AR|Groundzero

Good afternoon everyone.

I am hoping to tap into your knowledge and experience. I just purchased a 2013 Porsche Boxster S with PCM 3.1 I have noticed that this car the rear is a bit higher than my 2002 Boxster S and is quite difficult to see behind the car when backing up for parking. That being said I am trying to find an aftermarket solution that will integrate into the factory PCM. There are many forums for this so that is not the root of my question. Most kits say that the PCM hardware must be 3.1 and the PCM software needs to be 4.0 or greater. When looking at my cars info from the PCM it shows the following:

PCM 3.1
System Version: v3.43

I believe that this means my hardware is compatible but my software is not. I took the car to the dealership and it was like I was asking them to build the space shuttle. They are completely clueless!

Does anyone have an idea of what that all means and how I can upgrade my software so that it supports the backup camera?

Thank you all for your input and expertise.

sghokie

Have a look at this site.
https://www.maxspeed-motorsports.com...pdate_DVD.html


Looks like if you are on a version 3 software you might be stuck.

vracer

This is a late answer to the question because I just found it on a search. As long as you have 3.1, you should be able to upgrade to latest Version 4.76.

AR|Groundzero

Thank you for the answer. Can you please elaborate on how that is done and the source of your info? I have been told by many that it is not possible.

THANK YOU so much for your reply and I look forward to your response.

vracer

Well, it "appears" there are two different types of PCM 3.1 where there should have been a 3.2 in addition to 3.1. My 2014 CS was manufactured in May of '13 & is presently on Version 4.73 of 3.1. (I even have the '13 Boxster umbrella holder next to the passenger seat.) I'm reading the same things about not being able to upgrade the "original" 3.1 to accept a rear camera. I'm assuming you have tried to have your car upgraded into Version 4+, and or you have checked with a Porsche dealer about it.

vracer

PS
When was your car built?

AR|Groundzero

I have not tried to upgrade my PCM to 4.0 software because I did not want to damage my PCM. Do you have the software DVD? I tried going the dealer route but they were absolutely useless. The production date of my car is 2012-09-01.

Thanks again for any help you can give.

AR|Groundzero

The car was built on September 1, 2012 based on the VIN. I went to the dealer when I purchased it back in December however they were totally clueless. <sigh>. I have not tried to update it because I did not want to damage the PCM. Do you have the software?


Thank you again for all the help.

spk56

Hi AR. There is a company that make a retrofit backup camera for our cars. They are very specific about checking to see if your radio is compatible. This is what they say:

VERY IMPORTANT
Before purchasing this Camera Kit you must verify your pcm software version. with the ignition TO THE “ON” POSITION you must press the SOURCE & INFO button SIMULTANEOUSLY on your PCM 3.1 Radio and make sure that your software version is 4.xx and up. If it isn’t please don’t purchase this kit. IF YOU HAVE A CDR RADIO IT LOOKS ALMOST THE SAME AS A PCM 3.1 OUR CAMERA KIT WILL NOT WORK. PLEASE SEE EXAMPLES BELOW.

spk56

I tried to post a reply with an attachment, but it didn't go through. Maxspeed makes the reversing camera retrofit kits for our cars, and it seems well thought out. If you look on their site, you will see detailed instructions on what to look for to see if your PCM unit will work. Because your car is an early 981, I think yours may not work.
There is another company, NM Automotive that makes a kit for the earlier PCM units, but it is quite costly. Might be better at that point to change the whole head unit to Pioneer, Alpine, etc.

Fulwild

TLDR can’t upgrade 3.xx software to 4.xx software with a software upgrade.

I looked into this for Panamera and there is a thread on this subject in the Panamera forum. The start and end dates of different PCM version differ in the different models and I don’t know if there is comparability between models (eg can you install a Cayenne PCM in a Boxter).

The software versions are linked to hardware versions within the PCM 3.1 line. The initial number of your software tells you what version of PCM 3.1 you have. For example a PCM3.1 with software version 2.73 is actually hardware version 2 of PCM 3.1 with software version 73 for hardware version 2 installed. You can’t install software version with an initial number greater than the initial number of you current software. There is no path from version 2.01 to version 3.01 but you can go from 2.01 to version 2.02 etc. The exception to this is that you can upgrade to version 4 (last version) of PCM 3.1 by replacing the physical PCM but again you have to stay with a PCM 3.1 unit you can’t upgrade to a PCM 4 unit. Last assumption is based in finding references to older cars that have had failed head units replaced and having newer software afterwards. Upgrade probably requires Dealer assistance. I have seen used PCM 3.1 head units with software in the 4.xx family (which indicates the last hardware version and software 4.xx compatibility) on eBay for under 1k and new from the dealer for 3-4 k.

This info in my gleaning and is not based on Porsche manuals or materials. It’s the best I have but, as always, due diligence is your friend.