Dension install in 996 Turbo with CDR23 (complete step-by-step with pics)

Dension install in 996 Turbo with CDR23 (complete step-by-step with pics) Car: 2003 Turbo Head Unit: CDR23 (MOST bus based system) So I spent hours reading up on the install to make sure I knew how to install this unit before I tackled it. The one thing I found was NOBODY has posted a simple thread that details step-by-step what to do. There is a thread over in the 997 fourm that is almost 600 posts long and while it has some great info, it's VERY DIFFICULT to get anything from it. Took me several hours to read it. And between my frsutration that there was not a single thread docoumenting a DIY and the fact that somebody posted in that monster 600 post thread that somebody needs to do it, I decided it was time to make one for the next guy that needs the help. LESSONS LEARNED: A few things before you get started. I would highly suggest getting the ipod extension cable if you plan to install your ipod in the cabin versus the front boot. The included cable is VERY short and will just barely reach to the glove box. Also, check to see which type of connector you have. If you have a Yazaki connector instead of the more common Tyco then you will also need to order the Yazaki adapter. I had to AFTER the install was almost comlpete! It's very easy to check ahead of time by looking at the connector type that goes into the amp. IN the picture, the Yazaki connector is the larger opaque one and the smaller clear one is the Tyco. The Yazaki can also be black, etc, depending on the plastic color the vendor uses. The bid difference is the size. Yaz is bigger. As far as removing the fiber optic lines from the connectors you need to first remove the locking piece (it snaps down in the middle of the connector and wedges between the two lines to hold them in). Remove that piece first. Just snaps in and out. The remove the fiber optic lines from the connector after the lock is removed you just use an eyeglass screwdriver or the such to lift up gently and not very much the tap that is holding the line in place. Install: 1. Removed the battery from the front boot. 2. Removed the rubber gromet that is behind the battery on the firewall 3. Cut an "X" into the gromet so I could fee the two wires through to the cabin (the aux-in race cables for the sat radio and the ipod cable. 4. Used a coat hanger with the two cable taped to the end to get them easily fed down to where the pedals are. 5. Removed the tape and then ran the cable to where they would have their final install location. 6. I put the ipod cable in the rear center console so I needed to remove the center console to run that cable as well as cut a notch in the plastic cover plate under the rubber insert in the rear center console so I could feed the cable through. 7. I ran the aux-in rca cables to my XM radio SkyDock for the iPhone. NOW FOR THE DENSION UNIT INSTALL 8. Rather than tap into an unswitched power source, it was much easier to just run right into the battery since Dension include an in-line fuse with their power wire. The Dension unit requires an unswitched source so the battery is the way to go. I also tapped into the grounding block for the battery as well. 9. Now for the most "difficult" part of the install. Running the fiber optic lines. I needed to brush up on how the system works to understand it. Basically, think of the MOST Bus system as a circle. Fiber optic light send the signal in this circle and direction is VERY important. All the connectors (both in the car as well as the Dension) have "--->" and "<----" arrows stamped so you can make sure you are running the proper direction. The easiest way to insert (a bridge if you will) the Dension into the fiber optic loop is at the amp connection. 10. Remove the connector from the amp (2 hard orange wires) and remove the line that is going "IN" marked by the arrow pointing INTO the amp. This wire now becomes the "IN" on your Dension unit. I also cut away the black fabric wrap on the two fiber optic lines so I had some slack to play with making the connections easier. 11. Since I had the Yazaki connector type I just needed to run the original "IN" fiber optic cable that went into the amp to the "IN" on the Yazaki harness. It already comes with one cable with a Yazaki connector in it which will be in the "OUT" side of the harness. 12. The "OUT" on the Yazaki harness no goes into the "IN" on the amp connector that is now vacant. 13. If for some reason you do NOT need to use the Yazaki kit (since you have Tyco connectors) then you would do the same process but with the Tyco connector harness included with the Dension. 14. Here is what the loop should now look like starting at the car's fiber optic harness you removed from the amp. Amp IN is now Dension IN. Dension OUT is now Amp IN. I drew a picture of what it should look like before and after. 15. Now test all your connections by replacing your battery and firing up your car selecting "CD" on the head unit. MAKE SURE YOUR CD CHANGER OPTION IS ACTIVATED. If you do not have a CD changer already in the car, the dealer will need to use the PIWIS to alert the system to be able to see the CD changer present which is what the Dension unit needs to make itself known. 16. I used heavy duty velcro to mount the Dension unit and Aux-in piece to the front boot carpet so I didn't have to drill anything Feel free to ping any questions here if you get confused. I have attached pictured of just about every step I listed. A big thanks to Eric at Bumerplugs for helping me out along the way and offereing a great prodcut at a very good price! I'm sure after reading this and remembering a few things I'll post back a few more hints, etc..

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I guess I could google it, but what's a Dension?

MUSEUM piece! Excellent write-up, and even better level of patience. Dell, you really were great to work with on this. Crazy to have so many steps to get there, but I appreciate your patience as we got all the answers and you solved each issue (had Yazaki, though Porsche claims only early '03 Cayennes had it). Appreciate the post and the info. Thanks. Garrett: Dension Gateway 500 is the ipod integration unit we have sold for years - it allows full digital integration of your iPod ( and Bluetooth if PCM ) for your fiber optic Porsche (and other vehicles) '03-'08. Head to BumperPlugs.com and click the Order tab, then the details are linked beside the item on the Order page. Email me with questions anytime: [email removed]

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http://dension.com/index.php?pageID=11 Thanks Eric. I owe a great deal of the project to your PATIENCE!!! Not too often you find vendors helping a customer on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings!!!

Interesting, and nice to know... I have an 03 C4s that could use such a thing... Thanks for taking the time to share. ... now where can I mount my iPad?

Great DIY for the dension gateway for porsche 996. Is there a place online that regroup all the Porsche 996 DIY ? would be great to have this all regrouped under one roof. I understand renntech has couple good DIY, is rennlist firendly to renntech ? or is there some competition in there I am a web designer and after wasting so much time looking for DIY I wonder if I should put together a small 996 site to regroup all those things. But I wonder if that would just add to the confusion

Very welcome. Pre 03 cars (02 and older) have the old analog system and adding an aux-in is a simple $20 part from Becker. However, in 2003 they introdcued the MOST Bus system which is fiber optic based and requires this solution. Much more powerful though as you can add an ipod, an aux-in (my sat radio) and a USB drive full of music!

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I'm going to post this as well over on Loren's site (renntech)

I posted my own tutorial on Renntech. My install is even easier as it use the original CD-Changer CDC-4 http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...orsche-996-c2/ The Dension is great, super easy to install, but I have to say that for daily use, the CDR-23 make it a bit hard to navigate within your songs. I decided to keep my ipod in the trunk as I don't want to play with the ipod while in the car. So I have to use the oem disk selector to access the function as 'navigate by playlist, by artist, by album. It is a bit frustrating but at least the sound is much better than FM transmitter !

Thanks for adding another thread to the repository. I just added your new thread link to mine so those with a CDC can check yours out as well. re: your install......My car didn't come with the CDC so that was not an option. re: ipod......I don't navigate my ipod with the CDR23.....I use the ipod itself. I agree, the ipod line-in is really good.

Great write up thanks. Very helpful in install for 2003 996 turbo. I mounted the Denison unit in the CD storage tray - cutting out the back and sides for wiring and then reinstalled the individual trays so the dash looks stock.

Very welcome

Did anyone else notice the ring ? Just sayin!

What do you mean?

Post 2, last pic...hope.

So, was Gregg highlighting the irony of an install of this nature with the inscription on my ring "hope"???

Perhaps.

Gregg, was that it? The irony? However, for those that are curious. The ring has the inscriptions represented in 1 Corinthians 13.....Faith, Hope, Love.

You are a star for posting this! I have an 03 986 with the same audio setup and this looks exactly the same. I have some weekend work ahead :-/

On the right hand there are two rings, "THIS" & "WORKS" I wear the same ones whiile working on my car....

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Jayson if you have any problems feel free to contact me. Glad to help!

I've got an 03 turbo and today tried to fit my mObridge system but stopped when I found that the MOST connectors were different. My research has led me here to find out that I too have the Yazaki connectors where as the mObridge has the Tyco. I don't think that the adapter lead will work for me as the MOST plug is different for the mObridge, so I am trying to work something else out with the mObridge agent.

Sorry, never heard of the mObridge so I can't be much help. Hopefully they have something similar to what Dension has allowing you to replace the Tyco with Yazaki. How did you come about choosing the mObridge? From what I understand, the Dension is the gold standard in the industry.

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It worked like a charm! I fitted mine in the space under the CDR 23 and rolled the excess cable up and put it behind the storage trays in the cockpit rather than the front luggage compartment. I ran a tap from the cigarette lighter for power which seems to be working fine Thanks again Dell

Very welcome Glad to hear you got it all hooked up and running. Enjoy!

Hi, I saw in the dension installation guide said that will need to activate the CD change in system to install the module. Did you activate the CD change before you install it? My car is 03 Cayenne S with CDR23 and MOST bose system but no CD changer. Thanks!

I don't recall. There is a chance you would have to pay a visit to the dealer to make sure they activate it with the system tool.

Thanks for fast reply. Seems I have to visit dealer for I can not lock my car properly. Hope they will give me positive answer. Other questions, I plan to buy the gateway lite not the 500 since it is much cheaper. What do you think of using the usb port only? Thanks!

I'm not entirely sure what the Gateway Lite is or how it works. Sorry about that.

Gateway Lite from Dension site: "If your car does not have a text capability, Gateway Lite is an easy to fit, easy to use option, which will play music from iPod or USB music devices, through the audio system in the car. The product is designed to be as simple to use as possible, so the last device plugged into it is the one that will play. Your iPod is controlled by the click wheel, however you can skip tracks using the FFWD button on the radio, or steering wheel. In some cars you can allocate folders from your USB device to the CD changer selection keys on the radio, making navigation that bit easier." I am in the process of having a Gateway Lite installed in my '04 911. It's been a bit of a challenge with CD Changer (virtual) and connector issues but I think if I had read this thread first it would have made things much easier! Thanks

Finally I get it done. My car is 2003 Cayenne S with Bose and CDR-23 but do not have CD changer, have to pay several hundreds to dealer to get the cd changer enable. I just put the dension lite below the head unit and behind the storage box (good to fit), and get the power from head unit power plug, and wired the port into the storage case under the armrest. You will need to buy the optional ipod cable if you want to use the ipod. I used the original fiber plug into the head unit, the one come from the package does not fit. Here is the pictures for the major steps including removing head unit, connection, wired, etc. Remove trim of head unit Remove head unit Tape the desnion unit below the head unit Get power from head unit, the black is ground, see more from the link of ( http://www.cartronics.com/downloads/Porsche_Tips.pdf ) insert the fiber to original plug from head unit (the outward one) Remove the cover for wire Wire to the storage place under the armrest Finally done, it will support 6 folder with 99 songs each in usb disk, I used a 4GB disk that is good to contain 600 songs.

Hi guys! I'm a newbie here and also to Porsche. I just got myself a Porsche 996 C4S -2004, imported from Turin, Italy. I live in Sweden. My problem is that I need an iPhone aux, bute there's none in my Bose navsystem with a telephone on the side. Even though I've studied this post, which is gr8 btw, and through the information on Densions website of the Gateway 500,,I just can't figure out if it's possible to install this in my car? Can I use the bluetooth adapter? Can Someone help me?

Appreciate your effort and great pictures. I am having trouble following procedure. New to me C4S and I know this was installed in 2010. DG500 with all the attachments well over $600-700 just for parts and seems like a penalty if you have Ip4(I do). Do you have the bluetooth and does everything work? However the level of sophistication of the media experience along with retaining factory functions make this DG500 the obvious choice. I'd hate to see what a pro car tunes shop will charge for this install so DIY is the way to go. Sounds like Crutchfieldisn like support from Denison so glad to see that. One picture shows an iPhone with what looks like a connector on the bottom. Is that the Gateway cord? Another picture shows an iPod in the center console...2 harnesses. Hope you're still available? I have factory CD changer so function should be on. Where is the Yakazi plug located...somewhere near CD CHANGER, BATTERY? Thx

LVDell, do you still think that this is the easiest grommet to cut into so that you can route the wires into the cabin? I have the Gateway 500 Lite and I'm planning on mounting it where the factory CD changer goes.

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Thats the gromet that is recommended by everyone, I searched for quite awhile and that's the best one I came up with as well. In another thread I discussed the path into the frunk via another gromet.

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Thanks Dan. Guess it's time to whip out the Stanley knife..!