rogerjohnsen

Hi Roger,

Thanks for posting photos of your mods! Which Kenwood model is that you installed. I'm looking into installing a double DIN setup too with Nav, etc.

So basically what did you like about it and would you choose another if given the chance.

Thanks!

Doc

I went with the Kenwod DNX 9140. I like everything about it but the DNX-9960 is out and the user interface is a little better.

Thanks Loren - this makes me feel better. Hopefully the misfires didn't cause any harm - not sure how to check that part though. The coil pack looked okay - no cracks or corrosion. The plug also seemed to be "snug" but I torqued it to spec on re-install after re-gapping the plug. Whatever was causing the misfire seems to have vanished now as I still have not seen a recurrence of the CEL and no pending codes noted.

Nobody?

My car recently went through the 30K mile service and I had a few questions I was hoping to get answered. First some history: I have been getting CEL's with codes P0300 and P0306 when the car is at idle shortly after starting the car. I pulled the plug on the No. 6 cylinder and found it was gapped at .4mm so re-gapped it to .8mm. Since then I haven't experienced any further CEL's in the last half-dozen times I've started it. The car now has 33K and is an '04 911TT cab.

I've attached pictures of the No. 6 plug:

The plugs are BERU, however, I've been told Porsche has replaced these with BOSCH. Are BERU plugs still acceptable for Porsche dealerships to use?

Is it normal for a plug to look like this after 2,170 miles?

Should I be concerned about the oil on the plug threads?

Should I be concerned about the recorded misfires with respect to engine damage or anything else?

The Porsche Dealership service record shows the part number for the plugs used as 999-170-195-90.

Help! Some of my interior lights don't ever power off. The two lights that seem to be having trouble are the illumination light for he hood / bonnet release / seat memory (Driver's door sill) and the glove compartment light. I ended-up just unplugging the glove compartment to minimize battery drain but am hoping someone can point me in the right direction to make sense of what could be going wrong. I've had the car for about a month and noticed a few days after I got it that the lights I mentioned never seem to go off.

Sorry - it appears the lights actually do go off but take longer than say the dash lights. I guess I'm just being paranoid...

I haven't run into any problems without the PCM but sounds like I should have the dealer disable it as described to be on the safe side.

BTW - It would be good to know what if any effect this has on the car for future reference in the event others decide to go aftermarket with their sound system.

Removed the PCM, stock amp and CD Changer and replaced with a Kenwood Nav unit, Kenwood Mono Amp and 8" Kenwood sub in the cabriolet's bassbox. Huge improvement in the sound, looks, functionality. Thanks again for clarifying the PCM question for me.

Hi

I am about to embark on the same thing on a 04 Turbo Cab

Is it necessary to "delete/disable" the PCM in the MOST ring using the Porsche system tester, or is it ok just to swap everything out and patch the optical ring where the PCM used to be.

Thanks

DS

That's a good question - I only swapped everything out unplugging the fiber connectors (3) and plugging the ends. Is there a way to disable the PCM using the system tester?

Gents - any news on the misfire problems? I too am getting a CEL with codes P0300, P0306 and P0301. Mine seems to happen shortly after starting the car. (No boost - just idling in the garage warming up.) Not trying to hijack the thread but just curious if any progress. Thanks!

Removed the PCM, stock amp and CD Changer and replaced with a Kenwood Nav unit, Kenwood Mono Amp and 8" Kenwood sub in the cabriolet's bassbox. Huge improvement in the sound, looks, functionality. Thanks again for clarifying the PCM question for me.

Hi Steve - The contact at Pacific Power Motorsports is Eric. They do work on Turbos but more suspension and general maintenance stuff. He said the top two places in the Bay Area for all out performance and Turbo specialty are:

Sharkwerks in Fremont (around 880 and Automall Pkwy) http://www.sharkwerks.com/main.php

S-Car-Go Racing Inc. out of San Rafael (Rob King)

My turbo is new (to me) so I haven't had anything done to it other than the sound system at this point. All of my other Porsches have been non-turbo so I'm new to this.

They're a small shop but came recommended to me by another turbo owner in the Antioch / Brentwood area. I'll ask if there's anyone in particular who would be the best and get back to you. I'm getting together with another 911 fanatic friend of mine today and will also ask him about indy recommendations since he's from the East Bay as well.

Oh cool - another East Bay'r! Check out Pacific Power Motorsports in Concord.

Wondering if anyone in Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area knows of a exceptional techinician/mechanic for my 996 turbo. Looking for the the shop that has lots of insight on these cars other than dealer. I have a few upgrades on car and am ready for a major service, possible clutch. Shop I use currently is great, but they service alot of Porsches and hoping to find someone that is extra knowlegable about 996 turbos.

Any suggestions with a contact name of person would be appreciated.

What shop are you currently using? The SF Bay Area is pretty big - are you talking Peninsula, South Bay, East - which one or what city?

Check with Sunset...link at the top of the page. That is where I got mine.

Thanks - I ended-up pulling the PCM altogether yesterday since I wasn't convinced getting the update / maps would really be worth it in the long run so will go the after-market route instead.

Yes - I already did my MOST bus CDR-23 on my Boxster a while back. The diagrams here are for pre-MOST when I looked at them so was wondering if there's another version specific to a PCM 2. Oh well - the first one was easy enough to figure out so I don't think this one will be much more difficult. Thanks for the input!

Good to know - In that case I guess it's curtains for the PCM... ;)

I have a similar (or not) story with an '04 Turbo Cab in the Chicago area. It's red "Guards Red" and currently listed on Autotrader.com. I had the car inspected by Joe Rizza Porsche and came back with a number of issues. The dealership advised against the purchase so it was money well spent. Let me know if you're looking at this glam girl and would like to see her rap sheet... ;) No strings attached - just glad I got a different car and avoided headaches down the road.

Fantastic jpflip! Would you possibly have diagrams for a 2004 Turbo with PCM 2? I'm thinking of going aftermarket on the stereo system and these would help immensely. Many thanks in advance!

This may be a silly question but am hoping someone can shed some light... I have an '04 911 Turbo with the PCM / Nav / Bose system but the previous owner doesn't have the NAV discs. I was thinking about going with an aftermarket stereo as I did in my 986 S, however, that car only involved changing out a CDR-23, changer and stock amp. The turbo is a little bit more complicated from what I can tell because of the stability management (PSM). I see the head unit displays GPS, temperature, etc. data and don't know if replacing the head unit will have unforeseen ramifications - in particular with the PSM. I've seen posts where people have done it but have gone through shops for the change while I'm planning to be more hands-on with the project as dictated by lack of funds. I'll be sure to keep the MOST in place should anyone ever want to go back to stock but am just trying to avoid any unforeseen land mines before getting into the swap. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I'd like to get the update for my '04 911TT. I think it has PCM 2 but not sure since the car is new to me and am just catching up on the basics of it all. The car didn't come with any CD's and the previous owner couldn't find them (or the two main keys for that matter). I went to the dealer and got the keys straightened out but held off buying the map / firmware update discs since I'm not sure if I could get them elsewhere for less $$$'s or if it would be better to simply go aftermarket and avoid the hassle. Any information on where to obtain the latest CD's would be appreciated - assuming it's less than the dealer price. ;)

Finally getting around to updating this post... So I ended-up keeping the rear enclosure (Bose) and adding a 10" Alpine TypeR to the passenger foot well. I happened to find a custom enclosure for a Boxster that fit nicely and allowed a decent size subwoofer. The music sounds incredible with this configuration and top down driving isn't a problem. The CDR-23 was replaced along with the 6 disc CD changer and stock amplifier. The new unit is a single DIN Kenwood with iPod, Bluetooth, USB and AUX inputs. I left the stock speakers in place and they are all wired directly to the head unit with the exception of the woofers; which are powered by a separate Kenwood amp located in the front trunk. The subs produce really great bass - tight and clean - with the 10" being the most noticeable.

Now onto the 911... ;)

Wow - I think this is my first post... I really like the design of the subwoofer enclosure. I have the upgraded sound package in my '03 Boxster S so don't really have the option unless I wanted to rip out the rear speaker set or molest the door speakers. I instead opted to put a 12" Alpine Type R in the front trunk of the car running off a Kenwood mono block amp. I tapped into the existing subwoofer speaker wires coming from the stock amp in the front trunk and ran them into the Kenwood amplifier with amazing results. The only real issue I have is the air movement is so massive, it pushes the hood up due to the air tight seal of the trunk. Has anyone put a decent size sub in either the front or rear trunk? I'm assuming you had to do some sort of vent solution and would be curious how you did it.

There is already a vent in rear corner of the trunk. IMO, it's not a good idea to cut into the bulkhead.

The vents in the trunk have a louvered rubber baffle over them and may also be covered by the carpet. Perhaps if you cut out the carpet in that area it may provide you with more venting.

Regards, Maurice.

Nice - thanks! I think I'll give that a try. I found the louvered rubber baffle so will investigate this further as an option.

Wow - I think this is my first post... I really like the design of the subwoofer enclosure. I have the upgraded sound package in my '03 Boxster S so don't really have the option unless I wanted to rip out the rear speaker set or molest the door speakers. I instead opted to put a 12" Alpine Type R in the front trunk of the car running off a Kenwood mono block amp. I tapped into the existing subwoofer speaker wires coming from the stock amp in the front trunk and ran them into the Kenwood amplifier with amazing results. The only real issue I have is the air movement is so massive, it pushes the hood up due to the air tight seal of the trunk. Has anyone put a decent size sub in either the front or rear trunk? I'm assuming you had to do some sort of vent solution and would be curious how you did it.

Seriously? Nobody has put a sub in the trunk of the car? I've searched the forums but can't find anything useful. Anyone? Please?

I searched high and low for this through many schematics. Unfortunately I didn't find anything in the trunk but my amp was able to switch on/off with just the 12V and GND attached. I ran the 12V from the Battery terminal and ran the ground from an existing ground post in the trunk. I had no idea it would work that way and actually discovered it by "accident" while I was trying to find a switched power lead. The amplifier is a Kenwood 9104D - a fairly recent model so your amp may be able to do the same thing?

Wow - I think this is my first post... I really like the design of the subwoofer enclosure. I have the upgraded sound package in my '03 Boxster S so don't really have the option unless I wanted to rip out the rear speaker set or molest the door speakers. I instead opted to put a 12" Alpine Type R in the front trunk of the car running off a Kenwood mono block amp. I tapped into the existing subwoofer speaker wires coming from the stock amp in the front trunk and ran them into the Kenwood amplifier with amazing results. The only real issue I have is the air movement is so massive, it pushes the hood up due to the air tight seal of the trunk. Has anyone put a decent size sub in either the front or rear trunk? I'm assuming you had to do some sort of vent solution and would be curious how you did it.