Writing today about a 2010 987.

I evidently let my drains get all cluttered up and whatnot, and some recent heavy rain flooded my drivers side seat area. I have pulled the unit (997.618.260.08) out and have ordered a salvaged replacement. I was surprised to find that, even without the ECU installed, the car starts and runs. However, of course, several things don’t work and the dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree. The good news is that I found a lighter, a sharpie, a dollar bill and 51 cents in change under my seat.

I’ve been trying to find a diagram of what all of the pins in 997.618.260.08 do, so o I can determine if there are other issues that need to be addressed.

Currently, these functions are disabled:
- trunk releases
- convertible top
- windows
- spoiler
- various clicks and whirs as things try to do their jobs
​​​​​​- there may be other things I haven’t noticed

So my status is:
- battery is disconnected, frunk slightly open for battery access
- windows are down slightly to allow for drying/airing
- obnoxious car cover is locked onto the car while I wait for the replacement to arrive
The plan is to:
- replace all of the fuses (might as well, just in case)
- breadboard test the new ECU to make sure everything works
- if it does, put it in a waterproof bag (i.e. ‘phone at the beach’ style bag) and seal it with foam to prevent leakage where the modules connect
- if there is enough play in the cable length, mount it onto the bottom of the seat instead of in a recessed well on the lowest part of the car (seriously, wtf Porsche?)
- replace the carpet
- reinstall the seat (aware of airbag light issue)

So, my questions to you are:
- does anyone have a wiring diagram showing what the aforementioned 997.618.260.08 pins impact?
- any other suggestions (aside from using the pinned ‘clean your drains’ thread regularly)?
- is it safe to drive it without the ECU installed, i.e. a quick drive to the store, etc.?

For what it’s worth, for the past few months, I’ve had issues where sometimes my passengers side window would roll up when I pressed down, and the Bluetooth/usb functions of my aftermarket stereo wouldn’t work. I was assuming it was just glitchy stuff but now am of the mind that this has been going on for awhile, especially given the amount of damage seen below…I took the ECU out the day after the rains and they looked like this.

Many thanks!

 

From what I understand, that is not the "ECU". ECU means Engine Control Unit, which this is not... probably obvious now, since the engine starts, as you noted.

The box under the seat is a BCU (Body Control Unit) and this one is actually the Rear Control Unit, and is listed for sale here as well: https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_In...618-260-08-OEM

According to a service manual PDF I got online somewhere, this module will require coding via PIWIS once installed... and it seems to have settings for:
Auto vs manual transmission
Vehicle type (987 vs 997)
Rear wiper (installed or not)
Targa roof (installed or not)
Convertible top (installed or not)
Sunroof (installed or not)
Spoiler function (yes/no)
Country coding

 

I would not try to seal it in a bag. Generally when you do that, you just trap water/humidity inside. You want it mounted to the body for gound and possibly a heat sink too.

 

@jscott82 - it is not grounded not does it have a heat sink in it's default configuration.

@Schwinn - the terminology is a mess. I've checked every forum, reseller, etc. and they all refer to it as something else. I just sent a message to the seller of the replacement with full details and pictures to verify I am getting the right thing from them. As it turns out, they have it listed as the ECM, so that's yet another. I'll cancel if that's not the right thing and just order from PP or somewhere similar. Thanks.

 

So I went out this morning, after drying and cleaning the old module and plugged it in. Aside from the fact that the brake/reverse lights stay on and the spoiler control is dead, it seems to be ok. Oddly, when it is not connected, the rear lights/brakes do not work but the rear turn signals and the middle brake light does! I'm just going to leave it disconnected until the new one arrives, I suppose.

Thanks all.

 

I bought a salvage (water damaged) 991.2 and that's the ONLY module they had to replace. Well they did the amp (Stereo) also. Occasionally the rear spoiler will get stuck up an "engine fault" error will come on but it will say "driving allowed" inside the error message. This will reset after a few starts. Also I get "Key not found" sometimes and both the car battery and key fob battery's are NEW.
Since I changed the car battery (last week) my one-touch windows don't work. I think I'll have to get it re-coded at the dealer. I used a CTEK battery charger when I changed the battery so I didn't lose any presets and such when I disconnected the battery. But the only thing I've noticed is the windows not working properly and my smartTOP doing the same thing. (one-touch operation doesn't work anymore). I checked the coding of the smartTOP and all is well so it must be the car.

Maybe I didn't answer your question but that module basically controls the rear wing and maybe something else but nothing critical.

 

Update: the new part arrived and I was finally able to get it installed after a week of storms and bad weather. Everything seems ok, except:
- the spoiler still won't lower.
- the top is not working (I really need it down so I can clean those drains!). No mechanical movement, window lowering or indication it is being initiated.
- I keep getting popup warnings about the rear lights...but all the lights are working properly.

I've replaced pretty much every fuse except the larger green ones (and intend to do those probably today), based on https://www.planet-9.com/attachments...87-gif.199642/ (I don't have a fuse booklet, sadly). I am concerned though, as that diagram shows D8 as empty, but if it is removed the car idles and dies almost instantly. This diagram for a Cayman 987 (http://howtoporsche.com/cayman/987c-...mperages-list/) shows that D8 is actually a control unit, but the diagram doesn't show a fuse installed or amperage!

So, um...yeah. Suggestions? Does anyone have a legit 2010 Boxster fuse diagram? I am *really* trying to avoid going to a dealer on this...

 

@Schwinn https://rennlist.com/forums/987-foru...l#post17623744
Ah, just saw this. I may need to have spoiler/top enabled via programming?

 

I feel so ignored!

Yes, I believe others who have replaced the BCU have had to program it to the car to get everything working properly. Not sure how this can be done but you may look into a programmer like the Foxwell 530, which I've heard can program various things... it's a lower cost way to get this working (@deilenberger mentioned he did this and currently recommends it) if it can handle the task. Don't just take my word for it... I have no direct experience with this replacement process or the scanner.

 

@Schwinn, would you mind taking a picture of your fuse box sometime?

 

Certainly... attached. Note I pulled my radar detector tap out and away (that's what you see on the side) so you can see the panel more clearly.

I also attached a diagram I found online and turned into a PDF, for your (and anyone else's) reference. I couldn't find this info in the manual, which seems weird... but this was good and seemed accurate.



2010 Boxster Base fuse panel

 

Thanks so much!

 

Just curious, but which fuse do you tap your radar detector into?

 

I used the one to the left of the 30A on the second row from the top (of regular fuses). I believe this was for the "telephone" option. I saw it has a terminal, so I checked it with a meter to ensure it was switch (it is)... so I put it there.

You can see the piggyback adapter I had (part of this Amazon kit: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TG82QS8 ) but the problem with that was that it didn't let the cover snap in completely. Since there is also a second fuse on the lead to the detector, I removed this piggyback item and just made myself a little cable with a blade on one end and a bullet connector on the other (to mate with the purchased cable). That allows the cable to sit flatter, and so the cover snaps in better. The rest of the cable goes to the door, up the A-pillar (up against the window, as there's a decent gap to work with there) then across the top to the mirror area, and drops down there. Works pretty well and lets the detector be removed easily when I park the car (so sense in leaving a desirable object like that in a convertible!)

 

Just for future reference, in case anyone ever needs it, here's a spreadsheet listing all of the functions available for the Foxwell NT530 and the 987. By default, the site shows up to 90 at a time and won't print to pdf properly, so I dug into the code and made it show me all of them at once. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If a future reader needs to see all codes for their model of Foxwell and Porsche, give me a shout. [EDIT] Added a sheet for ALL Porsche models supported by the NT530.

The reference: https://www.foxwelltech.us/support-fun-list.html (thanks to @Schwinn and by extension, @deilenberger ).

The spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing