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Old 11-09-2007, 05:40 PM   #1
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OBC hack

Hi, I'm a proud new owner of a 2002 Artic Silver Boxster and after two weeks its time to modify.
The first item on the list is the OBC hack I have found a 4 stalk to replace my 3 stalk and the installation is the easy part. The problem I have is the nearest Porsche dealer is a 2 day drive away. Is there anyway to determine if the OBC is already turned on without doing the 4 stalk install, and if it is not on can I remove the OBC from the car and send it by mail to have it turned on. We have snow for the next four months so the car will be in storage. I would hate to do the stalk install and not be able to use it.

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Old 11-09-2007, 05:49 PM   #2
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If you have a temperature reading your OBC is on. If not, then it is not on.
Also, the OBC is the wiring of the car under the drivers seat I would highly recommend you do not remove it. That would be very bad because it would disable the entire car. The OBC is not one module.
I did the OBC, it was the best $50 I have spent on my Boxster. And try searching for OBC there are a lot of threads on this.

Welcome to the Forum! You should post some Pictures!
And Good Luck with the Mod!
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Last edited by rick3000; 11-09-2007 at 05:55 PM.
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Old 11-09-2007, 06:02 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick3000
If you have a temperature reading your OBC is on. If not, then it is not on.
Also, the OBC is the wiring of the car under the drivers seat I would highly recommend you do not remove it. That would be very bad because it would disable the entire car. The OBC is not one module.
I did the OBC, it was the best $50 I have spent on my Boxster. And try searching for OBC there are a lot of threads on this.

Welcome to the Forum! You should post some Pictures!
And Good Luck with the Mod!
Thank-you for the quick reply, I've searched this and other sites for the information on the OBC hack and it looks like a easy installation.
But from what I have read, on the 2002 model Boxster the trip meter diplay is where the temperature reading is also displayed and you have to be able to toggle or switch between the displays to view the temp.
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Old 11-09-2007, 06:06 PM   #4
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Look at this site:

http://www.brackenrig.net/OBC_Hack.htm

I was wrong, the 2002 is different and there is no way to know unless you take it to the dealer or track down a PSII in your area.
Good Luck!
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Old 11-09-2007, 07:14 PM   #5
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There is really no way for you to determine if it is on unless you do the retrofit and see if it works. The car does not come from the factory already turned on. The OBC is in the instrument cluster and the cluster has to be connected to the car to turn it on, so you cannot have it turned on by mail. Unless you remove the cluster, send it to someone, and your cluster is hooked up to another car and then your cluster's OBC is turned on.

If you want to see for sure if it is on then you can try this.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16650

You hook up one VW 009 wire in slot 23 of the gray connector and touch the other end of the wire to ground. I did this on Varun's 2001 and the OBC worked. But on his car we knew the OBC was turned on because I checked to make sure it was on with a PST2. A local dealer had turned it on some time before we did the retrofit on his car.
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Old 11-10-2007, 06:38 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tool Pants
There is really no way for you to determine if it is on unless you do the retrofit and see if it works. The car does not come from the factory already turned on. The OBC is in the instrument cluster and the cluster has to be connected to the car to turn it on, so you cannot have it turned on by mail. Unless you remove the cluster, send it to someone, and your cluster is hooked up to another car and then your cluster's OBC is turned on.

If you want to see for sure if it is on then you can try this.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16650

You hook up one VW 009 wire in slot 23 of the gray connector and touch the other end of the wire to ground. I did this on Varun's 2001 and the OBC worked. But on his car we knew the OBC was turned on because I checked to make sure it was on with a PST2. A local dealer had turned it on some time before we did the retrofit on his car.
To add to what TP said, slot 23 acts as a toggle between all the functions provided by the OBC. So, you should be able to switch between all functions using the method Jeff described above.

That said, I should caution you that just in case your OBC is not turned on, and you choose not to do the entire hack, then you be doing the same work twice. In other words, by the time you are able to connect pin 23 to a ground, most of the work is already done, and you might as well do the rest.

Also make sure that you order the correct VW wire - the one listed by TP is the right one. The other one is not as snug a fit.
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Old 11-10-2007, 07:52 AM   #7
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^ I agree. You best bet would be to spend an hour or two and install the stalk in the car. (Make sure to disconnect the battery so your airbag doesn't go off.) Then you will find out if you have the OBC, and you might get lucky. If not then you can look forward to a two day road trip with you and your new Porsche.
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Old 11-10-2007, 02:11 PM   #8
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OKAY!! Is the OBC in the cluster?????
I'm also looking for a cluster with the silver/grey face and trim the one currently in my car is black. When I was shopping for a Boxster I really liked the silver cluster but couldn't find an acceptable car with the silver cluster.

Does anyone have a silver/grey cluster for sale?

And if the OBC is in the cluster it should solve all my troubles!!!

Also which year cluster will fit my 2002

Last edited by brian2034; 11-10-2007 at 02:14 PM.
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Old 11-10-2007, 02:25 PM   #9
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The OBC is a computer function in the car's computer, it is accessed through the instrument cluster. It is not a little box in the car that can be removed, nor is it located in the cluster or any other specific location.

Also, you can buy silver trim for your cluster on eBay. There is no need to upgrade unless you want a different color leather on it.

I think you should carefully read over the OBC hack, you seem to not fully understand how this hack works. It is a big undertaking if you don't understand it, you will have a lot of trouble. I am not trying to mean, just helpful.

Best of luck with you Modifications!
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Old 11-10-2007, 03:02 PM   #10
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I've built two 8 second drag race cars, I also built a 250mph fully aerobatic Glasair airplane with a complete glass instrument panel. Also a 27 foot power boat with a supercharged 600hp chevy engine and a custom harley from scratch. With 25 years experience building all thing mechanical I'm sure I can complete a simple install of a 4 stalk in a porsche.

If you read the information on this HACK from this web site and other the hack is straight forward!!

But as you can see from this thread like "bigb" mentioned the cluster can be installed in another car and then turned on. And I also read else where that the OBC was under the seat.

I just want to know the FACTS not opinions if I can replace the cluster and the OBC is located in the cluster it would be GREAT if its not I will do the hack and deal with turning the OBC on next time we travel.

Thank you for the warm welcome to the site


Sorry a Glasair is an Experimental aircraft you purhase as a kit, which takes 3000-5000 hours or more to build.

Last edited by brian2034; 11-10-2007 at 03:06 PM.
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Old 11-10-2007, 03:26 PM   #11
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My advice would be to install the stalk, and then find out wether or not your OBC is on or not. I may be incorrect but as far as I know (Tool Pants may be correct) you cannot remove the cluster then ship it somewhere and have the OBC turned on.
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Old 11-10-2007, 11:06 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brian2034
I've built two 8 second drag race cars, I also built a 250mph fully aerobatic Glasair airplane with a complete glass instrument panel. Also a 27 foot power boat with a supercharged 600hp chevy engine and a custom harley from scratch. With 25 years experience building all thing mechanical I'm sure I can complete a simple install of a 4 stalk in a porsche.

If you read the information on this HACK from this web site and other the hack is straight forward!!

But as you can see from this thread like "bigb" mentioned the cluster can be installed in another car and then turned on. And I also read else where that the OBC was under the seat.

I just want to know the FACTS not opinions if I can replace the cluster and the OBC is located in the cluster it would be GREAT if its not I will do the hack and deal with turning the OBC on next time we travel.

Thank you for the warm welcome to the site


Sorry a Glasair is an Experimental aircraft you purhase as a kit, which takes 3000-5000 hours or more to build.
Brian, it sounds like the OBC hack shouldn't be a problem at all for you. Also, I am not sure what I wrote that indicated to you that the cluster could be installed in another car and then turned on.

On my car, the OBC was "turned on" by the dealer (in essence enabling a flag, which is turned off by default in cars that do not come with the OBC as a factory option). Then, the OBC hack was done. Hope this helps and doesn't confuse/mislead you in any way. Feel free to post if you need any clarification(s), and good luck with the hack.
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Old 11-11-2007, 04:59 AM   #13
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I did this hack on my '02, just install the parts per the listed website above and see what you get, mine was already turned on so I didnt have to do anything else, if it hadnt been then I would have done the trip to the dealer. You can order the parts from Sunset Imports in Portland, will cost you close to $200 delivered.

Good luck
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Old 11-11-2007, 12:32 PM   #14
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What year cluster will fit a 2002 Boxster??
From what I read it looks like all years are the same and will fit the car, but I think they changed the digital layout part of the cluster in 2001 or 02. I would like to keep the same type that was original to a 2002
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Old 11-11-2007, 01:04 PM   #15
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2001-2004 will work with a 2002. Keep in mind the following:

A USA cluster is different than a Canadian cluster.

In 2002-2004 Porsche offered as an option a cluster that had a dot matrix middle display, if the car was made with the OBC option. Since you do not have the OBC option you do not have this dot matrix display. Look in the owners manual for pictures of the dot matrix OBC cluster.

If you do the retrofit on your car with the existing cluster then the OBC displays will look just like a 2001 with OBC. Your OBC display will not look like the OBC pictures in your 2002 manual because you do not have the optional cluster as your car did not come with OBC.

I do not understand why you would want to replace your cluster. They are very expensive. But if you do for whatever reason then consider a 996 cluster so that you will have the additional gauges.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12805
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Old 11-11-2007, 05:43 PM   #16
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cluster

Tool Pants

Thanks for your reply, to answer your questions.

I purchased the Boxster in Las Vegas Last month and trailered it back to Canada.

When we were shopping for a Boxster we liked the silver or white face cluster with the silver trim but the cars we looked at were in rough shape.

The Boxster we purchased has the standard black cluster but the car was in excellent shape!!!

So I would like to change it to the silver or white cluster also I want the OBC option which it doesn't currently have.

The parts are ordered for the 4 stalk hack and if I can find a silver/white cluster which has the OBC turned on (if I understand the OBC is in the cluster) I can solve two issues with one purchase.

The nearest Porsche dealer is 900 miles and a 8 hour ferry ride away, if I don't find a cluster it would be cheaper to find someone to send mine to who is willing to install it and turn on the OBC then ship it back.

IF THE OBC IS IN THE CLUSTER

Brian

BTW my clock control stem is also broken

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