Hey folks as most of you know we've been installing the EVOMSit software for quite some time and not just on-site here at the shop but also by mail-order from out of state and overseas as well. One of the questions we get asked a lot is, "How do I remove my ECU etc...?" . It gets trickier when we're dealing with other languages

To help you through through process we have a full DIY posted on our site as well as here to share for you guys. Whatever software you decide on doing this should at least help you as well.

If you need to re-flash or change the software on your 996 or 997, it may be necessary to remove the ECU from the car yourself. Any ECU that gets sent to us gets "flashed" and sent back out that same day (there's also a 45 day money back offer too). For any questions on pricing etc... just drop either myself or dan@sharkwerks.com an Email and we'll gladly help you.

Removing Your ECU:

On hardtop models, the ECU is attached to a tray behind the back seats, and is generally blocked by the Bose subwoofer system which also has to be removed. The process takes about 15-30 minutes or less. If your car is a cabriolet, you will need to follow another set of steps which we will document at a later time.

Before you begin, you should have the tools required available, as getting in and out of the rear seat can be difficult, especially once disassembled.


Tools Required

6mm hex socket or Allen key
T30 Torx screwdriver
10mm socket wrench
10mm combination/spanner wrench


Disconnecting the Battery

Before you disconnect the battery, you should adjust the front seats forward so you can have easier access to the back seat.

You will now remove the battery ground (negative battery cable) to disconnect power from the car before removing the ECU. Note that this will reset your radio code. You should be sure you have this code before you reset the battery. It should be contained with your owner's manual in the documentation included with the car.

Open the front hood on your car.

Locate the battery cover, which is found at the top section of the engine bay, close to the windshield. It is labeled with PORSCHE and has two round plastic fasteners holding it in place:


To remove the two fasteners twist them counter-clockwise until they are loose, then carefully lift the cover up and set it aside.



The ground cable is on the driver's side of the battery. Loosen the 10mm nut as shown in the photo, then wiggle the cable off the battery terminal. Push the cable out of the way, below the battery top.





Removing the Bose Subwoofer
(If your car does not come with the Bose Subwoofer, you may skip this step.)

With the front seats tilted forward, remove your shoes and step into the rear seat of your Porsche.



To remove the subwoofer, you must first remove the vent covers. These are plastic pieces on either side of the subwoofer and say "Bose". To remove them, very carefully pry the edges out with your finger.



Then pull straight back to remove them. Here's a picture showing the tabs on the backside:


Next, remove the rear seat receivers from both sides. These receivers are an obstruction when trying to remove the subwoofer. These are attached by a 6mm hex bolt.




Remove the two T30 Torx screws holding the subwoofer in. These are found at the bottom of the vents that were covered.

 

The subwoofer must have its electrical harness disconnected to be removed from the car. Slide it forward a few inches:


Here is a picture of the back-side of the subwoofer, showing the connector (on the driver's side):


To remove this harness, squeeze the end tabs at the top and bottom of the connector, and pull it back (toward the passenger side of the car).



The subwoofer can now be completely removed from the car.


Removing the ECU Carpet Cover and ECU Tray

Now you must remove the carpeted cover over the ECU tray.

First pull up from the middle-rear of the carpet:



To pull the carpet out, it must bow-up in the middle as shown in the picture, to allow the sides to be removed. Then it pulls straight-up and out of the car.


With the ECU tray exposed, locate the 10mm nut in the center of the trays and remove it.



Next remove the two 10mm nuts on the left side of the tray:




Now you can pull the left side of the tray up. It is an aluminum piece with a foam block attached to it.

The ECU tray can now be flipped over. Before you do, push the carpet in at the corner as shown in the picture below. Do not disconnect any cables at this time.




Removing the ECU and Cables



With the tray inverted, remove the four T30 Torx bolts (two per side) holding the smaller module to the ECU tray. Do not disconnect it.


Set the black module up and out of the way, and you can now disconnect the ECU.


Remove the cables in order, from left to right (first 1, 2, 3, 4, then 5). The far left and far right cables are removed by squeezing tabs at the top:

 

The inner connections are removed by first pressing the button (A) and rotating the keeper to the left (B). No extra force should be required: The connections will pop-out on their own as you release this keeper system.


The ECU has been removed from the car, and is now ready to send to SharkWerks for the EVOMSit Software Upgrade!



Reinstalling the ECU

Re-install the ECU's connectors in the opposite order of removed (first 5, 4, 3, 2, then 1). The inner connectors will lock in automatically as the keeper is rotated. Make sure they are rotated fully to the left (as they were removed) before you attempt to re-install.

Be extra careful when tightening the T30 Torx bolts that hold the rear seat receivers, as the surrounding material is particularly susceptible to dents and damage.

When replacing the negative battery cable, ensure it's fully pressed onto the terminal before tightening the 10mm nut. Tighten the battery negative until it's snug. Since it is lead, it should never be torqued extremely tight.

 

Hi,

what a great post making the whole process seem very straightforward.

Rgds.

 

Great thread!!Very useful..

Just 1 more shortcut.

When I remove the ECU I didnt remove the rear seat receivers.
You can try to pull subwoffer from 1 side up-down-up-down it will come out without any tight touch with the receivers.

 

great post Alex! Thanks. For the newbies, now we all finally know what that darn ECU looks like. :-) They sure don't make it easy to get to.

 

Alex - I'm assuming that the Cab will be easier to do?

 

Alex, so nice of you to do this. Excellent thread.
Neil, probably Alex could tell you better, but I've seen and done both (coupe and cab) and they are actually 2 different processes. You're right the cab is easier to get at, but I think the final step of removing the DME is more difficult because the screws seem a bit harder to get to.
(Vaguely recall in the cab you don't need to do the steps involving the Allen and torx screw.)

 

Our pleasure and it's really not too hard to do. The DFI cars have a few more steps/annoyances but....

Thanks lintc0532 and you're right you could do it that way although it's cutting it very tight/close and I'd hate for a customer to possible chance it and scratch something there It only takes a couple of minutes more to do it that way which is safer

Our pleasure.

Our pleasure cannga... I hope people do see it's actually not too bad to do. You're absolutely correct on the cab process. To be honest that one is more of a PIA and quite different... We'll likely write one up soon for that too:P

 

I actually took pictures already and was going to post the process myself, but YOU just had to "steal the thunder." Yours is a LOT more complete than mine was going to be anyhow.

Re. Cab, yes, "PIA" is the word that comes to mind. We still haven't found that screw. LOL. But still, doable.

When I did it, I only turned the ignition key off and did not disconnect battery. Nothing odd seems to have happened. Did someone have a bad experience leaving battery connected? TIA.

 

Hey Can too funny I'm sure yours was going to be a humdinger anyways!

Well a few things... for one you can and still will drain the battery dry (interior light etc...) by leaving it like that for any length of time. Safer all the way around.

 

thanks guys. looking forward to the Cab 'tutorial'.

 

So glad you like it and seriously our pleasure

Guys, I do agree if you're close by to someone or a shop that you're working with obviously it's best to let them do it (especially a cab) who's done it before it's certainly easier/safer to have a pro like James do it

 

Hi Alex, Great pics and write-up. When I pulled mine, I didn't disconnect the battery. Is it really necessary to do so?

 

Our pleasure and it's a good idea to be safe yes