Time to upgrade car. PCM question

I've just had my car for less than a year, and I want to upgrade it already. Damn you all ;-) When buying my current car I went with the safe choice of a arctic silver coupe. While deep in my heart I wanted a speed yellow one. I've also changed my mind about coupe vs. cab. So I'm now shopping for a speed yellow cab, and I think I've found it. http://www.porsche-center.se/begagna...p?id=193&mid=9 Deviant stiching, sport suspension, 02+ model and everything except PSE and aero kit (which I can retrofit). Now the nig question - it comes with PCM-1 which is utter crap. To my knowlegde there are no upgrades to the maps since 2001. So I want to pressure the seller to put in a PCM-2 system instead. Is that technically possible, and how big a job is it? If they do not want to do it, then I want to know how hard a DIY job it is. Anyone done that? Also the car seats in the back seem smaller than in the coupe. Anyone having trouble fitting their kids in there? Got a set of twing age 5 that ride occasionally with me - no long trips.

Heeee you are lucky....almost a year! I had mine for 2 months, found rennlist and my P is being facelfted right now...'02 turbo front look! I almost changed the whole interior and lowered the P..now looking for sports exhaust.....my wife wants a divorce (she feels I spend more time and money on the P than on her) my kid hates me for the same reason, but loves to be driven in it, my dog started biting and the cat scratching me after I spend a while in the garage detailing........ Live is great!! Love the rennlist knowlegde and addiction

by the way the yelllow P in your link looks great...love the stitching

All Porsche PCM systems (OEM from Becker) are based on MOST (plastic fiber optic physical layer interconnect between all infotainment devices). www.mostcooperation.com It is technically possible to tear the car apart, install all plastic fiber optics, purchase a MOST amplifier and the PCM (NAV optional, as well as SAT radio), but you will still need the dealer to program the system via PIWIS. There is still an issue with the alarm, CAN/MIST gateway and the instrument panel, but those could be worked around. I don't believe any dealer would tackle this, as it is outside the supplied documentation/procedures. Since your car is currently copper wire/analog based interconnects, it would be easier (and likely cheaper) to install an aftermarket LCD/NAV system, which would likely have an Ipod interface and just about everything else you would want. It has been discussed on rennlist many times in the various forums. Any decent stereo install shop could do it for you, or you could do it as a DIY.

Thanks Lewis - I was afraid of the MOST detail on the 03+ models having influence on the PCM system. So either I get a 03+ car, or remove the PCM in that car and install aftermarket. Hmmm. Time to think. Good low milage speed yellow cabs are hard to find over here, so I'll most likely bite the bullet. I cannot understand Porsches thinking. We are talking 3-4 year old cars with a navigation system that is not updated. Insane.

Agreed. There is an active thread over in the Cayenne forum regarding the lack of updates for existing PCM/NAV systems. FWIW, the Japanese are considered (at least by those who design these things)to be the leaders in Navi.

Can anyone shed some light on my problem, I'm sooo lost!! I have an 03 c4s with the bose, non-nav, radio. I just recently on eBay bought the PCM 2 headunit only (just the screen unit) to try and get the factory navigation system in the car. I can't find anyone to help me with the other parts that I need to do the retro fit. I thought it would be pretty "cookie cutter," but I can't seem to get anyone who know what parts i need without taking about the center console. Can you help with the parts needed and any install advice? I would really appreicate any light you could shed. I'm lost! Thank you, Jon Pirie

When I bought my Targa last winter, I was a little dissappointed in the Bose sound system. Not because it was a bad system, but because it was 1980 technology...am/fm, single cd player. I wanted Navigation, Bluetooth, mp3 playing capability. I looked at the Porsche OEM units and they were a> expensive, and b> still lacked the capability that I wanted. So, I went to the aftermarket...looked at Kenwood and Pioneer. Bought the Pioneer F900BT. It has the ability to play mp3s from SD cards, CDs, DVDs, or flash drives with a USB interface. Has a decent navigation system and has Bluetooth for hands free calling. One option that I passed on was a cable for an iPod connection. (I may just be the last person on the planet that doesn't own an iPod.) At any rate, the Pioneer HU was installed using the OEM Bose speakers and subwoofer. With a little tinkering with the unit's built in equalizer the sound is fine...not great...but better than the OEM radio that it replaced. The interior of a Targa is far from being an anachoic chamber, so there's little reason to put too fine an edge on that knife...or so it seems to me. Finally...IIRC the cost was about $1,500 installed, ready to Rock'n'Roll. Here are a couple of pics of that final result....