Thanks for the update, BSO.

I recall an email from Vodafone saying the new app will do everything the original does and that features will be added in time. Oddly enough, I got the email about the new app availability about a week ago but I've been using it since mid or early december (?).

Bassman, seems weird your climate control doesn't work. It works for me in both apps (2017 Cayenne S eHybrid).

I imagine this won't be resolved for everyone (I am picturing a huge wait list forming and regulars get priority) before the 3G shutdown, which will suck. I am a big fan of the preheat/cool feature (I am in the cold north as well).

 

Is this now a free update from porsche dealership? has anyone had this done?

 

I took my 2019 S in for the 2 year-20K mile service. The ONLY reason I took it to Porsche West Palm Beach was due to the 3G to 4G module update that they said would be done when I made the appointment. Upon arrival, the service advisor (little girl who probably cannot spell Porsche, let alone pronounce it correctly) looked at me cross-eyed when I listed what was supposed to be done to my car. 2year/20k service, Brake fluid flush, and 4 wheel alignment. I had to correct her 3 times that it was an ALIGNMENT not a 4-wheel balance. She looked up the recall and informed me that they didn't have the parts. Something the service advisor making the appointment had confirmed. So, I am not pleased. For all of the advertising and hype about caring about owners, it is fairly apparent that Porsche does not give a crap about owners. They are rapidly approaching BMW in the customer service department.
Porsche is more interested in selling electric cars and SUV's to soccer moms than selling 911's to enthusiasts. I have not met a Porsche sales rep that knew what they were talkin about since 1997. Same for service advisors. Typically, they don't know squat. At least down here in South Fla.

 

Well if it helps, I bought one of those soccer mom SUV's and I still got the crap treatment. But my service advisor did call me the week before and said the parts likely weren't going to arrive in time for my 4G update. But who knows what's going; I get a vibe these days that nobody really feels like doing their job well anymore. Maybe they decided life's too short, or unemployment benefits aren't all that bad.

 

So if your car shows the LTE symbol/logo icon on the bottom left of your PCM screen does that mean you have the updated hardware? After my maps/navs/any GPS function stopped working they ended up giving me a whole new PCM unit and Sat antenna. Sirius XM was affected too. This was in the first week of September.

 

I second that. No one, and I mean no one, seems willing to do their jobs anymore. It is quite simply unbelievable. Gen Z has been literally brainwashed into thinking that capitalism is bad and that socialism is a utopian system. Makes me sick to my stomach. Signs of the times I guess.

 

Porsche really makes this confusing... I like to tell myself its because they focus on driving performance and not convenient tech...

So this is my understanding, which might be wrong:

There are two internet connections in ? models (which ones idk...). The first is for "Car Connect" and the other is for the PCM. The car connect is a service provided through Vodafone and uses some internal antenna/SIM. This is for access to the remote monitoring app. As far as i know, this is 3G only and is what needs to be upgraded.

For the PCM, I believe (could be wrong because porsche is confusing as hell) all models have a 4G radio in the PCM. Models after 2018 have a built in SIM, 2017 and older models you have to purchase and install a SIM. You can use these SIMs or your phone's hotspot to get internet features on the PCM. I believe the PCM shows the signal status for what it is using to connect to the internet in the bottom left corner of the PCM. IT might also just be showing signal strength for a wired in or bluetooth connected phone. Cant remember but I will look tomorrow.

 

interesting and indeed confusing. I haven't messed with the car connect app much because it sucked. Very limited and useless. Not to mention buggy/laggy like some sort of software developed back in 2001.

I don't remember ever seeing the LTE logo in my 2017 and it only showed up on my 2018 after I had connected it to the internet (which was before I got a new PCM). Now if the LTE logo was there before the new PCM, I don't remember.

Reading all this makes me wary of trying to mess with it or try the new Porsche Connect App because I don't want to poke around with something so sensitive that's actually functioning.

Is there anything you guys would like me to check or try and report back for comparison purposes? I'll be glad to help.

 

I believe that your analysis is correct (or mostly so). There are two cellular radios that connect the car to the "cloud". One is in the PCM and is a 4G / LTE radio; it uses a built in eSIM (on the newer cars) or a standard SIM (in the older cars) and can create a WiFi "hot spot" that you can use to connect a cell phone to the car (accessing a better antenna than a cell phone might provide). You can also use a cell phone to create a WiFi "hot spot" and connect the car PCM to the cell phone. I use the first option - and connect my cell phone to the PCM WiFi. The PCM connection will show a 4G or an LTE grade data connection in the lower left of the PCM screen. In the lower left you will also get a display showing the strength of the cellular signal (not sure if this is the phone's signal or the PCM signal)l. Because the PCM is already 4G/LTE it will not be affected by the 3G turn down that AT&T is planning for end of February. AT&T (and most other cellular providers) are turning down their 3G support to use those resources for 5G - AT&T is the first to do this but others will follow suit in 2022. When you turn off the ignition the PCM goes to sleep shortly and that cellular radio powers down and drops its connection.

But there's a second "hidden" cellular radio that provides the services provided by the "old" Car Connect app - (some) services which are now built into the "new" My Porsche app (with others planned). This radio does NOT shut down when the ignition is turned off and even a car parked for a week (or more) can still be connected to and will still provide Car Connect remote services. I don't believe the services are exactly provided by Vodafone but Vodafone wrote the Car Connect app and also has written the new My Porsche app and is gradually including all the Car Connect remote services in My Porsche - and shortly the Car Connect app will stop working (mine still works). This "hidden" cell radio seems to be locked to AT&T via an eSIM (or maybe a regular SIM) and this is why the Car Connect services will shut down in February 2022 - when AT&T shuts down 3G - because unlike the PCM - this hidden cell radio is only 3G capable. Up thread BSO posted that because Germany will not turn down 3G, Porsche only installed a 3G radio - ignoring the fact that the technology was old at the time and would be discontinued in the US. So now - all of us with 3G radios will lose those Car Connect remote services until Porsche is able to provide a new radio that is (at least) 4G / LTE capable. BSO did post that they do still plan to do this but are short parts for the new radios so have pulled the service bulletin after sending out letters to all of us affected.

A sort of funny anecdote about these services. I had the battery replaced in my 911 earlier in 2021 and because it wasn't a big job I waited at the dealership while they did the replacement. While sitting in the waiting room my phone rang - and it was Porsche - asking me if I was OK as my car had signaled a loss of power and might have been stolen (a thief might well disconnect the car's battery to prevent it from being located and my car had indicated a battery disconnect). It was funny at the time BUT tells me that there's a value to this service - Porsche put my car in "Service Mode" which temporarily stops such alerts. After I picked up the car I went into the Car Connect app and turned Service Mode off.

 

​​​​​​​ Regarding pre-cool / heat option, mine is showing inactive in the new app when I worked on the old PC Connect app. I wondered if I should try deleting he app and reload it. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

Thats weird. When you are on the "Vehicle Screen" do you see a picture of your car with the electric and fuel range below? Then just below that the keyfob icon to lock your doors and the climate icon you woud click for preheat/cool?

Or you can click "Details" on the top right corner of the Vehicle page and go over to "Functions". Do you see preheat/cool option in there?

 

Hey papb, thanks so much for your explanation!
I had been going under the functions tab and it states Precoo/heat Not active and when I press on the tab "An error has occurred" message appears. Then I would press the "Retry" button and the error message would reappear.
Now when I follow your lead and press the icon under the mileage indicator it starts a preheat countdown and the functions tabs changes to active.
I can't thank you enough for the assistance on this as it is currently 17 degrees here outside Chicago!
Now let's hope that the app continues to work until we receive the 4G LTE upgrade!
Regards,
Kevin

 

2019 and getting multiple Porsche e mail car needs update for 3G going away. Dealer agrees and has been trying to order part. Now today he says no recall for my car , can not order parts. Have e mail from him saying there was a recall.

Calling PCNA but anyone else been told car was affected and now it’s not eligible. No VIN error issues.

Chuck
2019t

 

glad it worked out. It does look like the app updated recently. I feel like more features have appeared in the last couple of weeks. Maybe they are still working out some kinks.

As of 12 days ago, my service advisor said there's been a "Pause" and that's all the info he had. He didn't mention anything about eligibility changing.

 

I second this. Service manager (that is sort of an enthusiast and speaks to me openly), said word he received was that when upgrade parts become available they will reissue the recall.