Question 1

I lost all my keys to my 2018 Panamera. Can you make a new one without a working key?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is one of the more involved jobs in the mobile locksmith world, but it is a standard procedure for a tech equipped for European vehicles at this level.

All-keys-lost on the 971 Panamera requires reading the vehicle's immobilizer data directly, because there is no working key to use as a seed. That typically means pulling the relevant control module, reading the security data off the board with a bench adapter, generating the key credentials from that data, then reinstalling the module and enrolling the new fob through the OBD port. The emergency blade also gets cut to the vehicle during the same visit.

The whole on-site process runs roughly two to three hours depending on access. No tow needed. We come to wherever the car is sitting, including parking lots and marina lots around National City.

Porsche dealers are not always faster. Parts can take time to arrive, and if your car is not driveable in the meantime, you are waiting on their timeline, not yours.

Question 2

Does a Panamera with no keys have to be towed to the dealer?

Accepted Answer

No. Dealers will sometimes present that as the only path. It is not.

A mobile locksmith with the right equipment for European platforms can handle all-keys-lost on the 971 Panamera on site. The procedure is more involved than a simple fob programming job, but it does not require a dealer lift, a dealer service bay, or a tow truck. We work from a service van. If the car is parked and accessible, we can work on it where it sits.

What the dealer has is a parts pipeline and factory software. What they do not always have is speed or flexibility. If you are in National City and the car is not going anywhere, a tow adds time and cost before the real work even starts.

Question 3

How long does an all-keys-lost job take on a 2018 Panamera?

Accepted Answer

Budget two to three hours on site. The 971 Panamera AKL procedure is not a quick OBD flash. Reading the immobilizer data requires bench work on the module, and the reinstall and enrollment sequence adds time on top of that. Then every function gets tested before the job is called done.

That said, two to three hours at your location beats a multi-day dealer wait by a wide margin, especially if the key has to be sourced and shipped before they even start programming.

Question 4

My Panamera fob battery is fresh but the car keeps showing a key warning. What is going on?

Accepted Answer

A new battery does not always clear a key warning on these, and that trips people up. A few things can cause it even with a good battery.

First, check that the CR2032 is seated flat and making clean contact. The battery tray on the 971-generation fob can let the cell sit slightly off-axis after a pry-open, and the contacts look fine visually but the connection is intermittent.

Second, the fob casing on these develops hairline cracks over time, especially near the hinge area. A cracked shell lets the internal board flex slightly, which can interrupt the antenna loop even if the battery reads fine.

Third, the vehicle's key antenna network has multiple receiver points around the cabin and door handles. If passive entry is failing only on certain doors or only from certain distances, that starts pointing toward an antenna or receiver issue on the vehicle side rather than the fob itself.

If the car shows the warning but still starts when you hold the fob close to the start area, that is a useful data point. Range is gone but the key is still enrolled. That pattern usually means fob hardware rather than an immobilizer problem.

Question 5

Can I buy a replacement fob online and just have you program it?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes, but the 2018 Panamera is one of the vehicles where I would pump the brakes on that plan.

The short version: fob sourcing matters on this platform. There are aftermarket units that will pair to the car and pass basic function tests, but the passive entry hardware inside does not match what the vehicle expects. You end up with a fob that locks and unlocks by button but never triggers the hands-free door access. That is not a programming fix. The fob has to be replaced with a correctly spec'd unit.

If you already bought one, bring it. I will tell you honestly whether it is workable before we start. But if you have not bought yet, let me source the fob. It saves the back-and-forth.

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