When I open my door at the end of a journey, the alarm beeps twice. Same sound as when you try to lock with a lid open.

An ideas please?

Marty (UK) 1999 Boxster 2.5 manual

Be sure the door bottoms -- carpeted area -- are dry. If water gets over in the dry side it can cause all sorts of electrical gremlins but they start out associated with the door, door lock and window, affecting the normal behavior these.

If the door bottoms are dry the symptoms can arise from a failing (failed) door lock controller. This is a rather large and sophisticated box that is part electronics and part mechanical. If this is acting up a tech with a Porsche diagnostics computer can query for any error codes -- these are *not* OBD2 codes but come from the security system and are Porsche proprietary -- and from this confirm the unit is acting up or if the problem lies elsewhere, a door handle switch or even a door latch switch.

Does the window drop about a half an inch when you pull on either handle but do not open the door? When you release the handle -- again before you have pulled the handle enough to cause the door to open -- does the window go back up again? If you open the door does the window stay down? When you close the door does the window go back up?

Because the door lock controller is rather expensive -- it is the most expensive item in the door -- you want to be sure the door lock controller is the problem before you have it replaced.

Hi Marc, thanks a million for your advice, it's much appreciated.

Here is a better description of the symptoms:

When I press the key fob to un-lock - it opens OK but then gives two beeps.

Inside the car when I press the central locking switch - I hear a protracted mechanical actuation of the door locks, in both doors.

If I press the central locking to turn it off - I get two beeps and the little red light stays on.

Parked up when I press the fob to lock - I get two beeps with a bit of mechanical noise but it doesn't lock. A second press makes it lock OK, with the normal meaty mechanical noise.

The windows drop and rise as normal.

Marty (UK) 1999 Boxster 2.5 manual

... seen this particular behavior.
Generally when you try to lock the car and one or both of the door locking mechanisms is bad the car will try to lock, won’t successfully and will beep twice.
Have you checked the condition of your CLU under the driver’s seat?
It’s acting as if it’s trying to first lock instead of open.
I would still consider the locking mechanism if the CLU’s circuit board is clean and dry.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Hi Pedro,

I took it to a tech. today and it refused to act up..! His Porsche computer couldn't detect anything wrong, as the car seemed ok. He spray lubed the door locks saying it could just be one (prob drivers side) sticking.

All seems well now so all I can do is keep an eye on it.

Oh, the footwell is bone dry under the seat.

Marty (UK) 1999 Boxster 2.5 manual

Guess what? It's playing up again...

This morning I pressed the boot release fob button, the boot popped open with two beeps.

Inside the car the red locking light was already on, and pressing to turn it off just got two beeps.

At work the doors locked perfectly.

Marty (UK) 1999 Boxster 2.5 manual

If it's a 986, are you having any issues with turning, inserting and removing your ignition key?

I have a friend who had locking / unlocking problems and a few other electrical gremlins with his 996. It turned out to be the electrical part of the ignition switch.

I’m pretty sure that the two beeps are due to a bad door locking mechanism.
When you open the boot using the remote, the car opens the door locks as well.
It’s as if you unlocked it.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

A PST2 or PIWIS will tell you what the fault is.

Quote
marty
Guess what? It's playing up again...

This morning I pressed the boot release fob button, the boot popped open with two beeps.

Inside the car the red locking light was already on, and pressing to turn it off just got two beeps.

At work the doors locked perfectly.

Unfortunately the symptoms being intermittent is based on my experience a characteristic of a bad door lock controller. it did seem like the symptoms were more likely to happen at work. I sort of kind of remember thinking at the time the car needed to sit out in the sun some time. At home at least on work days if the car sat out it did so overnight and was cool.

For a good amount of time I thought the two beeps when locking the car was a center console door latch switch acting up. This belief was helped by after I'd open then close the console door the two beeps would not repeat. Or if just before I locked the car I had just been in the rear trunk to get something out I'd open and close the rear trunk lid. The thinking was a rear trunk lid latch switch was acting up. Kind of accepted this as by this time the car had considerable miles on it and I thought the switches might be wearing out. I had already dealt with a worn out brake light switch and a clutch interlock switch.

But at some point other odd behavior appeared. The doors locking on their own and the door lock button on the center stack lighting up on its own. I'd press this to unlock the doors and sometimes get the two beeps and towards the end after just a moment or two after unlocking the doors I'd hear the doors lock again on their own and LED would light up.

Another odd behavior was the passenger window failing to drop when the door was opened. Or worse, dropping but after the door was open a moment or two going back up again. It was this behavior that prompted me to get the car in for a diagnosis of the cause.

The replacement door lock arrived today. Not genuine Porsche but it looks substantial.

I'm searching for a decent article on how to swop the lock mech. Anything?

Marty (UK) 1999 Boxster 2.5 manual

Try this: [www.pelicanparts.com]