8 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHDiagnostic tool for 2004 996
Reported or suspected cause
same
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause
It's probably the same with a genuine PIWIS2 as they're so old now (they're just a Bosch device and a Panasonic Toughbook when they're 'genuine').
Reset service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
Leading evidence: 'same' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'same' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Reset service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Reset service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I thought it was a convenience feature on the durametric pro (and one of the features along with interpreting sensors) that it could do (but it could also be different for a 996 and Cayenne) maybe being able to change the setting through the dashboard changes something too.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Reset service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I thought it was a convenience feature on the durametric pro (and one of the features along with interpreting sensors) that it could do (but it could also be different for a 996 and Cayenne) maybe being able to change the setting through the dashboard changes something too.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
8 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Porsche Forum Australia: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 1 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T165820Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Can anyone suggest a diagnostic tool that would be appropriate for a 2004 996? I would want the tool to have the same functionality as the Porsche PIWIS system.
https://www.piwis3.com/
However...it appears only PIWIS offers full functionality, the others from Bosch, Schwaben, Durametric, Snap-On, AutoEnginuity etc. don't.
An example is the ability to switch the auto door locking on or off, I can't find any evidence that the third party tools can perform this task however. Any ideas if these independents can offer that functionality?
Or do I just looks for a used PIWIS?
Thanks for any suggestions.
a chinese PIWIS copy with virtualised software running on a laptop or Durametric pro would be my suggestion
really the only way you'll get to the Porsche specific settings to turn features on and off
I've used both and regret selling my Durametric Pro, it just worked, whereas the bodgy nature of the 'fake' PIWIS, the software, and the chipset they use (plus the quality of cables) makes it a bit of a project.
i have one of the 'schwaben' units too purchased from ECS tuning, (which is essentially a Foxwell GT90+), and it doesn't do all the features that either the PIWIS or Durametric pro do.
My mechanic had a real PIWIS before they retired, it seemed as time consuming to use as the fake one (although performed much better) he complimented it with an Autel for resetting service warnings and coding park brakes (but still had to use PIWIS to do actual 'porsche' stuff).
people get carried away buying Panasonic toughbooks with 'real' hard drives and accessories (because they say the software needs it), I bought a PIWIS2 copy from some random Chinese online seller, and found the software and virtualised it so i can use it with any old laptop.
pretty sure in the 'real' world of Porsche Diagnostics, the PIWIS2 is the last one you can do the above with, the 3 and 4 are sold as subscription services through Bosch/Porsche, and they 'phone home' (it's only KESSY/Immoboliser programming and encryption that phones home on the PIWIS2 and it won't do)
Thanks for the detailed response Russ. AFAIK the Durometric Pro cannot access the door locking feature.
If we concentrate on PIWIS2, I found this:
https://www.vxdas.com/en-au/products/piwis-tester-2-piwis-ii-diagnostic-tool?variant=40349251371090
Any thoughts?
I thought it was a convenience feature on the durametric pro (and one of the features along with interpreting sensors) that it could do (but it could also be different for a 996 and Cayenne) maybe being able to change the setting through the dashboard changes something too.
i'm pretty sure that setup is what I ended up buying. then found the software on some very dodgy russian website and a crack (then monitored what it actually did network wise out of a VMware instance).
OK, thanks Russ, I'll look into the Durometric Pro further.
This actually looks likes pretty fair value too:
https://www.obd2tool.com/goods-10525-Porsche-Piwis-Tester-II-Piwis-2-with-CF30-Laptop.html
What I'm concerned about is if I back door some software, I'm screwed if there's some failure or compatibility issue. I'm not good with any IT hardware of software, it needs to work from the get go for me.
I'd find someone local with a Durametric Pro and test it if you can, the info on their website with what does/doesn't work was fairly limited. I only spoke to their support once and they were good.
That kit you've linked has a second-hand Panasonic CF19 Toughbook from 2006. You'll be in the same boat if you buy a complete kit or piece something together yourself (if something breaks or doesn't work). It's probably the same with a genuine PIWIS2 as they're so old now (they're just a Bosch device and a Panasonic Toughbook when they're 'genuine').
Update: After investigating all the third party tools it was clear none of them offered the functionality of the PIWIS II for the 996. Thanks to Daniel at DParts, I bought one. It's a bit of a learning curve for my analogue brain, however I'm looking forward to working my way through what it can do.
