996 Gauge Cluster

[Dale Zelinsky]

Pictures will come tomorrow after I go to the dealer and transfer the mileage over. I have the orginal cluster installed there now.

The error message is Oil Pressure Gauge Error. And shows a nice little picture of an oil can... :)

[Dale Zelinsky]

The car is at the dealer to update the mileage and a few other minor things. They said they are not able to talk the cluster at all with their PSTS2.... (sp?) I guess it is not responding at all....

Any ideas on that one?

Edited October 13, 2003 by Dale Zelinksy

[Tool Pants]

I spoke to Peter and he said this is what may be the problem, and I'm sure I will not get the details exact.

Your Boxster DME has a Boxster model number in it. Your cluster has a different model number. When they do the automatic search with the PST2 it cannot find the cluster since the model numbers do not match. Have your dealer change the model number in your DME to match the model of the cluster. I forget if you have a GT2 or Turbo cluster. The model number for a Turbo is 996770.

This was a similar problem when turning on the trip computer when the 2003s first came out. The PST2 could not find the cluster to turn on the trip computer as for some reason the model number was not in the DME. Peter would then enter 986320 (for the S) or 986310 ( for the base) into the DME and then he could modify the instrument cluster coding to turn on the trip computer.

He also confirmed that the error is most like due to the fact you do not have the 2 wire sender unit, 1 for the light and the other for the gauge. He suggested a fix for that short of putting in the correct sender and running the extra wire. But first see if his first suggestion works. Jeff

[Dale Zelinsky]

What is the suggestion for bypassing the oil pressure error message?

They were able to get the mileage changed over. They only charged my $45 so I guess I can't complain.

Pictures are on the way!

[Tool Pants]

Instructions and pictures first. And how was the mileage changed. And is the fuel level working correctly.

[Dale Zelinsky]

I removed the two side gauges and used the S glass with the aluminum trim rings. I like the change.

I am not sure how they were able to update the mileage. They probably figured out the coding like you suggested. The service manager had left by the time I got there, so I was unable to talk to anyone about it.

The fuel gauge seems to be working correctly. I better carry a gallon with me just in case though... :)

Edited October 15, 2003 by Dale Zelinksy

[Dale Zelinsky]

. .

[Dale Zelinsky]

And the lovely Oil Pressure Message.

[Dale Zelinsky]

And the non-functional turbo gauge! :)

[Tool Pants]

Looks like it worked. First 200mph Boxster with a turbo boost gauge. After you have driven it for a while let us know if the fuel gauge is accurate.

Does the analog speedometer gauge match the digital? Do you have a picture of the 2 gauges you removed. I have a spare old style 996 cluster and it would be a pain to remove the gauges on that cluster - like to see how it is done with the new style. Is there a soft top warning light. Are you able to scroll through all the displays with just the dash switch.

This is what Peter said about the oil pressure warning - hope I remembered it correctly. You need to make the cluster think it has an oil pressure sender. When the car runs there is a resistence of 200-1500 ohms.

Buy one of the yellow VW wires like you used for your trip computer retrofit. Cut it in half and solder inline a 500 ohm resistor. One end of the wire goes in the connector to the cluster - just like when you did the trip computer. It goes in the blue connector - slot 5 - which should be unused as you do not have a pressure sender. Ground the other end of the wire. Peter did not mention any special place for the ground, so try the same place you used for the ground wire when you did the trip computer retrofit. No one has done this so I hope it works.

[Dale Zelinsky]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like the Oil Pressure hack should work since I am assuming the 500ohm is a nominal value that an OP sender would put out. Excellent advice! I will try that this weekend.

I forgot to mention that I added a 2nd button to the dash so where a PSM button would go I have the UP / Down and where the Footwell light switch would go I have the Reset / Enter. I actually prefer the two button system to the stalk.

The only other thing that has come up and I am not positive it is a problem yet is checking the oil level. How picky is it supposed to be about being on a level surface? I will test it in my garage tonight, which I think is pretty level. Every place I have tried it so far it complained that the car was not level.. Blah!

The speedometer seems to line up with what the gauge says and it reads high like all Porsches do when compared to the speed I get on my GPS. At 60mph it reads ~4mph high

BTW Where is the best place to get VW wire? For the OBC hack I used Solid Cat5 cable since I had 4 wires to run. This one I should probably do a little neater.

Edited October 15, 2003 by Dale Zelinksy

[Tool Pants]

When I asked Peter why 500 ohms he said it was a nominal value.

The part number for the VW wire is 000 079 009 about $2. My local Porsche dealer sells it and other dealers as well. If yours does not then contact VW.

I do not know about the cluster wanting the car to be level for the oil check. Need more info. On a 986/996 the cluster does not know if the car is level. Perhaps it is a turbo thing as they have an oil tank and the car is supposed to be running when the level is checked. I hope this does not turn out to be another problem with a turbo cluster on a Boxster.

[Dale Zelinsky]

Let me know if you find anything... I will try on my level garage surface when I get home and let you know the outcome. Doesn't the 986 have some sort of level functionality when you have the factory installed litronics (as I do).... Just a thought.....

[Dale Zelinsky]

No luck on a perfectly level surface. Maybe there is another pin that I need to add a resistor or ground. Do you have an online schematic of the cluster?

Many thanks for all your help.

[Dale Zelinsky]

Pics of the removed gauges. Removal was easy.

1. Pop the glass off the front of the cluster.

2. Remove the two screws in the rear.

3. Pull the cluster out of the case.

4. Remove the ribbon cable from each of the gauges

5. There are little clips that are builtin to the gauges. Flex them a little and it should pop right off.

[Dale Zelinsky]

...

[Tool Pants]

Thanks for the pictures of the 2 gauges. You cannot remove them like that on the old style 996 cluster.

Next time you want a dot matrix cluster stick with a Boxster or 996 cluster. :P

A local turbo owner confirmed that they have a car level requirement to check the oil level. He has seen the message and said after a few minutes waiting it was ok - but he has a turbo with a turbo cluster. Peter thinks it is a software issue with the turbo cluster and does not think there is a 'hack.' Again, the hack to eliminate the oil pressure error he suggested may not work. No one has experience doing this, especially a Porsche dealership. He did not think it had anything to do with the level sensors on the suspension for litronics. There is always the dip stick.......

The 2001 turbo wiring diagram I have is only in paper form. I see an oil level wire in the blue connector, slot 2. But a Boxster also has this wire so it must be for the level display and I guess not relevant to the car not level error message.

[Dale Zelinsky]

If a 996 or 986 cluster was available I would have bought it, but what fun would that have been?! :)

(BTW, I have a brand new S Tip cluster available for sale! :) )

Is there anyway you can scan a copy of the wires going to the blue connector. One of them must be related to the leveling.

I have $2 that says Peter's oil pressure gauge hack will work. :) I may go home tonight and try it...

Edited October 17, 2003 by Dale Zelinksy

[Loren]

Here are the "B" (blue) connector pin outs on a dot matrix for a MY02 Carrera (hopefully this will help)

[Dale Zelinsky]

Thanks for the schematic. Maybe the differences between the 996 and the TT cluster will point us in the right direction.

[Tool Pants]

Loren to the rescue. That section of the cluster wiring diagram for a 2002 996 is the same as a 2001 turbo except that there are 2 wires shown in B29 for the brake fluid level and the turbo shows just one.

B5 on you connector should be empty as that is for the oil pressure sender wire that the Boxster does not have. That is where you will try Peter's hack.

B2 on your connector should have a wire since it is the same for a Boxster/996/turbo.

Someone will want your new style S tip cluster. Much easier to take apart.

[Dale Zelinsky]

There must be a level input on one of the connectors that says "Yeah go ahead and show this putz his oil level"

Perhaps on the Green connector?

Edited October 16, 2003 by Dale Zelinksy

[Dale Zelinsky]

I sent the wife to Crap Shack (Radio) to get me a 470 Ohm resistor. (Closest they had to 500) Well, they were out of them, so they gave her a 1k resistor and told her "This is a better resistor anyway"

I'm like what the?!?!?

Anyway so I give it a try since it was within the specified range.

It was a no go.

I am wondering if the Oil pressure has two connections similar to the fuel gauge, and temp gauge. So instead of putting the resistor to chassis ground there is an oil pressure ground?

[Dale Zelinsky]

Almost all is well after a couple of weeks.

I have the Oil Pressure send on order from Suncoast. It should be here tomorrow.

The fuel gauge seems accurate but I am really afraid to let it get below 1/4.

I am still dealing with the problem of the Oil Check on the cluster complaining about not being level. :(

[ArgilTGN]

I have reading a lot, and some of you are a really knowledgeable guys.

I would like to get your comments about my problem in a 996 2001, Odometer LCD.

As you can see in the attached picture, my LCD is damaged, with a mark in the middle.

Is possible to get and buy that small LCD display (from a broken cluster), or will be needed to replace overall cluster ?

Thanks in advance

LLuis

Tarragona(Spain)

**It seems this is not the proper forum for that topic, if so, then please delete, and sorry.

Edited January 24, 2010 by ArgilTGN