factory alarm

Have recently purchased a low mileage 1985 Carrera with (what I believe to be) the factory alarm system. The key has been lost along the way, and I want to know if its worth the trouble to remove the alarm lock from the drivers door & have a key made?
Has anyone had experience with these alarm systems... do they work properly or are they buggy to begin with and not worth the trouble? Also, does anyone know if there's a way to test my system without the key, so I can see if the unit actually works before tearing the door apart?
Thanks... jlex.

jlex:

It is not too much trouble to get a replacement, and you will be happy that you did. To answer your questions:

1. The alarm system works wonderfully, but it is manually set, not with a "modern" push- the-button type of key. Once set, the alarm will sound if you open any of the doors, or trunck or engine lids, and if you try to use the starter motor. Those four things are alarmed.

2. You cannot test the system without the key. But with the key, you can arm the system, shut the door (don't have to lock it), then reopen the door. The alarm will sound. To silence the alarm, just reinsert the key, and "unlock" it. The alarm will go off.

3. You do not have to remove the door liner to get a new key. Call Tony Euganeo at 610.461.0519 and he should be able to answer all your questions. This alarm key is a special blank, and your door key will not be the same. But Tony can fix you up....Andras

Thanks for the reference, Andras.
Called Tony just now. I'll need to send $38 to him for a new lock & keys. Will need to undo the door liner & swap the old lock for the new to get the job done. He will need the old lock (core) in exchange. Tony adds that the old lock cannot simply be taken out & the wires jumped while a new key is made, as a certain resistance is needed as provided by the replacement lock or else the engine won't start.
Again, thanks for the quick response and the referral.
Regards, jlex.

I just did this on my 86 Carrera. It was really a breeze. I bought a new key/unit and paid more than $30 so the deal sounds good. I tried to get some Porsche dealers to rekey it for me and they would not...s.o I bought the whole unit. Takes about 1/2 hour. I don't use the system much unless I have to leave the car somewhere (airport or such) overnight. It definitely works. Luckily, car theft is not prevalent here.
britt

Britt:
So you bought the whole thing... key, lock, AND alarm system?
As I don't have a book on the thing, how does it work.... is there a delay period after you open the door where you get to disarm it? What does it do to let you know its armed?
What happens if its tripped... horn, lights, what?
Thanks for the comments.
Jlex.

Oops. I may have miscommunicated. I actually just bought a new lock and key assembly. The alarm system was still in the car and fully functional. It does not have a delay when you open the door and it is on. It is disabled with a seperate key so having the alarm key in your other hand when you open the door is handy to shorten the time the car is going nuts.
britt

Britt:

Actually, even though the alarm does not have a delay that allows you to open the door ALL THE WAY, you can merely unlock the door, open it enough to make the ket slot visible and accessible, and then place the alarm key in the slot and disarm it.

If you open the door TOO far, it will set off the alarm, but even then, by merely disarmming the system, the alarm will shut off.

Admittedly this is a very rudimentary system, but let's remember that this was in 1983 or thereabouts, and electronics have come a long way since then.

jlex:

The alarm system does not DO anything to indicate that it is armmed. You have no way of knowing that it is armmed, except to put your trust in Porsche AG. I know this sounds ancient, but see my comments about age.

As to what happens when it's tripped, all it does is honk the horn, which is separate from your steering wheel horns. The alarm horn is concealed beneath (above ?) the metal cover which covers the steering box (the cover with the four allen-head screws). The theory is that theives can't find it, must remove the cover to get to the horn, and thus you are safe.

Would love to asnwer any other questions for you, so don't hesitate to ask.......Andras

This alarm is very old and basic at best. The thing that you will find happening is that you will accidently shut the door on the key (did it several times) and mess up the paint on the door jam. If you really want to use the factory system, get several (more than two) keys and be very careful. In two years of using mine I finally stopped after messing up the paint the last time and just rely on the "Club" on the steering wheel.

Good luck,

JA

You can open the door up to the point of releasing the lighting switch. The alrm circuit is grounded by the inner lighting switches. The key can be copied by a locksmith. Here in Switzerland, I found out that a key blank for a FIAT is about the same, only a little thicker. Some sandpaper corrected this.
My $0.02, GeorgeK

Thanks to all for the informative posts... finding this bulletin board is really terrific! Will be sending money out today for a new lock & key set so I can see firsthand how this primative system operates!
Regards to all.. jlex.

As a sidenote, you can still keep the OE alarm and upgrade it with a quality remote controlled system. Since my car is rarely out of my sight, the factory is AOK for my purposes.