Wet central locking unit

[royp4]

Hi,

Here are my facts. I really need your advice.

I have a 2003 Carrera 996 cab. After a hard rain I discovered the following problems:

(1) Water under the driver's seat

(2) Key fobs light up but will not unlock doors. 

(3) Alarm works when I manually lock door with key.

(4) After unlocking door manually with key, alarm goes off after about 10 seconds.

(5) Car battery is strong, and I don't believe it to be my problem.

(6) When attempting to start car, all dash lights and gauges work, but engine will not turn over.

(7) Alarm lights on dash flash appropriately

Is the problem my central locking unit, and if so is it possible to dry it and make it work again?

If I need to replace CLU, what is approximate cost, and is this a plug and play swap, or is programming required?

This is my DD and I need to get it back on the road. My dealer is 80 miles away. I was told by them today that there was no way to start and drive the car there, and that it would have to be transported. Is this correct?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Roy Parnell

royp4@aol.com

[wizard]

If you do a Renntech search under the heading 'My car is leaking', you'll find some relevant advice.

I'd put the link but I'm not sure how to !

[JFP in PA]

Hi,

Here are my facts. I really need your advice.

I have a 2003 Carrera 996 cab. After a hard rain I discovered the following problems:

(1) Water under the driver's seat

(2) Key fobs light up but will not unlock doors. 

(3) Alarm works when I manually lock door with key.

(4) After unlocking door manually with key, alarm goes off after about 10 seconds.

(5) Car battery is strong, and I don't believe it to be my problem.

(6) When attempting to start car, all dash lights and gauges work, but engine will not turn over.

(7) Alarm lights on dash flash appropriately

Is the problem my central locking unit, and if so is it possible to dry it and make it work again?

If I need to replace CLU, what is approximate cost, and is this a plug and play swap, or is programming required?

This is my DD and I need to get it back on the road. My dealer is 80 miles away. I was told by them today that there was no way to start and drive the car there, and that it would have to be transported. Is this correct?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Roy Parnell

royp4@aol.com

 

Do a search on removing and drying the internals of the box under the seat, some can be recovered this way.  If that does not work, the car will need to be flat bedded to the shop.

[Ronnie38]

Hi,

Here are my facts. I really need your advice.

I have a 2003 Carrera 996 cab. After a hard rain I discovered the following problems:

(1) Water under the driver's seat

(2) Key fobs light up but will not unlock doors. 

(3) Alarm works when I manually lock door with key.

(4) After unlocking door manually with key, alarm goes off after about 10 seconds.

(5) Car battery is strong, and I don't believe it to be my problem.

(6) When attempting to start car, all dash lights and gauges work, but engine will not turn over.

(7) Alarm lights on dash flash appropriately

Is the problem my central locking unit, and if so is it possible to dry it and make it work again?

If I need to replace CLU, what is approximate cost, and is this a plug and play swap, or is programming required?

This is my DD and I need to get it back on the road. My dealer is 80 miles away. I was told by them today that there was no way to start and drive the car there, and that it would have to be transported. Is this correct?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Roy Parnell

royp4@aol.com

Had the same problem, got a rebuild unit from the ECU Doctors in Fl.

[royp4]

Ronnie38, I looked at the ECUDoctors website. With the rebuilt unit, did everything have to be reprogrammed? Thank you for responding.

[Loren]

Ronnie38, I looked at the ECUDoctors website. With the rebuilt unit, did everything have to be reprogrammed? Thank you for responding.

 

If you want your door lock keys to work and your alarm - yes. Besides each alarm/central locking unit must be matched to the DME.

Likely 1 hour to 1.5 hours labor.

[royp4]

Thank you all for your help. Looks like it's time to cart my cab off to the dealer. Dammit.

[Dharn55]

In the 16 years I have had my cab I have cleaned the drains for the cab top 3-4 times, but this spring the drivers side got blocked again. After a very heavy rain my locking system was going crazy with the car just sitting there. I opened it with a key and found almost an inch of water under the seat on the driver side. I took out the unit, opened it up and dried it out. Then sprayed some electronics cleaner on it. Unit works fine.

However I have been trying to dry out the carpet for over a week now and the closed cell backing is still damp. Under the carpet there are recesses in the body and if the carpet is wet then these are probably filled with water. I shop vacuumed out about a gallon of water from these areas. So if the carpet is damp you need to pull it up at least partially and check these areas. And getting the carpet and foam dried out is a real challenge. Most of the area under the seat and behind it is now dry, but in front of the seat the foam is still damp. I am trying to avoid taking the entire carpet out of the car as it is a major hassle.

But the bottom line is it is worth it to take out the locking computer and try to dry it out. And check the drains on both side on a regular basis!

[royp4]

Finally surrendered and had my cab transported to the dealership. Verdict: Dead CLU due to water from clogged drain. They have had car for a week and tell me the carpet is still not dry. Waiting for car to completely dry out before installing new electronics. Repair estimate: $2300. I am very sad.

[royp4]

Finally got my cab back from dealer after 3 weeks. I have learned a valuable lesson. As others have already posted, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of keeping the drains and trays clear. Experience is the best teacher, but it has been a very expensive class. Some of the dumbest engineering design decisions I have ever seen. Despite the cost and my stupidity, I felt so good when I picked up my cab yesterday and drove that sucker. Think I'm a 996 addict.

[dporto]

"Some of the dumbest engineering design decisions I have ever seen. Despite the cost and my stupidity, I felt so good when I picked up my cab yesterday and drove that sucker. Think I'm a 996 addict."

 

 It's so easy to second guess "engineering design decisions" after the fact (especially after you "get bitten"). I think when looking back at these types of decisions, it's important to take into account some of the assumptions the engineers were working under. I would think that given the high cost/selling price of the car, they would assume that the car would a: be garaged, or b: at the very least be well/properly maintained. In both these cases, the design of the drainage system proves to be more than adequate to keep the sensitive electronics safe and dry. While your situation is indeed unfortunate and very costly to you, it's realty not do to poor design - it's clearly a case of poor or complete lack of proper maintenance. In any case, I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune and wish you the best of luck going forward! :thumbup:

[Hilux2400]

I don't agree with the point made by Dporto regarding the draining functions. The front ones can easily be maintained as they are almost visible, but on my Coupe they had not been cleared before I had it.

 

Regarding the back drains that come out behind the liner in the wheel arch, these take some time to gain access and I would be surprised if they get looked at too often if at all.  When I pulled out my rear wheel arch liner it was full of road muck and had never been cleaned and drain outlet was blocked solid. This must be the case on many cars.   

 

Despite what you say about garaging there are occasions when all cars get caught out in a downpour and that would fill the front or back cavities pretty quickly if the drains are blocked.

[dporto]

I don't agree with the point made by Dporto regarding the draining functions. The front ones can easily be maintained as they are almost visible, but on my Coupe they had not been cleared before I had it.

 

Regarding the back drains that come out behind the liner in the wheel arch, these take some time to gain access and I would be surprised if they get looked at too often if at all.  When I pulled out my rear wheel arch liner it was full of road muck and had never been cleaned and drain outlet was blocked solid. This must be the case on many cars.   

 

Despite what you say about garaging there are occasions when all cars get caught out in a downpour and that would fill the front or back cavities pretty quickly if the drains are blocked.

 

While you certainly have a right to your own opinion, you should go back and read my point... The fact is that the drains function properly if/when maintained properly. The fact that your drains were clogged with road muck simply means they weren't maintained - nothing more nothing less. You even go so far as to say "but on my Coupe they had not been cleared before I had it." - How is this poor design or engineering? "there are occasions when all cars get caught out in a downpour and that would fill the front or back cavities pretty quickly if the drains are blocked." - Don't let the drains get blocked... :lightbulb:

[Hilux2400]

 

I don't agree with the point made by Dporto regarding the draining functions. The front ones can easily be maintained as they are almost visible, but on my Coupe they had not been cleared before I had it.

 

Regarding the back drains that come out behind the liner in the wheel arch, these take some time to gain access and I would be surprised if they get looked at too often if at all.  When I pulled out my rear wheel arch liner it was full of road muck and had never been cleaned and drain outlet was blocked solid. This must be the case on many cars.   

 

Despite what you say about garaging there are occasions when all cars get caught out in a downpour and that would fill the front or back cavities pretty quickly if the drains are blocked.

 

While you certainly have a right to your own opinion, you should go back and read my point... The fact is that the drains function properly if/when maintained properly. The fact that your drains were clogged with road muck simply means they weren't maintained - nothing more nothing less. You even go so far as to say "but on my Coupe they had not been cleared before I had it." - How is this poor design or engineering? "there are occasions when all cars get caught out in a downpour and that would fill the front or back cavities pretty quickly if the drains are blocked." - Don't let the drains get blocked... :lightbulb:

 

In the maintenance schedules for my 996 (annual, minor & major) there is not one item that refers to checking for clear cavity drainage.  I would have thought that if Porsche thought these items would be problems they would have been included on the schedules. 

 

I do it as a I have been caught out before on a Golf which had blocked bulkhead drains.

[dporto]

Poorly written maintenance schedules don't mean that the car was poorly designed or engineered. Once again, it goes to the fact that Porsche didn't think these items would be a problem because a) The cars would be garaged and/or b) if not garaged they would be maintained. I don't have an owners manual with me at the moment, but I'm pretty sure there is a section on keeping the drains clear...I understand exactly what you're trying to say, I just don't agree with you... :cheers:

[royp4]

Thank you for your opinion dporto. Any other engineering design ideas that require regular maintenance or a dry garage are welcome.

[dporto]

Thank you for your opinion dporto. Any other engineering design ideas that require regular maintenance or a dry garage are welcome.

:cheers:  Drive it in good health!!! And of course, if it's not garaged, check those drains once in a while to make sure they're clear :cursing: