ECU & DME Removal DIY

[sharkster]

ECU & DME Removal DIY

---

If you guys are thinking of a re-flash and/or want to change the software on your 996 or 997, it may be necessary to remove the ECU from the car yourself. We actually wrote up a DIY for this on our site so I figured I'd share it On hardtop models, the ECU is attached to a tray behind the back seats, and is generally blocked by the Bose subwoofer system which also has to be removed. The process takes about 15-30 minutes or less. If your car is a cabriolet, you will need to follow another set of

---

• Author
  sharkster
• Category
  Carrera (996) - Mods
• Submitted
  07/01/2009 09:48 AM

 

Edited February 20, 2010 by sharkster

[sharkster]

Removing the ECU Carpet Cover and ECU Tray

Now you must remove the carpeted cover over the ECU tray.

First pull up from the middle-rear of the carpet:

To pull the carpet out, it must bow-up in the middle as shown in the picture, to allow the sides to be removed. Then it pulls straight-up and out of the car.

With the ECU tray exposed, locate the 10mm nut in the center of the trays and remove it.

Next remove the two 10mm nuts on the left side of the tray:

Now you can pull the left side of the tray up. It is an aluminum piece with a foam block attached to it.

The ECU tray can now be flipped over. Before you do, push the carpet in at the corner as shown in the picture below. Do not disconnect any cables at this time.

Removing the ECU and Cables

With the tray inverted, remove the four T30 Torx bolts (two per side) holding the smaller module to the ECU tray. Do not disconnect it.

Set the black module up and out of the way, and you can now disconnect the ECU.

Remove the cables in order, from left to right (first 1, 2, 3, 4, then 5). The far left and far right cables are removed by squeezing tabs at the top:

The inner connections are removed by first pressing the button (A) and rotating the keeper to the left (B). No extra force should be required: The connections will pop-out on their own as you release this keeper system.

The ECU has been removed from the car, and is now ready to send to SharkWerks for the EVOMSit Software Upgrade!

Reinstalling the ECU

Re-install the ECU's connectors in the opposite order of removed (first 5, 4, 3, 2, then 1). The inner connectors will lock in automatically as the keeper is rotated. Make sure they are rotated fully to the left (as they were removed) before you attempt to re-install.

Be extra careful when tightening the T30 Torx bolts that hold the rear seat receivers, as the surrounding material is particularly susceptible to dents and damage.

When replacing the negative battery cable, ensure it's fully pressed onto the terminal before tightening the 10mm nut. Tighten the battery negative until it's snug. Since it is lead, it should never be torqued extremely tight.