Miles to KMh - can it be converted? 91S4
05-26-2005, 03:28 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Miles to KMh - can it be converted? 91S4
Gretings
has any one any knowledge as to whether an English 91S4's digital read out can be changed from miles per hour to Kmh? Porsche Cars Austarlia tell me no!
Also the fuel read outs and odometer etc.
I have searched and note that US cars can change some read outs but this is only for US cars.
The other way is to perhaps change the WHOLE digital read out, buy a new odometer and reset the k's.
Is a 89,90 red out identical and interchangeable to a 91?
many thanks
Nigel
Melbourne.
has any one any knowledge as to whether an English 91S4's digital read out can be changed from miles per hour to Kmh? Porsche Cars Austarlia tell me no!
Also the fuel read outs and odometer etc.
I have searched and note that US cars can change some read outs but this is only for US cars.
The other way is to perhaps change the WHOLE digital read out, buy a new odometer and reset the k's.
Is a 89,90 red out identical and interchangeable to a 91?
many thanks
Nigel
Melbourne.
05-26-2005, 04:14 AM
#2
Rennlist Member
I think there is some magic mojo you do with the computer lever to switch it. Check the owner's manual. Sorry I can't be more help... my shark is blissfully brainless.... 
05-26-2005, 05:13 AM
#3
Nigel
I posted this last year. I'm afraid the short answer is that you can't do that except with an American-market instrument panel. Neither, as you will see, can you change the odometer reading except on a new (and very expensive unit. Sorry
Colin Digital instrument panel PCB. (V long)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently I carried out some repairs to my instrument cluster including replacement of the printed circuit boards. I was most surprised to find that very little information was available on Rennlist or elsewhere so with the help of several other Rennlisters I’ve done some research. I’ve collected quite a bit of material and would like to record what they and I have learned for the archives. It is applicable to ‘89 and later digital instrument panels.
The digital instrument panel introduced in 1989 is of VDO manufacture. It incorporates the warning system adapted from previous years and the trip computer but it also passively records data, especially fault information on several vehicle systems, eg ABS, Coolant pressure, Oil level etc. The fault information can be read in summary directly from the display or more comprehensively by a Porsche workshop’s diagnostic equipment. Instructions for the use of this feature were published in the 1989 workshop document WKD 495 821 entitled ”Diagnosis of the instrument cluster”.
The heart of the digital instrument cluster is the printed circuit board (PCB) of which about 30 variations were produced. They were progressively developed with successive model years, each with a different part number and a software ‘level’ tailored to the various requirements of the countries of intended sale and the specification of the vehicle. For example, manual or auto, MPH or KPH, airbag or not, Saudi Arabia speed warning buzzer or not, etc. For this reason the boards are not completely interchangeable.
The PCB is in two sections joined by flexible links and is fitted into the black plastic housing which forms the rear of the instrument cluster. The innermost of the two sections is glued into place and is not easily removed from the housing though the housing and PCB assembly can be unhinged from the main section of the instrument cluster. This is also the method by which the instrument bulbs can be replaced once the pod and cluster have been removed from the car. They cannot be changed in situ.
Failures of the PCB are fortunately not common. They can be caused by damage to sensors or other hardware outside the instrument cluster and by transmitted shock from severe impacts even if the instrument cluster itself is not directly involved. Spontaneous failure has also been reported. Symptoms include inoperative or erratic gauges, inoperative, always-on or flickering warning lights, failure of the trip computer and/or warning system, and total or intermittent blackout of the panel. It should be pointed out that several of these symptoms can also be caused by loose or dirty edge connectors on the PCBs.
Due to the sandwich construction of the boards some circuits are embedded within the board material and are inaccessible. A competent electronic workshop could probably effect repairs to the external components but Porsche appears to have published no documentation or drawings of the circuits within its technical literature and at present replacement of the circuit board is the best option. New boards are in very short supply. At the time of writing (Oct ‘04) only four boards remain in stock in Germany at a cost of about $1000 each though individual dealers may of course have stock of their own. This remaining stock are of P/N 928 641 991 30, a late model configuration which should hopefully be backwards-compatible with most others.
Language and value changes
Depending on the software status (level) of the circuit boards installed certain information displayed on the instrument panel can be changed to suit the owner/driver. The software status is shown in the square centre box of the computer display when the special tool 9293 or jumper, described later, is fitted. It is also printed on a rectangular paper label stuck on the back of the instrument cluster and inside between the two circuit board sections.
The digital panel was first introduced in 1989 with “software level K18”. The dashboard language could be supplied in German, French, Italian or English and could NOT be changed but on US market cars the units of measurement could be changed from Metric to Imperial and back by selecting the appropriate display function then pulling the operating stalk twice within one second.
From MY 1990 and software level K25 the language could be changed by a Porsche dealer by the use of special tool 9293 fitted into the19-pin diagnostic socket under the floor panel between the passenger’s seat and the door. In fact the special tool is merely a bridge between pins 5 and 13. A wire jumper will substitute. For those wishing to do this the language change procedure is.
Turn on the ignition
Fit tool 9293 or the jumper (NB, it won’t work if the jumper is fitted before the ignition is turned on)
Hold back the control stalk for 3 seconds until “LANGUAGE” appears in the display.
Pull the stalk sequentially to scroll through the four available languages.
Turn off the ignition and/or remove the jumper to store the language displayed.
The language and the selected units of measurement revert to the default if the battery is disconnected or the instrument power supply is lost by other means.
From MY 1991 and software level K26 the selected language and units were no longer lost when the power was disconnected. If a new circuit board was fitted K26 also provided for the reading of the odometer display to be set to the vehicle’s correct total distance travelled but note that this only applies to a factory new circuit board or one with less than 250 miles or km on it. The procedure to do this is covered under “Specific Functions” as described (badly) in the document ‘Diagnosis of the Instrument Cluster’.
The final variation of the software, level K29, was introduced in the first GTS of ’92. Curiously this limited the diagnostic scope of the instrument cluster to internal faults within the instruments themselves.
The shortage of new replacement circuit boards is a concern as is the absence of circuit drawings or other technical details which would allow users to have their boards repaired. For those contemplating a PCB replacement the above information should, for the immediate future, help to identify a suitable used component.
Colin, 89GT. With thanks for input from John Speake, Roger Tyson, Wally Plumley, Doug Hillary, Tails, Schocki and others
I posted this last year. I'm afraid the short answer is that you can't do that except with an American-market instrument panel. Neither, as you will see, can you change the odometer reading except on a new (and very expensive unit. Sorry
Colin Digital instrument panel PCB. (V long)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently I carried out some repairs to my instrument cluster including replacement of the printed circuit boards. I was most surprised to find that very little information was available on Rennlist or elsewhere so with the help of several other Rennlisters I’ve done some research. I’ve collected quite a bit of material and would like to record what they and I have learned for the archives. It is applicable to ‘89 and later digital instrument panels.
The digital instrument panel introduced in 1989 is of VDO manufacture. It incorporates the warning system adapted from previous years and the trip computer but it also passively records data, especially fault information on several vehicle systems, eg ABS, Coolant pressure, Oil level etc. The fault information can be read in summary directly from the display or more comprehensively by a Porsche workshop’s diagnostic equipment. Instructions for the use of this feature were published in the 1989 workshop document WKD 495 821 entitled ”Diagnosis of the instrument cluster”.
The heart of the digital instrument cluster is the printed circuit board (PCB) of which about 30 variations were produced. They were progressively developed with successive model years, each with a different part number and a software ‘level’ tailored to the various requirements of the countries of intended sale and the specification of the vehicle. For example, manual or auto, MPH or KPH, airbag or not, Saudi Arabia speed warning buzzer or not, etc. For this reason the boards are not completely interchangeable.
The PCB is in two sections joined by flexible links and is fitted into the black plastic housing which forms the rear of the instrument cluster. The innermost of the two sections is glued into place and is not easily removed from the housing though the housing and PCB assembly can be unhinged from the main section of the instrument cluster. This is also the method by which the instrument bulbs can be replaced once the pod and cluster have been removed from the car. They cannot be changed in situ.
Failures of the PCB are fortunately not common. They can be caused by damage to sensors or other hardware outside the instrument cluster and by transmitted shock from severe impacts even if the instrument cluster itself is not directly involved. Spontaneous failure has also been reported. Symptoms include inoperative or erratic gauges, inoperative, always-on or flickering warning lights, failure of the trip computer and/or warning system, and total or intermittent blackout of the panel. It should be pointed out that several of these symptoms can also be caused by loose or dirty edge connectors on the PCBs.
Due to the sandwich construction of the boards some circuits are embedded within the board material and are inaccessible. A competent electronic workshop could probably effect repairs to the external components but Porsche appears to have published no documentation or drawings of the circuits within its technical literature and at present replacement of the circuit board is the best option. New boards are in very short supply. At the time of writing (Oct ‘04) only four boards remain in stock in Germany at a cost of about $1000 each though individual dealers may of course have stock of their own. This remaining stock are of P/N 928 641 991 30, a late model configuration which should hopefully be backwards-compatible with most others.
Language and value changes
Depending on the software status (level) of the circuit boards installed certain information displayed on the instrument panel can be changed to suit the owner/driver. The software status is shown in the square centre box of the computer display when the special tool 9293 or jumper, described later, is fitted. It is also printed on a rectangular paper label stuck on the back of the instrument cluster and inside between the two circuit board sections.
The digital panel was first introduced in 1989 with “software level K18”. The dashboard language could be supplied in German, French, Italian or English and could NOT be changed but on US market cars the units of measurement could be changed from Metric to Imperial and back by selecting the appropriate display function then pulling the operating stalk twice within one second.
From MY 1990 and software level K25 the language could be changed by a Porsche dealer by the use of special tool 9293 fitted into the19-pin diagnostic socket under the floor panel between the passenger’s seat and the door. In fact the special tool is merely a bridge between pins 5 and 13. A wire jumper will substitute. For those wishing to do this the language change procedure is.
Turn on the ignition
Fit tool 9293 or the jumper (NB, it won’t work if the jumper is fitted before the ignition is turned on)
Hold back the control stalk for 3 seconds until “LANGUAGE” appears in the display.
Pull the stalk sequentially to scroll through the four available languages.
Turn off the ignition and/or remove the jumper to store the language displayed.
The language and the selected units of measurement revert to the default if the battery is disconnected or the instrument power supply is lost by other means.
From MY 1991 and software level K26 the selected language and units were no longer lost when the power was disconnected. If a new circuit board was fitted K26 also provided for the reading of the odometer display to be set to the vehicle’s correct total distance travelled but note that this only applies to a factory new circuit board or one with less than 250 miles or km on it. The procedure to do this is covered under “Specific Functions” as described (badly) in the document ‘Diagnosis of the Instrument Cluster’.
The final variation of the software, level K29, was introduced in the first GTS of ’92. Curiously this limited the diagnostic scope of the instrument cluster to internal faults within the instruments themselves.
The shortage of new replacement circuit boards is a concern as is the absence of circuit drawings or other technical details which would allow users to have their boards repaired. For those contemplating a PCB replacement the above information should, for the immediate future, help to identify a suitable used component.
Colin, 89GT. With thanks for input from John Speake, Roger Tyson, Wally Plumley, Doug Hillary, Tails, Schocki and others
The following users liked this post:
Ranfurly (11-13-2019)
05-26-2005, 06:44 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Colin
I thank you very much for the info.
Some posters over here think it can be done, but never a confirmed result.
Short of finding a second hand USA panel and swapping I now realise nothing will work.
[I am considering an imported 91, but don't think its worth the hassle of miles, when also taking into considertion that my wife will be using the car as well.]
again thanks to you and others for the help.
regards
Nigel
I thank you very much for the info.
Some posters over here think it can be done, but never a confirmed result.
Short of finding a second hand USA panel and swapping I now realise nothing will work.
[I am considering an imported 91, but don't think its worth the hassle of miles, when also taking into considertion that my wife will be using the car as well.]
again thanks to you and others for the help.
regards
Nigel
05-26-2005, 07:24 AM
#5
Nigel
If the car was originally made for the British market it will almost certainly have a dual-reading speedometer dial. MPH and KPH. I believe the UK was the only market to get this feature. The odo display and the other functions will probably be unchangeable but I don't know whether Imperial or Metric units were used. Maybe a Brit Rennlister could help Nigel here?
Colin
If the car was originally made for the British market it will almost certainly have a dual-reading speedometer dial. MPH and KPH. I believe the UK was the only market to get this feature. The odo display and the other functions will probably be unchangeable but I don't know whether Imperial or Metric units were used. Maybe a Brit Rennlister could help Nigel here?
Colin
05-26-2005, 07:56 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
Nigel,
Living with both systems ( metric & Imperial) and having cars indicating Imperial/SAE in a Metric country , perhaps I underestimate the complexity of adaptation - but as the key to safety and advoidance of traffic tickets is speed indication, only two reference points need be memorized. In town, 30 mph = 50 kmph, and 'en route', 60 mph = 100 kmph: That's for your SO - you may drive faster ...
If it is a good S4, perhaps it's worth a bit of adaptation ....
Living with both systems ( metric & Imperial) and having cars indicating Imperial/SAE in a Metric country , perhaps I underestimate the complexity of adaptation - but as the key to safety and advoidance of traffic tickets is speed indication, only two reference points need be memorized. In town, 30 mph = 50 kmph, and 'en route', 60 mph = 100 kmph: That's for your SO - you may drive faster ...
If it is a good S4, perhaps it's worth a bit of adaptation ....
05-26-2005, 08:31 AM
#7
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by ColinB
Nigel
If the car was originally made for the British market it will almost certainly have a dual-reading speedometer dial. MPH and KPH. I believe the UK was the only market to get this feature. The odo display and the other functions will probably be unchangeable but I don't know whether Imperial or Metric units were used. Maybe a Brit Rennlister could help Nigel here?
Colin
If the car was originally made for the British market it will almost certainly have a dual-reading speedometer dial. MPH and KPH. I believe the UK was the only market to get this feature. The odo display and the other functions will probably be unchangeable but I don't know whether Imperial or Metric units were used. Maybe a Brit Rennlister could help Nigel here?
Colin
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05-26-2005, 11:29 AM
#9
Three Wheelin'
Ernest,
You are correct, if you have a US car. My '91 GT is a ZZZ and this technique has no effect. I was able to perform the language change procedure as described above to set english, but I am still in metric units. I am bilingual in weights and measures so it is not an issue for me, but I would also like to be able to togle back and forth between imperial and metric like I could in my USA '90 S4 doing as you describe - two quick pulls on the control stalk.
When I compared the german owners manual to my english S4 manual, the two line paragraph about the two quick pulls was in fact omitted from the German manual. Bummer.
You are correct, if you have a US car. My '91 GT is a ZZZ and this technique has no effect. I was able to perform the language change procedure as described above to set english, but I am still in metric units. I am bilingual in weights and measures so it is not an issue for me, but I would also like to be able to togle back and forth between imperial and metric like I could in my USA '90 S4 doing as you describe - two quick pulls on the control stalk.
When I compared the german owners manual to my english S4 manual, the two line paragraph about the two quick pulls was in fact omitted from the German manual. Bummer.
05-26-2005, 11:31 AM
#10
Electron Wrangler
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
All,
It would be a whole lot more sensible to have a dual readout digital display in the UK than in the USA... Most US drivers don't have any concept of KM's nor any realistic usage. Really unless you can pop over the border to Canada or Mexico its not likley to be used. Meanwhile in the UK a large percentage of people with expensive cars will take their cars across the channel (most likely under it) for European vacations. I know the UK cars have a dual reading speedos (2 sets of graduations) and this is pretty standard on all cars - but not having the digital instruments match seems very odd!!
Is there a "USA" jumper that could be set to enable this?
Alan
It would be a whole lot more sensible to have a dual readout digital display in the UK than in the USA... Most US drivers don't have any concept of KM's nor any realistic usage. Really unless you can pop over the border to Canada or Mexico its not likley to be used. Meanwhile in the UK a large percentage of people with expensive cars will take their cars across the channel (most likely under it) for European vacations. I know the UK cars have a dual reading speedos (2 sets of graduations) and this is pretty standard on all cars - but not having the digital instruments match seems very odd!!
Is there a "USA" jumper that could be set to enable this?
Alan
07-31-2012, 01:53 AM
#11
I wanted a instrument panel which could show both, this is how I did it:
The digital display on my original pod was not fully working due to damage to the strip connector, so I needed a new one (BTW Roger has 2nd hand and new ones).
I wanted both Miles and Km, as Km are need here in Dubai but I was going to take the car back to the UK later.
I purchased a 2nd Hand Pod from UK Ebay for a 1990 S4 (The UK pod has both Miles and Km on the panel but the digital display is Miles). This was cheaper than purchasing just the digital display unit.
Swapped over the rear panel of the pod so I keep my digital display in Km and the original information is still there but now the instruments show both Miles and Km due to the UK dual display.
It works a treat and the car is now sorted for both the UK (Miles) and Dubai (Km).
The digital display on my original pod was not fully working due to damage to the strip connector, so I needed a new one (BTW Roger has 2nd hand and new ones).
I wanted both Miles and Km, as Km are need here in Dubai but I was going to take the car back to the UK later.
I purchased a 2nd Hand Pod from UK Ebay for a 1990 S4 (The UK pod has both Miles and Km on the panel but the digital display is Miles). This was cheaper than purchasing just the digital display unit.
Swapped over the rear panel of the pod so I keep my digital display in Km and the original information is still there but now the instruments show both Miles and Km due to the UK dual display.
It works a treat and the car is now sorted for both the UK (Miles) and Dubai (Km).
11-10-2019, 02:48 PM
#12
Racer
I think it is possible to permanently convert a K25 version from Km to Mile registration (and set default language German to US). I'm investigating this...
regards, Theo
regards, Theo
11-13-2019, 02:08 PM
#13
1st Gear
Join Date: Nov 2019
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Thanks for useful info - was a few years ago so not sure if you are still posting. I have just brought a 928 gts 1992. Originally supplied by Porsche japan to first owner in Hong Kong who shipped back to uk in 2003 where it has remained. The speed is displayed digitally and on dial only in km. You mention language can be changed on later board do you know if units can also be done and if so how??
many thanks for any help
graham
many thanks for any help
graham
