Dension 500 professional install in LA, CA???

I’m having a hell of a time finding someone who I can pay to install the unit. Porsche Beverly Hills works with Al & Ed’s autosounds who sold me a line of bull about the unit when I asked them. Porsche Downtown LA works with a company called Six Autosound who aren’t very keen on doing the install because they don’t know anything about the unit and weren't happy with previous Ice Link products. Do you know any audio shops and/or dealers in the LA area who I could get to do the install?

Rodz in burbank will do it in an hour or so depending where it has to be wired to. Talk to Jason. Great guys, great work. As for the other guys, no confidence is real turn-off from a company. G. http://www.rodz.org/

I spoke to Rodz. They didn't seem to have much experience the unit either and while they were very nice and professional, they didn't do much to inspire confidence either. I sent them the install instructions and will see what they say. FYI, Eric from BumperPlugs referred me to: Jamey of Rawlings Audio [phone removed]. They seem to be a much smaller shop, but he's done a number of Dension 500 installs already so I think I might end up using him. BTW -- how do you like your Neo unit?

Try [email removed] aka Rawlings Audio in Pasadena. Jamey Rawlings formerly of Paris Audio installed mine.

Isn't that what I just wrote? How much were you charged? Did you put yours in the glove box? Did your computer need to be reprogrammed (i.e. I have PCM but no CD changer)? Did you take you car there or did you have them do a mobile install? Thanks!!

Rodz is associated with the NEO audio unit which is installed in the exact same way as the Dension unit. I'm sure that once they see the instructions for the Dension unit and the similarities between it and the NEO they'll be on it. The PCM I got from Ebay is slightly busted in that the CD drive doesn't seem to work even after I got the unit coded at Porsche. The service advisor told me and seemed all concerned about it but I assured her that once I had the iPod I would never use the single CD slot again anyway and that I would keep the original head unit and if I was ever getting rid of the car I would simply reinstall the orginal unit. HAving the iPod rocks The only problem is now I don't know whats going on in the world cos I haven't listened to the radio in days

Jason at Rodz did the install along with running power to the radar detector. Don't know if it worked since I need to stop by the Porsche dealer to enable the code in the head unit for recognizing the cd changer. I also have some engine codes to clear (engine light and passenger seat warning) Will get that done next week. Seemed to be a very clean install. I resolved the question about where to put the iPod. With the Non-Navi/ch changer, the Dension unit had to go behind the head unit making it much easier to install it somewhere in the cab rather than the front trunk. After inspiration hit, I am just going to buy a second iPod and leave it in the glove compartment. Problem solved. Jesse

I'm confused about this. I've heard people say that they did and did not need to enable the code in the head unit to recognize the CD changer. I spoke w/ zornet today and he said he did his install himself without needing to do this and everything worked fine.

Another source for installation - a member of our local PCA region. Jeff Haas. www.haasentertainment.com [phone removed] [email removed] In Culver City, CA

Jamey at Rawlings Audio installed mine in the glove box. I have PCM and no CD changer; no programming was necessary. He charged me $150.00. I had to take the car to him but he did it while I watched.

2nd that.. if you are in/near los angeles, jamey is the guy to see on anything related to custom porsche electronics...!

Anyone know if there's an installer up here in the SF Bay Area?

Just performed the install myself - under the hood... Very easy... The Nav system automatically recognizes the Gateway unit, no dealer programing needed. I-Pod well controlled through the nav system meus . Personally, I don't see the need for install in an "in the car" location. Not hard to do yourself if you are inclined.. sj

Good to know -- when I spoke with him, he seemed less sure about the time it would take and estimated ~$300 which I thought was a bit steep. I just dropped him a line to see if he'd like to quote me a more reasonable price, otherwise Rodz in Burbank quoted me a reasonable price (1-2 hours @ $107/hr)

With non-nav and no cd changer, the install requires the dension unit to be installed behind the head unit which is somewhat more labor intensive. However, it still doesn't work for me even though the dealer said that the cd changer code was flashed on the head unit. I don't think they over wrote it when they enabled the radio to work after the flash. I would complain, but they didn't charge me anything. I will have to take to a different dealer and see then. If anyone knows of a dealer that has done this in SoCal, let me know. Jesse

Jesse, do you have a cdr24 headunit? You can't use the Dension with the cdr-24... I have PCM with no nav and no cd changer and a tech document by Dension states as long as you place it after the headunit in the fiber chain, you will need no further programming and this worked for me. Again, I have PCM headunit, no nav and no cd changer and placed the Dension behind my headunit, tapping into the outgoing side of the headunit. This should require no programming. Now if you have a Cayenne with PCM, this is different you have to place the unit on the incoming side, before the headunit. If you have a Cayenne or 986 with CDR23, then you do the install just like you would on the Cayman or 997 with PCM, after the headunit (outgoing side). - Suneet

On Caymans doesn't PCM = Nav?

PCM and Navigation are two different units on 987s. While Navigation requires PCM; PCM does not need Navigation. PCM is the head unit (Radio; CD and Display) while the Navigation unit is the DVD player.

The document was not included with the bumper-plug kit, but the fellow on ******** who got the kit from a vendor in the UK received the document and I have uploaded it to the files section of this website and linked it below. Definitely clears things up. I highly reccomend viewing it, it's the Porsche specific supplement to the general Dension install guide. Guides you through where to place the Dension in the MOST chain and also how to configure it properly for the PCM. http://www.planet-9.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=91 Jesse there has been a lot of misinformation flowing around about the Dension compatibility with the CDR24 and unfortunately the truth is it just is not compatible. Unfortunately I was one of the people that was misinformed at first and spread it, though I did later correct myself. I would talk to Eric and\or Dension and figure out if the compatibility will simply be a software fix and that way you can just flash your unit with new firmware. Or you could take the same route I took and find a PCM on ebay. However, I'm sure Eric will let you return your Dension and he did say that those with cdr24's will still get the group buy price once compatibility with the headunit is affirmed.

Thanks Suneet. I can't download it yet as it is still "moderation queue".

Yea... I know... a moderator has to approve it first. Here's a link off of my server for now... www.ssdevelopment.net/most.pdf

Got it. Thank you Suneet. BumperPlugs should have included this with the package.

Good info suneet, thanks. zornet :burnout:

File has been approved, for some reason I didn't get a notice that I had a file waiting for approval, in the future if you need something approved right away just send me a PM please!

Suneet - This addendum includes very specific information on how to call up the configuration menu: PCM has to be in audio screen, CD changer selected, music playing, and so forth. I have to wonder if those folks who have upgraded to the 1.04 firmware and report not being able to access the config menu are following all of these steps. The process is complex enough where I can easily see missing a step.

Midnight, it isn't as hard as it seems because you can do the steps in any order. The only important thing is to not have another cd in there, while you can do it with another cd in the unit, you'll have to keep hitting the cd\cdc button on the PCM to go back to the settings menu. But all you really do is flip the switch back and forth 3 times and then hit cd and you're automatically in the config menu, it doesn't matter whether you're in the main or audio menu's, as long as you didn't change the main menu to show something other than audio (the default setting). Using the config menu is confusing though, at first I didn't know that you had to hold >> for at least 3 seconds for a command to be set. Basically for PCM you start at Paging, hold it for 3 seconds, flip the switch back and forth again, go to cache, hold it for 3 secs, flip it back and forth again, go to toggle, hold it for 3 secs and everything should be set correctly. - Suneet

Suneet - is this process completed with or without the iPOD connected?

Midnight, it works either way. Basically the flip-switching gets the Dension into configuration mode, it doesn't matter what the headunit is currently displaying, but to access the it on the PCM you will have to go into the audio or main menu and go from there. Also, even though they say if it doesn't appear in 3 times you should keep flipping, I found this to be untrue, it seems that it must be 3 exact times. Also, you have to do it fairly fast. - Suneet

Per Eric, there is a software fix but no ETA on it. I have sent an email in to Dension support but the silence is rather, ominous. I will look to get a definitive statement from Dension that there is a fix and a targeted date for completion. Then, we will see what the next step is. For me, I only want to play my iPod. I don't care about Navi, FM, Sat radio, CD. This is much harder than it has to be. One option is to gut out all the radio electronics and wiring and redo from scratch with a custom OEM look radio faceplate. I just don't want to bother with that much work. Jesse

Jesse, how did you configure the dip switches on the Dension unit? Per that article I posted earlier, and with firmware version 1.0 (the version originally shipped), if you have the dip switches configured to the settings for cdr23\24, there is a chance you will have some functionality through the cdr24. When it's all hooked up, can you listen to the radio or cd? This will confirm that all connections are ok and the unit is getting propper power. - Suneet

After the Dension unit was installed, I can listen to the radio and the CD. Plus the Dension unit is recognized and powered as evidenced by the Dension 500 message when the iPod is connected. A user error is possible, though I have tried pushing every combination of key possible to get to the iPod menu. I believe the switch was set to cdr24 but would need to verify since Jason installed it. Also, the only relatively ez access was behind the head unit for the Dension unit. Meaning that I can't check what it is set at currently unless I pull the head unit. How combination of buttons will get me to the iPod menu on the head unit? Not clear to me from the manual. Jesse