996 Gauge Cluster into Boxster S

[Cloudsurfer]

I am told the 996 guage cluster is a plug in swap into a boxster. How true is this? Are there already senders in the car to feed the oil pressure and voltage gauges? Does Porsche keep the mileage in the cluster or in the ECU somewhere (i.e. if I get a cluster out of a 20k wrecked 996 will my box show 20k on the clock, or the real mileage)?

Thanks

Patrick

[djomlas]

use a search here, and also i would recomend using a search button on renntech.org there was a discussion there on that

good luck

[blue2000s]

Here you go.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=12805

If you haven't joined renntech yet, you should.

[Cloudsurfer]

Fantastic-

Thanks for the link.

Patrick

[Cloudsurfer]

Just found a 996 cluster out of a C2 so will be doing this mod sometime in the next few weeks. Looks pretty straight forward aside from running the wire to the new oil pressure sender.

Patrick

[Thumper]

I'm wondering if you can just add the extra two gauges to the 986 cluster? I do realize that the oil sending unit still would need to be replaced and an additional wire added so that is is functional.

[Cloudsurfer]

Looking at the images from the Renntech post, I doubt it. It is a one piece fully integrated component. I'll know more once I get mine and start playing with it.

Patrick

[Thumper]

Please do. I've got my eye on a cluster on eBay, but one of the adjustment stalks (that changes the clock) appears to be broken. I could always change the stalk from my 986 cluster, I suppose....

[FrayAdjacent]

Nice looking mod. Not TOO expensive... but $150 to reset the mileage on the cluster? I'd rather buy one that's already reset. I suppose then it picks up the odometer reading from the onboard computer?

Speaking of... I wonder if my OBC will work with a C2 gauge cluster like that?

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

While I do think it looks better (Porsche should have given us these gauges to begin with), I wonder of it's such a good thing. On a Street Car, there's virtually no need to know the absolute value of the Oil Pressure or Voltage, the Warning Lights provide adequate monitoring of those functions.

As a pure aesthetic, I think it will strike some people as a 911 wannabe, and could actually hurt the resale value of the car. A prospective Buyer might not like the non-oem gauges, certainly some at least will want the car as-built.

Some may appreciate it, but you've reduced the size of your potential market. Also, the swap may present a 'Trust' issue to a prospective buyer that the car's mileage might not be actual or even that some potential electrical problems might result down the line. Again, some may be unbothered, maybe even see it as a premium, but it's just as likely that you'll shrink the available Buyers Pool, take longer to sell it and/or hurt the final selling price.

I've bought and sold many, many, cars in my life and the heavily modded ones are always more difficult to sell without lengthy explanations. So far as buying, I personally shy away from mods done by someone else as they are virtually unknowns to me. And, I think sellers want to recover some of the cost (if not all of it) in the selling price (when in all actuality you should expect to recover only 10% of the cost).

If you're planning on keeping the car forever, these things are non-issues, but if not, you should at least give them some consideration before deciding on the swap. As always, just my humble $0.02...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Thumper]

FrayAdjacent - I've been doing a bit of research on this and if you get a newer style cluster (2001 + from a C2) the OBC should work just fine.

Jim - Point well made and taken. My boxster will be mine for many years to come and when I ever do decide to buy a newer Porsche, my boxster will become a full time track car.

[Cloudsurfer]

My understanding is that as long as you get the "new" or "old" style cluster to match what your car has, everything works properly (i.e. OBC).

I'll let people know how this comes out once I get to it.

Patrick

[Tool Pants]

In my old Toyota pickup I put in what is called the SR5 cluster, because with the SR5 option you got a tach, oil pressure, volt meter, and trip odometer.

Now I can track my pickup....

[Boxtaboy]

Someone from our informal tri-state boxster club actually has done this already, and it looks great. Here's the picture of the 911 gauge cluster on his Boxster S:

I'm not sure how he did it, but worth asking him if you're interested in doing it. I know he visits this site sometimes. His handle is savinor.

[Thumper]

I am currently looking at three different 996 tiptronic clusters and am trying to verify part numbers in order to verify that I've found the right cluster. I have a 2001 Boxster with a tiptronic. Does anyone have a website where I can go to and check the part numbers to see that I've found one from a C2? The parts disc that I have is a bit difficult to determine just exactly what part number(s) I should be looking for.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Thumper]

I found one and it's on it's way to me today. I'll post some pics of the install when I put it in.

[Cloudsurfer]

I'm about to start this this weekend, and I noticed, obviously the 996 cluster is wider due to the additional rings, so how does this fit where the 986 cluster came out? Do I need to replace that dash trim piece?

Patrick

[Perfectlap]

try searching Renntech.org there was a very extensive discussion on this topic and how this hack differs by Boxster year.

[Thumper]

You will either need to locate a 996 cluster surround & pod, or if you look at the back of your Boxster cluster surround, you will see where you need to trim in order for the extra two gauges to be exposed.

[Cloudsurfer]

Thats about what I figured, if you choose the latter route of trimming the existing surround, is it marked on the rear where to cut (I assume with a dremel) or is it a careful measuring and cutting game?

Patrick