Carrera Gauge Swap

[Reebuck1]

Thanks Trey T, I read your suggestion and I think I 've got it.
The solution looks like...change my the cluster coding values for a 996 cluster put into a 986, the order code (EEPROM ?)contained in the vehicle section of the DME needs to be set properly. In my case it would need to be set to the order code for a 996 cab so that the 996 cluster would be recognized and allow recoding. The order code would need to be set to either 996310 - Cabriolet USA or 996311 - Cabriolet RoW

Once this (EEPROM flash chip) is changed in the DME section, an entire scan of all the control modules needs to be carried out and then you will be allowed to enter into the instrument cluster module and change the coding to turn on cruise activate the temp & oil pres. displays. If the model type is still set to 986 or is blank in the vehicle data section, when the scanning of all modules is carried out the cluster won't be recognized as it will be looking for a 986 cluster.

Does that sound correct??

....

[Reebuck1]

If this does not sound correct could someone please speak up !!!!!!!!!!!!
Car back from the Porsche dealer. They did not turn my gauges on. Reason: they were afraid they would possibly disrupt my 996ROW flash.
Further research suggest that this will not happen BUT ......I have to first turn the gauges on in my current gauge cluster. My present gauge cluster (seen below) is a 1998 Boxster gauge cluster that looks like a 996 cluster. It is a boxster cluster because it still has the cars original mother board in the cluster. All that was done was to add all the 996 digital gauges ONLY to my 986 cluster.

Then I need to comparing the data on the flash chip in the 996 mother board with the data on the chip in my 986 cluster(same location on both clusters). The difficulty I am running into is although the chip are in the same location on both mother boards they appear to have different chip numbers. The 996 board shows 93c56B and the 986 board shows sc56M
I can read the chip on the 996 board BUT can not read the chip on 986 board.
Why:: because the chip number does not show in my GQ-4x EPROM Programmer chip listing. Anyone have any ideas??
To help clarify when I installed the 996 motor in the car I ran the extra wire from the 996 oil sending unit to pin #9 blue plug in the back of the gauge cluster to pick up the signal. That was not clear on my note below.
http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc401/jonhoward42/Boxster%20Cruise%20Retrofit/06%20-%20Wiring%20-%20Connecting/6-04-InstrumentClusterConnectorwithVWWireInstalled.jpg


6-04-InstrumentClusterConnectorwithVWWireInstalled.jpg Photo by jonhoward42 | Photobucket
Once I am able to read the code on the 986 chip I can change the code to turn on the two gauges. At that point I can use a PIWIS to turn on the gauges in the cluster and then use the PIWIS to do the same thing and turn the gauges on in the DME.
That means there are two steps to do with the PIWIS.
ALL SHOULD THEN WORK.............Does this sound reasonable???

[Reebuck1]

Ok, here is what I am going to try.

I am going to take the used Mother board I got from the old 996 cluster I bought to make the swap with and re-assemble it with my original 986 analog gauges. Install it in the car and see if the car will run. If it does ( I believe it will) then I will take it to Porsche (to use their PIWIS) to TURN ON my volt and oil pressure gauges even though they will not be in the car. This should allow Porsches PIWIS to sink the 986 DME that thinks it is a 996 ROW DME with the cluster that thinks it is a 996 cluster because it now has the 996 mother board in it. Hopefully I can then bring the car home and put the 986 cluster with the 996 analog gauges in and all should work. I will have to recode the 986 mother board so that the two gauges read OPEN.
If anyone thinks I have lost my mind please let me know. I'll report back once I get it all done.
Keep your feed back coming it has helped a lot !!

[Chuck W.]

Originally Posted by Reebuck1

Ok, here is what I am going to try.....
!

You persistence and determination is admirable. Never give up, never say die..... and keep us posted.

[Reebuck1]

The learning point for me here was......I should have installed the gauges and cruise control BEFORE I put the 3.4 996 motor in the car and before I had the 986 DME flashed with a 996 ROW flash.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been told and I now believe my problem exists because…my new cluster is still recognized as a 986 while my DME is recognized as a 996.
So when Porsche did a control unit scan as a 986 model with the Porsche tester it failed as the DME did not recognize it as a 986. If the DME is scanned as a 996 the cluster will also fail because it is not recognized as a 996.

I.E. am doing what I posted below.


Anyone see anything incorrect with this logic please let me know.

Thanks to all, Reebuck1

[Reebuck1]

Just so you can all see there really are gauges in the car!!

[Reebuck1]

Took my 996 analog gauges with my 986mother board out of the car.
Remember car ran well and most gauges worked ( except volt & oil pres.)

Put my 986 analog gauges with the 996 mother board in the car.
...CAR STARTED and ran well.
...986 analog gauges did not work...I was not expecting that!!
...Maybe it is ok because the DME thinks it is a 996 ROW DME and still can not recognize or is not programmed for the 986 analog gauges.

Intend to now take car to Porsche to use PIWIS to turn on all gauges in the DME.
...should now work because DME that thinks it is a 996 ROW can now recognize
a 996 gauge cluster (996 mother board is now in car) as a 996.

Once above is complete I need to reinstall the 996 analog gauges with the 986 mother board back in the car and hopefully all will work. I believe it can only work if I recoded the control chip in the 986 mother board to "TURN ON" the volt gauge and the oil pressure gauge. I believe the PIWIS at this point may still not recognize the 986 mother board but I will not care because all the gauges should be working.

HELP !!!!! If anyone sees issues with this please let me know.
Thanks for every ones help.........

Mistake made......When I original installed the new gauge cluster in the car I made a mistake. I put the gauge cluster in first and then installed the heater vent that goes under the steering wheel and runs up to the dash vent next to the drivers side window. When doing it I incorrectly placed the wiring harness that runs to the "BLUE PLUG" on the back of the instrument cluster "underneath" the vent. So when I tried to pull out the cluster it would not slide out far enough for me to disconnect the BLUE PLUG from the back of the cluster. It took awhile for me to figure out what had happened. I had to remove the whole vent system on the drivers side of the car. I could then move the harness to the top side of the vent, reinstall the vent system and then was able to pull the cluster easily out far enough to remove the plug.