OBC stalk question
 

Is it possible to remove the obc stalk from a 3-stalk unit and put it on a 3-stalk that has cruise or vice-versa or are the stalks soldered/pressed in such a way that it would destroy the stalk if it was attempted to remove it?

The OBC (4th) stalk is the only stalk which is removable from the 4-stalk unit. It just scews into place. It is actually added onto a standard 3-stalk unit, but Porsche will not sell it separately because they want to sell the OBC option and making the 4th stalk available would preclude this.

When I did my OBC hack, I actually bought a 996 4-stalk unit and removed the OBC stalk because the 996 has auto Cruise Control and the Boxster doesn't. So I removed it and screwed it onto my original 3-stalk unit.

I'm about to be doing this myself in the near future. I had thought you needed to purchase the whole 4-stalk part, but you're saying I can call any dismantler, purchase a 4 stalk unit out of a 996 and just steal the 4th switch?

Patrick

Yes you can.

I did what one member here did, in fact that's where I got the idea. I read how he'd done it back when I was just a lowly lurker.

I bought a 4-stalk unit from a 996 from L.A. Porsche for $100 (for some reason the 996 stalks seem more plentiful from the dismantlers). Then, I removed the 4th stalk and transferred it to my original 3-stalk (as I said, it just screws in place - the hole for the screw is already on your existing unit), transferred the left side 2-stalk rubber 'Dust Shield' which fits behind the steering surround (you're only gonna have a 1-stalk 'dust shield' in there now, and one of the hacks tells you to cut an opening in the dust shield for the 2nd stalk, but they're interchangeable so there's no need). Then, I sold the leftover 996 3-stalk on CL for $50, so I got the needed stalk for just $50.

You can't just swap the entire unit because the 996 has 'Auto Cruise Control'. In other words, the CC stalk only has Accel., Set, coast, Decell. modes - no ON/OFF, apparently the CC on the 996 is always ON. It may work with the Boxster too, but the connector is different, so I didn't even try.

Of course, I still needed the VW Motec wires and such, but it beat spending $285 for the 4-stalk unit from the dealer when I already had a perfectly functioning 3-stalk unit in the car. It also cost me another couple bucks to buy a new stalk cover plate because the 996's are matte finish and my car has the gloss finish - $2.85.

Thanks for the reply. Good to know it's removable. Now to call up some salvage yards... :)

The 996 and 986 do not use different cruise control systems and the switch assembly is identical between the two cars. The only differences between the stalk assemblies are with/without cruise, with/without OBC. Thus if you can find the assembly from either car it is plug and play. The switches come with the matte finish covers, thus if you have gloss covers, you need to transfer them from your old switch assembly.

Last summer when I bought mine, it was no more expensive to get a used one or one brand new from sunset.

Part numbers for both 996 and 986

996 613 219 10 EWC both obc and cruise
996 613 217 10 EWC just cruise
996 613 215 10 EWC just OBC
996 613 213 10 EWC neither cruise or OBC

Todd

Sorry, I bought my 996 4-stalk unit 2 yrs. ago and it was definitely NOT Plug & Play. I had to splice a new connector on it to connect to the OBC wiring.

The Cruise Control stalk on the 996 also did not have the ON/OFF positions.

In my case, they were definitely not the same.

You were most likely mistakenly sold a 993 stalk assembly. They look virtually identical with the exception that the 993 did not have the on/off button on the end of the cruise control stalk.

Todd

That would explain it - works the business though...