boxster re map
 

i have a boxster 986,and i wold like to re map it. but there's nobody who will do it where i live. i found a few companys on the net that will do it, but theyre all far away, and they told me that i can send them the ecu by post, and then they can send it back to me. there are two things that im concerned about. 1. since the remap wont be done with the car there, will the ecu give me any problems when installing it, like an engine check light?

and 2. what if it gets lost, ill be doomed! :(

anyone has any experience with ecu re mapping on the 986, is it worth the risk?

also i saw that there are diy kits with which you can re map the ecu at home, but they only do them for the 987.

someone come across one for the 986?

thanks!

Nowadays, ECU re-mapping involves uploading a software file via the vehicle's OBD port. It's no longer necessary to solder or send out the DME for programming . Here are some companies who are known for their quality programs :

www.fvd.us
www.softronictuning.com
www.evoms.com

The remap alone won't get you a whole lot more power. Also, the company doing the remap will want to know what other modifications you have done so they can program accordingly. If you're going down this road, get all of the other mods done first: intake, throttle body, headers, cats, and muffler. You don't want to have to remap twice...it's the most expensive single piece!

unfortunately nobody seems to be able to send dme programming for the 986. they all do the 987 but not the 986. the upgrades i have so far are the intake, mufflers, cats, exhaust and the techno torque from pedro's garage.

All of the companies that I listed offer ECU upgrades for the 986 boxster .

Check out this link from Softronic, They copy your original file so you can put it back if there is a problem.
http://www.softronic.us/index.php

So in the case of a MY97 986, which I've read is the only year with a DME that does not allow the nice and easy plug-n-play ability of all subsequent model years' DMEs, would I still have to remove the DME from the vehicle in order to have it programmed? :(

No. Companies like FVD/Brombacher, Softronic, or Evolution Motorsports will create a specific software file based on the information optioned from "reading out" your vehicle's DME . This step is accomplished by using a special cable/interconnect that they supply you with . Subsequently, the file is sent back to them, wherein they use this information to create a new ecu program . Once you receive the new program (usually overnighted back), it's then necessary to download it onto a laptop . The next step is to upload the program through the vehicle's OBD port using the same cable . It's a very simple and straight forward process.

Johnny Danger,
I contacted all those companies, and they all gave me the same reply, that i have to take the car to them for them to be able to re map my ecu, they cant just send me maps to upload on my laptop to do myself. they told me that they only do that service with the 2.7 engines upwards.
i also tries companies like unichip for a piggyback device, but again, i only found for the 2.7.
if you know of any company that has something for the early 2.5 i would appreciate it,
thanks

This is the first that I've heard of this with 2.5 engines ??

I know that some of these companies do indeed only do the plug-and-play for 2.7s and up. But there are some who do make maps for 2.5s, you just can't upload them yourself, you'd have to go to a vendor of that brand and have them tune the car and upload it for you. I wonder again if it's more specifically for the earliest of the Boxster DMEs...but we don't know what year boxster's car is.

my car is a 1999 model.
you can even see fro their websites that they specifically do the 2.7 upwards, and some of them dont even do the 986, they just do the 987 boxster.
many of the tuners i contacted told me that to re map the type of ecu y car has they actually need to have the car there, so that they can upload new maps via the obd port

Assuming that you're correct, the DME has to be remove removed from the 2.5 model in order to reprogram the ECU, I would contact Pedro at the link below . You won't find a more honest and knowledgeable person than him .

TechnoChip

Thanks for the compliments...
 

... but boxster is correct.
The '97 - '99 ECU cannot be programmed like the newer gen2 986s.
Originally anyone who reprogrammed one of these had to physically open the ECU and solder a chip onto the existing board.
Recently my company developed a way around this by manufacturing a special computer that simulates the car's parameters and offers some signals that were missing in order to reprogram.
We can now remap the ECU by simply pugging it into our computer. We download the original map and upload the modified one, according to the customer's requests.
We still have to physically have the ECU in our hands.
We've also found ways around some of Porsche's "failsafe" modes:
1- We can completely eliminate the CLU (Central Locking Unit) and all its wiring from a car and...
2- We can completely eliminate the immobilizer (transponder for the key).
Porsche said that this was impossible. we now do it routinely for race cars that want to eliminate weight and simplify the electronics by just installing a start button.
If anyone needs more info you can contact me directly.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Nice introductory price on the tuning! Have you developed a 3.8L map for 7.8 DME yet?

Pedro, can you do this on a 2001 S model ECU as well, and can it be done remote - or do I have to send you the ECU? Not to keen on sending my ECU to the US from Finland!!!

We can do this on ...
 

... 1997 - 1999 2.5L Boxsters and 2000 - 2004 2.7 & 3.2L Boxsters.
Unfortunately it cannot be done remotely.
We need to physically have the ECU in our shop.
Here's more info on the subject: Products: Performance and Enhancement Products for your Porsche
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro