steved53

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but I was wondering whether this was ever resolved? I am a new member to the forum, and a Boxster virgin. Be easy with me! And apologies for the super long first post. I have just taken possession of a 2001 Boxster 986 Tiptronic with similar issues. The previous owner went away on a long holiday, leaving his car with a friend, with instructions to turn it over occasionally. He came back to a dead battery, and after he replaced that he still could not start it. He left it at a garage for repair, but eventually (after a year!) brought it back home still not working. The windows were half open and do not respond to any of the switches. I bought it at a good price (as by now he just wanted shut of it), and started investigating. Whether the immobiliser had originally been wet when it first failed to start, I don't know, but it was when I received it. I dried it off, and gently brushed off some minor corrosion, but it is the same. The alarm doesn't sound, the windows won't move, the front and rear boot won't open (although the front has been opened, and is being kept open). The doors won't open with the fob, but will with the key. All the dash lights up, ventilation system works, radio lights up (but needs a code), but the engine will not crank. I have charged the battery, and changed the battery in the fob, all to no avail. Looking at all the receipts that came with the car, a fortune has been spent in the last five years, and I have no wish to add to that by just taking it to the local Porsche garage, and asking them to sort it out. I have tried all of the button pressing and battery reversal routines which I have read on various forums, non of which worked. I have had a local mechanic take a look at it, but he couldn't get his diagnostic computer to even recognise it.This is from a guy who rescued a Boxster from the sea, half submerged, and got it to work! I suppose my question is; without towing the car off to a garage, is it possible to remove the immobiliser and the ecu, and send these off with the key to have these tested without being in the car? There is a company in France that seems to break a lot of Boxsters, that sells the immobilier, ecu and key internals as a set. If these were for the right year and model, and for a Tiptronic, is this a simple plug and play, or does the car need to go back to Porsche to be 'programmed'? I am in a similar position (as the thread starter) of not wanting to spend too much to resolve this issue (if at all possible) as I am still not sure of being able to resolve 'paperwork issues' which currently haunt the vehicle - a USA import that went to the Middle East and then to Europe! I really don't want to break the car for parts as I really would like to drive it.