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I have an 06. I had a similar issue. Recently purchased the car. I had those same triangles. Then I went to a dealer to upgrade my firmware before installing a Dension Bluetooth. After the firmware upgrade I still had the triangles but the dealer said it was fine, "your car does not have the features". Then I installed the Dension, had issues with the install not working perfectly.
So after working with Bumper Plugs (who was great), I went to the dealer again to double check the programing of the PCM. Long story short, the problem is that the dealers have recently switched to a new system for updating and managing the software on these cars, mandated by Porsche.
Porsche is making it harder for independents to work on the software of the cars by making it very expensive to keep up with software updates. Porsche has switched from a system of plugging a cable from the car to a laptop to a FOB that plugs into the car and communicates wirelessly with computer that is connected to Porsche. It is a case of Porsche trying to protect the dealers and making it so the only way to service your car is at the dealer.
Fortunately, I had an independent that had the older software system on a laptop that plugged into the my car. The independent shop was able to unravel the software issues on my car (and they were many) and removed all the triangles that you are seeing and also got my Dension to work perfectly.
As I understand it, the FOB system has limited ability to manage the software programming and updates on the older cars such as ours...ha..our cars are now old!
Big Brother is watching in more ways than you know...
With my 06 I have software version 3.3 and I have several triangles with the warnings. However, the phone, amplifier and CD changer (all items with the warning triangles) all function just fine.
My car also has the Tookie Bluetooth phone system that I added myself several years ago. That's my only departure from an OEM stock configuration.
Does anyone know what the latest PCM software version is?
I read someplace that it's 4.0 or 4.1
As I understand it, you also need to upgrade the firmware (via PIWIS) for the Bose amp, Nav and other equipment that shows up on the screen when you press the "MAIN" and "TRIP" buttons
Ok, here goes: when the unit is started, the PCM looks for specific equipment and software that is connected to it. When all of that equipment and software matches what the PCM is looking for, you get the checkmark. When there is no match, you get the warning triangle. It means that the equipment/software that is connected was not "registered" with the PCM during installation. The device may or may not work properly in normal use; it is a case-by-case kind of thing. If the device works as you expect, just continue to use it, as there is no problem associated with that situation. Typically, you see these triangles when equipment has been added after the factory install, or when the PCM has been replaced. Many shops don't know about the need for registration, or if the item works as soon as they connect it, they don't bother with it.
There is another screen - I don't quite recall how to call it up - that actually shows, for each item, what the PCM is looking for, and what it actually finds.
Bottom line: There is no problem with your unit. If the triangles bother you, a dealer with a whizz-kid on PCM stuff may be able to register all of your equipment properly so you do not see them. If not, just continue to use it the way it is.
Ok, here goes: when the unit is started, the PCM looks for specific equipment and software that is connected to it. When all of that equipment and software matches what the PCM is looking for, you get the checkmark. When there is no match, you get the warning triangle. It means that the equipment/software that is connected was not "registered" with the PCM during installation. The device may or may not work properly in normal use; it is a case-by-case kind of thing. If the device works as you expect, just continue to use it, as there is no problem associated with that situation. Typically, you see these triangles when equipment has been added after the factory install, or when the PCM has been replaced. Many shops don't know about the need for registration, or if the item works as soon as they connect it, they don't bother with it.
There is another screen - I don't quite recall how to call it up - that actually shows, for each item, what the PCM is looking for, and what it actually finds.
Bottom line: There is no problem with your unit. If the triangles bother you, a dealer with a whizz-kid on PCM stuff may be able to register all of your equipment properly so you do not see them. If not, just continue to use it the way it is.
I know the screen that you are talking about. It reads Target and Actual, Part found, etc... (you use the right rotary ****, select the equipment line item and press the right rotary **** to see this) when you get to the screen you get when you press "MAIN" and "TRIP" simultaneously.
If what your suggesting that my PCM has been replaced by the previous owner by a dealer whom didn't bother to update the Set List is true, then those triangles mean that the firmware for the equipment that my car is equipped with has not been updated to match the newer PCM module.
The triangles (even when your equipment is working) def represent that there is a software problem, this I have confirmed.
I see your point, but I'm really **** about things like this and am just the type of person that wants everything "right", but thank you very much for your input. It def lite a light in my mind as to why this is happening.
Ok, here goes: when the unit is started, the PCM looks for specific equipment and software that is connected to it. When all of that equipment and software matches what the PCM is looking for, you get the checkmark. When there is no match, you get the warning triangle. It means that the equipment/software that is connected was not "registered" with the PCM during installation. The device may or may not work properly in normal use; it is a case-by-case kind of thing. If the device works as you expect, just continue to use it, as there is no problem associated with that situation. Typically, you see these triangles when equipment has been added after the factory install, or when the PCM has been replaced. Many shops don't know about the need for registration, or if the item works as soon as they connect it, they don't bother with it.
There is another screen - I don't quite recall how to call it up - that actually shows, for each item, what the PCM is looking for, and what it actually finds.
Bottom line: There is no problem with your unit. If the triangles bother you, a dealer with a whizz-kid on PCM stuff may be able to register all of your equipment properly so you do not see them. If not, just continue to use it the way it is.
I called the dealer that the original purchaser bought the car from, they would not provide me with the service history, but I pleaded with them and they informed me that indeed the PCM has been changed.
So it is likely that the dealer did not register the other equipment to the new PCM.
This would also explain why my car's PCM did not have the Individual Memory option when you press "Main" and then "Set' buttons even though my car is equipped with the options that this feature would control.
I also remember reading someplace in one of the Porsche forums that if you put in a newer PCM that you will also have to update the firmware for phone, amplifier, Navigation system hardware (e.g. DVD Player for the nav disks, etc) and whatever else your car is equipped with.
This would also explain why my car's PCM did not have the Individual Memory option when you press "Main" and then "Set' buttons even though my car is equipped with the options that this feature would control.
I have this same problem. No triangles like you have, just check marks. But I do not have the individual memory option menu even though the car came equipped with that option from the factory. I'm fairly certain my PCM was replaced over the years by a prior owner, no history of it though.
If you ever manage to get your individual memory options back, I'd love to know what you did to make it work, short of replacing the PCM. I'm somewhat hoping reregistering, PIWIS coding, or firmware updates is all that is needed to make it work again.
03-01-2016, 03:32 PM
PCM 2.1 problem see pic
