TIPTRONIC TO MANUAL TRANSMISSION CONVERSION

I would like to start this thread by thanking e30rapidic for his thread on the same subject. His notes were what inspired me to think I could make this happen. This thread is meant to be a supplement for those that want to do the same. theprf has also been very helpful as I worked my way through some of the electrical/PIWIS items. This is essentially my first time working on a "modern" car. All my other work has been on 356's and VW's so lots of learning for me! My car is a 2001 996.1 so some of my notes are specific to to that exact car but I will try and make them a bit generic if I can. The turbo and GT3 cars have completely different engines and trannies. I would suggest have the Bentley Manual hard copy, soft copy of the Factory WSM. There are different versions of the Factory WSM on line. Some have more details than others. TRANSMISSION I bought a 2004 Ltd Edition tranny because it was available and I wanted the ltd slip as the car is destined to be a gravel road car. the 996.1 TIP can be removed with the engine remaining in the car although access to all the engine bolts is challenging I understand the removing the 996.2 TIP is almost impossible with the engine in the car the tranny mounts for the 996.1 TIP and all the 996 MT's are the same also need to buy shifter, clutch, flywheel, flywheel bolts (they are longer than thrust plate bolts) you need to plug the old TIP cooler lines I used 996.2 axles (TIP axles are different, although the inner CV's are almost the same except for the boot) Not sure if 996.1 and 996.2 axles are the same. engine bolts are slightly different. You can shorten the bolts to meet shorter MT specs (in WSM) and use one shorter additional bolt which can be a conventional bolt. need shift cables need reverse light connector where it plugs into MT. I used the TIP wires form the TIP harness by lengthening them CLUTCH need pedal, pedal shaft, slave cylinder, pressure lines (2 long, 1 short, plus flex line to MT), master cylinder, feed line the TIP fluid reservoir does not have a clutch outlet so you either need a MT reservoir or a feed line with the special fitting on it and you drill a hole for it. need clutch to cruise switch. read your model specific wiring diagram and copy MT wiring. I had to run a wire from BS 14/2 to clutch switch to DME 7.2 plug IV pin #23 clutch to starter interlock switch. I copied the ROW cars which do not have this function. read your model specific wiring diagram and copy MT wiring. grounded DME 7.2 plug IV pin #1. I did not install the clutch spring but you need the cage BRAKE need brake pedal TIP WIRING left in place INSTRUMENT POD it would appear that a MT instrument pod is required. I am not sure how but the DME and the instrument cluster need to both be happy with each other. The DME is programmable but it doesn't seem like the cluster is. PIWIS I bought a clone PIWIS3. From what I have read it is much more user friendly than early PIWIS's. That said, it was not easy for me. My project was aggravated by a faulty MT cluster which I replaced. Also aggravated by my lack of skill with PIWIS. But its now running and its FUN to drive! Still figuring out a couple CEL which I will post about soon.

I still have a couple of computer issues relating to this conversion. I am hoping someone out there can shed some light. I have a fault "P0600 CAN timeout Tiptronic (no signal)" I guess its no surprise that there is no signal. The question would be why is the DME looking for a signal? Using PIWIS3 I have (or at least I think I have) reflashed the DME for MT and I have deselected M249 Tiptronic and selected M480MT in the coding. But its still looking for a TIP signal?

I don't think the ecu can be successfully flashed from AT to MT. This is also why you're getting rev hang on clutch depression. Did you code the ABS to manual trans?

I have a key, immobilizer and dme from my manual 2000 car 4 sale $500. The fob button did not lock/unlock so i just used the key. Never really looked into why. Lmk if u want to try it.....if it fixes your issues u can buy it.

Thank you theprf. You have helped to get a little closer to the issue. I have not coded the ABS to MT because there did not seem to be a way to do this. Upon further playing with the PIWIS is have occasioned upon a screen that looked like it would allow this but then I cannot follow it through. It appears that the PIWIS has an unstable connection with the ABS Control Unit. 95% of the time I try I cannot do anything in coding and I also cannot read actual values. Twice I have tried and I can see actual values and I can almost get through the coding but then I lose connection. I do not seem to have an issue with any of the other Control Units. I have tried with the car running and I have a good power supply. When I do get PIWIS to connect to the ABS CU I get this screen for actual values: and this screen when I look for faults: and this screen when I try to code:

The ABS without TC is really cheap. Might try to get a used one. I suspect the ABS electronic module is about to go bad, very common with the 5.3 ABS. Module master can repair most of these problems too. PS, you can check if you really do have ABS without TC by counting the pipes that go to the ABS: should be 5 total pipes. ABS without TC is a 3-circuit ABS with both rear wheels on the same hydraulic pipe.

Love it!!! Congratulations. When I get a few minutes, ill fire up my PIWIS and get some screen shots for ya.

I agree with your diagnosis theprf. I have a used ABS module on the way. And yes it is 5 pipes, 2 in and 3 out. so no TC. Thanks for the insight. Screen shots would be great. thanks e30rapidic.

I recoded my 5.8 + PSM abs from tip to manual with my piwis2 and it was not that big of a deal.

I have connected another used ABS CU. Unfortunately I have exactly the same results. Either the 2nd CU has the same issue or there is something else in the car or the PIWIS which is preventing proper connection. Anyone have ideas on what the next step in figuring this out should be?

Disconnect anything else on the k-wire and try again. If there is an aftermarket stereo start with that.

I am not sure what you mean by "disconnect anything else on the K-wire" . Do mean everything on the diagnosis circuit? What is your thinking here? There is no stereo. Just to clarify....it appears that I have an inconsistent and incomplete connection between PIWIS and the ABS CU.

Screen shots as promised, probably not much help but I can see what the VAL produced

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Yes disconnect as much as possible from the diagnostic circuit. Aftermarket radios are a common problem messing up the K-line. I'd ensure the K-wire is disconnected and insulated at the radio connections.

I'm about 80% done doing this swap on my 2003. I was missing a few things I had to order but everything is here now so I need to knock it out. My AOS was also leaking so I'm doing a complete AOS replacement. I was on the fence about buying a PIWIS but it looks like would be cheaper for me to buy one then drive the car to the shop and have them "try" to figure out any computer issues. Where did you buy your?

Also did you unplug your Tiptronic control module? I figure unplugging this would be a good idea so its not in the loop and trying to communicate to the DME or missing transmission.

I bought the PIWIS from VXDAS. Transaction was smooth and computer works well.

Yes, the TIP CU is removed.

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Thanks for the info!

I also converted my 996.1 Tip to MT. I ran braided hydraulic lines instead of the OEM lines. Not sure I saw it mentioned - the shifter cables are different from .1 to .2. Make sure you get the correct cables for the MT transaxle. It�s the transaxle ends that are different. Axles appear to be the same from .1 to .2 and you�ll need the MT axles, I think you mentioned this. Brake pedal is the same, you just need the clutch pedal and slave cylinder. I bought a master cylinder with the MT master reservoir that has the hole for the slave line hookup. I sucked out the fluid via syringe, popped off the old Tip reservoir from the master, and popped on the MT reservoir. No need to swap the whole master and deal with that mess. The .1 is the same transaxle mount for Tip and MT, you mentioned that. You�ll need to defeat the NSS. I did this at the Tip plug at the tunnel under the car, hardwire. I have a photo somewhere, let me know if you need it. You�ll have to do this or some other NSS defeat for the starter to engage. Plug the Tip coolant line near the transaxle or buy the MT coolant line to swap it. Your car has the third radiator up front since it was a Tip.

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I'm working on the wiring now for my swap. Can we get that picture of what you did at the Tip plug?

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my car must have been an anomaly! C4S tip with only two radiators. But it runs rock steady at 180, so no worries.

At the TIP plug there are 2 wires for the reverse light circuit (at least on my car). I tapped into these and wired to the MT reverse light switch. Other than that I just taped it up and tucked it away.

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I found those already. I was talking about the NSS defeat you did.

If you are asking about the clutch-starter interlock I wrote about this in my initial post under the "clutch" heading. Sounds like neversummer found another method.

In your situation, I believe using specialized tools like the PIWIS3 is really important. It's key for figuring out problems, coding, and maybe adjusting the DME to work with the new manual setup. I know from my own experience that dealing with tools like PIWIS can be tough at first, but if you stick with it, you'll get the hang of it and it'll all be worth it in the end.

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I was talking about the reverse light from the MT gearbox to the two wires that plug into the shifter for the automatic gearbox. I bought a full manual car harness to get the plugs I needed and the plug for the reverse light has the matching wire colors for the two wires off the auto shifter for the reverse lights I'm talking about your comment that you mentioned you had a picture of the NSS defeat you did at the plug under the car. Am I missing something here?

I extended the wires from the plug where my jumper is. That jumper was my test and it turned on the reverse lights�.

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Sweet. I figure those would work perfectly for the backup lights. Do you have pics of how you did the clutch pedal switch that tells the DME that the pedal is pushed in? The wiring for the cruise control switch looks super easy.

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Found some randoms....not sure what they all mean yet as I'm sweeping through really fast and uploading what looks helpful. I have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos for all parts of the swap!! Fire away with questions....

more randoms...

Wrapping this conversion on my 2002 turbo. Fired up the car today for the first time. I swapped the entire body harness. That was quite the task. I still have the tip instrument cluster and have Emergency Run error. I suppose I'll need a manual cluster, unless someone has figured out how to reprogram cluster. I also did a 3.8 build and installed a 90 liter fuel tank at the same time. It is my understanding that my fuel gauge will be off. I guess I'll cross that bridge soon enough. None of this is for the faint of heart.

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awesome!! So close! The fuel gauge can be reprogrammed but I had to send my circuit board off. I gave reading/programming the hex codes a try but got lost, someone offered to help out so I took them up on it.

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That is reassuring info. Thank you

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Yup, you need to swap out the cluster to fix that error, plus the auto tree is going to drive you nutz looking at it.

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I installed 6sp gauge faces before I realized the Emergency Run Error was a thing. Ugh!

If you want to have the gas gauge read accurately you need a GT2 instrument cluster.

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How much work is it to swap out the pedals? I'm definitely dreading this part the most. I just ordered the clutch/brake pedal assembly. Trying to figure out what needs to be removed to make it painless as possible. Is there a spot to bolt the clutch master cylinder to in the automatic firewall? How does the pedal shaft come out? This is the part I ordered for the pedals https://www.ebay.ca/itm/117317711091

Pedals were fairly easy. That shaft unscrews somehow. There's a nut on the end. I think I had to loosen up the relay panel above the fuse box to get enough room to slide that shaft out. Unhook auto brake pedal from linkage to the master, hook manual brake pedal up. Put both pedals in place then install the shaft & nut. Clutch master bolts to the pedal support under the dash. There are 2 pipes that stick through into the front. The clutch helper spring was the most difficult.

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Thanks for the tips. The aluminum shaft from the brake pedal to master cylinder is kept in place from the auto brake pedal?

Yes the pushrod attached to the brake pedal is the same. I did not exchange it and has worked perfectly for years.

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+1 The spring is a pain. Key tabs on the brake switch too. Mine came out of adjustment during my swap, resulting in a psm/abs error light. Easy adjustment, and simply something to be aware of.

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Then, I spoze you could put a manual switch or spring switch to activate the backup lights in the "white wire loop"? I have a Tip and backup lights work by jumper, but not on the OEM console. Natch the P-switch is mega$$$ so I live without it. Just sort of thinking around or out-of-the-box on a fix. Or maybe you (or OP) have the switch in your pile of "junk parts" ? Find it and sell it? Comments? YMMV

I bought a donor car this weekend from a client of my Indy. It is shocking how little damage was done to the car to call it totaled. The airbags went off, but otherwise the car is in excellent condition. The good news my Indy took care of this car for a long time, it was a low speed impact, everyone was safe/uninjured. First, I am really grateful for all of the work done in this thread and @e30rapidic I may have missed the point where mileage is reset in this thread but I don't think so. I'm going to do the cluster swap but the mileage on donor is much different than my car's. My belief is the miles from donor car will become my car's miles and the difference is so high it will make this conversation appear to be sketchy. I can easily get a sheriff's deputy to document mileages to submit to a service that does this. Is there a certified service that does this sort of thing?

Send it to Palo Alto Speedometer with a picture of the correct mileage.

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I talked to Palo Alto and Seattle Speedometer. SS is thinking they can swap the "transmission" cluster and leave the speedometer cluster with mileage eprom entirely alone. My 996.1 C2 is the same year as yours. Did you use a different wiring diagram than the one attached to @e30rapidic post. My donor car is a 1999 and I have its fully functional DME, instrument cluster, and immobilizer with the twist of putting 1999 parts in a 2001 (for the win?)

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I can't say about the .1 cars; the .2 cars have one big circuit board inside the cluster so there's no "transmission cluster". Using a .2 tip cluster in a manual gives a "Tiptronic Emergency Run" error that can't be cleared. I tried reflashing the cluster to manual and that didn't work. Todd from Protomotive said it could not be done and he should know as he's done all kinds of crazy swaps. In the end $100 to get the mileage matched was worth it. Also you may have more issues swapping a '99 manual into an '01 tip as the tip is drive by wire throttle and uses canbus while the '99 will be cable throttle with no canbus. You may need to swap the entire wiring harness and all the electronics boxes and the cable throttle bits. Not hard to do, just more work. I am not certain of the ABS compatibility either so that may need swapped. The tip cars get vehicle speed from the tcu while manual cars get vehicle speed from the ABS.

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Thank you for your insights- I knew about cable v electronic throttle but didn�t have this in the plan. I had no idea and never would have imagined speed coming from the ABS. Palo Alto is $395 for the mileage match - but worth it in my view.

Well I was able to put the manual pedals in place, not bad at all. Thanks for all the info. I didn't get the brake return spring with my parts. Do I absolutely need this? Will the pedal feel odd without it?

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I don't recall a brake return spring. If there is one just reuse the tiptronic one. If you mean the clutch helper spring lots of guys remove it and say it improves clutch feel, although the clutch might not lift high enough to let the cruise control work without it.

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I do have the clutch helper spring in. The manual brake pedal has a tab for a spring, I see it in some diagrams but not others. The auto brake pedal didn't have one. I realize after typing this out, that's most likely my answer about requiring it. As seen here https://properparts.co/cdn/shop/files/IMG_5067_88947249-4ecc-474a-97b6-d231037032c2.jpg?v=1706820614