New Porsche PCCM

[rogertill]

Just ordered the new Porsche PCCM plus system and the European software from Porsche Mid Sussex. The total cost including fitting is £1800. Has anybody had it fitted to their 997 yet. If so how long did the fitting take( do I wait for it to be fitted or leave the car with them) and how are you enjoying it?
Just a bit more info. My car is a 2006 Turbo. The garage is fully booked next week but then I cannot make it until 13 Feb. In discussions today they had the units but no more information than the press release. I asked if the Bose sound system in the car will be altered, whether the existing controls on the sheering wheel will work, the location of the microphone ( my existing parrot bluetooth system has the mic by the rear view mirror), where the music memory stick can go (the current Dension gateway 500 USB connector is in the passenger well), will the chrono still opperate, where the DAB antenna is located and how to connect my i-phone ( currently a connection in the glove compartment if notusing bluetooth).
When fitted I will of course give feedback.

 

[Smurf991ts]

Any pcgb discount?

 

[987Phil]

Some information on the system in this thread (eg yes the steering wheel controls will still work, no change to BOSE etc)

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1115053

Also a good thread here on 911UK, showing install pictures etc

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=151870&sid=3a5206545d08b115894dc76ca1195f7d

In terms of install time then it’s not a five minute job……. from what I’ve read it’s 4 to 5 hours so it’ll quickly become a full day and so not sure that’s a "wait” job !

Let us know how you get on and feedback on the system

 

[rogertill]

Not aware of one. They reduced the cost I believe because other garages are quoting cost plus installation of around £1800.

 

[rogertill]

I rang the garage and they said around 2 hours. However, I will leave the car with them since I don't want a rushed job. When fitted I will give feedback on the fitting and my initial usage as quickly as possible.

 

[rogertill]

Just an update. After reading as much info as I could find on the internet I went back to the garage to talk to the engineer and have a look at the New PCCM unit. Although he has already fitted a single unit, not sure on what type of car, he did not know there was an internal mic on the left hand top of the unit. I explained that some American users had reported that it out performs the one to be fitted on the top of the steering column. They agreed to phone me during the fitting using the unit so I could compare the internal/external mics before they fitted the external mic. If there is no difference then I will not get them to fit the one on the column. They do not think they will be able to connect my existing mic by the rear view mirror. I also enquired if it would be possible to fit another external USB on the back of the unit which could be used to play music from a memory stick. I could then use the front one for Apple car play. He is going to look into that and I gave them details of the Rennlist forum information. The DAB booster aerials and the GPS aerial will be in the A pillars and the reception should be fine. In the pack there is no printed operating manual just a download link. I have had to print the 54 pages so I can read through it in the car when the unit has been fitted. I have to admit the unit looks great and if you did not know the situation I believe that you would think that it had been in the car since new. As promised when fitted I'll give more details.

 

[BC997S]

Any pcgb discount?

I was wondering about this too. Planning on purchasing one but having it installed at an ICE specialist along with a speaker & amp upgrade as I don’t have Bose fitted. Really looking forward to it!

 

[J99NNO]

Getting mine fitted on Thursday so I will let you know how it goes! Not sure on the time allowed for fitting, but I am leaving my car there all afternoon.
With regard to the Chronograph and steering controls, this should all work fine, as that is one of the benefits of this unit rather than an aftermarket unit, and it should work with the Bose as well. Mine has all of these so I will know by the end of the week! I also have the CD multichanger, so we will see if that links too.
You should be able to get a discount if you have signed up to the Classic Register, and of course some dealers will be more obliging than others. I will post when I have more details, or watch the Zoom presentation next Tuesday evening.

 

[rogertill]

PCCM plus now fitted to 997 series 1 turbo. Car taken to Porsche dealership at 8:00am and I left with it at 1:00pm but had to go back at 3:30pm till 4:30pm. While fitting I stayed in the garage and had numerous cups of coffee and biscuits. The engineer was very helpful and this was the second unit he had fitted. Total cost for the unit, satnav card and fitting, £1800. My car had a Parrot CK 3000 evolution for bluetooth and a Dension gateway 500 link for a 16GB memory stick. The engineer removed the Dension unit but could not locate the Parrot so we had to remove the bluetooth connectivity on my phone and any other phone that could have access. In addition the old disc unit for the sat nav still remains in the front boot of the car. I will not go into the looks, its fine by me, but I will focus on function. Setup was simple but we spent time on three issues. Firstly you need to download the operating manual, all 54 pages, and even then we still had issues. Chrono works, sound is good (my car has Bose system), satnav is far better than old system, radio reception good (now with DAB),apple car play is available and the controls on the steering wheel work. Before the system was totally installed we compared the built in microphone with the external unit which could be stuck on the steering column. My car is left had drive and the built in microphone is on the left hand top of the new unit. I took calls on my phone from both microphones and could not tell the difference so I decided not to have the external microphone attached. The second issue, which took some time to resolve, was the Tyre Pressure Control unit. I like tyre pressures displayed on the rev counter. When I got home I scrolled until it was visible but then the message appeared it was not functioning. I tried to reset the unit but could not. That and another issue meant I had to ring the garage and they immediately asked me to return. On the way back to the garage the system said it was resetting and about 5 minutes later the pressure measurements appeared on the screen. Now for the most difficult issue to resolve. The unit has a single USB port which can accept a 64GB storage device containing MP3 files. I have 205 folders(albums) on that unit in the same format that the old system could play and which works on my New BMW. When in the media setting you select the USB source. the screen then slowly loads icons but each icon is a single track not an album. How could you get a list of the albums? Three of us tried everything but could not find a way. The garage were then convinced that it was not going to be possible to get a list of the albums which meant it was basically inoperable Finally by chance after an hour with the garage, even checking the files on the stick, we found a way. You touch the icon and then the specific tune plays. Then press the browse icon and up comes the list of the titles on that album. Then press the back lever and up comes the list of the albums which you can scroll through either using the screen or the right hand control knob. Big sigh of relief.
So I am now happy with the basics. Obviously things will need fine tuning and getting use to but I cannot see an issue with that. If anything else crops up I will of course post a message.

 

[rogertill]

Further personal impressions. Firstly, the system is much better than the original system fitted in the car, in my case 17 years ago. However, one must remember you are now fitting a new component into a system designed many years ago and in which many of the parts are old. So compromises have had to be made. If I compare the new PCCM to the system in my 2020 BMW it is not as good. If you do not regularly use satnav, the telephone or listen to music and your old system still functions then you would have to seriously question whether the cost is justified. In my personal opinion I do not believe fitting it would have a significant effect on increasing the value of the car and I am sure some would say that although built by Porsche, it is not the original equipment and that could have a detrimental effect on resale values.
Because I drive my car and use the phone and satnav often, I am happy with my purchase. The sound system is very good but selecting and listening to music is not so easy. The lack of WiFi means that you can listen to Apple car Play and use other navigation systems but the phone has to be connected to the USB port which is a bit of a pain since storing a larger I-phone is not easy.
I admit these are my own feelings based on my requirements and usage and I would love to hear other people's opinions either on whether they decide to fit the new system or if they have, their own views on performance.

 

[Brisel]

Thank you for a detailed post on your experience, Roger.

I have only recently acquired my 997.1 and will be staying with the CD changer, the Waze app and my phone in a Brodit holder for a bit longer yet. No doubt after a few long journeys I will get the itch to upgrade the very ordinary infotainment system!

 

[rogertill]

Further update since the media player still not working properly. Contacted the dealership and the car is going back again on Friday for further investigation. Since the garage people and I had difficulties trying to find a way to resolve the problem a week ago, and possible solutions were not available, it appears the issue is not a simple one. For this reason I also contacted Porsche UK who are now getting their technical people to see if the problem has occurred in other cars or if it is just a problem with my unit. Basically the memory stick works in my BMW but getting albums listed and playing in the Porsche is problematic. If anybody else has experienced this, could you please let me know, preferably before Friday when I return to the garage.

 

[BC997S]

Is it reading media on your phone via the USB cable Ok? I've never used a media stick, always played media from the iPhone.

 

[rogertill]

Is it reading media on your phone via the USB cable Ok? I've never used a media stick, always played media from the iPhone.

I don't play music over my mobile phone connected to USB. I have my prefered albums which I load on the stick. Put it down to my age. Never had problems playing them before. They worked perfectly with the Dension Gateway 500 link connected to the original PCCM provided I did not go above 32GB loading and the sticks work in the new BMW. I have tried different sticks and all worked on the Dension and BMW but none work properly on the new PCCM plus system.

 

[BC997S]

Ah, I see. Maybe the software doesn't recognise the folder structure the music is stored in?

 

[rogertill]

Ah, I see. Maybe the software doesn't recognise the folder structure the music is stored in?

I think that this is a possibility. It will be interesting to see if other owners have experienced this issue with memory sticks. I have not seen it reported in any other sites but I think most people play music with their phones. However, since Porsche claim you can play music (MP3 files) on the new unit they must have tested this in development. If that is the case what am I doing incorrectly and why do the sticks work on other units? Of course it could just be a fault with my unit and Porsche have no experience of this issue.

 

[Adman7]

Hi Roger did you take your car to a Porsche Centre - if so which one? i've got my car booked in Porsche Centre Hatfield & they've quoted me £2,455.

Many thanks

Adam

 

[rogertill]

Hi Roger did you take your car to a Porsche Centre - if so which one? i've got my car booked in Porsche Centre Hatfield & they've quoted me £2,455.

Many thanks

Adam

Yes Porsche Mid-Sussex. Total cost £1800. They gave me a discount and I didn't even ask for one. Apparently they wanted to compete with the local independents who were quoting around £1600 per fitting.

 

[Adman7]

TYSM super helpful.

 

[rogertill]

Just received this very helpful reply from a guy in the States on the problems with the memory stick.

Yes, USB memory sticks are finicky. I had the exact same problem you are describing on a U.S. version -- USB drive would play on my wife's Macan and on our Ford F150 truck, but not at *all* on the PCCM+. The screen button for "USB" didn't even light up, so the PCCM+ did not recognize our USB memory stick.

There are lots of bits and pieces in posts above where this problem was worked out (most of the way). I'll try to list from memory what I know, but check way up there for more specific posts as needed.

1. The PCCM+ does not seem to accept any USB memory sticks with exFAT formatting. They *must* be formatted using the FAT32 protocol. That was the main problem with my USB memory stick.

2. The PCCM+ doesn't seem to like any USB sticks over 64GB.

2. While the unit seems to play .wma files *most* of the time, I had better luck making sure all of the files were .mp3.

3. If you want to be sure every album or cut played is displayed with the cover art, you may have to use the free utility "mp3tag.exe" to attach the art to each track. It seems to be a bigger problem if you have ripped the music from CDs rather than directly downloading .mp3 files, but it can be done. It takes a while, but once you get into the flow of things, I thought it was worth it.

4. After getting a 64GB USB drive, converting the formatting, converting .wma files to .mp3, and attaching all the album art, and even re-ripping and starting from scratch, I still have about 5% of my music that will not load or will only load the first song on the album. I have not figured this one out, yet, but don't be too surprised if the PCCM+ flat out doesn't recognize the occasional album (always your favorites).

5. My USB drive is organized by Artist/Album/Track as I assume most peoples' would be. This does work the way you want, but it does *not* work the way you expect it to.

A. Insert the qualified USB drive
B. Press the HOME physical button to get the gray icon main menu screen
C. Press MEDIA on the gray icon main menu screen
D. You will get a screen with a choice of two virtual buttons: USB or BLUETOOTH. If your USB memory stick meets all the PCCM+'s fussy requirements (see above), the USB button will light up as shown in the photos below. Press it.
E. If you have been playing a track, it will pop up with its art (assuming the art has been attached to the track), the track file name, etc. Note the two virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen: PLAYER and BROWSE.
F. If you press BROWSE, the current album's tracks will be displayed on the screen for your selection (either touch, or turn the RH knob and press it when you get to the one you want).
G. However, if you want to see what albums are available for a given artist, press the physical BACK button directly above your USB memory stick. If there are more than one for that artist, they will all be listed. Otherwise, you will only see the one.
H. If you want to see the list of artists (i.e., the base Artist directories), press BACK again. Again, you can scroll down and select directly off the screen with your finger, or you can scroll and select with the RH knob.
I. If you press BACK yet again, you will be dumped back into the PLAYER screen and you have to start all over.

So, you see it can be done, but it's literally backwards from what you would expect. BTW, my dealer opened up a ticket with Porsche Classic in Germany regarding the map SD drive problem, then added the issues I had been having with the USB drive.
He provided a number of screen shots showing how it is operated but I would suggest anybody interested should go to the Rennlist 997 forum, 997 PCCM plus at https://rennlist.com/foru...m-plus-request-96.html


1.From this Main Menu, press the MEDIA virtual button.

2.From this screen, the USB virtual button should be lit up. Press it to get the main PLAYER screen.

3.This is the main PLAYER screen. Press the physical BACK button to get to the Artist/Album listing.

4.This is the Artist/Album listing selection screen (I only had one album with George Harrison). If presented with a longer list, you can select this or a different album, which will get you the Album/Track screen. If you press the physical BACK button, you will go up in file/directory hierarchy to the Artist selection screen.

5.This is the album track screen. You can select a track or hit BACK to go back to the Artist/Album listing.

6.This is the Artist selection screen. You can either select an artist and view all the associated albums (what I call the Artist/Album screen), or you can hit BACK again and get dumped back in the PLAYER screen with the current Artist/Album/Track.