The NMAutomitive unit is an add on board that works with your original PCM unit. There is quite a bit of info available on it including here, which might be helpful for you Tell me about NM Automotive CarPlay - Page 3 - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

It's not the same as the head units we're discussing here which completely replace PCM - there's a trade off depending on whether you want to keep the original heand unit look and functionality, or if you want a much more modern unit, albeit one with some issue like we are discussing here!

 

OK final post from me for the day summing up where I got to

Hardware:

• My homemade harness works, but I have a dodgy rear right connection so will have to strip and remake that part of the loom another time
• I still have the bright light issue and will contact Erisin support after the Chinese holidays
• I have an echo on the external mic - I'd like to resolve this as the internal mic isn't great
• The DAB radio works
• I fitted the Erisin TPMS module and it worked first time

Software:

• I still need to change the head unit boot logos, Ideally swapping the initial Android 13 for the Porsche crest and then the green robot for the Carrera S silhouette
• I got TomTom Go navigation installed and working (I already have a paid subscription) so I downloaded the maps to the new HU
• I'm experimenting with GoneMad as a new media player - I like the simple interface to use when driving. I'm waiting for a new USB stick to load all my music on to do further testing
• I installed the Google Phone app, but unfortunately it doesn't activate when my mobile phone calls in/out via bluetooth. It still defaults to some hideous crap app that is barely usable, so this needs more research

I appreciate a lot of the software issues can be ignored if using Android Auto, but I'm trying to set it up as a fully functional standalone unit for when my wife drives - or for when I forget my phone!

My next challenge is how tidy up the mess of cables behind the HU - I just stuffed them all in because I ran out of time, but I really need to sort it out. With the 2 x ground loop isolators, TPMS and DAB radio there's quite a lot of kit now, but at least there is plenty of room for it all behind the radio.

So not a bad weekend and luky it was raining, otherwise my wifwe would have had me planting a hedge!!

 

@andy2111 the sound quality with the original mic. was also not very good even after switching the mic. input to external mic. and lowering the BT mic. gain to very low. It was not unusable but not at the level of the original PCM. I then replaced the mic. that came with the HU by the mic. below and installed it in the windshield pilar at driver's head-level. This greatly improved voice quality and I'm fully satisfied.


Regarding the CarCanBus app, I agree that it is just one of the components of the HU canbus interfacing. But not sure of the overall components and how they play together. From my tests pulling the fuse and having the HU on but the Android OS "frozen" in a boot loop, I would say that there is a hardware component driven by firmware and then one or several software components that interface with the hardware component and between themselves. But only the designer knows what does what...
BTW: My unit also announce itself as Android 13. That may explain the differences of software levels with your old HU.
Congratulations on your audio improvements. Seems that your perseverance is paying off.

 

@andy2111 Sterling work over the weekend, Andy, and far more important than planting a hedge

I am wondering what the difference is between the various Porsche cars since the HU installed in my wife's non-BOSE Cayman has no hiss issues at all. No special measures were taken - I just literally plugged in the quad connector, aerials etc and no hiss from the get-go. Does anyone know if the hiss affects certain models only, or certain configurations?

I am glad that your endeavours fixed the problem for you, and your write-up will certainly help others with the same problem. But it seems odd that the issue didn't occur here.

I think Chuck's suggestion to replace the mic is a good one. Meantime, try setting the settings to use external mic and, on a call, put your finger over the small hole on the front panel where the internal mic is. I have read that this has resulted in the echo going away, and it provides a good clue as to what is causing it.

 

Duplicate post removed.

 

It seems like the hiss is definitly a ground loop issue, given that the isolators fixed it. So as this effect is caused by different electrical components (the new HU and the ASK amp) having different grounding points with different grounding potentials, perhaps the components in the various model of Porsche are grounded in different ways and/or at different points on the chassis etc and in some instances this results in the ground loop, and not in others.

I'll buy the mic that Chuck recommended as I see it's also available in the UK - I've spent so much on 2 HUs and a load of other bits so another £40 won't make much difference!

If I can get down to the only physical issue being the bright lights then I can tidy up all the wiring and put the trim back on and hope that a firmware update fixes the lights

 

Thanks Andy. Your reasoning make sense. You don't need to spend that much for a decent Lavalier-style mic. They are just monophonic condenser mics and a cheaper one should be fine for this purpose. There are tons on Amazon. Make sure the cord is long enough for your purpose as they often come with fairly short cords.

Let's hope Eirisn come good with the lights issue!

 

Has anyone tried or have experience with the Isudar board, seems like an easy, seamless install. Available from Amazon for ~$385.00??

2013 911 4S
Gone but not forgotten
1989 911 Speedster
1976 912E
1975 Silver Anniversary 911
1974 914 2.0
1972 914

 

Hello. I just installed the Erisin unit on my 981 GT4. I read about this issue here and went back to the car and checked. I do have the same brightness issue. The screen to the right (water/oil temp, tyre pressures etc), the mileage screen and all the warning lights (cel, handbrake, airbags, lights etc etc) on the cluster get bright to 100% when the HU turns on. Even if I try to adjust the brightness on the cluster using the button, it won't affect the above. It will only change the brightness of the speedometer and tacho now.

I bought my unit directly from Erisin (through ebay, but Erisin were the seller) so I can probably contact them to see if they can help.

Is there anything specific I can ask them that would speed up the process?

The MCU on mine is dated: 20230925 and the canbus type is. "0x115_Porsche17_lzkj"

 

For about $100 more you can get a proper mr12volt setup from me that uses your factory fiber optic system.

 

Yes - this is the thread you want:

https://rennlist.com/forums/panamera...l#post19268155

These add-on circuit board solutions are neat, but they involve you opening your PCM and installing an additional board. Some people find this can be tricky, especially getting the ribbon cables correctly seated. Also, you are still stuck with the outdated PCM and its awful screen. OTOH, you retain the OEM look. The replacement head units are easier to install, don't require you to mess with the PCM, which you can keep intact should you ever want to revert back to stock and if you choose something like the Erisin unit, are probably a better look than stock anyway. Good to have choices.

 

Don't use the **** on the cluster to change the brightness - go into the multifunction display settings and adjust the brightness there. That will fix most of the brightness issues - but the high beam light and the odometer, digital speedo and central AC display will remain bright.

This seems, to some extent, car specific. On our Cayman 981 the odometer and digital speedo are not bright, but the high beam and centre console lights are. I temporarily fixed the high beam light problem by putting a 'dim sticker' (Amazon) on the panel in the right place for when seated and driving. This sounds ghetto, but the realty is that the sticker is pretty much invisible, even if you know it's there, and it does a good job of fixing the issue until someone comes up with a canbus update. You could do the same for the central AC display if it bothers you at night - even with the dim sticker it is still plenty bright enough to see during daylight.

These are the dim sticker things:

 

That is the canbus type all of these Erisin-style units have and is where the problem lies, we think. What we need is a canbus update, but how likely that remains to be seen.

 

Thanks for this. Will go check the settings after work and see if it fixes most of the brightness issues. Will order the stickers too.

 

I did message them already. Will see what they say. If they don't do anything about it I will make a youtube video about the issues. I guess they won't want their sales affected when this puts off people from buying...