I have 2 black key fobs with the car. One that came with the car and one that is a clone. Both have new batteries and I only use one at a time. The fob indicator light glows bright when pushed, but the immobilizer does not always turn off (sometimes works right away, sometimes it takes multiple attempts). The dash light appears to operate properly - flashes when immobilized and solid when the immobilizer is turned off. Does this mean the siren unit needs to be replaced? Where else could the problem be?
The contents of your original fob's and the clone's EEPROMs are identical. Every time you press the button on one fob, the rolling code in the EEPROM advances and the one in the other fob is now behind the count one cycle. So use one fob 10 times, and it will probably take 11 times pressing the button on the other fob to find a code the Alarm ECU has not already seen. Works just like the rolling code in a garage door opener so nobody can record the signal and use it to open your garage door when you are gone. Best way to use a clone is to alternate using it every other time you drive. That way, neither fob gets out of sequence more than a few button presses. There are 67,600 possible rolling code combinations for the fob. Use one for a year with the other in a drawer and you may have a lot of button pressing to do. These fobs also use old fashioned alkaline batteries unlike the lithium watch batteries in most modern fobs, so they need to be replaced regularly. Ferrari recommends every 6 months, but for the average Ferrari driver, once a year is probably fine. Do it on your birthday or some date you can remember. Pinch the contacts closed before battery insertion and spin the battery to make sure you have a good connection. The batteries are heavy and tend to spread the contacts from motion. More details in the attached document. Think I will make a copy of this so I do not have to keep repeating it. You have new batteries, but I would still check and make sure the contacts are making a good connection. Incidentally, the siren only affects the beeps and the red LED lamp in normal operation. It will not normally prevent the immobilizer and alarm from disarming. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I only use one fob (the clone fob is a backup) and have replaced the battery several times dreaming it was the source of the problem. Does the 993 turbo have the same system? I have never had a problem with that one. Anyone else have this problem and replace the siren unit?
Make sure the fob battery is making good contact and there is no corrosion on the fob contacts. Your clone is way out of sequence now. When the immobilizer is disarmed, the LED should be off. When you turn the ignition switch to on, you can check and see if the self-check is working. The LED should come on for 6 seconds when the switch is moved to on (II), and then go off. If the LED is staying on, the alarm siren battery is likely shot. Search alarm siren for more info than you will ever need on the siren.
I actually have a problem with my key fobs. Since purchasing my 575 last year I have only used 1 key fob until I took my car out of storage this April, and when the battery was dead in that one I used, I tried the other only to discover that it was not working. The reseller where I got the car told me that they have someone who comes in every once in a while that can fix or clone the key fobs and they will advise me in advance so that I can bring both mine in and they can fix the 2nd one, but so far, over 2 months later, this mysterious key fob repair man has not shown up. I am concerned because I am afraid soon or later I am going to get stuck because of this. Clyde
I doubt that, the dealer tried it over and over and it wouldn't work Clyde Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
thanks Taz, when driving the car (with the immobilizer off), should the red dash LED be solid on or off? Mine stays on the whole time-
The red dash LED should be off when the immobilizer is off and you're driving the car. As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the early symptoms of a siren failure.
Somehow, I get the feeling I am not communicating very well. Clyde- I doubt there is anyone out there fixing fobs. Cloning, yes, fixing, no.
No Taz I don't, as you may recall from a separate thread, my manuals are weirdly from another 575. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Clyde- Have you changed the batteries and made sure they are making good connections with corrosion free terminals/contacts? See the attached document above for battery recommendations.
Taz I changed the batteries in both key fobs, the first one worked, the second didn't, and then I noticed the screw to secure the key fob is missing in the 2nd, could that be the reason? It appears to have corrosion free terminals/contacts Clyde Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Clyde- No, that should not make a difference. Just make sure the terminals/contacts have not spread from the battery bouncing around. On the non-working one, put in a different battery if the LED is not flashing brightly when you press the button. A dud battery is always a possibility. I have a hundred or so of the little screws. Send me your address to [email protected] and I will drop a few in an envelope for you.
Thanks Taz will do. Btw, I'm loving the feel with the MSW steering ECU, thanks for recommending it! Out of curiosity, do you know how it differs from the FHP steering ECU that Bratman had installed? I'll double check the non-functioning key fobs contacts Clyde Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Clyde- No difference, the contents of the EEPROM from an FHP hydraulic steering ECU are copied and written into the EEPROM in the ECU you received. The only ones that differ are some that Dave and John made custom maps for, but not sure they sold any of those, and the switchable ECUs that had both the standard and FHP settings selectable from two EEPROMs/ECUs.
Thanks for the explanation Terry, so that means that there is no advantage to eventually switching to the original Ferrari supplied FHP Steering ECU other than possibly retaining some type of originality for a long term buyer. I'll stick with MSW's as the steering feel is much better than what I originally had anyway. I see that MSW offer a catalytic converter digital ECU, though I am not quite sure what advantage that would give the car? Clyde Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Clyde- As buried as that ECU is, its originality will never be a problem, just like shock ECU 201674 in mine will never be one, either. Who besides us lunatic fringers would even know the difference?
Terry I just arrived home tonight to find a letter from you in the mail with extra screws for the key fob, a lifetime supply in fact . Thank you so much! Clyde
Hey Terry: Do you still have extra screws for the remotes? If so I could use a couple. Also, My battery died, and after replacing it with a new die hard, the two black fobs became in-op. I tried the programming routine you published, perhaps I'm doing it wrong? The red fob works fine and i have the 4 digit code. Cheers Mark
