Retrofit Of Cdc-4 Cd Changer

[Tool Pants]

At our work on cars Raman retrofitted the Porsche CDC-4 changer in his 2003. This is the MOST fiber optic system. First DIYer retrofit I know of. Next week he will go to the dealer and have the changer programed with the PST2.

Update. Peter coded the changer today and it worked. :cheers:

Edited October 17, 2004 by Tool Pants

[daveclause]

At our work on cars Raman retrofitted the Porsche CDC-4 changer in his 2003.  This is the MOST fiber optic system.  First DIYer retrofit I know of.  Next week he will go to the dealer and have the changer programed with the PST2.

Update.  Peter coded the changer today and it worked. :cheers:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are there step by step instructions on the CDC-4 retrofit? And where is the rear fuse carrier located? Thanks....Dave

[daveclause]

Are there step by step directions and pics? Where is the "fuse carrier" that I am suppossed to tap into? I can't find it any place...Thanks for any info.

[Tool Pants]

It is the fuse box next to your left foot. Pull the cover off then you remove some screws and pull it away to get to the back. Lots of wires back there. Raman followed the TSB issued by Porsche.

[dsumners]

Putting a cdc-4 IN MY 05 SOON. Basically same deal.

[daveclause]

It is the fuse box next to your left foot.  Pull the cover off then you remove some screws and pull it away to get to the back.  Lots of wires back there.  Raman followed the TSB issued by Porsche.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hiya ToolPants...I took out the fuse and looked at it...HAHAHAHAHA...I should have known!

Anyway, according to the TSB that I have, because Porsche doesn't provide instructions for the retrofit, I am to pull fuse block "E".

Establish power supply to E6/Term 30.

Remove fuse E6 from carrier.

Press out Rd/GN wire.

Bundle RD/GN wires from retro kit with RD/GN wires from vehicle side.

And replace E6 back into the fuse box.

Is this what you guy's did?

Thanks again.

[Tool Pants]

We did not have the pin removal tool to remove that wire. We tried small jewlers screwdrivers and stll could not get the pin out. So the 2 wires were combined with a small wire tap. That is what I remember because Raman asked if I had wire taps and I had a can of them.

P.S. There are 3 pin removal tools mentioned in the TSB. 88040 is to remove the wire from the back of the fuse box. Since we did not have it a wire tap was used instead. The TSB says to remove 2 wires from the radio connectors with the other 2 pin removal tools. Since we did not have them either 2 more wire taps were used.

Edited April 12, 2005 by Tool Pants

[daveclause]

We did not have the pin removal tool to remove the wire.  We tried small jewlers screwdrivers and stll could not get the pin out.  So the 2 wires were combined with a small wire tap.  That is what I remember because Raman asked if I had wire taps and I had a can of them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good morning Toolpants.....What slot did Roman put the wires into in the fuse box? I want to make sure I do this correctly. I'd hate to burn out my system.

Luckily the retro kit comes with the wire pins.

FYI for future installs: The retro kit came with 3 mounts. One mount for the vertical mounting for rear wheel drive. One mount for the horizontal mounting for the front and all wheel drive. And a third mount for something. Who knows? And a bracket for the mounting on the wall of the radiator.

A wire harness.

All of the bolts and U-slide pins for the mounts.

*AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO PORSCHE FOR THE PST2 PROGRAMING* about $100 for them to do this. :censored:

I got my CDC-4 off of EBAY. I bought it from the BRANDYWINE PORSCHE, auction for $579. Shipping was free and fast. As of April 11,2005, they still have some. Either that or pay up to $1000. :soapbox:

I had to purchase the rest of the OPTICAL WAVE GUIDE harness from Walter's Porsche in Riverside, CA. They charged me $113.00 including tax.

So far an easy install if you have the proper TSB. The TSB I have, I got from the internet. The pics are really lousy and you can't really tell what you are looking at. That is why I was confused in my retro install. :cursing:

Now that I know how to do this, I might charge $1000,000 to advise in the install!

[Tool Pants]

I was not watching Raman all the time as I was working on another car. He figured out what wire to tap into by looking at the instructions. The pin locations are numbered and you can also verify the wire because it is red with a green stripe. You are combining 2 wires with the same color code. In Raman's case with a wire tap.

The third bracket is for a RHD car.

Raman also got the changer from Brandywine. I forget where he got the fiber optic kit, but it turned out to be the wrong one. Did not find this out until after the car was apart. He was lucky that our local dealer had one and was open on Saturday.

Edited April 12, 2005 by Tool Pants

[daveclause]

I was not watching Raman all the time as I was working on another car.  He figured out what wire to tap into by looking at the instructions.  The pin locations are numbered and you can also verify the wire because it is red with a green stripe.  You are combining 2 wires with the same color code.  In Raman's case with a wire tap.

The third bracket is for a RHD car.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Toolpants..You are FAST with the answers. Thank you very much. Ok...I'll just look for the RD/GN in block E/6. I think I understand the pics in the TSB I have now. I'll post after I get this programed to let all know how it went....My neighbors are still laughing at me! :censored:

[daveclause]

We did not have the pin removal tool to remove that wire.  We tried small jewlers screwdrivers and stll could not get the pin out.  So the 2 wires were combined with a small wire tap.  That is what I remember because Raman asked if I had wire taps and I had a can of them.

P.S.  There are 3 pin removal tools mentioned in the TSB.  88040 is to remove the wire from the back of the fuse box.  Since we did not have it a wire tap was used instead.  The TSB says to remove 2 wires from the radio connectors with the other 2 pin removal tools.  Since we did not have them either 2 more wire taps were used.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seems that the best and easiest way to go is to use wire taps. Takes about one minute per wire as long as your fingers are nimble. It was nice to hear the CDC-4 wind up.....Now I have to get it programed...BUMMER!

[Tool Pants]

Good sign if you have power to the changer. Now you need the changer added to the MOST system. Raman and I know the shop foreman so he did it at lunch time.

Hope you took good pictures for the next guy. I took very few because I did not think any DIYer would try the install because you need the PST2/PIWIS to code the changer. It takes just a few minutes if the mechanic knows what buttons on the tester to push.

For other brave souls, this is the 20 piece pin removal tool kit mentioned in the TSB. Every time I touch the kit Peter does a count to make sure they are all back in place.

Let us know if it works.

[daveclause]

Good sign if you have power to the changer.  Now you need the changer added to the MOST system.  Raman and I know the shop foreman so he did it at lunch time.

Hope you took good pictures for the next guy.  I took very few because I did not think any DIYer would try the install because you need the PST2/PIWIS to code the changer.  It takes just a few minutes if the mechanic knows what buttons on the tester to push.

For other brave souls, this is the 20 piece pin removal tool kit mentioned in the TSB.  Every time I touch the kit Peter does a count to make sure they are all back in place.

Let us know if it works.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK..It works. I had to pay WALTER's Porsche, in Riverside, CA. $105 for them to program the system. They were actually surprised that some one would try a retro of a CDC-4.

I told them that they wanted to charge me $500, for the install. So, I did it my self. It really is not any harder than installing a CDC-3. Just a couple of more wires.

They are nice people at Walter's Porsche. But, you would think that if you pay a good amount of money for a car, they would kick in a few freebies. :cursing:

I'm going to attempt to make a video of the install process for the retro of the CDC-4. I won't promise anything, but I'll try.....So, thanks to Toolpants for his answers.

[Lizard1]

i did the retrofit on my '03 coupe last month. at the same time i added the PCM2 nav unit. i too did not have any of the pin remover tools mentioned in the TSB but just used a paper clip unfolded. you just need to push something down the holes on either side of the pins and that does the same function as the fancy tools.

of course, if i were to do alot of stuff that would require the tools, i'd probably end up buying the set :D

now what are you guys talking about when you need the dealer to "activate" the CDC-4. Mine works just fine? Maybe it's because the PCM2 unit that I bought from a guy also had the CDC-4 so the PCM2 was already "accustomed" to the CDC-4? Are there any other advantages to getting the dealer to activate it???

Edited April 17, 2005 by Lizard1

[Tool Pants]

No clue. I think you bought a used PCM2 and maybe the CDC-4 unit from the same car? If you add a component to a MOST system I have been told you need to tell the system there is something new that has been added. Maybe your PCM unit already had been told it was hooked up to a changer and that information is somewhere in the PCM unit? What I do not get is that I would think you would need, at a minimun, have the PCM unit recoded to match the code in the instrument cluster. If you had replaced the CDR-23 or the instrument cluster then the codes need to match.

Believe it or not, we had no paper clips last summer. Just my set of jewlers screwdrivers which were too big.

I now carry in my car for our work on cars days an official set of paper clips due to last summer. And a can of wire taps. :P

[daveclause]

No clue.  I think you bought a used PCM2 and maybe the CDC-4 unit from the same car?  If you add a component to a MOST system I have been told you need to tell the system there is something new that has been added.  Maybe your PCM unit already had been told it was hooked up to a changer and that information is somewhere in the PCM unit?  What I do not get is that I would think you would need, at a minimun, have the PCM unit recoded to match the code in the instrument cluster.  If you had replaced the CDR-23 or the instrument cluster then the codes need to match.

Believe it or not, we had no paper clips last summer.  Just my set of jewlers screwdrivers which were too big.

I now carry in my car for our work on cars days an official set of paper clips due to last summer.  And a can of wire taps. :P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My next project is the SHORT SHIFTER. Too easy! :beer:

[bluboy911]

Good day everyone.

I'm going to attempt the install in my 03 Boxster S.

Can anyone tell me where I can get my hands on the TSB mentioned here.

Thx Andy

[Tool Pants]

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?autocom=donate

[alex222]

I am also retrofitting the CDC-4 CD Changer. I don't see anybody mentioning the White-Read (Wake-UP Diagnosis) wire. Where is it going to?