Re: Hey Guenter

My car's PCM unit is showing strange memory anomalies and the dealer simply says "you need a new unit" which I think is a cop-out and I really hope the unit can be fixed.

The unit works perfectly (including navigation) except:

1. It always thinks it's summer time (adds one hour): When I go into PCM Settings to untick summer time, the car's clock clicks back one hour and is the time is fine for the rest of the journey, but after the ignition key has been removed and re-inserted and the car re-started, summertime is back. This happens all year round.

2. The PCM unit always thinks the "last destination" for navigation is always shown as one particular destination that I once drove to ages ago in High Wycombe. The navigation otherwise works fine (I can enter a new address and it works) but the "last destination" always shows as that place in High Wycombe no matter where I last asked the system to navigate to.

3. I cannot store any new destinations. They simply don't store although the PCM unit issues no error message when I tell it to store the destination.

4. If I delete all the stored destinations in the PCM unit, one at a time, until they are all gone, they disappear. However, when I then turn off the engine, take the key out and then turn the car on again, all the deleted destinations magically reappear!

The above errors are really annoying, especially the fact that I can't store any new destinations, including the true "last destination".

I have a Dension Gateway 500 unit in the car, connected to the PCM unit, but the dealer disconnected it when testing the PCM unit and he still couldn't make the problems go away. The Dension unit is working fine - iPod connection in place of the Porsche remote CD player, and bluetooth phone.

I am particularly puzzled as to where the unit is storing the deleted destinations so that it can restore them again on the next start-up!

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks in advance

Howard
London, England.

… I've been following your flying progress and prowess.
Outstanding!
These PCM units sometimes get into a (software) loop and only a reset and reprogram will get them out.
For that it will have to be the dealer or an independent with the PIWIS computer.
Happy Porscheing,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Hey Pedro, thanks for your reply. The flying is fun, but the British weather keeps me on the ground far too much. I need to move to a sunnier part of the world.... I'm glad this place is still going strong.

About my PCM unit - what is involved with a reset and re-program? What do I tell the dealer to do exactly? They probably need to be told very carefully.

Howard

Hope you get your PCM working again. This Groundhog thing sounds like a bit of a pain.

Can you tell us a little more about this flying thing? Competition of some sort?

Hi Guenter, I have private pilot's licence and a 26 year old plane (TB20). I try to spend as much time as possible in the air. The link below might work - a YouTube video of me flying in Scotland

Flying into Oban, Scotland.

Hi Howard,

I enjoyed the ride! Thanks for sharing.

Good luck with your PCM.

Looks like a great time you're having being up in the air. What a view. Do you mostly fly over the UK or do you cross the Channel sometimes too?

Mostly the UK, but this year I'm planning a trip to Poland.

If you press main and trip at the same time it will tell you what s/w version you have and possibly error messages. Follow the menus when you are in this mode.

I might help...or not.

Good luck.

Mike

MIKELLIG

Hey Howard! You are a blast from our past.

Did the dealer reboot the system? I understand there are a few ways. Pull the fuse, wait, push/hold "on" button to drain.. you want to drain all charge from caps so maybe pull fuse over night, a weekend?..... For PCM 2.0 could be reset/rebooted by holding down the 1-4-8 numeric buttons simultaneously. I don't know how to reboot PCM 3.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Thanks everyone. My car is at the dealer for a service at the moment. I'll ask him to look at this again with these comments and report back when the car comes out of service.

Great to know that you are still around Howard!

My dealer could do nothing except continue to recommend that the PCM unit is replaced with a serviceable, used, replacement unit. When I rebooted the unit the bug remained.

I think I'll live with it. I don't fancy spending £1,800 for a replacement.

Pity.

Howard

p.s. thanks very much everyone