Any Ideas lost keys

[Wayne]

Anybody got any ideas please?

unfortunately I' ve had the complete set of keys, immobiliser and remote button stolen for my 993. So now have no access to my car at all.
My car is currently locked and immobilised in my garage at home. The keys were stolen from my ' other' car while on holiday in Spain recently so I' m not so worried about the security aspect.
My problem is that my local OPC is quoting me around £1100 + VAT to replace the alarm and immobiliser, this figure doesn' t include collection of the car from my garage. OPC tell me this is the only solution as you can' t buy direct replacements, especially the alarm button as it' s all in sync with the ECU system in the car. So a whole new system will have to be installed and the ECU re-programmed to accept the new system.
At the end of the day this may be the only solution, but £1100 + VAT is a lot of money, so I thought I' d ask if anybody has any other ideas or options?

Thanks in anticipation!!!

 

[Helen Goff]

do you not have a spare set of key' s?

 

[harry]

Does household insurance cover it? You had your keys stolen abroad, right? Doesn' t hurt to ask the insurers-all they can say is no[]
What happened to your spares, anyway?
Harry

 

[Guest]

Hi Wayne

I had the same happen a year or so ago. I claimed on my car insurance. New locks were fitted within a week.

Hope this helps.

MikeR
(I wont ask about a spare set, you obviously do' nt have any)

 

[Wayne]

Sadly my household or holiday insurance doesn' t cover it. both have special clauses excluding car keys, probably for the very reason that reflects the cost of my problem right now.

No spare keys unfortunately, however I have learnt that hindesight is a marvelous thing!

 

[Guest]

Don' t know if it works for the 993 but i got a spare key for my Boxster S by providing the engine and chassis number at an OPC. The keys come from Stuttgart, where they have the records of the ECU, Engine No etc. Shouldn' t need to replace whole security system.

 

[Wayne]

I quizzed the OPC around this as I would have thought that providing the relevant chassis and engine serial numbers would solve the problem and spares could be provided. However the OPC insist this is not possible with the 993 and the PA1000/2000 Porsche alarm system fitted to these cars.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

I' d try calling another couple of OPC' s if I were you...

 

[Taverner]

Hi,

When I purchased my 993 I was given a gadget called " The Red Master" This allows the owner to programme additional remote handsets, up to a maximum of 4. to his system. When I read the instructions for use it seems you need to be a rocket scientist to make it work, but so beit, so far I have had no need to use it. Neither have I checked to see if I could buy the additional " Blank" remote unit.

I presume that with this gadget I could go to my OPC man, buy just the remote handset and programme it to my system. Perhaps you do not have this gadget either. When I bought my car I was told that it was quite unusual that a second hand car still had the " Red Master" .

If I lost all my keys I presume that I would buy a new remote, programme it and then just replace the locks. I hope I never have to test this.

Overall not very helpful to you in your problem, but just advising what I have. I also received a spare set of keys.

Good luck,

 

[willstatt]

Read a similar thread on www.911uk.com (excellent site) and have copied the following:


I forgot to mention that my PAJ is LHD import. Apparently as Dunc mentioned, the PA1000/PA2000 systems for UK 993' s were from a firm called Hamilton and Palmer based in Sevenoaks kent. Their system differs enough from the LHD that the alarm board can be removed, sent to H&P, and remapped with 2 new fobs and a spare (red one). He suspects that for LHD this is not the case and would be far more costly an exercise

Basically if you' ve got a uk car, sounds like you can get full new set from these people. I haven' t tried them myself yet, but will be doing, because although I have two sets of keys, I only have one remote, and no ' red master' and just know that one day i' m going to be stranded!

If you contact them, please let me know how you get on

Will

 

[Wayne]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies and suggestions to date. I have been told by several OPC' s that without the' red master' I' m stuffed, as this is the magic key that allows the programming to take place. I of course have niether a spare set or the ' red master' !

I will try Hamilton and Palmer as suggested, thanks for that, I' ll let you know if it' s succesful!

 

[Wayne]

Hi again,

Spoke with Hamilton and Palmers and it seems that it is possible to resolve the problem cheaper than OPC would suggest. For £180 + vat the alarm motherboard can be swapped and this will solve the problem. As H&P are in Kent and I' m in Bristol they will also need to add £140 + vat travelling, however this is still a lot cheaper in total than the OPC suggestion of changing the whole alarm system. I will still need to get a replacement ignition key from OPC at £45 + vat and the immobiliser key at £20 + vat, but for a new total of £385 + vat I can now get my car back on the road. YIPEEEE. Far better than the £1100 + vat from OPC.

It does seem the ' red master' is the key that could resolve all this agro and expense, so if you have one don' t loose it, if you don' t have one don' t loose your alarm key.

FYI... H+P' s phone number is 01732 760022 spoke to a helpful chap called Jim.

I' ll let you know how it all goes. Thanks again for your help on this, especially willstat who came up with this suggestion.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

for a new total of £385 + vat I can now get my car back on the road. YIPEEEE. Far better than the £1100 + vat from OPC.

I think the membership fee gives value for money...Don' t you?[]

 

[Wayne]

I agree,

Good Value and good people!

 

[willstatt]

Wayne, brilliant news.... so glad I remembered that thread! Must now get on to them myself, because although my problem not quite as dire as yours was, my one remote control is decidedly dodgy and I just know it will pack up soon, and leave me in a mess, and, like you, I never had a ' red master' key with my car.

Will

 

[Wayne]

Just for anybody interested, still not got car back on the road, the alarm system motherboard is on back order with a delivery time of 3-4 weeks! So I've just got to be patient!

 

[willstatt]

Yes, I was wondering how you'd got on actually! That's a bummer.... but would be interested to know how good/efficient their service is once the job is done.

Hope it comes into stock soon!

Will

 

[Wayne]

Just to finish the story!
I'm now back on the road - YAHOOOOO!!!
The deal worked out better than planned. After speaking with Hamilton & Palmer I thought I'd go back to OPC to tell them that the motherboard could be replaced, it's not necassary to replace the whole alarm system. They checked, agreed, offered to do the job for £180 for motherboard and £80 for fitting, £60 cheaper than H&P. They then gave 10% discount on top of that, so end result not half as bad as initially thought. Oh, the motherboard comes with that 'infamous' red master key, so I now have one of those too!
Thanks again to all who contributed to getting this far, especially Will for passing on the Hamilton and Palmer link. In total it saved me £1046.50 from where I first started - Brilliant!

 

[Guest]

Good news! what a nightmare

I discovered some 993s have the red master and some don't (my 1995 doesn't) I assume there where different security systems over the years.

I have a factory imobiliser key (plug into the slot for a couple of beeps) and then use the ignition key as normal. Bit of a fiddle, but I feel safer in the knowledge that I can get copies of the immobiliser and ignition keys made up easily. May not be as secure though.

 

[Guest]

Chaps

Have to say that if nothing else, this says a lot about the OPC - you could easily have spent four times as much, if not more, because they did not know the options. This is why most people get so frustrtaed with OPC's because it appears that other specialists know more. To be able to come down from 1100 to the final amount illustrates their lack of knowledge. Sorry, but of this was me I'd pretty hacked off with the OPC who obviously don't know much...