Main Battery? Door lock/unlock changes...

[mwiadro]

Whenever my wife borrows my 04' CS, the previous settings re door unlock (all) seem to revert back to 'single' door unlock. I've changed batteries in both our fobs, and made sure to set preferences before turning car off.

Is this a symptom the main battery is starting to die?

[mudman2]

Could well be but I would make sure that both keys are set up correctly. On an 04 your main battery is way past due in age alone. I would replace it before anything more serious starts to happen

[mwiadro]

Thank you, mudman2.

I've had the car one year - purchased from original owner w/ 63K miles. It had 2/3 C's done by dealer (coils and cardan shaft) and the updated transfer case. (Build date was 12/03.) So far, good. Other than the weird door lock behavior...I've also been unable to program the home-link garage transmitter and occasionally had a couple instances of erratic windshield wiper. Could they also be symptomatic of a failing main battery?

[mudman2]

The home link on that model is notoriously hard to program. As I recall lots of tries and waving the sender around and about the roof switch was required. Much was written about it, don't think the battery would cause that issue. What do you mean by erratic wiper behavior ?

Edited November 24, 2011 by mudman2

[mwiadro]

The windshield wipers, when left in the auto sensing position, won't always start to sense rain. I will have to move the stalk to the 'off' position and then back to the auto sensing position for them to start. Once they start, they seem to work ok.

[mudman2]

Sounds like a dumb bad battery effect, certainly battery first anyway and see what happens

[odix]

I agree with Mudman -- time for a battery change.

Regarding your wiper issue with rain sensing. What you describe is normal. Scan you manual and you'll see the setting detail, toggling off and on is required depending on the setting -- where the stalk is.

[mcbit500]

^^^

Now I never knew that. :)

[mwiadro]

Will be changing battery this week and will post results - thanks for all the input!

[deilenberger]

The home link on that model is notoriously hard to program. As I recall lots of tries and waving the sender around and about the roof switch was required. Much was written about it, don't think the battery would cause that issue. What do you mean by erratic wiper behavior ?

I haven't studied the Porsche instructions, but BMW uses the same Homelink setup.. and the instructions given by BMW were incomplete. I found complete instructions on the Homelink website.

Basically - if you have a "learning" garage door opener - it has to be put into learn mode to recognize the new transmitter. I believe the usual Homelink receiver (mounted on the back of your garage door opener - with the little antenna wire hanging down) can learn 10 transmitters. There is a button on the receiver to trigger learning mode. Once triggered you have something like 30 seconds to go hit the button you want it to learn on the transmitter.

I usually open the garage door, put a stepladder under the opener, then pull the vehicle up to the entry of the garage and leave it running. I then climb the ladder, push the learn button, climb down, run to the car and push the Homelink button I want to use. About 90% of the time this works first shot.. once the receiver learns that transmitter, they are then sync'd with rolling codes (change every time you use the Homelink.) I forget if the Homelink maintains the code when the battery is disconnected, but I'll find out today since SWMBO's BMW-touring is getting a new battery..

BTW - I did the Cayenne without even looking for instructions by basically doing what I described above.

The waving around of a remote for the garage door opener is only for older systems that have a fixed code, and no learning mode. In that case, you're teaching the Homelink transmitter in the car what the radio code the remote sends to the receiver. These systems are easily hacked, and that's why there are rolling code systems. Trying to do this with a rolling code unit will have no good effect whatsoever.. you're wasting your time. Many of the old remote systems can be replaced with a rolling code receiver/transmitter for little money. Google is your friend to find out how on your particular system.

Look at the receiver on your garage door - the "learn" button on mine is red - and easily spotted.

Good luck! (And the wipers are working exactly as they are supposed to.. that "feature" is to keep them from turning on by themselves if you take the car through a carwash with the wiper in the auto-wipe position..)

Edited December 5, 2011 by deilenberger

[mudman2]

That complaint originally was not universal. We were all referred to the Homelink site for the instructions by the dealers at the time. Some vehicles just refused to program, on fixed or rolling code openers.

Mine was a ***** to get done, one of the reasons I never moved house haha.

On my new ride the programming was a peace of cake, much better design under there I think.

It may have also had something to do with the feeble range of the original keys and Kessy set up, there were people who NEVER got the opener to work and gave up.

[mwiadro]

Changed battery [could Porsche have make it any more inconvenient/difficult?] and was amazed to see it was the original, dated 2003. Long past due for a change -

[odix]

Indeed Cayenne battery location is a pain but it helps the vehicles perform the way they do -- batteries are surprisingly heavy and having them located mid-wheelbase is solid engineering.

Check out the CTEK chargers -- they can dramatically extend the life and heath of your battery.

PS - cool that you changed your own battery, i was lazy and paid way too much for someone else to do it.

Edited December 8, 2011 by odix

[holedigger]

The reason that I joined this forum was because of a battery issue with my CS. $125 for a battery and $4 for the tool and an hour of my time was well worth it!!!!

Edited December 8, 2011 by holedigger

[lminer]

Thank you, mudman2.

I've had the car one year - purchased from original owner w/ 63K miles. It had 2/3 C's done by dealer (coils and cardan shaft) and the updated transfer case. (Build date was 12/03.) So far, good. Other than the weird door lock behavior...I've also been unable to program the home-link garage transmitter and occasionally had a couple instances of erratic windshield wiper. Could they also be symptomatic of a failing main battery?

Will the Dealership do the C'S Carden and coils under warranty? MY car is also a 03 and I don't know if the P.O. had any of this issues completed. That would be way kewl if they would. It now has 84k.

[mwiadro]

Iminer - I would have your local dealer run the VIN. They can/should provide you with a history of any work done under warranty. I cannot comment on whether they will offer you 'good will' credit now that you're out of warranty. I can suggest you become a contributing member - the site is a life saver (and $ saver) for all - and review the TSB's for your MY. Lots of great info/ammo to negotiate with a dealer. Also recommend befriending a savvy, experienced independent mechanic for second opinions :)

[mwiadro]

Battery change has not affected the lock/unlock behavior. Whenever my wife uses her fob, the preferred settings revert back to default.

[odix]

I had this issue once -- I think I resolved by changing batteries on both fobs and then I set-up each-key identically (including seat settings) on two different drives and then replicated the entire process with the CTEK/charger in. Then I set-up the seat the way I wanted on one fob and left the other alone and all was well after. Hopefully this makes sense. The lock settings are not supposed to be tied to specific keys -- they are a universal settings -- but occasionally switching between keys resets universal settings.

[mwiadro]

Solved my Homelink programming woes - after referencing a couple different threads it appears even if you have a rolling code garage door opener, you have to first 'program' the remote to your desired Homelink button. Then press the 'learn' button on the garage door unit and pair with your Homelink button. Took thirty seconds once I had the correct order of operations. Here's the quick and dirty:

1.) Press outside Homelink buttons for 20 seconds to reset;

2.) Press garage door opener and pair to Homelink button;

3.) Press 'learn' button on opener and pair with same Homelink button.