I recently updated the PDK transmission software in my car using the PIWIS 2 tool. For those who have a PIWIS 2 and wish to do the upgrade, attached is the Porsche Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that shows you how to do it. The update is already present in the PIWIS program as long as the PIWIS version in new enough. The version I've linked to previously as a virtual machine has the update.
It's a pretty simple procedure that you clearly do at your own risk. Thanks to Rob997 for the information regarding the update. The update provides some additional features and also fixes up a problem with the previous load.
I must point out that Rob997 had some issues with his car when doing the update. For some reason it removed the VIN from the DME, which in turned the car into a boat anchor. Rafts of codes as a result. He found the VIN had disappeared from the DME and manually entered it and all the problems went away. Would have been pretty gutting at the time and he was considering floating the car to a dealership for diagnosis. Hats off to him for finding the issue. My car was updated without a problem. Like I said above you do this at your own risk. It’s an approved process by Porsche, but clearly there is no warranty if things go pear shaped.
The transmission software in my car was updated from Q031 to Q061. To check your software load go to the transmission module and then extended identification to see the current PDK load. I can't see this TSB listed for 2015 build cars but it it there for 2014 and before. I assume all cars from 2015 onwards have the updated load, but I can't be sure.
Differences? Seems to select reverse more gently. Gear shifts seem a little smoother. Initial clutch engagement from a stop is different. It seems to rev a little higher on initial take up, more like how I would drive a standard manual gearbox.
Here are some items of interest regarding the procedure.
It uses the standard ‘after sales’ mode of PIWIS so it’s all in English.
The TSB calls for a charger of quite high capacity, 70 Amps, which is something most people won’t have.
The minimum voltage specified in the TSB means the battery isn’t discharging, and all the power is being provided by the charger. I had two chargers I attached in parallel, that gave 8 amps of charge capacity (one 6 amp and the other 2 amp capacity). I put one of the chargers on the car overnight before the procedure to ensure the battery was fully charged. During the procedure the voltage observed started at 12.2 and finished at 12.1, meaning there was a slight discharge from the battery during the process. The battery condition from PIWIS after the procedure showed only the smallest amount of power had come from the battery.
To me this means this means the 8 amps of charging capacity was not quite enough to completely cover what the car was using during the procedure. 10 amps of capacity would probably be enough. Of interest, I had another fully charged battery there on standby with some jumper leads just in case there was a blackout or the voltage dropped dramatically during the procedure. Having your laptop on mains power would probably be a good idea also.
The procedure took about 30 minutes. It updates three ECUs; the DME, transmission and instrument cluster. The DME is updated first, then transmission, then instrument cluster.
When the DME is updated the two radiator fans come on at a high power. This startled me a bit, and had me worrying about the charge capacity I had available. This stops after about 5 mins when the DME update is complete.
The transmission took about 5 mins, and the instrument cluster took more than 20 mins.
The countdown of events goes through 12 different processes, 3,4 and 5 being the update of the three ecu’s. The others only take a few moments to get through.
Towards the end PIWIS tells you to turn off the ignition. Don’t worry about the PIWIS interface turning off when doing this, everything works fine. It clearly needs to write something with the ignition off. DON’T REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. You will see a message on the instrument cluster instructing you to remove the key. This is the normal message you see on the cluster when you turn the car off. When PIWIS instructs you to turn off the ignition, turn the key to the off position and leave the key in, go back to PIWIS and press F12 to continue. It will do something for a few moments and then tell you to turn the key back on, which you will do and press F12 again to continue.
The TSB calls for a throttle body adaptation procedure once the update is complete. How to do this is clearly set out in the TSB and only takes a few moments.
Link for all TSBs if you are interested. Scroll down to the bottom for the list of cars by year of manufacture.
2014 Porsche Boxster TSBs | CarComplaints.com
