996 C4S Cluster install
 

Well had the cluster for 2 weeks & had made up the loom/wires for the OBC hack so decided today I would build up the courage & fit them.

All in all it was pretty straight forward, the cluster I had found on eBay & shipped from Belgium although it was a UK 996 C4S which just so happened to have the mileage within 1k of mine so £170/$270 later I had the C4S cluater , binnacle & surround.

Went in straight forward at the same time as the OBC hack, when connected up the OBC was working fine, no need for a code.

All fitted back together, took a couple of pictures.

Attachment 18575
Attachment 18575

Whilst there I also fitted the oil pressure sensor wire ready to connect when I fit that next weekend

Cheers

Dan

I'll bet you that your gas gauge is off, meaning it shows about a quarter full when you're out of gas

Great work :cool:

As Chris alluded to, you will want to copy and paste your old clusters file onto the new one when you get the chance (save your old cluster). This will make the gauges read correctly, match VIN and odometer.

I have instructions on upgrading to a 996 cluster if you want them.

You need a new battery, the voltage is low.

Cheers I'll keep an eye on it ;)

I'll check after a few days of driving as I had been in the car afterwards tinkering with amp settings whilst battery connected so may show a bit low until charged ;)

Thanks, that would be great although the instructions I followed said it wasn't a necessity ?

Good Job, Danch!
and welcome to the club :cheers:

You should be on the save side with your (2002-2004) 996 C4 cluster.

1.) Does the convertible top lamp work?
2.) Does the battery show ~14V when the engine is running? If so, all is fine.
3.) Oil pressure: You will need to install a 996 oil pressure sender for the gauge to work. It is very well described on the pelicanparts net/book.
4.) Indeed, watch your gas gauge (last quarter) for a couple of gas fillings. Mine was working fine, although the last quarter of the gas is more or less calculated by the DME, cluster etc by using estimates and historically data of the car, as far as i know).
The last quarter "felt" a little inaccurate, as the BC was showing (imo) too high rest miles. But after a couple of refillings the BC was showing/calculating more and more accurate values (as if the DME/cluster were "learning" with each trip).
5.) I was keen enough to let the gas gauge light up the first trip (circling around gas stations :D), and I was not even running completely on fumes (worries = gone).
6.) My gauge cluster was officially reprogrammed (0km to actual km) by a Porsche dealership. I kept the old cluster.
7.) Do you get a warning in your Matrix Display about a defective gauge (--> oil pressure)?

seal gray "thumbs up" :cheers:

Thanks BRAN, it's a nice thing learning new things & this was no exception & when I sat back and it worked I thought...yeah! Happy with that.

To answer your questions :

1) Yes
2) Yes it does
3) Yup got it here ready to fit next weekend ;)
4) Will be doing, have an actual full tank so will be monitoring.
5) Thanks, will do the same
6) Mine was within 1k more than my car so happy to suck it up as I'll be keeping the car for a while.
7) Yep get that as well as my Airbag warning which I've had since purchase as yet to get to garage as work away

Loving the car, the best chassis I have driven & car behaves well in corners & yup Seal Grey all the way ;)

Got a few other things coming & will be getting the IMS sorted asap as a precaution. :D

Dan

If the cluster is like my turbo never cut the power with less than half a tank. Doing that is supposed to throw off the gauge. To get the gauge to reset you need to top off the gas and remove the negative terminal. The last 50% is not actual but calculated by the cluster.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

How much of this is plug and play vs. hack ? I like the idea of the additional real gauges.

Thanks, will keep an eye on it & thanks for the info

This cluster for me was plug & play, the hack was for the OBC which I wanted as well, only thing I have had to do is the wire for the Oil pressure gauge ;)

I live the look now & find it a great mod & think it should have come like this.

The cluster swap is pretty well documented on the net (pelicanparts, etc.)
Was pretty much plug'n'play for me as well.
I used my old gauge pod to keep that nice 986 exclusive bridge look, dremeled a little and got it painted in seal gray. I was lucky to get a new cluster for a MY04 Porsche 911-Jubiläumsmodell (standard with aluminum colored trim rings).

Just be sure to get a proper gauge cluster for your MY:
MY97-00 Boxsters: instrument cluster from a C2, not a C4 (have a different gas tank)
MY01-04 Boxsters: any non-Turbo/GT 996 cluster from 2002-04 (preferably C2, as C4 tank troubles are still being reported)

Don't forget to document the swap and reprogramming (to your actual miles/km) of your cluster, if you plan to sell your Boxster again. ;)
Don't forget to swap clusters preferably with 3/4 or (even better) a full tank.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1402154878.jpg

Btw: The 3M VHD tape is still sticking, excellent stuff. Will prepare the Boxster emblem with it pretty soon.

It will be a problem if you want to sell the car down the line and the ppi shows mismatched VINs and odometer. ;)

I don't think that's correct. I swapped a C4 cluster into my 2002 986 and had the "gas tank problem" (everything else worked fine):
C4 has a 20 gallon tank, 986 has a 16 gallon tank and the C4 cluster still thinks it has a 20 gallon tank ....
In order ti get this fixed you need a PIWIS and your immobilizer code

What I've found :

2003 996 C4S
Fuel Tank Capacity
64 Litres
14.1 UK Gal
16.9 US Gal

2003 986 S Boxster
fuel tank capacity :
64 litres
14.1 UK****Gal
16.9 US****Gal

So no difference, checked a few different sites.

Regards

Dan

Thanks for the info, Chris, I edited my post :cheers:

Well, Dan...better monitor your gas gauge closely and tell us how well it works.

Will do & will report back ;)

Looks good Dan. Nice work how long did it take to install?

Sorry if you said

Overall took about 2 hours but that included checking the OBC wires again as my labels fell off :(

But it's so worth it in my eyes ;)

See link ;)

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/43017-carrera-gauge-swap.html

Thanks for that & the email, may do this in the summer (if we get one here)

At the moment all working ok & will monitor the fuel situation whilst I accumulate the need tools just for piece of mind.

If anyone needs programming instructions, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will send them to you.

Also, if anyone knows a site that will host them, please let me know. I sent them to Pelican, but they haven't posted them.

Kevin,
I have hosting that is permanent if you want to send to me ;)

Dan

Must also add to the post that this mod was well worth it, being able to see the outside temp & range etc is so worth while.

It definitely is a nicer gauge cluster and obc is definitely worth the 300 it cost when new.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

Certainly is ;)

Sorry to dredge up my old thread, have now invested in a GQ4X programmer so has anyone a Euro cluster file with OBC & convertible light activated for a 996 C2, as confirmed my fuel gauge off as from mines from a C4S

I just need the bin file

Regards

Dan

I have a 99 Boxster and want to do this upgrade. If I install a C4 cluster my gas gauge will be off? How so? Can anyone explain? Also, to correct and get the top light to work I would need to recode using a PST2? would anyone other than a dealer be able to do this?

Taken from the Pelicanparts web site:

Porsche Boxster 996 Gauge Cluster Upgrade - 986 / 987 (1997-08) - Pelican Parts Technical Article

For the 1997-00 Boxster, you need to find an instrument cluster from a C2, not a C4. This is because the early C4s have a different gas tank and a different fuel sending system that is not compatible with the Boxster. If you install an early C4 cluster into an early Boxster, then your fuel gauge will not operate properly.

As far as correcting the mileage, activating the top light, and possibly a little more you should contact a user here named qmulus.
He might even have a C2 gauge laying around.