Initialising Navigation

[Donie]

I have been trying to update the nav system with later Porsche NavTech CD's than the ones that came with the car. However the system keeps telling me that it is experiencing errors in reading the CD's.

Does it take some considerable time and travel distance, for this to take place? Anyone got any experience with this?

[Loren]

PCM 1 or PCM 2?

[Donie]

Hi Loren,

It's PCM 1 a 2002 VIN No. Car.

Donie

[Neo601]

Hi Donie,

here is the actual information from Porsche:

1. PCM-1 is available in 2 versions (a. xx.98 - 04.2001 ; b. 04.2001 - 08.2002)

2. Version a. uses 8 BIT hardware and version uses 16 BIT hardware and extended memory. This means to CDs for version b. need more memory.

3. In Europe latest software for version a. is NAVTEC 2000/2 and latest software for version b. is PORSCHE Tequipment 2003/2004 (only available from certified Porsche dealer in full Europe-Version - 5 CDs, 500 Euro -, not from NAVTEC)

4. To check your navigation-unit, take it out (its the one with the CD slot) and check WAP number. For 16 BIT it should be: 996.642.122.03 (996.642.122.00 to 996.642.122.02 is 8 BIT)

At the moment I use the German Tequipment 2003/2004 CD and its very good, much better then 2000/2 version.

:oops: But be carefull with copies. The CDs have an copy-protection included. Normaly the copy only run after processing first time the original. The read error you described is always shown after using a copy without initialising the navigation system with original CD.

Frank

[P.Viby]

Yep, Neo601 is right. I have the old 8 Bit system PCM1 and for me here in Denmark it not very good. You can easily upgrade to PCM1 version 2 (16 Bit version) but that cost around 1300 Euro (If someone can get it cheeper let me know) The upgrade includes new cd reader plus the 5 cd´s for Europe.

Just find it a little rude that Porsche charge 1300 Euro for something that should have worked from the beginning. I mean here in Denmark the coverage is so bad that you can easily drive 100 km on a unknown road. :eek:

But I still love the car :drive:

[Neo601]

Hi P.Viby,

I think the the German NAV-Sofftware is a little bit better than yours in Denmark, but the service for navigation is the same - very bad.

Last year I need a lot of calls, the last ones to the factory itself to get detailed information about PCM-1. Nobody from all dealers in my region (an there are a lot of them) knows something about the system and how to get newest CDs. Also registering on NAVTEC has no effect, because Porsche delivers since 2003 exclusivly on its own stores.

The actual CD I found in EBAY, because really nobody needs the hole Europe package. So most buyers offers the CDs not needed on EBAY to reduce their costs. Because of a price round about 500 Euro you will get a brand new standard GPS System with DVD player and radio including newest software in most supermarkets.

But for two points I get no closer information from Porsche itself. Because they don't like my ideas. Maybe somebody knows about it:

1. How to connect an external audio-video source to PCM-1, for example a DVD player or something like this. (On Siemens WEB site I found an overview, that connectors should be implemented. But it was only an abstract description)

2. How to get an developper SDK for PCM-1 programming. In my opinion the user interface needs some more additional functions, like programming CD title order for example.

Frank

[nikv]

1. PCM-1 is available in 2 versions (a. xx.98 - 04.2001 ; b. 04.2001 - 08.2002)

...

4. To check your navigation-unit, take it out (its the one with the CD slot) and check WAP number. For 16 BIT it should be: 996.642.122.03 (996.642.122.00 to 996.642.122.02 is 8 BIT)

Frank

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello,

Can anyone tell me how to pull out this unit without causing it or its surrounds any damage ?

Are some sort of special tools required ?

I'd love to check whether my PCM1 is the first or second version (my car is from 05/2001)

Regards,

Nik

[dphil66]

I just pulled mine out of the car last night, it was very easy.

There are two small plastic pieces on the front faceplace of the CD drive, oriented vertically, one on each side. These are separate pieces from the rest of hte faceplate. Simply get a grip on each piece and pull it straight out. They are really not much more than a small flat piece of plastic with two pins on the backside that fit into two holes in the unit. There are no barbs or anything to break, just be sure to grip them in a way that does not cause damage.

One you have those off, you'll see two holes at each side of the unit. You can use a standard Blaupunkt stereo removal tool to get it out - which is a pair of U-shaped metal things. Insert the tips into the holes, and you basically have two little loop handles to pull the unit out. I'm sure you could get it out by inserting a small-diameter round punch or coat hanger into each hole. One inserted into the hole, the tips of the tool hit on little spring-barbs that have to move inward toward the unit. Once these are moved inward, the barbs clear the frame of the opening and the unit can slide out.

My car is a '99 Carrera 4 with the first-generation PCM. Mine is the ".00" part number. I have a problem with it, and wonder if anybody else has had the same issue. The drive appears to be faulty because it has yet to boot up for me. It always says "initializing navigation" and it never comes on line. The discs I have are genuine Porsche discs. It did come on line once in the 37 days I've owned the car, and never again. It knows when there is and is not a disc in the drive, it just won't cooperate with it. Has anybody else had this problem? Was it the CD-ROM drive that was bad?

Being a gearhead (and a degreed mechanical engineer) I disassembled the unit to clean the lens of the CD drive. To my dismay, the lens was almost perfectly clean once I got to it, and when I put it all back together I missed a minor point of reassembly and the thing won't take the disc back in. Whatever. It was a fun little dissection, and it was busted anyway.

Anybody want to see some pictures of the guts of a PCM CD-ROM drive? I'll take some and post them if you'd like.

A replacement CD-ROM drive from the dealer is US $1500. They also sell a rebuilt unit for about US $1150.