"Failure Convertible top ctrl."

The short version: The above warning message appears every time I close the top and latch it shut. The top won't move again unless I remove the key. The longer version: The transmission gears on both sides have been replaced by an independent shop, which fixed one problem (broken gears) but spawned another (the above message). So, we think the gears are good. The car has also had its rear control module (RCM, the one under the left seat) replaced due to water ingress. Some observations: 1: When raising the top, I can stop it partway through its motion and measure a slight difference in alignment between the left and right sides of the fabric top. For example, at one point the distance between the windshield header and the fabric top header measures 23 1/4" on the left side but 24 1/4" on the right side. Farther up, it measures 15" vs. 15 3/8". Not a lot, but it's there. 2. When the top is raised all the way up, the motor stops, nothing's moving, and I latch the manual latch, the transmission gears start turning again for about 1 second. Then the dashboard message pops up. This seems wrong. If I remember correctly, there should be no activity after you've latched the latch, right? Why does the motor/transmission restart after the top is fully closed and latched? 3. Once the dashboard message displays, the top won't move again (in either direction) unless I remove the car key and reinsert it. So, a "reboot" is required. 4. There's no error message when lowering the top. It collapses itself under the clamshell just fine. I can measure a slight misalignment of the clamshell but it's barely noticeable. 5. I assume I can fix the clamshell misalignment by slightly turning the transmission gears on one side but not the other. And that I can fix the fabric top misalignment by tweaking the threaded arm with the plastic ball socket on it. What I don't know is whether either of these adjustments will actually fix the error message or just make things look nicer.

For what it's worth...I only worked on the elastics (similar to what Don posted in the past) is the past so not as familiar...

Update: I've disconnected all the mechanical arms from the two transmissions so I can observe their rotary motion without actually moving the fabric top or the clamshell. I used my Foxwell NT530 to command the motor to open and close the top. I stick my finger in the windshield header switch to simulate latching it when it's closed. I marked each transmission housing with tape and Sharpie so I can see if where they turn each time. The "open" position is the same every time. That's good news. The "closed" position is also the same every time. Also good news. It's about 180 degrees from the open position. However, when I stick my finger in the header switch, both transmissions turn an additional 15 degrees. This seems dangerous because it will pull on the already closed-clamshell and push on the already-closed fabric top. Worse, it does this every time I insert the car key. That means if my top is closed and latched, the motor will crank an additional 15 degrees of rotation on the transmission gears every time I start the car, without ever "backing off" the tension. I can imagine it will take only a few of these cycles to break something expensive (if it hasn't already). How is this thing still working? Or does my Foxwell test not simulate reality accurately? Does the system have some failsafe so that it doesn't keep turning forever? The photo below shows the right-side transmission. It starts at the 11 o-clock position and turns clockwise to the 5 o'clock position (about 180 degrees around) as the top rises and closes. It automatically stops when it reaches this position. BUT, if I latch the manual latch (or stick my finger in the switch to simulate it), the gears turn a bit more to the 6 o'clock position. And, if I remove the car key and put it back in, it turns even further clockwise (not marked). And it will keep doing this, turning more and more each time I remove and re-insert the key. Yikes!

I believe the additional turn after closing the manual latch is to tighten the clamshell down. It is intended to engage the hydraulic piston on the clamshell control rod.

Okay, that seems reasonable. I'm concerned that this tightening action happens on every startup cycle, with no corresponding "loosening" action to make up for it. As it's currently behaving with everything disconnected, it would tighten itself into oblivion. Is there a sensor or switch somewhere that tells the system to stop tightening? I'm only aware of the on/off switch in the windshield header and another switch in the left-side transmission that's actuated by a big cam.

I don't think it can tighten itself into oblivion as long as the motor only turns for that short 1 second run. It is to put tension in the hydraulic cylinder (note that it operates only in tension, and is not compressible). AFAIK, the only sensor to stop the motor operation is the microswitch(es?) in the left side transmission. I think the 1 second overrun is just a preprogramed function to run at the limit position once the manual buckle is engaged.

I'm all in favor of it tensioning the clamshell, but what I'm seeing is an extra 15 degrees of travel every time I put the key in the ignition. In my photo above, it turns from 5 o'clock to 6 o'clock at the first "tension cycle." Then from 6:00 to 7:00 the next time I insert the key, then from 7:00 to 8:00 the next time, then to 9:00, and so on, ad infinitum . That can't be normal, or the mechanism would twist itself into a pretzel after just a few cycles. I'm wondering if this behavior is just a red herring, maybe because all the mechanical bits are disconnected? Or maybe this is the root cause of the problem staring me in the face. If it is, the next step is probably to examine the microswitch and cam inside the left-hand transmission...

OK, I think I see what you are saying. It tries to run the extra 1 second overrun every time you turn the ignition on, right? That does sound odd. It is doing this while all the linkage rods are disconnected from the transmissions, and you haven't tried is with the rods connected? I can't think of a reason why it would do that. I currently have my linkage rods disconnected from the transmissions and with the top closed and latched, my car does not seem to do this overrun when I turn the ignition on. But I think my left side transmission is set to the open position because the windows stay dropped position until the latch microswitch is pressed (so with the top down I can't put the windows fully up unless I hold the microswitch pressed). It's also possible that both of my transmissions are broken though. I'll try to put it in the closed position and see if it does anything then. Oh, and wouldn't a 1 hour rotation be 30 degrees, not 15?

Yup, all true. I can twist the car key between off and on and see the transmission rotate farther every time. I are bad at math.

Question - does it do this when the header microswitch (in the latch receiver) is depressed? I can see it doing this when the top is down, to make certain the rear lid is closed. I don't quite understand why it would do it repeatedly - but consider that the path between the transmission and the lid is all steel components (with the spring cylinder in the path.) It's possible that if the microswitch in the transmission isn't responding to it being fully at the end of it's travel it's re-tensioning in error. It should (IMHO) only do the tensioning once when the top is lowered. The reason I asked about the switch in the header - that switch tells the system the top is in the closed position - and probably not to do a tension run. I would make certain the two sides are as accurately matched as you can - set the same distance from the header when it's just about closed. I don't think you want to adjust the gearbox to achieve this - the plastic ball sockets are threaded for a reason - that's where the adjustment should take place. Somewhere the manual says something about this adjustment. Mine - which seems to be working OK now - both sides are just starting to compress the rubber tubular gasket that contacts the windshield header - when the top motor stops running. There may be an additional few seconds run when I latch the top to the header (I seem to recall hearing that..) which would be normal if the scenario for the mechanism is like I described above. My suggestion - get the top adjusted as I describe above. Top motor shutoff when the front hoop of the top contacts the windshield header and starts compressing the gasket, and both ends of that hoop an equal distance from the header (measured on identical points on both sides) from the header. Then see what happens. If what I suspect is correct - On top opening: You open the latch - windows drop You press the down button - the motor runs, the top-lid opens, and the top folds back into the top compartment After it's in the top compartment - the lid closes, and is latched into position by the spring links, then the motor stops running and is turned off. It's reached the limit switch in that direction. On top closing: You press the button The lid is pushed open by the spring links which are now fully compressed inside their cylinders The top is then lifted out of the top compartment by the adjustable plastic-ball links attached to the bell-crank on the transmissions When the motor has turned to a set point (controlled by the microswitch in the gearbox) the top should be fully up and the front edge touching the windshield header, and the latch hook in the latch receiver - clicking the switch on it's way in.. You then use the latch handle to operate the hook pulling the top fully against the windshield header. That activates a 2nd point on the switch? (Not sure of this - have to look at a diagram - be right back.. -- OK - the transmission switch has two contacts inside, one normally open, one normally closed. The normally open one is designated in the diagram as "closed" - the other "open". There no diagram I could find showing the latch assembly having a switch or any wiring - although I know it does since it controls the window drop/return. A wiring diagram - still no reference to a switch in the receiver latch assembly in the windshield header.. unless - could it be the switch in the upper right corner of this diagram? Maybe.. (Conv top/Glass Roof)? I hope this isn't just adding confusion on top of puzzlement.. I spent a bit of time searching through diagrams and have not come up with anything showing a switch in the latch receiver in the windshield header - but I know it's there... puzzled. I think it is being caused by the bits being disconnected - and the switch inside the latch receiver not being triggered. Off to watch episode 8 of Season 1 - True Detective (the best season and worth watching again IMHO..)

As I mentioned, I've reconnected all the hardware to make the clamshell and the fabric top open and close, and tested it over and over. (So much so that my battery 's dead and will spend the rest of the day on the Battery Tender ). The first order of business was adjusting the length of the two arms that move the fabric top so that the distance between the top header and the windshield header is consistent as it goes up and down. No crooked tops for me! FYI, the system is surprisingly sensitive to small changes in the length of those arms. Changes of just 1/4" inch produce big changes in behavior. If they're too long, for example, the top won't go down all the way and the clamshell struggles to cover it. It's a nuisance to keep adjusting these arms, but it's necessary. And they're the only thing in this whole system that is adjustable.

So the final adjustment is still pending? The reason for the sensitivity is where they fasten to the bow that they move. Right near the bottom so there is a huge lever arm - a small change (1/4" for instance) results in a large change at the bow (probably > 1") You could figure out exactly what the ratio is by measuring from the end of the bow down to the pivot, then from the ball on the bow to the pivot. Divide the bigger by the littler to get the ratio. That's why the fine thread on the ball sockets.

Yup, still tweaking the arms to discover the right length. It's just trial and error at this point. Pro Tip: Don't get your hand caught under the clamshell as it's closing. That sucker clamps down hard and it doesn't let up at all. As we know, there's no feedback mechanism to stop the motor in case of jams. Good thing my other hand could reach the toggle switch. Eventually I hope to get back to my original problem, which was eliminating the "Failure Convertible top ctrl." message. The rest of this #@%$ around has all been in pursuit of that. My hope is that finding just the right length for the arms will solve it and make everything happy.

Hmmm... several times today a saying someone said to me once has applied: "Experience teaches you things you'd rather not know.." I've been pretty careful of the clamshell.. get a finger in the wrong spot and it might be quite hazardous. I'm actually surprised that Porsche let it out in the world like that. I can imagine lawsuits. I suspect when you're done it will all be good and the message will go away. Really!

That clamshell frightens the bejeezus out of me and I'm super careful whenever handling it!

Well, poop. That didn't fix it. No amount of adjusting the two arms will make the error message go away. It must be something else. To recap: The top lowers (opens) just fine. No mechanical issues, no error messages. Perfection itself. The top raises (closes) fine, too, mechanically speaking. Everything seems aligned, it all looks good, nothing sounds bad, and I can't see any issues. The one-and-only symptom is the message "Failure Convertible top ctrl." after I latch the windshield header latch. Once the latch is closed, the clamshell moves an extra bit and the message pops up. After that, the top won't move in either direction unless I remove the ignition key and reinsert it. This apparently clears the error and I can repeat the whole sad experiment again. I've adjusted the two arms in small increments, but there's no setting that removes the error. (I've even made them too long or too short to work, so the Goldilocks Zone is somewhere between those extremes.) I had hoped the problem was mechanical, but it doesn't look like that's the case. Next steps? My wild guesses at this point are: a) Maybe there's something funny with the microswitch(es) inside the left-side transmission? It's had its gears replaced recently, so it's been taken out and worked on. b) Maybe there's an electrical miscommunication between the rear control module (RCM) and some other module? The RCM is new, because the last one got waterlogged. c) Maybe there's a bit of programming/configuring I need to do with the Foxwell scanner? See above. d) Maybe there's an additional latch, switch, cam, or wire I don't know about? Apparently 911 convertibles have an electromechanical latch under the clamshell that can trigger this error message, but I don't think 987 Boxsters have that gizmo. e) Maybe there's some sort of damage to the motor or the two flexible cables? Just guessing here...

Mannnnnnnnn... Paragraphed and lettered paragraphs? You're really suckering me in here.. love it! a) - Since you have a Foxwell - have you looked at the convertible top module with it? Is it capable of reading the "state" of the switch in the gearbox. That might give you a clue if that is an issue. Does anything change in the module when you do the key removal/reinsertion? b) - What condition is the wiring harness connector to the RCM? Did it get wet? Any corrosion? c) - Certainly worth exploring this. I haven't really looked at the top electronics with mine, but you have my curiosity going now - so maybe tomorrow I will. Or not.. d) - The Foxwell might reveal that too... e) - Maybe. Could the cable(s) be winding up at the end of travel (where they're turned past where they should be?) I hope the cake is worth the effort...

World's Worst Action Movie! Still trying to find the cause of the problem. Here's a link to a short video showing the Foxwell scanner readout as the top closes, gets latched shut, and kicks out the error message. For the textually oriented, here's basically what it shows: My Foxwell scanner lists two relevant sensors for real-time monitoring, called "Convertible top closed" and "Latching hook." I think the first one is the position sensor buried inside the left-side transmission, and the second one is the windshield header switch. With the top fully lowered (open), both sensors are "actuated." Holding the switch to raise (close) the top, everything moves as normal. Both sensors are still "actuated." As the top reaches the windshield, the first sensor changes to "not actuated" and the top stops moving on its own, even though I'm still pressing the switch. This seems like normal behavior. When I release the switch and manually close the latch, the second sensor changes to "not actuated" and the motor moves again briefly. About 1 second later, the dashboard beeps and the "Failure convertible top ctrl." message appears. The convertible top won't move again (in either direction) unless I physically remove the car key. Then it's happy to open up again. The two side windows move like normal: They drop about an inch as the top comes up, and they close themselves once the top is latched. So... my amateur analysis is that the sensor in the transmission is in good condition and is doing what it's supposed to, since the top automatically stops moving in the right place. No need to tear apart the transmission looking for gremlins (I hope). The other sensor in the windshield header also seems fine, since it correctly detects the open/closed manual latch. Does everyone else's convertible top motor restart and move an extra bit after latching the windshield latch? Is this normal or is it a clue to the problem? It's been so long I can't remember anymore.

Me, too . ;-)

Funny thing - I hooked mine up yesterday to see what was available as far as diagnostics for the top. What I found was exactly what you found. And I took several photos of the two switch states with top up, top down, and top-down with me pushing the latch button. It looks basically like what you have. From memory I do NOT hear/see any additional action taking place after the latch is fastened (except the windows moving up..) FWIW - the video would be easier to understand or duplicate if you announced what you were doing each time before doing it. If you can do that I'll try hooking up again and see what it looks like on mine. EDIT - the pics I took: TOP DOWN: TOP DOWN, FINGER IN THE LATCH ASSEMBLY fidding with the switch: TOP ACTUALLY DOWN: There'ya go!

OK - did what I said I would - here are the results: NOTE: ALL of these were taken with the ignition in the RUN/Start position, where all the warning lights on the dash are illuminated. The engine didn't start (intentionally) since I didn't depress the brake pedal while the key was fully turned. The scribbly-looking handwriting is (1) because I'm old (2) because I was doing it in the car with no support for the card or my hand. Mostly #2. Fig 1 - With the top closed and latch closed . ^^ Fig 2 - Top Closed, Latch has been opened (unlocked) ^^ Fig 3 - Top part way open, latch open. ^^ Fig 4 - Top fully open, lid closed, latch open ^^ Fig 5 - Top FULLY OPEN, Latch button depressed manually. ^^ Fig 6 - Top fully closed but not latched. Initial single BEEP when the top reached the fully closed position. Ignition key in RUN position. ^^ This display stayed in the dash until I latched the latch. Then it went away. When I latched the latch first the windows raised back up, and there was a single brief (1-2 seconds) motor noise from the rear of the car. That noise had to be from the convertible top motor, and I believe it's locking down the rear lid. I then tried removing the key from the ignition - and putting it back in - turning the ignition fully on (without stepping on the brake so the engine wouldn't start) and opening the latch. When I opened the latch the windows dropped, but the message didn't appear on the dash, and no beep happened. I then tried removing the key and putting it back in - and turning it to the accessory position (first click - radio comes on, no dash lights). If I opened the latch - the windows dropped. If I closed the latch - the windows remained in the drop position. (I could get them to close by turning to the RUN position again..) That's my experiments and results. I've learned a few things: 1 - there is a beep when the top is initially fully closed and the latch is NOT latched 2 - there is a warning message displayed when the top is initially closed and the latch is NOT latched 3 - the top motor runs ONCE when the latch is closed if conditions 1 & 2 are true, and the warning message goes away. 4 - no beep, no warning, no additional motor run if the latch is opened and closed after the sequence above, but the windows ALWAYS drop down when it's unlatched. 5 - the windows will not close if the ignition isn't in the run position (I'm guessing this is a safety thing about pinched fingers..) You should be able to repeat all these steps and compare your results. I'll be interested in hearing what you find. I also noticed the latch switch (the one in the latch receiver in the windshield header) has what would be called in the engineering world hysteresis. If you manually depress the switch (with your finger when the latch is open and the ignition is in the run position) the switch requires a fairly long movement before the windows close. Once it's in that position, and you gradually release the switch, the windows don't open until the switch lever is almost at the outwardmost point of its travel. I suspect this is intentional - a safety feature having to do with finger-pinch in the windows. OK - up to you now!

Splendid. Thanks for that. Very useful indeed. My car behaves the same way in almost every detail. Except, of course, for kicking out the "Failure..." message at the end of the close-and-latch procedure. Well, that, and my top refuses to move after that message appears. I have to remove and reinsert the key for the top to move again. All six of your Foxwell photos match mine, too, so at least my car isn't behaving that weird. I notice a significant difference on my car. If I begin with the top closed and latched , then insert the key and turn it to the ACC position (first click), the motor turns for 1-2 seconds indicating that it's tightening down the clamshell, then the "Failure Convertible top ctrl." message appears, and after that the top won't move in either direction. Clearly, that isn't right. Note that the car does this every single time I remove and re-insert the key, meaning it will over-tighten the clamshell more each time. Beware! If I begin with the top closed and un-latched , then insert the key and turn it to the ACC position, the "Convertible top not in limit position" message appears, there is no motor activity, and the top will move back freely. This seems like normal behavior. The windows always seem to do the right thing, rolling down a bit anytime the top moves, then rolling back up when the motion is complete. It concerns me that the motor turns and tightens every time I insert the key and turn it to ACC, if the latch is latched. This isn't normal. For now, I'm leaving the latch un-latched to avoid accidentally over-tightening the mechanism. It's already popped off the plastic ball sockets once. But I'm also at a loss to understand why the car thinks it needs to do that. As your experiment showed, it doesn't normally power-up the motor when you start the car. The header switch itself seems to be okay; the Foxwell says so and the motor responds (sometimes dangerously) to its status. Unless that switch is wired wrong, I don't think it's the header switch. The other candidate is the cam-and-switch mechanism in the left-side transmission. But here again, the Foxwell shows it doing what it's supposed to. The fabric top moves the right amount, and the clamshell moves the right amount. Everything starts and stops where it should, so that part seems to be okay. Could the cam be on backwards or something stupid like that? The third candidate is the replacement RCM under the seat; it got replaced after the original got rain soaked. Or, if not the RCM itself, maybe one of the other modules it talks to? Tracing the Boxster wiring diagram, I don't see any other likely candidates. Finally, it could be a programming or configuration error in the new RCM, but I sure don't see any relevant options on my Foxwell programmer. There are all sorts of obscure and mysterious options it will let me change, but none that seem related to the top.

I didn't check this module. I'll try to when I have a chance.. but most of the modules have a "Special" function section on the Foxwell - used for programming the modules and/or reading out the module configuration, storing it on the Foxwell , then writing it back to a replacement module. I haven't tried using this - but I wonder if the module you have is coded correctly. It's entirely possible Porsche changed some software/firmware, and if you got a used module it obviously has whatever revision of firmware that the car it was out of supported. Your car is a 2005... mine is the next generation - 2009 ( 987.2 ). We don't know if the firmware on that module was ever changed. What are the last 2 digits of the number on the module itself? How about on the old module? The reason I ask that - those last 2 digits are the "revision" numbers. They increase when any change is made to the module(s). Does the old module do anything? Might it be possible to install it temporarily and see if the Foxwell can read the configuration from it to dump into the new/used replacement module? EDIT: BTW - I know on almost all the modules - the Foxwell can read the firmware revision number from the module. I think it's the first choice when you open a module with it. It would be interesting to see what revision you have vs the old one, and perhaps vs mine.

Alas, my original RCM isn't available to compare or test. It suffered severe waterlogging after a big rainstorm and got sent to Specialized ECU Repair for repair/replacement. They replaced it and presumably cannibalized the original for parts. Or for a laugh. I do remember that my original's part number ended in -04 and the replacement is an -08. (Although the photo below shows an -04, so maybe they reused my plastic housing.) Specialized ECU Repair assured me that this is okay, as the RCM has been updated (four times, apparently) since my car was built and the -04 and the -08 are evidently interchangeable. Here's a brain dump from my replacement RCM, taken this morning. ECU Information Diagnostic software No. 0300 Software version 0904 Data record identifier 0100 CAN matrix no. 53 Coding date: Day 15 Coding date: Month 9 Coding date: Year 2023 Hardware state 0908 Date of manufacture: Day 28 Date of manufacture: Month 7 Date of manufacture: Year 11 Production number 166666665 Passenger compartment sensor: Hardware state 1A Passenger compartment sensor: Software version 14 Passenger compartment sensor: Date of manufacture 121203 Passenger compartment sensor: Identification 0000 Porsche part number 99761826008 Chassis number WP0CB2A805U731154 In a separate area of the Foxwell menu structure, there's a drop-down option for vehicle type. Mine is set to "----" (i.e., blank). I thought, "A-ha! This is the missing setting!" But all the drop-down options are for variations of the Porsche 911, like 997 Cabriolet, 997, Coupe, etc. There are no Boxster/987 options, so I left that setting alone.

Interesting: Did you code something to it a week ago? Other interesting stuff - the VIN WP0CB2A805U731154 - doesn't produce any results. Websites I poked it into rejected it, and a Google search didn't turn it up as even a Porsche VIN#. It's later than your VIN# since it's later than my VIN# - meaning it's from the original car the device came from. The device says "Software version 0904", then later it says "Hardware state 0908" - I wonder if these are supposed to match. And it has a manufacturing date of 2011, so it's obviously much newer than what was originally in your car. Have you spoken with ECUdoctors about the issue? I'll try to see what mine reads out..

Wow, good catch. The VIN isn’t just incorrect, it’s invalid. I reread my emails to Specialized ECU Repair and they got the VIN wrong. Oof. Still, it doesn’t seem like that alone would be the cause of this weirdness. I’ll see if I can correct it myself. I’ll also check to see if other modules have the correct VIN. As far as the 9/15/2023 date that’s probably the last time I tried tweaking a setting. Foxwell asks you for today’s date any time you change something. I’ve written to the repair shop, but no response so far…

I wonder if it's a Cayman module? Especially since you mentioned the missing model designation in another module. If you can take a few photos of the path you take to get to that screen I can look at mine.

Okay, here's the path to get to the brain dump listed above . the part of the menu with the drop-down list of Porsche models. ( Video here .) From the Foxwell start screen, select "History" > 1 (my Boxster) > 3 Programming > 14 Rear Control System > 1 Codings adaptations > 1 Customer-specific settings. It then lists several details about the car, as shown above. Some settings can be edited; some can't. I notice that the very last item is called the "chassis number" and not the VIN, so maybe it's supposed to be slightly different? The correct VIN appears on the Foxwell's start screen. I'm almost disappointed -- I was hoping that correcting the inaccurate VIN might solve the problem.

Chassis Number in Porsche talk = VIN#. A local shop who was racing and crashed their car has a long story about how Porsche would only sell them a shell for the car if the shop could provide proof that the chassis number was cut from the old shell and the shell crushed and the cutout number sent back to Porsche - because there can't be two chassis with the same VIN# (aka chassis number.)

Well, that figures. It looks like the repair shop programmed it with the wrong VIN, and it's not something I can change. So, either I dig the unit out of the car and send it back to them for reprogramming or I ignore it and hope it's not causing problems. Their shop is closed now but I'll call them in the morning. For what it's worth, the Foxwell scanner knows the correct VIN, so it must be reading it from somewhere else. But -- wild theorizing here -- it's plausible that the incorrect VIN on that particular module is why Foxwell 's drop-down list of models doesn't include any Boxsters, which could explain why the convertible top isn't behaving correctly. It's also possible that Porsche's firmware relies on the VIN to decide what/how to operate the top. Wrong VIN = wrong behavior. A longshot, maybe, but worth pursuing.

OK - I went and played around. Here is what I found: So - same as yours - no vehicle type shown, and when I looked - the selections didn't include a Boxster or any 987 Coding date - there may have been a service campaign around then, I seem to recall it from the service records I got with it. Nothing surprising - that would be about right for the module production date.. 2009. So there is a passenger compartment sensor somewhere - I've never been able to locate it. Wonder if it's in the interior overhead light or somewhere..? Very strange date for the sensor - but I don't think my strange date is causing your issues. So - I think this is the same PN as yours - BUT - that IS my VIN#, missing the WP0 part. Wonder what the guys who redid yours will say about that.. I then went into the data about the rear-module and obtained the following by telling the Foxwell I wanted a report: Most of this is a repeat of what's above - so no surprises here.. EXCEPT - the "Hardware State" - mine is 0906, yours is 0908. If we knew what that meant that might be a clue. It's the only significant difference I can find. I'm certainly glad Porsche decided to move this module out of the footwell, and into the rear trunk somewhere (behind the fuzzy side wall.. up and above the floor of the trunk.) But of course to make up for that smart move - they stupidly moved the ASK amplifier from the Frunk to the passenger side footwell.. and they've been known to get wet and fail. Horribly expensive from Porsche and used ones don't seem to turn up much at all.

Thanks for that. It looks like this shoots a hole in my “wrong VIN” theory since your VIN is wrong, too, but in a different way. I notice that your RCM’s version of the VIN is significantly different than the real VIN. Apart from dropping the WP0 prefix it’s also missing some digits. CA29809 becomes CA89. Presumably your RCM is factory original? If so, tweaking the VIN must be official Porsche policy. Weird.

I have no record that it was ever changed - so I'd guess yes, also based on the manufacturing date.

Well, the ECU repair shop agreed to take the unit back to test it under warranty. I'll know in a week or so if they find anything wrong.

Update: The ECU repair shop found that "a programming error was identified and we believe this to be the cause of your issues." They agreed to reprogram it and return it to me under warranty. So, that's progress. I'll wait until after I've reinstalled it before breaking out the champagne, however...