ronbonner

Thanks for your answer. Just to be sure:

For example:

I go into the song list and the first item, that is highlighted is typically ABC-Search. I can not choose ABC Search with the knob, only with >>. If I turn the knob and select anything else in the list, i.e. any song or page forward, it is possible to choose by pushing the knob. Only the item, that is highlighted by default not.

Which PCM/FW do you have in your 4S.

Thanks Gert

Hi Gert,

I have PCM 2 (Software Version 3.0) I dont have ABC search in my track lists. Are you accessing your songs through the menu which is found where CD 6 is or through CD 5 (see picture) I have attached photo's which I hope helps to explain what I see when using my GW500 in normal mode. I have shown artists play lists and songs from that artist.

Hi, I have a problem in operating the Gateway 500(FW 2.08) with my Ipod in GW User Interface mode.

Normally I scroll with the right knob of my PCM2 (SW 3.0) in the lists and confirm my selection by pushing the knob. However,

when I like to select the first highlighted item in a list, this is not possible by pushing the knob. You need to hold the >> button for some seconds, which is very inconvenient during driving. Is this normal or somehow possible to setup in a different way?

I had contacted the dension support, but received no helpful reply. Am I the only one with this problem?

Thanks, Gert

Gert,

I have the 500 on my 4S and I don't experience this. I select the track by simply pushing the knob once.

It don't seem to be normal and I have heard about Densions lack of customer support before.

RB

My car was running like crap...spuddering, backfiring, no power....cleaned the MAF...NOW runs like off the showroom. Took me 25 minutes and I have never seen the motor since I have owned it. The only thing is I put a top on with a glass window and it won't go over the rollbar....not much room to work with. That should be fun later for someone.....

-------------------------------------

What do you use to clean the MAF?

Regards, PK

I don't know about the other guys but when I have cleaned mine I use electrical contact or switch cleaning fluid. I have sprayed on the fluid and let it do its stuff and let it totally dry off before replacing.

RB

Also before you plug the iPod in select a song and play it then plug it in with the song playing.

Scrawf

Cheers Scrawf, I will give it a try.

RB

If you haven't yet, try uploading the new 2.08 firmware. Its redesigned the UI and fixes a number of bugs.

Pop

Thanks Pop,

The update must be new as I was on the site only last Sunday using Firmware V2.05 but thanks again for the heads up - lets see if it will sort the problem.

Ron

Hi everyone,

This post really goes out to all those board members who have fitted a Dension 500 (in my case V2 not the new V3) as I am experiencing problems and I am wondering if anyone else has and found a fix.

The issue surrounds the display on my PCM 2. When I choose the Audio screen and I press CD list I sometimes get a screen that should show the

Playlists

Artists

Albums

Aux

Ipod

Menu

But instead shows:

Aux

Aux

Aux

Aux

Ipod

Menu

And when I do get the correct screen and choose say- Artists, all I get is the word "Loading" but nothing does. However, the Ipod is supplying the music to the PCM with whichever track was last playing.

If I turn the PCM off and then back on again the list appears for a brief few moments and reverts to the word "loading" again.

I can finish my journey or park the car in the garage overnight, come out, switch on and all is well again.

The dension unit itself is fitted on top of the fuel tank area under the plastic trim. the iPod connector, USB etc, sits where the CDC once lived

Anyone out there had similar or anyone got any thoughts?

Ron

C4s Tip Cab MY2004 in Seal Grey.

Boxster_micro_switch_troubleshooting.pdf

Cartel,

The attached troubleshooting guide should help you methodically work through the relay with your multi meter and check each microswitch in sequence. I think it's on this site somewhere as I posted it some years ago, back in the day when I had a Boxster the same as yours and suffered a similar fate.

BTW the microswitch in the latch is double acting so the windows operating is not a true indicator of its condition

RB

[No 8 is the culprit as No 9 won't have any voltage due to 8 failing. This is a sequencial operation

RB

Boxster_micro_switch_troubleshooting.pdf

Cartel,

The attached troubleshooting guide should help you methodically work through the relay with your multi meter and check each microswitch in sequence. I think it's on this site somewhere as I posted it some years ago, back in the day when I had a Boxster the same as yours and suffered a similar fate.

BTW the microswitch in the latch is double acting so the windows operating is not a true indicator of its condition

RB

Folks, I have done all of the searching on this site I can, and am finally posting the question.

I just bought an '04 996 TT Cab (very happy with it for the most part).

Need your help with one thing:

The PCM2 CD player seems broken (it clicks and clicks and then calls the NAV CD unreadable). Restart the car, and everything is OK. Then again, randomly become unreadable. I now I MUST change out the PCM (mostly because I want to upgrade the stereo anyways).

I went to a local shop with some Porsche experience and they recommend the 2 DIN Alpine with ipod, nav, bluetooth, hd radio, etc.

My question is - does anyone have a better suggestion?

I am looking for all of the above features, but the alpine interface is just ugly.

Thanks for the help!

...oh, and the PSM/ABS failure thing shows up about half the time now, I know it is the MAF (thank you all for this site being a plathora of info...probably saved me a few hunder $$$ of the dealer rooting around looking for a problem)...

Thanks again!

Pioneer AVIC is a popular alternative but I don't know if it is available in the US (I am in the UK) So too is the double DIN Kenwood unit.

RB

The screen text is better than I expected with only one gripe - the play lists, artists or albums are displayed in banks of 30 on "pages" which means the page needs "turning" when scrolling though.

The number of tracks in tracklist is limited. Imagine, if getting 30 song names from iPod takes about 2-3 secs, and users typically have some hundred artists and some thousands of songs. If you don't use paging it would be very slow.

Anyway, there's an option to increase or decrease the size of the pages. (It needs a special config file to be placed onto a USB stick).

Thanks for explaining the set up regarding the 30 entries on a page setup GW, I have the Gateway on a the power supply that was used for the CDC so perm non switched I presume?

RB

Nice results! I am also thinking of the Dension 500 for using my iPhone as a source of music. I have seen they also sell a bluetooth add-on to the 500 - has anyone tried this?

There are some issues with the Iphone and the new "classic" Ipod with Gateway 500 and if i could find the actual web page I found explaining this I could tell you what they are!!! Basically at present these 2 Versions of ipod are not supported that well by the 500 but Dension are trying to fix the problems. I seem to remember there were problems not charging the ipods etc. In the meantime I will search for this site in which more detail is given.

The Dension web page lists all the current Apple Ipods that will work. My Ipod is the 5th Generation Video Ipod (80G) and it works just fine.

RB

Thanks for your input-- I am about to do this same install in a few days. Just waiting to take the car to the dealer for "programming" of CDR-23 to recognize CD changer (I don't have this stock). I will let you know how my experience goes.

I just fitted mine with PCM2 and I have to say I am really pleased with the results. I knew the CDC would be redundant after the install so I took mine out and used the bracket that holds the CDC. I now have my USB,RCA and Ipod connectors poking through where the CDC used to be. I have a C4S Cab so didn't want my Ipod vunerable in the cabin. I have mounted the gateway 500 on top of the petrol tank under the trim. I never had to touch any of the dash apart from turning on the screen.

The screen text is better than I expected with only one gripe - the play lists, artists or albums are displayed in banks of 30 on "pages" which means the page needs "turning" when scrolling though.

RB

I just picked up a 2003 996 C2 coupe with 27,000 miles. I notice that if I drive it more that 20 minutes or so that there is a hot smell from the rear of the car when I get out. It only lasts a very short time and it almost smells like hot brakes but also a little like burnt oil. There are no apparent leaks at all and all else is fantastic in this car. I wonder if this is common or if I should get the car to a dealer. All service is current and the car is under the Porsche Certified Warranty porgram. However, my closest dealer is over 100 miles away and if this is common, or no issue I will not bother. All temps seem normal on the guages.

Thanks for any info you can share on this.

Relax, Its a common smell and you are not the first to raise it (and probably not the last) They all smell like that!

RB

I'm not sure about the iPod ID3 tags, but as far as the sunglass holder goes, just pull it harder.

Thanks, I didn't want to force it without knowing for sure!

Anybody got answers for any of the other questions?

I am just about to install a Dension 500 to my C4S Cab and in the instructions to this equipment the documentation states that the Becker head unit does not have the text ability to display all of the Ipod headings I think you are expecting where as the PCM can be configured to display the Ipod screen information.

Hope that helps but I aint an authority!

RB

Hi all,

On Tuesday (13th) I am in Tampa and then Orlando on business for 1 week and it would be so remiss of me to not take advantage of the current exchange rate. So can anyone tell me the best way of buying a Dension Gateway 500 for my MY2004 C4S Cab (with PCM2 and Bose). If the system is only available via mail order can anyone supply me with links to suppliers who you know can deliver in the time I have at my hotel in Orlando.

Failing that my wife will visit NYC for thanksgiving week-end so I could have the unit sent to our NY office and she could pick it up and bring it back (thats if she can carry everything back as I know she is in training as we speak to spank her credit card whilst out there!!!!)

Hope you can help as I stand to probably save myself about half the price compared to the UK.

Ron:

There is a good supplier of the Dension units called Bumperplugs.com, run by a nice, helpful guy named Eric Sklut "Eric the plug guy". His e-mail address is: eric@bumperplugs.com

According to his company, they are the primary distributor for Porsche Units of the Dension Gateway 500. Phone number is : (704) 841-0911, located in Charlotte, NC.

Regards, Maurice.

Thanks Maurice,

I have seen Eric's name pop up a few times on RennTech so I will drop him an email and see if he can help

Regards

Ron

Hi all,

On Tuesday (13th) I am in Tampa and then Orlando on business for 1 week and it would be so remiss of me to not take advantage of the current exchange rate. So can anyone tell me the best way of buying a Dension Gateway 500 for my MY2004 C4S Cab (with PCM2 and Bose). If the system is only available via mail order can anyone supply me with links to suppliers who you know can deliver in the time I have at my hotel in Orlando.

Failing that my wife will visit NYC for thanksgiving week-end so I could have the unit sent to our NY office and she could pick it up and bring it back (thats if she can carry everything back as I know she is in training as we speak to spank her credit card whilst out there!!!!)

Hope you can help as I stand to probably save myself about half the price compared to the UK.

I'd also be interested in the software that allows GM nav CDs to be used in Porsche nav units.

Just for the heck of it, I checked the PCM version and software version in my 2004 Cayenne following the directions in my owner's manual after reading these posts. My car shows PCM version 3.0 and software version 3.0. I was expecting it to say 2.0. Does this seem right?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Dennis

I think you will find that the GM nav cheat in the PCM was to get around the lack of updates for PCM1 fitted cars and then only if the PCM was the 16bit version and not the 8bit.

RB

I have a 99 996 C2 with sport Bilstein suspension and Eibach springs. Lately, I have been hearing creaking noises from the front end, possibly from the suspension, when going over some of the rough roads here in the Dallas area. Suspension was recently done, and has new tires. It sounds like somthing scrapes, or almost like it bottoms out. Then there are times when noises disappear, especially when I have taken it to Boardwalk Porsche.

I have 3 piece Techart Daytona's 18x8.5 with 245/35/18 Continental's.

Has anyone encountered this or someone with similiar problems?

I and a fair amount of other 996 owners will have experienced the "creaking" noise at some stage. It is normally the lower control arm on the suspension that has worn. However, you have Bilstein suspension and I don't know if this has repaced the stock control arm.

There is a technical article on this on this site.

RB

Eric's speed is comparatively slow compared to a guy here in the UK who is now serving a 10 week spell in prision and sporting a 3 year ban from driving after being clocked at traveling at 172mph in his company's 997 Turbo by a cop with a radar gun. The cops even took a photo of the read out on the radar gun as they hadn't seen it that high before. He holds the record here for the fastest speeding conviction.

Having said all that, a few years ago the cops in Scotland hiding out on a highland road that was favoured by speeding car owners, had the shock of their life when there gun went off the scale as it picked up a low flying Harrier coming straight towards them. Lucky for them the aircraft was on an excercise and loaded with dummy missile as its defece system on the aircraft locked on to the IR source from the gun - Shame it was only armed with the dummies.

RB

I can't quite see why you would want to keep the CDC as it is only weight you don't need anymore!

RB

Great to see this topic as I was about to post on the same/similar issue. 2003 S with 50k miles. The noise I'm getting out of the front end is when I go over small bumps and the suspension makes what I can only describe as a rattling sound. Is this consistent with what we have been discussing here.

Before I go swapping expensive parts,

1) is there a diagnosis routine for this?

2) Someone mentioned using a "rubbers safe" lubricant. Can you recomend a brand?

many thanks, Carlos

Can't help feeling you are delaying the inevitable by greasing. It is a straight forward job and even if you had your dealer do it it should only be an hours labour per wheel at the most plus the cost of the lower control arm.

I have a 2001 C4 CAB w/Tip that has the PSM and ABS lights that stay ON. The PSM switch light comes on before starting engine but doesn't do anything once engine is running.

Problem started after a weak battery was charged. Everything else seems to work fine and car appears to run OK.

Other posts point to MAF but this seems like a strange coincedance that it started after I charged the battery. Could it be as simple as a blown fuse ? Some posts indicate brake light switch could be it but brake lights work fine.

Let me know if you know of other things to try.

Strange coincidence do happen like that: I had a similar problem however, it differs slightly in so far as the ABS and PSM on my C4 (MY2000) came on under hard acceleration and would reset after the engine was switched off. It was the MAF but as I was driving to the dealers my alternator failed at the same time! Oh and to just show how coincidence can strike at anytime I called the recovery at 9.11

hey everybody, i just picked up a 1999 996 cab a little while ago. its a great car, fun to drive and of course its a porsche. on the freeway yesterday i noticed while sitting in traffic, the voltage meter was under 12 volts. when i got out of gridlock, it was 13 or so and fine all day. today i noticed the same problem while on the street and this time, when i jumped on the freeway at high speeds, instead of voltage rising to normal, it continued to drop to 10. the cars dash lights all appeared and soon thereafter, the motor died and i coasted to a stop.

i did notice that right before it died, the car jolted and the voltage was normal for a few seconds until i let off the gas. the car has 64k miles. Anyone know the cause and problem? if it is the alternator, whats my expected $$$ cost?

i read on some other posts including boxster posts, thatit could be a smaller inexpensive diy part like the regulator. what can be checked before bringing it in? even with a jumper power pack, the warning lights stay on after being started.

i have a mechanic for all my other cars, but if some one has a porsche guy they use and swear by in the los angeles area (sf valley specifically) i ll check the out.

I bet alternator - why? cus you have just described exactly what happened to me last week! Cost? well I am in the UK so we pay more than you guys but if I convert the sterling I would have paid if the car hadn't had warranty it would be around $1300 so no cheap fix

I had an alternator failure just last week and much the same symtoms occured. warning lights going crazy and then going off. Volt meter dropped away and I came to a grinding halt as the stopped. Called for recovery and checked on my cell what time I made the call and the spooky thing was it said 9.11.

Hi all

Finally succumed to the 'stuck roof' syndrome, but I'm fairly sure it is just a sensor or microswitch failure, nothing major or mechanical. Specifically:

'Roof open' light on dash permanently ON

Windows open correctly when I unlatch the roof, but the roof itself does not 'relax' - instead, it stays tensioned.

Handbrake light operating normally

No sound of motors trying to work when I press the Roof Open/Roof Close button

Searching here suggests it is either the Handbrake On sensor, or the microswitch in the roof latch itself. For anyone more expert than I, two questions

Do these symptoms point to a specific component failure (sensor, switch etc) and if so where?

Where are the relays located, so I can try checking/substituting Relay 10 (I think?) - it's a LHD '98 2.5 manual

All help very much appreciated. It's 27C today, and we haven't got a lot more nice weather left before summer...

TIA

Jon

If after you have tried Tool Pant's fix, you don't have any success, I posted (a long time ago now) a test proceedure you can apply to the relay connections which evaluates the voltage input/output per microswitch. I had the same problem on my Boxster some years ago and after doing the handbrake shuffle I still couldn't open the top. After applying this test I found the double microswitch was faulty in the roof.

I know its here somewhere!

RB