How to Start a Porsche with a Dead Key Fob
Starting Your Porsche
- But first, if you are still locked out, click here for help getting inside!
- Second, for video help, click here!
- Finally, if you need or want another manufacturer, click here.
The Porsche Entry & Drive System may or may not feature a dummy key that needs to be turned to start the vehicle. If your vehicle does not have this key, the car’s key fob, even if its internal battery is dead and won’t let you in, will start the car. It will be recognized once placed into the ignition switch.
If there is a dummy key, it will need to be removed in order to use the key fob in the ignition. The owner’s manual holds a somewhat complicated set of removal instructions that will leave you exposed and vulnerable for far too long. Ignore the instructions and do the following.
Make two attempts to start the car normally. The car’s instrument panel will then note that the dummy key can now be pulled away. Once this is done, the vehicle’s key fob can be inserted into the ignition switch and the car started normally. The fob will be recognized even if the fob’s internal battery is dead.
Click here for videos of both the open and start processes.
Porsche Hybrid
The Panamera Hybrid continues the use of a dummy key in the ignition. However, if the fob’s battery is dead, a new process is needed, which includes the use of a back up location for the fob.
Lay the key fob, buttons up, in the compartment in the front of the center console to the left of the cup holders. Turn the ignition dummy key to the start position (position 2) and back to off. Turn the dummy key back to the start position a second time and the vehicle will start. The instrument panel will also acknowledge that the key fob has been recognized.
… Back to Part I, Getting In
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY