Quick Review of the "mods4cars" Universal Comfort Controller

One thing that's really annoyed me on my 987.2 '09 Boxster is when leaving it - I have no idea if I really locked it as I pressed the lock button on the key whilst walking away. About 90% of the time I did - but there was 10% of the time when I didn't remember to lock it. Why was this? There was no locking "chirp" to indicate command received and action executed. The parking lights flash. That's hard to see when walking away from the car and impossible to hear. So - that was one thing CHIRP. Another thing I desired was - automatic mirror tilt-down on reversing. Ya know-how on an end space in a parking lot you want to get the passenger wheels as close to the curb as possible without curbing the wheels? The trick to doing that is to be able to SEE the curb, and the hot setup for doing that is to tilt the passenger mirror down. My Cayenne can be set to do this automatically. Go into reverse and the right (passenger) side mirror tilts down. Move forward at around 3MPH and it goes back up. Wouldn't it be nice to have this on the Boxster? Apparently, 987s with memory seats do have this, but ones with the lightweight sports seats don't. EDIT: It provides MIRROR-TILT What else would be nice to have? How about the doors unlocking when the ignition is turned off, or when the key is removed from the ignition. That avoids the double-pull routine of unlocking the door and THEN pulling a second time to actually unlatch the door. DOOR UNLOCKING Someone mentioned the mods4cars Univeral Comfort Controller. It does the above, and then some. Besides unlocking the car (select on key off, or key removed) and a function to lock the car if you don't have that already set to do, as the car moves off. DOOR LOCKING It also makes the top a 1-touch up or down at low speed or stopped. Don't have to hold the button. Start it and it finishes by itself. ONE-TOUCH AUTOMATIC TOP How about automatic windows down or windows up using the key? Yup. It does this. Lock the car and hold the button, if the windows are down up they go. Unlock the car and hold the button - same thing except the windows go down. AUTOMATIC REMOTE WINDOW OPERATION What else does it do - some esoteric stuff with the coming home light routine. A delay factor is built into the frunk/truck release buttons so you don't accidentally open them when the key is in your pocket. COMING HOME LIGHTING and TRUNK RELEASE DELAY So - what would all these things be worth to me? It was my birthday so I didn't feel guilty about suggesting to the spousal unit that this would make a nice present. It was $209. From: remoteKEY - Porsche 997 Carrera Coupe, 987 Cayman, 987 Boxter Convertible <-- those guys. How was the installation you're asking? Well - I'm somewhat old and have some fairly difficult arthritis - and I managed it in about 2 hours taking my time. The installation instructions are quite good and well-illustrated. One hint I'd have for anyone planning on installing it - right-click on the pictures in the instructions and open in a new window, then print full size to a letter-sized piece of paper in color. That makes the pictures very easy to understand. It mounts next to/underneath the fusebox. It's surprisingly easy to get to the needed wiring and one can stick your head in pretty easily near the fusebox by kneeling next to the car. I didn't bang my head once on the steering wheel. The kit was VERY complete - with connectors, adaptors, etc all included so no need to go to the parts store midway through the project. The functions often have different settings that can be used to vary what the function actually does (if you don't like the alarm chirp on arming the alarm, you can have it blow the horn, or do what it now does - nothing..) All of these can be pre-set in the module by hooking it to a computer via USB and running their configuration app. These can also be modified using the stalk for the OBC - different sequences of patterns get you into each function, then you can select the configuration you want. My only grouses - the wires that feed it power are much much longer than needed, by about 16". And the connectors used to get the power are a modified "Scotch-Lok" connector, one of my least favorite connectors. If I'd known the sizes of wire involved I would have made a quick PosiLok order, which is less damaging to the wiring harness and would allow one to easily shorten up the power leads to the device. Function - Scale of 1-t0, probably a 9.5 - but I'm not sure what else I might want Installation - Scale of 1-10, a pretty solid 10. Well-designed kit provided all the parts needed for installation and the instructions were excellent. I'm pleased. I'd suggest visiting the manufacturer's website and looking at the installation manual to determine if the job is within your capabilities. The only fiddly bit I found was removing pins from some connectors. Once I figured it out - it went smoothly (I was initially using too small a screwdriver..) Installation: mods4cars product manual Operation and Programming: mods4cars product manual

Nice, Don! Seems like a lot of the functionality that I put in the SmartTop in my 981 , but obviously we have to close the latch per the 987 at the end. Very cool -- I'll have to look into this. BTW - One can change the delay time per the trunk lock using a PIWIS 2 - but that's a whole other story. This seems a lot easier for a whole bunch of things.

I've been in contact with the company - they were super responsive (like 8 hours to a reply from a web form).. and they said: The long power leads are for compatibility with RHD cars. Apparently, you have to run the power from the module over to the other side of the car on the RHD cars. They agree it's annoying, and... They agreed entirely with PosiLoks and said their new production will have those - so that eliminates the annoyance of the long power leads, simply trim them to the length needed and put it in the PosiLok. Easy-peasy. The chap also made mention of a revised harness assembly that makes installation even easier - they apparently do continual rolling upgrades on the product which is super IMHO. I've asked for a photo of what the difference is, haven't gotten it yet, but with this being the 4th of July weekend and the chap I was talking with being in Las Vegas.. chances are I won't hear back until next week. EDIT: Further communications revealed the current version is what is going to be sold going forward, since the 987 (and 997) have been out of production so long, it's not feasible to design and produce a new connector for the product. Hopefully the PosiLocks will end up in the currently available units. If you want to order them yourself - Posi-Lock - The Connector of Choice for OEM & Military Use is the website, and I'd suggest using the blue one found on page: Posi-Tap- No Crimp Tap - it's Part# EX-150B, they can be found inexpensively on eBay: Posi-Tap PTA1618 Re-usable BLUE WIRE TAP (EX-150B, #605) 14-16 Awg, 10 PACK New! 760079743740 | eBay

Oh, great! The Post-taps/loks are huge. Again, I'm really happy with the SmartTop for the 981 - and was on the fence for this for the 987. Glad to hear this just knocks it quickly and simply right out of the park!

Does it have the mirror tilt function?

George, Ummmmm... yes. I guess I'll have to modify the review to say Mirror-Tilt function is part of it.

Cool. I saw that you “wanted” that function. Maybe I read right past it, but I didn’t see that it was actually included. A lot of functionality for not a lot of money! Thanks for sharing your experience. Best, George

maybe it’s a different mechanism on my 987.1 cayman, but I’ve seldom missed having a chirp or honk when I lock the car from the key fob -- the “kerCHUNK” noise the mechanism itself makes is audible in all but the loudest street parking. Like the mechanism on a bank vault slamming home. the side view mirror turning down for reverse sounds nice. I tend to just avoid situations that would have me backing into a spot where I could risk curbing the passenger side wheels. And let’s face it — backing up could be a lot worse (proper technique for reversing a Countach shown below):

I'm old, and can't hear all that well, plus when walking away from the car is usually when I remember to press the lock button, so my ears are pointed the other way. The chirp-chirp of a successful lock is very useful. It chirps 3x if the locking function wasn't a success (hatch open, door open, etc..) I actually can't think of another car that silently arms the alarm. Can you?

I'm with Don... I wish the car chirped or something. I don't recall ever having a car that didn't chirp or honk, either. That said, I think the other issue is the single lock/unlock button. I think most of my cars have had one button for each... in that case, I wouldn't care that the car didn't chirp, because I know it would "take". (I actually checked just now - every car I've owned (Mazda, Subaru, Caddy, Saturn, etc) and even my friends cars (that I can remember) all had two separate lock/unlock buttons. And it's not a Bosch or German thing, because I checked various Audi, BMW , and VW cars and they all have two buttons as well. I guess we're just "lucky" to have one? Also, on my Boxster , I have no idea if it took effect (the range is surprisingly short and variable... yes I replaced the battery) and pressing it again could end up unlocking the doors. Also, you can't tell from the lights on side of the vehicle, because you can't see the turn signals in the daylight from that angle (the corner lights do NOT trigger, even if they are enabled for turn signals!) I think it's really annoying... but I'm also cheap, so I don't know if it's $200+ annoying yet

Question on mirror tilt....my 2008 does not have that feature. Without the feature from the factory, is there still a tilt mechanism built into the mirror and it's just not activated? It seems as though that would be required for this mod-4-cars product to work. Otherwise a different mirror would be required, one with said mechanism.

I have had the Mods4cars 987 module on my Boxster for 10 years. I got it through a group buy on one of the forums. I purchased it for the one-touch roof up or down but have found the other things it does very helpful. You just have to remember to turn it off when you have the car serviced. When you pick up the car you are reminded just how dependent you are on that device until you turn it back on. I still can't believe my Porsche came with a one button door lock. Any car has an annoyance or two but having one button for both functions is just stupid. I know they were trying desperately to save money but I think they damaged the marque by using one button for both.

my 2007 doesn't have the autotilt — but it can tilt down (manually) using the mirror control buttons which control the mirror tilt motor. I expect all 987’s have that feature. I have to imagine this device just piggybacks off that functionality.

How the autotilt works (great once "aligned").. It's correct - the auto-tilt isn't built into the mirror. What does that on the factory setup is using a position sensor* in the mirror assembly so the door control module can memorize two positions - the normal position of the mirror and the tilted-down position of the mirror. That's all part of the memory functions that cars with memory settings have. Most of us don't have that. Mod4Cars gets around the lack of a position sensor by using an absolute position trick. They memorize three settings instead of just two. The most important one is the fully lowered position of the mirror. You teach it this (with some programming done via the mirror control knob) by taking the mirror to it's lowest position using the mirror control knob, then quickly switching the mirror switch a few times to tell the module that this IS the lowest position. You next , starting from the mirror in that lowest position, tilt the mirror up to your normal driving position, and using the knob again, teach it that position. At this point the module now knows the mirror has to raise up XXX steps from fully down to be in the normal viewing position. Finally, you teach it the dipped position. This is done by moving the mirror from the normal position to the desired "dipped position" - And the module memorizes this and knows the mirror has to step down XXX steps from the normal position when reverse is selected. The sequence when you go into reverse is the mirror moves from normal position to the dipped position. When you exit reverse the mirror then goes down to the lowest position and raises back up to the normal position. It's a clever solution. * = the factory position sensor is actually a potentiometer connected to the mirror that gives a value vs position, that value can be used to memorize a mirror position. The Mods4Cars uses a different technique since that sensor isn't there. The mirrors are moved by "stepper" motors. Stepper motors differ from normal electric motors by the way they move. They move in discrete steps. What Mods4Cars has done is written software that finds an absolute position (the mirror fully down) and the two other positions. In remembering the two other positions - for the normal mirror position they remember how many UP steps it takes from fully down to the normal position. They then memorize how many DOWN steps from the normal position to the tilted position is. These numbers are used in conjunction with the absolute position (fully down) to "calibrate" the mirror positions. Once it knows these the program can direct the motor in the correct direction and the correct number of steps to any desired position. It goes all the way down on the return to normal cycle to get an absolute position (0) count position to reference the other positions to. One handy thing - this only works when the mirror knob is centered. There are times when I want to have both mirrors stay in their normal positions - that can be done by moving the knob to either left or right mirror BEFORE going into reverse. This duplicates the functionality my Cayenne has for mirror-tilt, except for the tilt to work on the Cayenne, the mirror switch has to be on the right side position. One additional function I can see might be useful would be an option for both mirrors to tilt down in reverse. I could see control of that being done by having the LEFT mirror position have both mirrors tilt, then center/off position - no mirrors tilt, and RIGHT mirror position setting causing only the right mirror to tilt down. Perhaps I'll suggest this to them (or have it set as an option..)