chris2

Just updated my instrument cluster with PIWIS II from Kombiinstrument_A2.9 0391 to Kombiinstrument_A3.5 1770, and am happy to report success. PCM4 is now communicating with the rest of my car's systems, one more thing to add to the to do list is: reactivate my audio menu in the cluster, and reactivate navigation in PCM since PIWIS decided it would be cool to delete those features. Also need to finish wiring the speakers directly to PCM4 after the ASK amplifier delete and reinstall the passenger seat.

RYE

Impressive. Well done!

camaroz1985

This is really impressive! Interesting to read the full write up once you are done.

Then waiting for someone to ask about how to do it, and laugh when they are told, "All you have to do is....."

Option Plus

impressive Job
did you flash software using programmierung tab ?
i tried the same to downgrade software but no success maybe i should try all images and see which one it does accept
dont you have plan instaling amplifiers like bose or burmester ?

chris2

Yes, I used the development flash mode, here are the steps from the guide I am putting together. No plans to retrofit Burmeister or Bose since I will be disappointed by the sound quality no matter what lol.

Step 5 - Flash your instrument cluster to compatible software (1770)

Option Plus

thanks for instruction

i have a totally different matter maybe you could help me


please read down here ...

chris2

You probably have to flash the TMS MCU with a separate programmer, unless you can somehow get it into a state where it will accept new programming from PIWIS. I'd just buy a new one from eBay at this point.

Option Plus

ok thank you , i try to copy another macan eeprom and flash on mine , and see if it can be right again ,
also i am trying to retrofit PCM4 to cayenne pcm3.1
pretty much same process as yours ,although this cayenne has burmester sound package , i guess i should use and AUX to amp interface and connect pcm to aux for sound
Is it necessary to replace gateway?

Jacobello87

Hi Guys,

so thankful for this topic

i worked on retrofit of PCM4 from 2017. Here are my notes about that

- unlock PCM4 ( remove component protection ) can be done by hacker, it cost like 250-350 euros, here in europe. I found some hackers in netherlands, poland, ukraine, italy...
- hacker also enable fec codes for you (bluetooth, navigation, carplay....)
- if you update your pcm in future for new firmware you will lost cp remove and fec codes since these features has been done by fw modification
--
unlock of PCM is least problem

--

- PCM4 has different wiring, but it is not hard to sort it out and produce own adapter from quadlock 40 to 52 for few bucks

- PCM4 is not working with instrument clusters fitted in PCM 3.1 cars, (maybe after software update like Chris wrote before), so you have no temperature, no time, no trip data (just "please turn on ignition" message. If you remove keys pcm will turn off and show you message "do not forget your cell phone) - that tells me that some can-bus messages are common and works - also dimming light of buttons works - also controlled by canbus

- you can buy new instruments and it works, i bought from salvage 991.2 GTS, but problem is that new engines has different RPM limit - just 8K, so you can do this on GT3/GT3RS and Turbo modes which has same range, but on Carrera/Targa you have different RPM dial, but instruments will show actual values and works fine

- PCM4 is bit longer than PCM 3.1 so you have to destroy edges on PCM 3.1 plastic cage in dashboard - not a problem and easy

---

My car is 2015 991.1 GTS, i fitted PCM4 in to my car, since my car has burmester audio system, sound is not working (you need new amplifier which supports most 150, old one is most 25) - i dont know if old amplifier car be flashed or reprogrammed to work with new PCM
- this means that if you have just basic sound system retrofit is possible because PCM4 has internal amplifier (also 3.1 has internal amplifier but they used ASK analog amplifies - i dont know why), but if you running on bose/burmester - retrofit is impossible for now, because you need to remove component protection from new amplifier, since new generation of amplifiers already use this anti-theft feature - and this is a problem.

You can root PCM4 since it has some operating systemm but not on amplifier, i think nobody has done it yet

Symptoms of active component protection on amplifier is that you have just 1-2 active speakers for music, for calls and navigation all channels works well, but no music...

thats my knowledge about that!

thank you for this topic! PCM4 is much more better than PCM 3.1

p.s. sorry for my english, i am still learning :-)

chris2

Thanks for mentioning the speakers being limited to 2ch, I was sitting here trying to work out a coding problem with my speaker configuration but that makes more sense. I hadn't used nav yet, so I just tried it and sure enough, all speakers work there.

If I go back to radio, unplug the two working channels and turn the speakers up, I can hear the other channels working at a very low volume, so they are not muted but the software probably applies a different volume scale to them. I am using the internal amplifier on PCM4, so the protection is probably on the head unit itself, so perhaps your amplifier does not need any patches. There should also be a volume level graphic as you turn the volume ****, I've noticed this is missing on the retrofitted PCM4, so that's probably something else that needs to be patched.


I believe the gateways can stay the same. Out of curiosity I tried to retrofit a newer gateway into my car and it wound up causing issues with PCM4, whereas everything worked with the original.
Burmeister probably needs to be changed out (see other post above), maybe attempt a firmware upgrade / downgrade if at all possible via PCM update disc.
How are you handing component protection removal? Are you using a hack or legit with PIWIS

Jacobello87

Hello Chris,

1. PCM4=MIB2, these units has 2 symptoms of active component protection
a. notice on upper side of display
b. no sound - i mean absolutely no music sound, absolutely on every single channel, just navigation and telephone and buttons sounds works

note - if i recoded my hacked unit to use internal amplifier and connected it to my Skoda Octavia 2015 with MIB2 head-unit - all channels played music well, so i think symptom of no music has been removed well

2. MIB2 amplifiies, Bang&Olufsen, Bose and Burmester has same symptom of active component protection - only front left channel play music, on audi, vw, seat, skoda

3. Component protection can be removed only by online official diagnostic (hackers sorted out how to disable symptoms of active component protection on MIB2 head-units but CP is still active)

4. If i read faults by piwis - i see CP active on head-unit (already hacked) and on amplifier

5. I asked my service to remove CP by official way, but computer knows that it is retrofit and will not perform it - maybe because of old version of gateway which maybe not supports component protection functionality (since CP is stored in Gateway and each protected unit in car)
little hint here - if you transfer gateway and head unit both units from same donor car to another car they will work - because they are paired (but other unites have problem since replaced gateway...)

Option Plus

if you are retrofitting pcm3.1 to pcm4 , you can keep old amplifier and use aux to amp interface , then convert pcm4 high voltage output to aux low voltage and fix sound problem .
as jacobello said also we can use a can interface to fool pcm4 its using donor car gateway .
my interface is chinies HSX , as far as i know even professional vag hackers cant remove cp from amplifier , only online piwis from dealer can do it .

Jacobello87

You can do it with aux only with basic sound system, with ASK amplifier, ask ampifier has 4 channels analog imputs

problem is that Bose and Burmester has only digital MOST 150 imput :-(

maybe, old PCM 3.1 amplifiers can be coded to accept MOST 150 ... thats a question

Jacobello87

I think that volume level graphic is present only in cars with Basic and Bose sound system, not with Burmester - it is easy to find out - just visit dealership and check showroom cars :-)

b3drock

On Audi MIB2 there is red engineering menu that shows state of FEC codes valid/invalid and some other system information. Is there equivalent menu on PCM4? Does anyone know key combo to access?