sPaCePiR8

Switching the CAN/AMP setting solved the issue for me, now everything works as it should

saxonthebeach

Switch it over and then back again?

armoden

I'm going to have one for sale here shortly! I installed it. Got it working. The volume in android sucks, some of the controls sucks, doesn't interface with the can bus and lost all the trip information that was on the pcm. Poor unit all around. Going to go with a sony marine head unit and the gt3 delete.

sPaCePiR8

no, only once switching it from the wrong (AMP) to the right (CAN) setting

saxonthebeach

yours is a MOST car, correct?

sPaCePiR8

correct. After installing the unit last year I took it to a Porsche Center as it was not working correctly. Turns out that a part was faulty. When they replaced that, they must have played with the settings as well and since it was running fine for 20-30min each time, they did not check. I looked a long time for a solution to the problem and was checking that setting more out of curiosity as I would not have expected it to be left in the wrong mode

saxonthebeach

thanks. Seems like my issue is different (the input lag happens all the time), since mine was already set to CAN. Back to square one here

Dranon

Is your unit for MOST cars?

ZuffenZeus

The PCCM+ is for analog and MOST based cars.

ZuffenZeus

Something is not right because the CAN bus should be recognized. Going to an aftermarket units won't solve any of your problems. The Sony won't interface with Porsche Canbus channel nor will it perfect fix for the phone with the convertible down. I installed an aftermarket unit in my 03 cabriolet and it was almost impossible for the other people to hear me. Too much ambient noise.

plpete84

I'm wondering if some of these issues are software based. I know the trip meter reset issue is and that there is an update available. Getting that update is the issue and I'm not to keen on paying an hourly rate at the dealership for it. Granted they have a clue about it. One of my dealers didn't

armoden

Your 03 has a most bus, that's completely different animal than my 99 cab with hifi. The can and most are two separate systems entirely that get mixed up with the description of this head unit. The PCCM+ doesn't read from the can bus, so it displays no car information. It sends audio information to the instrument cluster via the canbus, but the '99 cluster doesn't display radio information so that function is moot. The PCCM+ has an amplifier and a fiber optic converter (MOST). In "can" mode (vice amp mode) it is outputing a digital signal to the fiber ring (MOST) which newer 996 amps use to produce sound. In amp mode it is directly driving the cars speakers with it's own amp, or it is supplying an analog audio signal to the analog amp. Your car has the MOST ring, so the speakers are 100% driven from your amp and the volume with be normalized across all the possible inputs. The PCCM onboard amp is not normalizing analog audio outputs correctly. I think it's mostly an issue with a poor amp in the PCCM.

The Sony matches the amber interior lights of the 996 and is nice and loud. I lose Navigation (never bought the maps), android auto (sound is terrible), and instrument cluster display (never had it). I'll still technically have hands free calling, but I don't want to talk to anyone while I'm driving anyway.

To answer the question about MOST compatibility directly, yes. The suncoast parts package has all the adapters for just about every possible 996 configuration. There is a most adapter, and since that's a digital output it should eliminate the issues I'm having with the onboard amp. I really think that Porsche designed this version of the PCCM+ for the MOST 996's. And rightly so, since I'd guess most 996's use the MOST system.

Dranon

I guess my question is when you sell it does it include the PARTS to connect to the MOST system?

ZuffenZeus

I really appreciate your insight. Yea, I am aware the differences since I've own three of these cars and worked on all the system to repair problems or improve the system. One of my 996 was an analog based '02 with the CDR-220 and HiFi option. I've started alot of these PCCM+ threads to help people. Spend countless hours looking closely at schematics from the 986/996 shop manual to assist people that have had their wire harnesses hacked up. I've dealt with MOST and still believe those cars have the least amount of trouble with the new PCCM+ units. Curious, you also have complained about the audio level. Did you install the Porsche analog adapter cable - #996.642.341.00 or use a HI/LO adapter to feed the amplifier? It's my understand that the Canbus should display data like the PCM1. The Canbus problem your opinion from working with the unit or a more official opinion from Porsche?

armoden

I'm pretty sure the current version that I got from suncoast covered that. The radio and bluetooth audio levels were fine. The android auto audio level was terrible. Since the first two were fine I expect the issue is software related. Some android update might fix it, or a software patch to the PCCM would do the trick. I'm not holding my breath that Porsche will release a free software update. God forbid.
The variety of possible instrument clusters in the 986/996 is staggering. I replaced the one in my '00 boxster and there's seriously 20-30 different variations. The issue is the pre01 clusters have a slightly smaller LCD screen compared to the 01 and up dot matrix screens. The center LCD screen has 2 rows of digits, one for speed and a second for computer data. It can only do numbers, it doesn't have the resolution to do text or station names. So any output data (station names/song titles) from the PCCM to the cluster is wasted. The original PCM 1 read canbus information to display trip stats etc, and I believe a redundant AC display. The PCCM+ doesn't and doesn't even use those connectors. I sort of expected that level of integration from what was billed as a modern upgrade to the original PCM. It's closer to an ok chinese double din display with a porsche label slapped on it and a ton of adapters to mostly fit all 30 variants of 986/996 out there. The adapters part is impressive, but the actual unit isn't. I think it works well for the 996.1 and 996.2 but there's a very limited number of 996.0s that were not tested for.