possible that those items you refer to that are not working are on a common fuse. Check the fuses initially.

[Richard Hamilton]

What RFM is suggesting is that the alarm control module is in energy saving (transit) mode. To wake it up, you need to have someone connect the Porsche PIWIS or PST2 computer, and run a routine found in the Special Function section of the program named "Sports Car Handover". This should have been done when the car was new by the dealer. I have personally seen two cars that had the same issue, and were 4-5 years old at the time. There are other cases quoted on this forum. Whether the dealer just forgot to do it, or they somehow slipped into sleep mode, nobody seems to know.