Carrera Gauge Swap
 

I am continuing my effort to install a Carrera Gauge cluster in my 2000 Boxster. The Carrera cluster has a damaged clock/oil gauge lcd and you can see here:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1359953659.jpg

I haven't found anyone who can repair a broken lcd, so I thought I would try installing the Carrera Gauge faces on my Boxster circuit board. You can see the results here:


http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1359953801.jpg

When I use the Carrera gauge faces on the Carrera Board, everything works OK with the exception of the damaged lcd. (It works, but it is unsightly.)

When I use the Boxster circuit board, every works OK except the voltmeter. As you can see in the first picture, the Carrera/Carrera combination reads between 11 and 12 volts when the ignition is switched on. The second picture shows that the Carrera/Boxster combination reads 0 when the car is on.

(When the car is running, the oil gauge reads between 4 and 5 with either combination.)

Any suggestions on what I might try next? The circuit boards appear identical and have the same part number. However, there are so many components on each that it is not possible for me to be sure they are identical.


http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1359954458.jpg

In this photo, the Carrera circuit board is on top and the Boxster is below.

I'll preface this by stating I'm not overly familar with the Carrera gauge swap. :o

That said, could it be a coding issue when using the voltmeter on the Boxster's circuit board? It made sense when I typed it anyway...

Kevin,

I would look for a bad connection

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried re-seating the connections and that didn't help. I also hooked up my Durametric. I used the test functions for the gauge cluster in hopes that a little exercise would get it started, but no luck.

Here's what I know:

1. The voltmeter works fine when it is hooked up to the Carrera circuit board that came with it. This means that:

A. The Carrera gauge itself is not broken
B. The car is sending the correct signal to the Carrera circuit board.
C. The connectors from the car to the Carrera circuit board are OK.
D. The connectors between the Carrera circuit board and the Carrera gauges are OK.

2. All the gauges and lights work correctly using the Boxster circuit board and the Carrera gauges with the exception of the voltmeter. This means that:

A. The voltage signal is not being transmitted from the Boxster circuit board to the voltmeter; or
B. The Boxster circuit board is not processing the signal from the car correctly; or
C. The pin for the Carrera circuit board to receive the signal is different than one on the Boxster circuit board
D. The signal from the car is not passing to the Boxster circuit board.

I'm continuing to try to figure this out. There is a shop in California (Palo Alto Speedometer) that specializes in this kind of thing. They couldn't fix the burned out lcd on the cluster I bought because they can't obtain the parts, but they may be able to fix this. Someone on Pelican suggested a speedometer shop in my area that works on VDO gauges. I will definitely give them a call. I'm also going to check with Hollywood Speedometer.

I'd appreciate any other suggestions.

I am guessing you already thought about this but since I did not see it mentioned I will throw it out there. Is it possible to swap he boxster lcd onto the carrera board?

It will take someone with soldering skills/knowledge above my level. But, I'm planning to ask a speedometer shop in my area if they can do it. I don't want to have both units damaged so I'm not going to try it myself.

Thanks

I went by the local company - Southern Electronics - today. They don't have the equipment to work on the "new" Porsche speedometers. Since this style of speedometer first appeared in 1996, the term "new" covers a lot of territory. They referred me to a guy in Chicago - Best Pixel Repair. He does replace lcd's but only on BMW's. He said the parts for Porsches are unavailable.

Right now I think I have two options:

1. See if a shop with a PIWIS can "turn on" the voltmeter on my hybrid Boxster/Carrera cluster. I'm not sure how that might work but maybe there is something in the software. I checked with my Durametric and that didn't work.

2. Check with Palo Alto Speedometer or North Hollywood Speedometer to see if they can make the voltmeter operational on my Boxster/Carrera cluster.

I paid $150 for the cluster, so I hate to see it go to waste. Maybe someone will need some parts and I can recoup some of the money.

Kevin, real sorry about that. I wish I hadn't given my old two clusters away for basically nothing. I don't think that Palo Alto speedo is an option. This will cost you several hundred dollar, almost cheaper to find a spare cluster.

If I recall your posts correctly, I think you had the "new style" cluster, so it wouldn't have been compatible. I don't think Palo Alto or North Hollywood can help based on their responses. I'm still planning to talk with a local independent who has a PIWIS to see if they can activate the voltmeter in my merged Boxster/Carrera cluster. I think that is a long shot, but I"m an eternal optimist.

Oh well, I went into this with a "low-risk, high reward" attitude. I think I can recoup some of the money on the cluster I have if someone needs parts, and I can keep looking for a good used cluster so my investment in the oil pressure sending unit won't be wasted.

I have done this and can tell you it is due to the programming on the console eprom.

I am a bit of a electronics nerd and used an eprom programmer and a 8 pin clip to copy off the old programming and copy the programming from the 996 cluster onto the boxster chip. the voltmeter works perfectly now, but the fuel gauge is very slightly low. I am planning on doing some experimentation soon to find out what to change on the programming to get it working.

If you want to ship both clusters to me I am happy to copy one to the other for you. I can update mileage as well. Not sure if I can test it as I have a 97 with the old style connectors. I'm also happy to point you in the direction of what to buy (around $250 (Edit - just found a cheap chinese version on ebay for $47)) and how to do it if you want a DIY solution.

PM me for details.

Gavin,

As we discussed on the phone, your method worked perfectly. The proof is in the picture.

If anyone needs the equipment to update a Boxster cluster so that it can support a set of 996 gauges, let me know. I'll give members on the 986 Forum first shot before I put it on Ebay.

KevinH1990,

PM sent on what you have to offer.

Here's some information for anyone who wants to repair a defective 996 cluster (for example my 996 cluster had a bad lcd) with the good circuit board from a 986. The benefit for me was that I was able to perform the 996 cluster swap by using a defective cluster that cost me $155. It looks like non-defective 996 clusters cost $500 or more, so the savings are significant. In addition, you can swap over the mileage from your Boxster without sending it a speedometer shop. One shop is charging $200 for this service. Gavin Yuill was the person who figured this all out, so he should receive the credit.

Please note - I did this using a cluster from a 2000 996 and a 2000 986. These are the "old style" clusters with the blue, white and black connectors. I don't know if it will work with the "new style" clusters. Also, if you try this at home, you assume all the risks.

The good news about swapping the circuit boards is that the MY 2000 986 and 996 circuit boards are identical. The bad news is that the programming in them is different. In my case, this meant when I attached my 986 circuit board to my 996 gauges the voltmeter didn't work. I also expect that the analog speedometer would be off by a bit and the mileage would be incorrect.

As Gavin says in his post, the way around this is to copy the programming from the 996 circuit board and write it to the 986 circuit board. At the same time, you can copy 3 lines of code from your 986 and use it to update the mileage and the Vehicle Identification Number from your Boxster. You can probably also turn on the cabriolet top operation light and the on board computer as well. However, I did not have to do this in my car. Perhaps Gavin can share this information too.

In order to do this, you need a device called an Eprom programmer. You also need a clip to attach the programmer to your circuit board. On my model year 2000 circuit boards, the chip is above the center lcd and slightly to the left. Here's a picture of the set up:


http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1361759731.jpg

Here are the basic steps you will follow:

1. Connect the programmer to the Carrera circuit board.
2. Download the programming from the Carrera cluster and save it to a file. (On the EPROM programmer I bought I was required to "swap bytes" when downloading. There is a selection in the programmer software that does this automatically.)
3. Disconnect from the Carrera circuit board and connect to the Boxster circuit board.
4. Download the programming from the Boxster chip.
5. Copy the first line of the Boxster programming and use it to overwrite the first line of code in the file containing the Carrera coding. (This contains the odometer reading. It's encrypted, probably as a deterrent to odometer fraud.)
6. Copy the second half of the second line of the Boxster code and copy it to the second half of the second line of the Carrera code. Copy the first half of the third line of the Boxster code to the first half of the third line of the Carrera code. This updates the VIN.
7. Save the modified code to a new file.
8. Write the modified Carrera code file to the Boxster chip
9. Reassemble everything and you're done.

Here's a picture of the computer code that I copied from my Carrera chip. Note how the VIN starts in the middle of the second line and ends in the middle of the third line.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1361760257.jpg

Note that the EPROM programmer and the clip to connect to the board cost about $140 shipped. I'm willing to sell mine at a discount to anyone who needs to do this. Just send me a PM if you are interested.

:D :eek: :D :eek: :D :eek: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cheers:

I put it all together and took it for a spin. Everything seems to be working perfectly. I even filled up the gas tank and 4 gallons took it from about 3/4 full to full.

This is a picture showing a better view of the programmer is attached to the board.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1361848629.jpg

Here's a shot of the computer screen showing the data and software right after a read of the chip.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1361848908.jpg

This is a great write up! I have a 2000 Boxster S and and 99 C2 gauge cluster with a bad LCD, so I am in a similar boat to what you were. I say similar because evidently there could be some differences in the fuel sending units between 99 and 00:

"In addition, the very early C2 cars used a different fuel level sender than the one that is used in the Boxster. As a result, installing an early C2 cluster into a Boxster may not give you the most accurate fuel gauge reading (although I did install one on my project Boxster, and it appears to be working okay)." - Wayne @ Pelican

His swap was a straight cluster for cluster, not the board from the 986 and the gauges from a 996.

My 996 C2 board is part number is 996 641 103 03 70C. (I don't know if it is the "early" style or not)

Is this something that is potentially also correctable via EEPROM, or is that a hardware difference on the board?

Any help from anyone would be appreciated.

Benjamin

Kevin, what tools do you need to take apart the cluster, just a torx bit?

What are you guys seeing as a going rate just to have the odometer reprogrammed. I just did the silver/white face swap without issues. Unfortunately, the new gauge reads about about 10,000 miles over my actual.

Why this is not recorded on the ECU versus the cluster still stuns me.

I have heard that Palo Alto Speedometer will do it for $200, but I don't know how current that is. You can buy an EEPROM programmer online for $50-60 and do it yourself with the above instructions.

It makes a little sense to me that the miles would be stored on the cluster. That's where the odometer is located, and on non-computerized cars with analog odometers, that's the only place is gets stored. If it were stored on the ECU, you would have the same problem if you ever changed it.

Perfect Perfect Perfect for what I need!!!!
I too have a busted LCD screen and I've been looking for an easier fix than buying a brand new cluster.

Kevin/Gavin Thank you for posting this!!!

Yes, the fuel gauge calibration is stored on the EPROM, copying over the contents of your old one will fix up the fuel gauge. However, if you use the Boxster programming on a 996 cluster, the oil sender and voltmeter will not work. I have found the correct bits to turn this on with the older unit, but not with the newer one. If I can get some more newer eprom dumps I may be able to reverse engineer it though.

You can tell the old unit from the newer by the color of the connector on the back. the older unit is Black, White and Blue. The 99 and 2000 should both be the older unit, so you are in luck.

Yes, remove 2 torx screws, then push the two clips on the back towards the outside of the cluster - this might seem a little scary at first as it feels as if they will break, but it disengages the electrical plugs that connect the two boards together, then unclip the large clip from the bottom of the cluster and it should fall easily into two halves.

If you just swapped the cluster to get upated faces, you can use the rear pcb from your old cluster on the new face pcb and your old mileage will be back.

If you no longer have the old cluster, PM me and I can help you.

If anyone needs a comprehensive set of instructions, please send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll forward them to you. However, I'm just the scribe. Gavin is the wizard who thought this through. I have the code for a 996 (old style cluster) with the top operation warning light and on-board-computer turned on if anyone needs it. (If you bought a cluster from a coupe instead of a cabriolet that might come in handy.)

Also, Coolbreeze is selling the EPROM programmer and clip in the classifieds right now, so if you need the equipment you might want to jump on it. If two or three of you are planning to do this, maybe you can work out an arrangement where you sell it on to each other after your done with it and do some cost sharing.

Great! I bought the 996 cluster for $150 because it has a defective LCD. The oil sending unit was $83, so all in all I will be $233 into it. I may as well do the OBC add on at the same time I have the cluster out.

I will send you both of my EEPROM dumps if you have any interest. Both are the older style. I also don't know the specs of the donor 996.

When you read the programming on the cluster, you can enter the VIN on this web site:
Scouser's Porsche VIN Decoder

That might tell you whether if is from a coupe or a cabriolet. However, for my 996 cluster it said the donor car was a coupe, but the top operation warning light was activated. So, it is not 100% accurate.

It sounds like you got a good price on your cluster. I think I paid $155 with shipping. I was able to sell my silver gauges to another Boxster owner for $150. You may find that someone wants your old cluster for parts.

Good luck with your project.

996 911 Carrera Gauge Cluster - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

If anyone is interested in this project, it looks like there is a reasonably priced cluster available on Pelican. No affiliation. Let me know if you need instructions for programming the cluster.

cluster swap
 

Hi guys. This is my first post on here - I am normally active on Boxa.net in the UK. I hope you don't mind me dragging up this old thread.

I have a 98 Boxster from new and have carried out many mods and improvements over the years & can honestly say its the best car I have ever owned. I have done the mod to add the oil & volt gauge. I decided to keep my original cluster so I didn't have to get it recoded for mileage etc. I found that after the change everything worked fine except the volt meter. Looking at the hardware I concluded that it must be a codeing issue - and that's when I found this thread :cheers:

I have all the gear to reprogramme the eeprom at work but just need a file from a 996 cluster & wondered if any member on here would have one they could email to me? I will drop a pm to Kevin & Gavin (if I am allowed to as a newbe) to see if they can help.

topradio, if you pm me your email, I will send you the instructions that gavin put together. It's real easy. No need for Carrera file, since you only need to change one bit. That way your mileage, fuel calibration, etc all stay intact.

Thanks Benjamin, I have done that. It would be nice to have a 996 file though as I was going to play with the codeing myself:D

OK, I can send you mine.

If you send me your e-mail address, I'll be happy to send you the file from my 996 cluster.

It's nice to see someone else making use of this mod. There are about 10 of us who owe Gavin a beer.:cheers:

There is a company that fixes electronics parts for BMWs, Porsches Audi etc that I bet can fix the problem with the original cluster you installed. i have them bookmarked somewhere on my pc. They fixed my hvac controller for 50 bucksw and fixed my radio face on my m3' that cost a little more but still under an 100. Ill fnd there URL and post it

I found their website. Modulemaster.com but perusing their site, i think they are limited to a certain set of modules they repair. It might be worth a shot, but you can likely fix the problem on the path you are on now. There are instructions for the mod on pelican but I haven't tried it Yet. I bought a cluster a couple of years ago and never got around to it.

I'm good. I successfully swapped my 986 board into the cluster I bought and activated it using Gavin's methods. I've already sold the 986 cluster to another Boxster owner who wanted the silver gauge faces.

If the company you used for your BMW is in the Chicago area, I think I talked to the owner. He said that he could buy the lcd's for BMW's but the lcd's for Porsches were not available.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Aside from swapping EPROMs/ circuit boards, etc on these things, swapping a 986 to 996 cluster is not a big deal at all if you have access to a PST2 or PIWIS.

I guess what you did here is FAR more involved, since you started with a damaged 996 cluster, but all this work is not necessary if the 996 cluster you want to install is good, as all you have to do is code it to the car with the PST2/ PIWIS. This is also how you program the 996 cluster to be a C2 (vs C4) for proper fuel level calibration, and how you get the convertible top light to work (coded as C2 Cabrio).

The only thing you cannot do is re-code the mileage (this only works with a new cluster that has under 60 miles on it). Supposedly Palo Alto Speedometer can re-code the mileage, but I haven't tried this.

You are correct.

The advantage to this method is reduced cost. I paid $155 for my damaged 996 cluster. The article on the Pelican website said that a good used cluster would cost $500. I expect that a new cluster would be over $1000.

Palo Alto will reprogram the mileage, but I think their price is $200. Add the cost of two-way shipping and your total cost would probably be closer to $250. If you have any other programming issues, most people would have to pay a shop for access to a PIWIS or PST2 so add the cost of to at least an hour of labor for that.

On the other side of the ledger, I did have to buy an EPROM programmer and clip. I was able to sell it on to another board member at a slight discount, so the net cost was only $25.

This was more or less an impulse project for me, and I don't think I would have done it if I couldn't keep the cost down. I also admit to a bit of thrill when I got it to work.

Hi, what do you need exactly to make a 911 gauge working on our 986 ?
Specific sensors ?

whats the coolant temp value bt 180 and 250? is it 215?

I have never figure out why there's no middle mark to make reading easier and friendlier. The SO drives the boxster and I have to tell her to watch-out the temperature, the needle b/t the 8 and 0 is operating temp.

The basics are in this article: Pelican Technical Article: Boxster 996 Gauge Cluster Upgrade - 986 Boxster (1997-04) -

If you need instructions for reprogramming the cluster, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll forward them to you.

Good luck.