Hi all,

Is there a list of dealer programmable options that I can find somewhere? Which ones do you guys know of? As I read through the manual I saw that there were a few here and there but couldn't find them going back. For example, one option is that you can have the doors auto lock at 5+ mph. Are things like selective unlock and different types of alarm acknowledgments options?

TIA

 

In the PCM settings, you can program an an alarm to warn you at various speeds, time for lights to go out, etc.

 

In the on-board computer and PCM is where most of them are, but you can program them yourself if you like. However, I'm pretty sure that several of them are available only when you have the Sport Chrono package.

I suspect the reason is not so much technical as marketing. That is, some people want/need the stopwatch functions, particularly in rallying, but also for some purposes when tracking the car. Marketing would like to offer one. Fair enough, but it's a respectable bit of engineering change to integrate a stopwatch into the upper dash and interconnect with the computer control stalk. (I suppose it's interconnected. Don't have one myself.)

The traditional solution to such cases -- where the engineering scope of change is more expensive than the primary function justifies -- is to find other advantages that can be taken of the change work. This is all speculation, mind you. I haven't read any articles on the engineering of the Sports Chrono, so I have to guess. But it is consistent with what we do in other areas of engineering to improve the value of a change. In this case, I think they considered "how many possible ways can you take advantage of a electronic stopwatch besides tracking the car's progress?" Thus they arrived at using explicit timing for all those other little niceties, like the dwell on the lights when in the 'home' mode. (And the launch control functions with automatic transmissions, but that's the 'Plus' I assume.)

Mind you, we have lights that stay on after the key is removed too, without Sports Chrono, but they probably work in the traditional analog way. It certainly looks like they do. Traditionally, we would let a capacitor charge up when the ignition is hot and use that capacitor's high level to control a relay for the lights. Discharge the capacitor through a resistor of nominal value and you have a way to leave the lights on for roughly so many seconds after the ignition is turned off (and therefore quits charging the capacitor). With an actual electronic timer installed, you can make that exactly so many seconds and let it be programmable to boot.

All just guessing you understand, but it's a professional's guess -- for whatever that's worth.

Gary

 

Programming is more self sufficient compared to the 986/996 models. You can program most features yourself in the PCM. I like this better than having to ask the dealer to do it.

 

I guess we would like to know how you DIY the programmle options, please share if this is possible without going to the dealer?.

Thanks

 

I'm pretty sure it depends on which year/model/options you own. We have a 997.2 with PCM/NAVI and PASM, but we still don't have anything exciting to program. Just trip functions and what have you. Models with features like PTM and PASM Sport have more interesting things they can program. (Or so I believe. To be honest I barely skip-read those pages of the manual since we don't have those features.) Using the PCM screen is about like any modern computer interface. Step down through menus, set parameter, come back to surface. Some require that the car be stopped for safety reasons, and honestly, even a lifelong computer geek like me is not smart to do such things while driving. A passenger could do the ones that don't affect handling though.

As an example of the on-board computer interface: the tach display has three lines or so of graphics below the needle. By default, the top one shows where the radio is tuned and the second shows... I've forgotten the default, but you can step through a sequence of information screens in any case. Things like tire pressure, recent average gas mileage, longer term average speed and other fairly useless tidbits while actually driving. Oh yes, the default is somewhat useful: an estimate of miles-to-empty based on fuel remaining and your mean consumption rate.

That little display area is controlled by a computer stalk below the turn signal stalk. At this point, remember I'm a one-week-old new owner. I may reverse these commands working from memory, but I seem to remember that pulling back is like 'enter' with a conventional desktop computer interface. Moving the stalk up is scrolling up and pushing down is the converse. Pushing forward does something that escapes me at the moment. German for "dive into this subject by going to a lower menu" I think.

Let's use as an example programming the speed 'limit' alert: Get the computer's attention, which I think is what pushing forward accomplishes, but don't quote me. Scroll through the items presented until you reach 'limit'. Push forward again. That brings up the menu for the limit function. If memory serves three items are presented. On top is "Use current speed", next down is the current set value, which will mirror the set speed on the cruise control if you select "current speed". Now scroll down to that middle option, the current setting. Push forward again and the display reflects your having selected the numeric value. Now scroll down to a lower speed if you're a wimpy Buick driver at heart who fears the cruise control has run wild to reach 57 mph; or... Scroll up to 110 mph if you're a true Porsche driver and want to be cheered by the car when you pass double double-nickels. Once you're on your chosen speed, pull back. That sets the speed value. (Just don't mail me your traffic tickets.) Mind you, none of this affects the car. Just a buzzer or hooter or something I haven't had occasion to hear yet. Lots of construction around, so you'd surprised how unlikely it is to go 111 mph right now.

Finally, go down to the third item, which by default says 'inactive' which means this nanny function is turned off. Push forward again, which selects the value so you change it. Push up to change it to 'active' and pull back to 'enter' the value.

Now pull back several times in succession to rise up out of the depths of the menu. And that's how we do the on-board computer tango.

For Heaven's sake, grab your owner's manual before trying this if you actually have that computer stalk. I just played with it for five minutes before getting back to learning the important stuff about our new car. I just provided all that to illustrate how the on-board computer is programmed for functions that PCM doesn't manage. Sometimes they overlap. You can use that computer stalk to make calls if you have Bluetooth, but it's seems more likely to cause a drift-off-the-road accident than even the PCM phone control screen, which is bad enough in my view.

Incidentally, on that thread about likes and dislikes I didn't bother critiqueing the computer functions. Those are my professional domain and it isn't fair. Any professional can spend a week explaining how something could have been done 'better' that lies in his own field. If I bump into anything truly inexcusable you'll probably hear me scream clear to Stuttgart, but so far all I've seen are things I'd do differently myself. Big deal.

 

I think it is a pain in the butt to have the dealer program anything. I am trying to minimize having to ask them more than once to program something but can't seem to find any list so I can pick everything I need off the list... I would love to program everything in PCM but the options are pretty limited...

 

What do you want to program? There's not much the dealer can do that you can't do yourself. IF you have Sport Chrono Plus you can program door locking in your PCM settings menu - read your PCM manual.

 

I have checked the manual, unfortunately they are not very specific about which options are available. I am looking to find all options that can be programmed. I don't have SC+ so I am limited with what I can do.

What I do want and not sure if is programmable are the following:

1. Auto lock at 5+ mph (manual says doable but told me to read SC+ section...)
2. Selective unlock - first press of fob- unlock driver side, 2nd press- unlock passenger side also. (the manual wasn't clear)
3. Alarm acknowledgment - audible and flasher when locking and unlocking (Not sure if this could be done, but seems fairly standard stuff)
4. Key Fob closing and opening of windows (only found to be an option when I read on this board)

Anyone know of anything else? Does anyone have a 997.2 manual in pdf format? Would make it easier to read and search.

 

Both the tone on lock/unlock and the windows Down with key fob are only available with the use of the mods4cars module available in the aftermarket.

I think it's about $300

 

PDF versions of the manuals are available on renntech.org

 

I don't know about you guys, but I sure wish the horn for lock/unlock was standard on my car. I don't know how many times I've walked away from my car in the middle of the day and wasn't sure if I had locked the doors.