berty987

There will be a front end control module to drive the Xenon lights. These usually have a local earth point as the the circuits are switched to ground via the module. You could try checking the module its connections and local ground points , otherwise it could be a simple matter of the ballst / igniter unit failing. Swapping the igniter from one side to another should prove this point.

The cover is different because the shaft has a larger diameter thread and nut. You would need to fit a new intermediate shaft assembly

Have you added any componets to the MOST system or retro fitted the PCM ? The MOST loop has a set sequence for devices, have you added a new device recently ?

The intermediate shaft issue seems to affect only the cars built pre 2006 that had a smaller thread and bearing on the end of the shaft. I've done some research into the problem as it affects all 987 / 997 engines prior to 2006 except the Gt3 and turbo. So far , from what i have learnt , the shaft failure cannot be predicted , nor does it follow any set range of chassis numbers. The type of driving or frequency of use does seem to point towards low mileage infrequent use rather than frequent or regular driving , though the figures are too few to be sure. Normally the IMS fails before 40 k , and generally between 15 and 30 k. Mechanics I have spoken to , suggest its possibly an assembly tolerance issue at the factory , rather than a result of how the car is driven or serviced. The failure can be either the end of the shaft shearing at the securing bolt thread , or the support bearing collapsing. Generally its a new engine as a result. Thankfully there are only a handfull of engines that have had this issue (probably no more than 60 on all the forums i've read) out of at least 200, 000 cars built. If it worries you, buy a decent warranty that covers this type of failure as a minimum.

The car is balanced with the tyre options it has from the factory , fitting larger tyres will cost more and give little benefit. Its generally recognised that slick tyres on a 987 can lead to issues with oil surge on the circuit , so again its probably going to give more problems than benefits. I dont think the front to rear ratios are as much of an issue to the ABS/ ESP as the differences across the same axle. The rolling radius is different between a 2.7 and 3.2 and 3.2 with 19" wheels. There are many cases of people fitting 19" wheels to a 2.7 without issue, so I dont think you will have many if any problems.

I think the dension is compatable but the functionality is restricted by the fact you don't have PCM.

Reading the thread and the tech report , i'm not surprised the claim was in dispute. First there is evidence of a long term oil leak , so oil starvation of the bearing is possible. The fact there is no evidence of overheating would rule out excessive expansion of the rod end leading to the bearing spinning of its own accord. A lack of lubrication or infrequent oil changes could cause the bearing to run dry and pick up , especially if the oil was in a poor state. The oil level at time of disassembly bears no relation to previous oil levels in the car , or the condition of the oil prior to the last service. Considering its an 87K mile 2001 engine , its also pretty long in the tooth , so a fully catalogued service record is going to be essential.

My experience with warranty direct (UK) was they were very helpful when my gearbox linkage broke. They paid the claim quickly and in full (minus 25 pounds excess). The car was also repaired at a genuine OPC. The porsche warranty in the UK is probably the most comprehensive , but it costs 1200 pounds plus a 111 point inspection , and ties you in to OPC servicing. Add it all up and it works out about 600-800 pounds more than a 600 pound warranty direct policy (with servicing at an independant), for very little more cover. With a car of the age you have , I would go with warranty direct and save my money. Even porsche have the ability to deline a warranty claim (its not underwritten by porsche anyway) especially if the servicing has not been done in accordance with manufacturers reccomendations. Though warranty direct may not cover leaking seals and gaskets the RMS leak in itself is not a major issue. A 987 model car will log the oil level low faults in the ECU so you have some proof the oil level has never been critical , even if the RMS is weeping. Its better to run a Porsche on a regular basis (at least once a week) and take it out for a good long hard drive rather than infrequent use or lots off slow town driving. Short journeys or infrequent use cause the oil to gum up and damage the engine , especially if it isnt changed until 20k or 2 years are reached.

If I can chime in here on this one. The I pod doesnt't need to be in the car with you to be operate so I wouldn't bother running the cables through to the glove box , with all the hassle this involves. There is plenty of room under the front cover where the CD changer/ nav modules sit , to put an ipod and the cables. There are also more options for picking up power and earth points in the front trunk than inside the car.

As to CD changer compatability , not all cars are enabled with this function, it is part of a coding menu within the PCM that is set by the workshop tool. If you want to check if your PCM has been coded for a CD changer , press the MAIN and TRIP buttons together to get the PCM service menu. There will be a list displayed of the coded devices such as PHONE , AMP , CD etc. If CD is not displayed then the car is not coded for it. There is also one other point to watch, the MOST fibre optic system by which the CD changer/ Dension is linked to the PCM , has a set layout. In other words certain devices must be connected into the MOST loop in the correct order. PCM to BOSE to CD to NAV. so the CD changer / dension must be in the loop before the NAV. There should be an arrow on the black part of the MOST cable plug to identify the direction of signal.

How do you access the Sirus unit , does it replace the original AM/ FM tuner selection from the main PCM ? Is the device listed on the PCM harware menu when you press main and trip together ? We dont have this facility over here in the UK , but I'm very interested in the coding of the PCM to accept another MOST device. Thanks

Just be a little careful with matching parts. There are different part numbers listed for the PCM units depending if the car has a Bose system and if the DVD drive is vertically or horizontally mounted. The part number for a PCM for a Gt3 / Turbo and Carrera 4 is different to that of a 911 boxster or cayman. If you trawl through hte TSB section and the online parts catalogue you should be able to ascertain the appropriate parts. It is also important that the DVD drive matches the PCM in terms of firmware/ software level.

In europe they suggest michelin alpin these are available in 18 and possibly 19" sizes , though i dont beleive they do a 265 width.

So what tyres were you running before the upgrade ? 235 and 265 size rubber on 18 or 19" rims or the smaller 2.7 17" wheel option ? A wider track at the front will improve understeer , but also affects the turn in , making the car less agile. I would also be a little cautious in the wet as the wider tyres will have a greater tendency to aquaplane as the boxster is lighter over the rear tyres than a 911 , due to the differences in engine layout.

There is specific mention in porsche literature that the wheel bearings were updated to allow the larger wheel sizes to be fitted to the later model cars. Its not so much the wheel diameter, (though this can cause issues witth speed errors as the rolling radius can be difficult to match) its more to do with the additional cornering forces which load the axles and wheel bearings.

Matt,

I think the last digit in the part number of the PCM relates more to the porsche model in which the pcm is installed, ie its configuration. All the TSBs I have seen seem to suggest that the 10th and 11th digits denote the progression of hardware on level B and C units, ie

997 642 141 0x is level B and

997 642 141 1x is level C.

So 997 642 141 02 is the pcm from a boxster / 911, wheras 997 642 141 03 is from a turbo 911, both are level B software.

I have not seen any software breaks for the level B units. TSBs stipulate that level B was introduced in CW 16 2005. There are only two variations of level B , one with bose and one without This seems to point to the hardware being the same and there were updates to the firmware rather than hardware. This suggests to me that all level B units can run the same updated software with the same functionality.

All of the numbers relating to manufacture are CW meaning calender week.

The PCM part number you list is available loaded with software level 3.0 or 3.1 . A tech bulletin (W610) suggests that tolerance discrepencies can cause the MP3 function or CD playback not to work correctly. The update available for level B units (loaded with software V 3.0 and 3.1) takes the PCM to 3.3 so it should be beyond the level 3.1 meaning that MP3 capability is possible. The TSB for the MP3 playback issues covers chassis numbers including the part number of your PCM chassis application, so I would feel confident that your PCM is MP3 capable.

The CD changer requires the MOST optical waveguide loop to be activated on the head unit. If the car does not currently have a CD changer or other MOST loop device fitted (such as navigation or Bose amplifier) then the MOST loop will probably need activating by your local OPC. If the car already has a MOST device , then it may not need coding to allow the CD changer to be added. Be aware that there are different models of CD changer available , so try and match the Cd changer to your existing head unit by using the on line parts catalogue as a cross reference, based on chassis number and model year of manufacture.

Hi all,

I have a PCM unit part # 997 642 143 02.

Please can you confirm which Navigation DVD drive I need for this part?

I have been offered 997 642 157 01, will this work ok, or are the two units incompatible, as one is model B and one model C?

Should I continue my search for 997 642 137 02?

Many thanks

Matt.

The parts listing suggests that 997 642 157 00 is for the PCM's with software level C. Since the part number you quote is a digit on from this part number , it suggests there may be a later version of PCM software than C (possibly Cayenne only ?). Though the PCM "level B" units can be updated to "level C "using the update software, I'm not aware of a CD to update beyond level C. Certainly the earlier PCM units (standard production status and Level A) were limited to updating beyond level B due to hardware differences. I would suggest its safer to get either a compatable level B DVD drive ( 997 642 137 02) or a level C (997 642 157 00). If you get a level C drive , then I'd suggest the PCM will need updating before connection to the MOST loop and DVD drive.

Here is a link to a video on how to install aftermarket Xenon HID lights with Ballast in your Boxster or 911. Its very easy and takes only 30 minutes per light. Everything plugs in smoothly, no wires to cut.

http://www.youtube.com/autosupermart

This is for a 986/996 not 987/997. The circuits and issues with fault indicators are only apparent on the 987 I beleive.

If you look through the porsche tequipment catalogue on line there are various options for the boxster and cayman in 19" wheel sizes , though the largest width wheel on the rear is 10". The wheels look the same as those on the 997 , but only the front wheels are actually the same rim width and offset (since both the 911 and 987 use essentially the same front end). Buying aused set of 911 wheels will result in only the front wheels being able to fit your car.

You mean can you fit an 11" rear wheel on a car designed for a maximum of a 9.5". Though Techart offer 11" rims on some of their cars, i think the issue is that spacers can only help if the offset is under what is required. I beleive the 997 wheels already have a larger offset so fitting spacers will not help the issue of the clearances.

The bi xenon lamps are not a direct fit replacement for standard Halogen items. The reason for this is that the two headlamps have different connections (pin assignments) on the rear of the headlamp for low beam (everything else is the same). The self levelling system requires quite a lot of additional hardware to operate correctly, (different front linkages to accept the level sensors) plus i suspect the wires are not present in the loom. Rather than try for a complete retrofit , which is the only way to avoid error messages in the ECU from missing parts (headlamp wash system, levelling sensors etc) , I'd suggest that retro fitting a xenon bulb upgrade kit would be simpler. If you must have the bi xenon system (this is basically one xenon lamp that works on dipped and high beam by using a shutter over the light) then you would need to open up the headlamp and reposition the dipped beam pin from position A11 to A2. The feed for the dipped beam in conjunction with the hi beam is what activates the internal shutter for the bi xenon system. Even after this mod , there is no guarantee that the self check system for the headlight wouldn't throw up a fault. Under normal cicumstances the bi xenon light system is connected to a different pin back at the front Control unit than the halogen lamp. This takes care of the differences in resitance and load. The only way to get the correct pin to operate the light back at the control unit , is to code the car using the PWIS unit as a xenon equipped vehicle. The car will then loook for ALL the additional hardware associated with this option. Porsche don't usually like to install wiring unless its a complete loom, i'd suspect a 4 figure sum to do this. The issue of dazzling oncoming traffic is usually where the wrong type of xenon lamp has been fitted. Projector versus lensed headlights use either a D2S or D2R type bulb. The differences between the two bulbs is that one has a shield/ cover over the end of the bulb to prevent light emitting from the tip.

My guess is that the radio will have a speed pulse to control the automatic audio adjustment. Certainly this is the case with other car manufacturers such as VW , where this pulse is called GALA. The PCM will also use this speed reference most of the time in conjunction with the internal gyros rather than the satellite reception. You could also try audiotechnik-dietz , they make can bus interfaces for most cars. CAN is a worldwide standard , so it shouldn't be too difficult to find an interface / decoder.

Fitting the navigation drive and GPS antennae is relatively straight forward. You will probably also need the navigation drive bracket for the front trunk , as well as the optical MOST cable that links the PCM with the navigation drive and a power cable lead for the navigation drive. There is also a cable to link the GPS puk with the navigation drive. Your PCM may well be old software ie version 1 or 2 , this will need updating to version 3 to allow the new maps and navigation to work correctly. This software is usually bundled with the MAP DVD from the dealer.

Ah yes , you are correct on the loom , but the control module is the same part number I think.

Here is a techart wheel with MF controls in a 987 (my car). The car was not originally supplied with multi function controls.

Sounds about right, they had a couple of broken 997 cables sitting on the shelf , from previous repairs.

If you have a late 2006 manufactured car it will be level B software (version 3) or later. The PCM doesn't need updating and the navigation drive software is updated from a self executing file on the map DVD. Just put a newer map DVD in the navigation drive and accept the prompt to update the navigation system software (keep the engine running to prevent hiccups from power shut off) If your existing navigation DVD is an edition of 05.2006 or later , the software will already be updated to the current level in the navigation drive. Just a point to note : The PCM software and Navigation drive software are updated separately.