Carrera Gauge Swap

[EJ-Fresno]

Originally Posted by mikesz

Yes my interior is Boxster red, probably the biggest reason we got the car. I will let you know. I just purchased another surround to try to cut it as a guinea pig. I will try with the dremel and keep fingers crossed. Do you still have the programmer gadget you used to update the eprom on the new cluster? Did the wire come with the programmer or is there a special gadget needed to connect the programmer to the cluster?

I did swap clusters and thus have a EPROM programmer available for sale.
I'll PM you.

[mikesz]

how about running the wire from the new oil sender to the dash? where is the oil pressure switch located? What guage wire did you use to wire it up to the new cluster in the dash?

[KevinH1990]

Here's a picture of the oil pressure sending unit: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/90-ELEC-996_Cluster/images_med/Pic6.jpg To install mine, I found that I had to open the access port behind the seats and also put the top in service position and have access from the top.

To run the wire to the dash, I used some 16 or 18 gauge wire I bought at an auto parts store. I removed the center console and ran it underneath. Once you take out the console, the path is obvious. http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/90-ELEC-996_Cluster/images_med/Pic7.jpg

The entire article is on Pelican: Porsche Boxster 996 Gauge Cluster Upgrade - 986 / 987 (1997-08) - Pelican Parts Technical Article

[mikesz]

How can you determine what chip you have so you can select it on the eprom programmer to read it? I have a comparable guage cluster from a 996, a eprom programmer. I am at the point where i am trying to read the chip on the 996 cluster but there are many 93c56 chips to choose from.

[KevinH1990]

Mike,


I've seen some folks on Boxa.net indicate that they have had problems reading the chip when they used certain programmers other than the GQ-4X. You can read about it here: How to - Upgrade to a 996 Instrument Cluster - How To - www.BoXa.net

It has been a long time since I did this, but I remember that I had to swap the bits that I read from the chip.

[hemonu]

Hello Mike, just choose one of the many. Most programmers allow to choose many vendors for the same chip with identical pinning and specification.
I used a cheap programmer instead of the GQ-4X. The problem was that the chip is inside the circuit board and the supply voltage goes from the 93C56 to all the circuits. That causes the overload protection of the programmer to shut down the 5V. My workaround was to power the gauge with 12 V from the connector and voila ... I can read and write the EEPROM.

[mikesz]

I am asking when you hook up the programmer to the chip, Does the programmer automatically recognize the chip? When I connect everything up and click the read button it says the read was successful but I expect the data to show on my laptop and it doesn't. Admittedly I am using a programmer other than the GQ4x. but again if I used a gq4x when everything is connected would the programmer automatically recognize the chip and when I click read the file would appear on the screen? I am not that worried about swapping out data I do it all the time its getting to that point that I am having issues with.

[Smallblock454]

Maybe this is useful:



Edit: Oh, it's also in the Boxa article linked above. Found it elsewhere.

Regards, Markus

[mikesz]

Hi Kevin, first off new LCD panels appear to be available and being sold on ebay. If you don't want to go that route you may want to contact Steve at Qumulus in Colorado he says he can fix damaged LCD's. He has my Boxster gauges and 996 cluster when I gave up trying to program it with the EPROM.

[fokker2003]

Although this thread is quite old and certainly very comprehensive, I've noticed there's very little information about instrument cluster swaps in newer models (CAN-BUS).

I'm updating the information because, thanks to the help of everyone who shared their knowledge, and especially KevinH1990 who helped me by sending me the information he had available, I've managed to carry out the swap in a 2004 Boxster S (ROW model) with an instrument cluster from a USA Carrera 4 Turbo.

I've managed to get everything working; however, I had to rig up a workaround to get the convertible top to function, and I'd like it to work via software. To finish deciphering the file, I would need some Carrera C2 instrument cluster files, preferably some cabrio ones.

First of all, you should know that if you install a USA instrument cluster in a ROW vehicle, you'll get several unexpected surprises.

The first is that the climate control will stop displaying in Celsius and switch to Fahrenheit, and you won't be able to change it. I understand that if you install a ROW instrument cluster in a US-spec car, the same thing will happen.

If you install a cluster from a turbo engine, the displays on the central screen will change. You'll have turbo pressure in bar, radio information, and I can't remember what else. In return, you'll lose the average fuel consumption, outside temperature, and average speed.

As has been mentioned many times, your fuel gauge will start showing whatever it wants. Mine showed correctly with a full tank, but with an empty tank, it showed almost half a tank and 380 km of range. Although I have to say, this is because I was an idiot and did the swap with an empty tank (completely empty, 3 or 4 liters), and obviously, I lost the calibration.

I've researched the fuel issue extensively, and according to CARFOLIO.COM, all modern Boxsters and 996s, whether C2 or C4, turbo or naturally aspirated, have a 64-liter tank.
Therefore, I believe that after the swap, the instrument cluster retains the characteristic curve of the vehicle it was removed from, because I tested several files for C4s, C2s, and Boxsters, and each one showed a different reading.
This instrument cluster changes its configuration automatically via CANBUS as you modify things, so this idea isn't far-fetched.

I just adjusted the characteristic curve with the 14-liter tank and I think it will display correctly (although it was already displaying very precisely).

Therefore, if you simply install an instrument cluster from a 996, everything will work (if the file is from a convertible, even the convertible top indicator). You'll change it from miles to kilometers and the language in the BC menu.

Things to change and how to do it.

You must keep one thing in mind. The file has some encrypted parts and some unencrypted parts. It also redirects commands to other areas of the file (not always using bit 70 or 80).
Furthermore, it's a 16-bit file. If you want to modify it with an editor like HxD or Winhex, you must remember that you need to rotate each pair of bits because you can't select a 16-bit view. The best way is to modify it using the buffer of the programmer you're using, even though it's a hassle.

The VIN is located from address 0000 to 0011; you can view it as plain text.

The KM numbers—this is where things get complicated:

They're located at addresses 0300 to 031F and 0500 to 051F, but be careful, because it automatically adjusts the following addresses:
0400 to 0413, 04F4 to 04FC, and 0600 to 0651.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: These addresses are also automatically modified when equipment-related bits are changed. I don't know how or why because I only have one file from a C4 USA and one from a C2 ROW; I would need a few more files to compare. The point is that if you modify a 986 readout, the same applies.

Equipment: This includes the pressure gauge, voltmeter, fuel curve, convertible, etc., located at addresses 0032 to 005F. Keep in mind that if you change a bit, as the instrument cluster is installed in the car and you turn off the ignition, you'll see changes in 0400 to 0413, 04F4 to 04FC, and 0600 to 0651.

For example, bit 003F determines whether or not the outside temperature is displayed. If you set it to 00, you'll get a sensor failure warning, the outside temperature will no longer be displayed (the option disappears from the BC), and you'll also see that bits have changed in the "adjustment area."

[KevinH1990]

Thanks for sharing your work. I worked on an older-style cluster and didn't have any experience with the newer clusters. I expected that adapting a newer cluster would be more complicated and you have confirmed that.

I'm glad to see that someone is still interested in upgrading a 986.

[obthomas]

Originally Posted by fokker2003

As has been mentioned many times, your fuel gauge will start showing whatever it wants. Mine showed correctly with a full tank, but with an empty tank, it showed almost half a tank and 380 km of range. Although I have to say, this is because I was an idiot and did the swap with an empty tank (completely empty, 3 or 4 liters), and obviously, I lost the calibration.

I've researched the fuel issue extensively, and according to CARFOLIO.COM, all modern Boxsters and 996s, whether C2 or C4, turbo or naturally aspirated, have a 64-liter tank.
Therefore, I believe that after the swap, the instrument cluster retains the characteristic curve of the vehicle it was removed from, because I tested several files for C4s, C2s, and Boxsters, and each one showed a different reading."

It has been a while, but I did this instrument mod to my 2003 Boxster S. The 911 cluster came from a four wheel drive vehicle. The four wheel drive vehicle to make room for the axle and driveshaft uses a different gas tank and the cluster reads fuel level to a point and then predicts the remainder. My two wheel drive simply reads the level to empty directly. At first after the mod my gas gage would read about a quarter of a tank when empty. I did not have access to a factory programmer so I went on line an asked if anyone had the .bin file for a 2 wheel 911. Once I re-wrote the 911 cluster eprom with the 2 wheel drive version the gas gauge is right on.

[Marc_986]

Great to see new info appearing. I was wondering whether the scaling of the gauges can be changed in the EPROM. Different models 996 had different scales for speed and tach. With the higher speed and tach version being really expensive, I was wondering whether this can be changed and then you simply (?) swap the face plates.