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I have been on the fence about getting a PCCM Plus system for my 996 since I purchased the car. A prior owner had installed a single-DIN Kenwood unit that was broken at the time I acquired the car, so I've known that something would have to be done about the radio eventually. I had the dash apart a few days ago to replace the disintegrating foam on all the A/C duct joints, and went ahead and took the radio out at the same time. Good news is all of the wiring is stock (and I was able to verify with a spare head unit I had on-hand that everything else was working), however, I still have some questions. I've been reading through some threads on the PCCM Plus system, namely this one: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...cm-plus-8.html What I'm still unclear on, and have found really no answers for, is how to go about installing a PCCM Plus unit into a car with Option 680 (Nokia DSP system. NOT Bose/Fiber Optic). My car is a 1999 with the non-Bose HiFi speaker system, the DSP, and originally a CDR-210. From the thread I linked above, it looks like there were some static/volume issues had by people with the DSP in their cars when installing a PCCM Plus unit. I haven't actually seen any resolution to these problems, just a few separate incidents in cars with the DSP option. I'm trying to avoid a dealer install since most of them quote 600+ USD in labor That, on top of the already pretty absurd ~1300 USD cost of the PCCM Plus unit alone means I'm inclined to do it myself.
I have 2 main questions knowing all that:
1) Has anyone resolved the DSP issues with PCCM Plus, be it a self-install or someone who had a dealer install it for them?
2) If the answer to #1 is no, how would I go about "deleting" the DSP option. So far as I know there are at least 2 parts to the system, the interface board that sits in the center stack, and a box containing the DSP itself (though I've gotten conflicting info as to whether or not that is integrated into the factory amp or somewhere else).
3) I know already that you can't just get rid of the DSP interface panel if you are installing an aftermarket head unit, but I also know that the PCM1 system integrated the DSP controller. Did the PCCM Plus unit get that same integration so its just plug-and-play in cars with the DSP checked?
Thanks in advance, and if I do go through with the PCCM Plus purchase I'll be sure to write up a guide to help people who may have similar questions going forward.
My notes show that gounding pin# 17 on the amp ("dsp data", white/green) effectively disables the DSP and allows the control panel to be removed. That is what the PCCM+ instructions say to do, anyway; I have not tried it.
Good to know. I haven't been able to find the PCCM Plus manual online. I'll go ahead and try it (I'm assuming you unplug the DSP control module from the amp then short the pins on the amp?) Any chance you could offer a photo of that part of the manual? Just want to be sure I don't break anything in the process.
Yes- I just got done doing this. It was initially a little difficult to track down the details but this step is key to trigger the DSP unit to turn on. I went aftermarket with a head unit but it's the same problem, and solution. Pin 17 ("DSP-DATA" on the schematic) on the amp in the frunk needs to be grounded.
By the way the schematic is a bit misleading in that it makes it look like the DSP amp and amplifier are two different units, and the wire is white/green...it's not. As the TSB says, the wire you're after on the amp connector at pin 17 (assuming it's the same as my '99) is black/red/yellow.
Last edited by ChuckUFarley; 01-19-2022 at 06:59 PM.
Yes- I just got done doing this. It was initially a little difficult to track down the details but this step is key to trigger the DSP unit to turn on. I went aftermarket with a head unit but it's the same problem, and solution. Pin 17 ("DSP-DATA" on the schematic) on the amp in the frunk needs to be grounded.
By the way the schematic is a bit misleading in that it makes it look like the DSP amp and amplifier are two different units, and the wire is white/green...it's not. As the TSB says, the wire you're after on the amp connector at pin 17 (assuming it's the same as my '99) is black/red/yellow.
Don't know how I missed this thread in my research. Regardless, thanks for the confirmation. The cable is like $3 from my local dealer, so I'll just pick it up and save myself the hassle of digging the soldering iron out.
Ok, I got the system, wired it up, and everything is working without grounding that pin on the amp. However, while everything is good electrically, mounting the unit has proven more of a challenge than I initially thought it would be. It looks like you need the double-din PCM1 bracket to fit the PCCM to the dash (if someone could verify that this is the case and that there isn't a unique part made for the PCCM, that would be great). I tried to cut up the single DIN bracket to fit it, but the way the PCCM mounts means that there are some tabs on the PCCM cage that don't have anything to press against at the top, so the thing rocks back and forth. Further compounding this headache is the fact that I have a 1999 with a Space Gray interior, meaning that the vent assembly is a part of the radio bracket support, and that the color of paint on it is basically non-existent on the used market.
I'm pretty sure the part I need is 996-552-131-05-B13, but I cannot find pictures of this anywhere, or verification that B13 is Space Gray on this specific piece (it is for some other vent stuff, so I'm hoping it is).
So... has anyone else here installed PCCM into a 1999 that had a single-DIN center support originally? Did you need a new support? If so, was it just the PCM1-compatible part, or is there some special thing that the PCCM needs and only a dealer can get?
EDIT: Ok after some dredging through search results, I've verified that this is the part number for the Space Gray center support for PCM cars with air vents (so 1999). Here's my source on that: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...9655213105b13/. Still no confirmation on if the PCCM just slots right into these PCM supports though, so I'd love to know. After looking at some pictures of these PCM1 brackets from dismantlers and the few new listings that have a picture, it looks like the plastic supports are all in the right spot, but I can't verify the spacing or thickness of anything from grainy pictures, so I may just have to assume unless anyone else can say definitely one way or another.
Last edited by H-Atkinson; 02-01-2022 at 02:19 AM.
Reason: update
Ok, I got the system, wired it up, and everything is working without grounding that pin on the amp. However, while everything is good electrically, mounting the unit has proven more of a challenge than I initially thought it would be. It looks like you need the double-din PCM1 bracket to fit the PCCM to the dash (if someone could verify that this is the case and that there isn't a unique part made for the PCCM, that would be great). I tried to cut up the single DIN bracket to fit it, but the way the PCCM mounts means that there are some tabs on the PCCM cage that don't have anything to press against at the top, so the thing rocks back and forth. Further compounding this headache is the fact that I have a 1999 with a Space Gray interior, meaning that the vent assembly is a part of the radio bracket support, and that the color of paint on it is basically non-existent on the used market.
@bobthejob Sorry to get back to you so late, I completely forgot to check on the PN. The grounding wire is 996.642.587.00 and it goes between pin 17 in the amp connector and the chassis ground post nearest to the amp. Check page 9 in the attached PDF.
And to in case anyone is wondering about how mounting it all went, I made a mess of the single DIN bracket with a Dremel under the impression that removing the center brace would allow the PCCM to mount to it. I was an idiot and didn't actually check how the PCCM mounts before cutting it up, and as it turns out the tabs it needs do not exist on the single DIN bracket. Go figure. This left me with a bracket that has a double DIN hole but mounting points for nothing at all. So, everyone else who is doing this retrofit, do as I say, not as I do, and don't try to cut up your single DIN bracket.
So, I ended up on an absurd hunt for the double DIN bracket in granite grey. I'm convinced it exists only in Porsche parts catalogues, as when I was in Stuttgart back in June I stopped by the factory dealership, and they couldn't find stock anywhere in Europe. They also said that the part was last produced in 2000. This was after my local dealership took my 300 dollars and told me it was on order. Needless to say I informed them that I'd like to cancel my order, as I now knew that the part functionally didn't exist. Thankfully they gave me my money back almost 6 months after I placed said order. Bottom line is I currently have a black lacquered double-DIN bracket that I got from a part-out car for 20 dollars installed. I'm still on the hunt for the correct granite grey one, but not too hopeful that I'll find it.
@bobthejob Sorry to get back to you so late, I completely forgot to check on the PN. The grounding wire is 996.642.587.00 and it goes between pin 17 in the amp connector and the chassis ground post nearest to the amp. Check page 9 in the attached PDF.
Sorry for the late reply. Many thanks for taking the time to get back to me with the information.
Unfortunatly I have the grounding wire in place already, without that it wasn't possible to get any noise from the PCCM.
Next time I take the car into the OPC, I will ask them if they have any ideas ....I don't have any great hopes!
01-18-2022 | 10:09 PM
PCCM Plus in a 996 with Nokia DSP (Option 680)?
