996 ROW tune - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

So I just flashed my 986 to 996 ROW tune after installing an 82mm TB, 3.25" MAF housing, and 3.5" short CAI. I have not found seen any articles detailing the steps of this process inside of PIWIS II v18.1. So, here goes... Once you get the software installed and tester imprinted, you need to configure the VCI (settings ≥ VCI config). Verify that the usb connection is good and update the firmware if it tells you too do so. After this go diagnostics ≥ 911 ≥ 996. Make sure your PC date is set to 2010ish,I guess the system wasnt supposed to be used post a certain date (which has already post) and it will freeze here if you have it set to the actual date. Once the menu loads, click DME and then Program (top right). It will then ask you you to input the MY, transmission, and region. Next choose to program map (not control unit) and then it will ask you to input the DME programming code. I got mine from Mark in Nashville, great guy! Next it will ask you what days transfer rate to use - PICK FAST. I don't understand why but it will crash if you pick slow. I had about 25 ministrokes trying to figure this out and I haven't seen anywhere else on the web that says to do this. Once you do that hit "execute", sit back and enjoy watching that progress bar. It takes about 8 -10 min or so. Once you're done, voila! It started up and purred beautifully from the get go. I've only driven a few miles since this ( gotta fix my coolant issue now) but no codes so far. All instruments seen to work fine and AC does as well. I will keep everyone updated on progress, especially if codes start lighting up. If anyone needs screenshots I can pay, just lemme know. In case you're wondering, the software and hardware both came from overseas . If you want to know specifically, PM me. Sent from my 100003562 using Tapatalk

And you did all this with a new born baby and 2 other kids running around the house? Amazing!

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Hah! Fortunately I got that done before the third one came. It brought a bit of closure to all the modifications I've been doing over the past few months so I will have plenty of time for all the other great things in life! Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk

How are things running for you? What engine / engine displacement and airbox are you using? What mass air flow sensor type did you end up using to make this work? If it's a Cayman MAF housing did you end up fitting a 996 sensor to it?

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JK, she's running great. Its a 2.7 00. No issues with the tune, AFR runs at 14.7 at cruise and 12.5 at WOT. The intake is all custom - 82mm bosch TB, larger MAF housing(3.25" diameter sourced from BMW) with OEM MAF sensor, run through rear firewall into a 3.5" Y pipe with twin high flow dry filters, all mated with 3.5" silicone tubing. It's a bit unconventional, I admit, but it works well. The only issue is intake temps get hot, but I have a fix - boring out large holes in the OEM spoiler body to channel air into the trunk when the spoiler is raised (I've added a gt style rear wing so the stocker spoiler doesn't do much for aerodynamic stability anymore). I've not ever had the chance to Dyno it but she pulls hard and revs fast (the first thing I noticed after flashing the new tune actually was how much quicker it revs). LTFTs are -17% on each bank so if all else is equal I should be making quite a bit more power than OEM, probably in the 230-240 range. I will also say that with the OEM airbox and the SAI out, it's a hell of a lot easier to work on things like the fuel rails/injectors I did a bunch of posts on those mods, under the DIY section, I think I titled it 82mm TB. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Thanks, that sounds like quite a set up. I will search your posts for some images! I will have to read up on Bosh fuel injection but those AFRs sound like stock which is quite amazing given all your changes. It is interesting you are working on a spoiler intake. Many many years ago when the Boxster first appeared on the road and I knew nothing about them, I thought the spoiler element coming up was to facilitate some sort of cooling airflow. what actual mass airflow sensor did you use with your set up.....would imagine that a 996 one would create the least issues.

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I used the original 986 OEM MAF sensor from my boxster. The two are the same part # between the 986 and 996. There is something worth noting here - these modifications (along with the 2.5" exhaust I did) were phase 1 of a much larger project, which is a low pressure high flow twin turbo setup. After much research, I came to realize that our ECUs were incredibly advanced for their time and are still more capable than nearly every aftermarket ecu setup (save for a motec system, but that's a different discussion). The setup I designed would produce 300-325hp, which in turn pushes the airflow parameters and fuel requirements outside of the stock maps for a 986 though so I needed a workaround (stock maps have +/-20% built in on either side on nominal to account for varying conditions). However, this is perfectly in line with the 996 performance specs. So, the simplest thing to do for me was to simply convert the ecu maps to those of a 996. Even without the FI I had a feeling that my power production would be high enough to stay within the 996 maps by making the intake and exhaust modifications, which it is. The beauty of our ECUs is that it has no idea what displacent motor you have. It uses 2 primary inputs (airflow in and which side of lambda your exhaust is on) to dictate two outputs (injector pulse width and ignition timing). We could talk for hours about this...point being you just have to make sure that the inputs are accurate for the ecu to do its job. To that point, you have to match the tune to the intake. The 996 maps are based on MAF sensor readings through a larger diameter housing. So, If you keep the MAF housing diameter stock (regardless of where the sensor is actually located) you don't need the 996 maps. This would even be true for a low pressure single turbo setup. If you upsize the MAF housing though, either with a cayman airbox or a custom setup, a tune will be required (either a 996 tune or, if your car is 03-04 the anniversary 986 Spyder tune will work as well). Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Ike (& any others!)-- I have a question for you since you've done quite a bit of research on the ECU. I have an '02 986S which unfortunately experienced the dreaded IMS bearing failure in 2020 (even more unfortunately because I had invested in a proactive LN Engineering replacement bearing which failed in <20K miles!). Anyways, my Porsche mechanic suggested I consider putting in a brand new 3.6L short block while we were at it and he rebuilt the header, top exhaust valves, etc.... Cost was pretty close to getting 3.2L short block, but performance to me seems much better & worth the $1.5K difference. Anyways, we made no changes to the airbox though am running K&N & better exhaust for years. Just wondering if you know /think if a 3.6L tune makes sense (again I'm now running 3.6L base engine with original (rebuilt) Boxster 3.2L header on original tune using the 20% variance). If yes, suggestions who / where I should get the tune?

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If you adjusted valve specs, a custom tune would likely be best. Good luck finding someone in the states who can actually do that though (I'm taking about in person Dyno tuning, not the aftermarket crap that adds 15hp or whatever). If your dme setup is running without throwing codes, I would do 2 things. First, look at ltft's. Use the VE of the 3.2L and see if the LTFTs are positive enough to account for the additional displacent. Second, have it Dyno tested and again see if the figures are in line with the VE for the increased displacent. I would say one thing though - if youre running the stock 986s tune in this motor, that means you have the oem MAF housing in place, and presumably the rest of the intake is stock as well. On a 3.6l block, I'm sure you're losing power there. Upgrade your intake and do a 996 tune. Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Thank you for your insights Ike!

Looking to do this after deleting the SAI. Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to try to make a detailed video actually showing this and in the research stage now. Question: What part of what you did makes it ROW? Was it the region you selected? That seemingly most important part wasn't clear to me. Thanks!