Enable OBC on 2001?
 

Hi everyone,
Im new to the forum so I apologize if this question has been covered before. I brought my 2001 to the dealer in San Jose, CA and was told that the OBC cannot be activated, only the earlier models are "hackable". Does anyone know if this can be done on a 2001? and where can I get it done in Northern California? Thanks!

-Tony

1997-2000 is what I call the old style instrument cluster. On these years if you turned on the OBC you would see the outside temp display. No switch or stalk is needed for these years.

In 2001 the cluster changed. 2001-2004 clusters are different than 1997-2000. I call it the new style cluster. If you turn on the OBC with a new style you do not see anything unless you retrofit a switch or stalk. The reason is that the trip odometer display is shared with the OBC display. So you need a switch or stalk to cycle past the odometer display in order to see the OBC displays.

So what Stevens Creek Porsche told you is true due to the fact you have a 2001. It is easy to retrofit a switch or stalk so you can see the OBC displays. I have the tool to turn on the OBC.

here's the DYI:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/box_OBD_Mod/box_obd_mod.htm

(you still will need ToolPant's help to activate the OVD after you did the hack).

I did the hack a year ago and Stevens Creek Porsche activated the OBD for (I believe) $75 for me - I wish I had known ToolPants by then ;)

Toolpants is the nicest guy I've ever met and a true blessing to the boxsters community. We spent 2 hours explaining the basic stuff to me in great details. And not only he helped me with the OBC hack, he also discovered that the car was in transportation mode (trunk light wasn't lit unless key's in) for the last 6 years :eek: . Thanks again Jeff, your help was invaluable to me.

-Tony

Are there instructions somewhere on how to install the 4-stalk switch into an 2002 or later? Besides installing the 4-stalk switch and having a dealer turn it on, are there any ohter modifications to be done or is it truely plug'n'play? I am really interested in doing this.

Jeff

That was interesting. Pushed the computer key to turn on the OBC and got a message that it was already on. So, the dealer mechanic a few days earlier had turned it on, but you cannot see the OBC displays on a 2001 unless a retrofit is done. So we turned it off, then back on, just to make sure it was on.

Then I noticed both trunk lights were not working, and Tony said the interior light did not work unless the ignition key was turned on and he was right. This 6 year old car was still in the transit mode from when Porsche shipped it on a boat to the US. Car is now in the handover mode and the lights work.

Now I think Tony is going to do a cupholderectomy.