guney

I've just bought a 2006 911 and I'm now looking into the possibility of having an aftermarket double-DIN audio head unit installed. This would, of course, replace the original display in the center of the dash. I don't have navigation and I don't have any use for the phone features. So, I'll mostly be giving up the existing audio features, which the new head unit would replace (and augment) anyway. However, I noticed that there a few trip computer features available through this center display and its controls as well. It appears that everything that's there is replicated at the trip computer display in the instrument cluster and the steering wheel stalk controls, but I can't be sure, so I decided to ask the opinion of more experienced owners here:

Other than audio, navigation, and telephone features, are there any features on the 997 available through the main screen in the center of the dash that are not replicated through the displays/controls in the instrument cluster? Or, in general, would I be missing anything else that's significant if I replace this main display on the center console with an aftermarket head unit?

CarlJ

Auto door locking, light dimming time, daytime running lamp settings, speed and temp units, seat/mirror/key memory, date adjustment, some sport chrono features, etc.

That's just off the top of my head. Nothing critical, but a few handy features IMO.

Palmbeacher

I've got an '05 and none of the above are available through the radio unit. The manual says those are optional features. The dealer flashed my car to get auto door locking, so that is definitely not lost without the radio head.

jhbrennan

Nav + Sport Chrono allows those features to be set without dealer intervention via PCM.

guney

Yeah, I think that's my situation too. I don't have the Nav+chrono package and I don't find those settings anywhere on the big display on the center console.

All that I can find uniquely accessible through the big display on my car are multiple sets of trip distance, average mileage/speed, etc., measurements (the figures since the last reset are available in the gauge cluster too, anyway) and a set of three "trip counter limit" settings (which I don't fully understand and initially thought were speed warning settings, but they're not, and I can live without them).

If nothing else comes to mind, then it seems I might be in the clear for getting an aftermarket head unit.