LA Porsche and BMW Repair

Porsche Communication Management IssuesBy Tony Callas and Tom Prine The Porsche Communications Management (PCM) system encompasses all areas of your Porsche’s electronics operations that do not relate to the mechanical operation of the car. PCM would include the electronics for the audio, video, navigation and displays used in your car. For the purposes of this discussion we will focus on the 987-1 and the 997-1 which covers models years 2005 through 2008. Some owners have experienced problems with PCM equipment and they are surprised when we query about any possible changes to the car made prior to the onset of problems. Is your vehicle completely stock meaning there is no aftermarket electrical equipment, such as an IPOD interface, Satellite radio, Bluetooth component, etc… Almost any aftermarket component can cause issues with the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) Fiber Optic Network architecture. The components or equipmen ... read more

Aside from the GT3/RS, there have basically been two naturally aspirated (non-turbocharged), water cooled, flat 6 cylinder engine designs manufactured by Porsche since the introduction of the 1997 Boxster. These two engine designs are classified with the M96 and the M97 nomenclature. The M97 is superior and has various upgrades over the M96. These upgrades mainly lie in the IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing area, but the M97 was not introduced until the 2006 MY (Model Year). The M96 IMS bearing has been to blame for many of the commonly known engine failures, hence the desirable larger IMS bearing in the M97 engines. The new 997-2 (2009 on) engine (MA1) appeared and is quickly proving to be mechanically superior to both the M96s and M97s. It is classified as the MA1.01 for the 3.8 liter, and MA1.02 for the 3.6 liter. Eliminating the Intermediate Shaft and even one more timing chain, the engine utilizes just two camshaft timing chains, which si ... read more