Question about "onboard computer"

[rsfeller]

just took delivery tonight of my 97 986 and other then a an airbag light, everything has checked out great. will get the durametric software on it tomorrow to see if it pulls a specific code for that.

anyways...i'm reading the manual explaining the OBC on american spec cars and note that mine doesn't have the stalk to control this. obviously this is why the "hacks" exsist for this.

this car has the sport package with tranction control. it done's have memory seats. i'm curious to what package included the stalk for the OBC, or did no US spec cars have the stalk for this year contrary to what the manual says?

just thought it's "odd" the car has the computer functionalty w/o the simple stalk instalation!

any comments ont he OBC or lack thereof would be appricated.

[Tool Pants]

I have a 1997 with the sport package and it did not come with the OBC stalk. I did the retrofit.

The sport touring package came with the OBC stalk, and other stuff. This package was a $6,680 option back then.

I do not remember traction control as being part of a package back then.

My car has had 2 air bag light fixes. The last was about 5 years ago and no light since then. This is a typical issue on the older cars. As is the ignition switch if yours has not already been replaced.

[rsfeller]

I have a 1997 with the sport package and it did not come with the OBC stalk. I did the retrofit.

The sport touring package came with the OBC stalk, and other stuff. This package was a $6,680 option back then.

I do not remember traction control as being part of a package back then.

My car has had 2 air bag light fixes. The last was about 5 years ago and no light since then. This is a typical issue on the older cars. As is the ignition switch if yours has not already been replaced.

boy you are going to be helping me quite a bit!

I did just find the original window sticker and the heated seats and TC were seperate line items.

Any idea what the air bag light fix was? did you have a Porche dealer do it or an indie? I'll be curious to see how detailed the Duremetric software gets with this. I know one of the functions they advertise is the ability to turn on/off the air bags. I'm assuming this is only for the pass. side for the "kiddie seat".

The ignition switch seams fine at this time but I have read much on it already. The wife said she felt it was hard to turn when she test drove it tonight...any chance it being "hard" to turn as an early failure sign...or does it just fall apart in the backside as I have read?

Shawn

[Tool Pants]

The seat belt buckles on the early cars had tin plated electrical contacts. Porsche switched to gold plated years ago. There is a kit with new buckles and ground wires. That kit was put in by the dealer for the second fix and no problems since then. This is the most common reason for the light. My car was long out of warranty but it was done as "goodwill." I don't think Porsche does this for free anymore. The other problem is a bad control unit - but that is far less common.

If you look in the 996 section of this board there is a guy who cleaned the tin plated contacts with electrical cleaner and he said the light is off. You might try that and then turn the light off with the Duremetric and see if it comes back on.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;#entry50435

[rsfeller]

The seat belt buckles on the early cars had tin plated electrical contacts. Porsche switched to gold plated years ago. There is a kit with new buckles and ground wires. That kit was put in by the dealer for the second fix and no problems since then. This is the most common reason for the light. My car was long out of warranty but it was done as "goodwill." I don't think Porsche does this for free anymore. The other problem is a bad control unit - but that is far less common.

If you look in the 996 section of this board there is a guy who cleaned the tin plated contacts with electrical cleaner and he said the light is off. You might try that and then turn the light off with the Duremetric and see if it comes back on.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;#entry50435

Thanks. Just found TSB 6924.

I know that airbag and seat belt TSB can still be active 10 years down the road on some cars. Does anyone have knowledge of this?

I had a 10 year old Vw that they still did a fuel line fix for!

Shawn

[986Jim]

My car does not have the OBC either, but the dealer turned on the outside temperature display for me which was all that I was really interested in. Once its turned on you get it all the time.

[rhregis]

Jim, Did the dealer charge you anything to turn on the OBC?

[986Jim]

Jim, Did the dealer charge you anything to turn on the OBC?

NO because I know guys who work there. They may for you though, prob the same as pulling your ce light. Honestly its worth it even if you pay, knowing the temp is a nice touch really. I look at it all the time.

[rhregis]

I have to take it in for a couple of things (it is still under warranty) so I'll ask the service rep to turn it on. Nothing additional is needed correct? Just ask them to turn it on?

Edited September 6, 2006 by rhregis

[Tool Pants]

The instrument cluster changed in 2001. If you have the OBC turned on for a 2001-2004 you will not see anything unless you retrofit a switch or stalk. And with a 2003-4 there is an extra step that usually needs to be done before it can be turned on.

[rhregis]

I have an '03 so I guess I am out of luck. Bummer.... Thanks for the response.

[Tool Pants]

If they are not going to charge you you can have it turned on and then maybe later do the retrofit.

[Nick_USA]

The instrument cluster changed in 2001. If you have the OBC turned on for a 2001-2004 you will not see anything unless you retrofit a switch or stalk. And with a 2003-4 there is an extra step that usually needs to be done before it can be turned on.

...and the extra step is ?

[Tool Pants]

http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.a...4-6364E3DC2C21} Need to put the 6 digit order type in the DME. The first 2003 Peter turned on for me turned on just like normal. This was one of the first 2003s made. Months later when we tried another 2003 the PST2 was searching for something that it could not find, so the OBC could not be turned on. Peter then figured out the model number was missing from the DME. He entered the missing model number and was then able to turn on the OBC. He also speculated that you might be able to put in any 6 digit code, like 123456.

Also, there is a slight misstatement in the link. It says you cannot enable the OBC without first installing the stalk assembly. This is not true. With all the OBC retrofits I have done, including the two 2003s, I had Peter enable the OBC long before I did the retrofit. We need to have it turned on when the dealership is opened during the week, but we do not get around to doing the retrofit until the weekend at someones house.

What is correct, is that when it is enabled on a 2001-2004 you will not see anything until you retrofit the stalk or switch.

[Richard Hamilton]

The order codes for RoW 986 Boxsters are 986311 and 986321. I can tell you that if you put the USA order code numbers into a UK car the OBC works just fine, so I expect Peter is right about 123456!

[Tool Pants]

Richard is a wise old man.

This is interesting and I guess a function of how the PST2 searches to find what it thinks it should find. At least with a 2003-4.

Peter replaced the DME on my 1997 last year. But before it was replace I got a printed log of all the data in the DME. My order type (986310 for my US car), the country code, engine type, engine number, and so on. It even had my radio code on the print out that I had added to the DME a few years ago with a PST2, because the factory had not entered it.

So, the new DME had a bunch of zeros. Peter entered my VIN. I asked him to also enter the radio code. Nothing else was entered.

That is why I have even more zeros than shown in the pic.

So, today, I look at the DME data. My order type is now 000000, since Peter did not enter it when the DME was replaced.

Maybe I should enter 996620 for the US 996 turbo.... :eek:

I guess that would be 996621 for a UK turbo.

[Richard Hamilton]

Richard is a wise old man.

Hey!! Less of the "old" please!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Tool Pants]

Played around today with my 1997. With 000000 as the order type I was able to turn the OBC off/on. I then changed it to 123456 and was still able to turn it off/on. So the 2003-2004 wants an order type, but this does not matter on my 1997.

I always wanted a Carrera GT, which is 980. I did not know the last 3 digits for a Carrera GT so I guessed 100. I now have a 980100....

[Tool Pants]

I tried the 123456 on a 2003 S today, made in Feburary 2003. To make it ready for an OBC and cruise control retrofit.

As predicted, the DME did not have an order type, just 3 dashes ---. So I was not able to get to the instrument cluster "modify coding" screen. Instead, it asked for the order type.

Put 123456 into the DME as the order type and I still could not get into the screen. Then I put in 986320 and everything worked.

So much for that experiment.

[persandberg]

I tried the 123456 on a 2003 S today, made in Feburary 2003. To make it ready for an OBC and cruise control retrofit.

As predicted, the DME did not have an order type, just 3 dashes ---. So I was not able to get to the instrument cluster "modify coding" screen. Instead, it asked for the order type.

Put 123456 into the DME as the order type and I still could not get into the screen. Then I put in 986320 and everything worked.

So much for that experiment.

My Boxster 2003 S which I changed cluster on is not possible to change anything with the OBC hack.Could this be because the WIN is not right,I also got protected on my CDR 23 radio.What need to be changed with the Porsche tool?

/Per

[Loren]

I tried the 123456 on a 2003 S today, made in Feburary 2003. To make it ready for an OBC and cruise control retrofit.

As predicted, the DME did not have an order type, just 3 dashes ---. So I was not able to get to the instrument cluster "modify coding" screen. Instead, it asked for the order type.

Put 123456 into the DME as the order type and I still could not get into the screen. Then I put in 986320 and everything worked.

So much for that experiment.

My Boxster 2003 S which I changed cluster on is not possible to change anything with the OBC hack.Could this be because the WIN is not right,I also got protected on my CDR 23 radio.What need to be changed with the Porsche tool?

/Per

Yes, the new cluster needs to be synch'ed with your DME and other MOST devices.

[persandberg]

I tried the 123456 on a 2003 S today, made in Feburary 2003. To make it ready for an OBC and cruise control retrofit.

As predicted, the DME did not have an order type, just 3 dashes ---. So I was not able to get to the instrument cluster "modify coding" screen. Instead, it asked for the order type.

Put 123456 into the DME as the order type and I still could not get into the screen. Then I put in 986320 and everything worked.

So much for that experiment.

My Boxster 2003 S which I changed cluster on is not possible to change anything with the OBC hack.Could this be because the WIN is not right,I also got protected on my CDR 23 radio.What need to be changed with the Porsche tool?

/Per

Yes, the new cluster needs to be synch'ed with your DME and other MOST devices.

Thank's,I will let Porsche Center to do that.