Porsche Boxster 986 - engine swap project
Discussion
Very nice work OP!
I'm always interested in engine swaps especially the integration of the electrics/keeping the ECU happy as that I believe is a bigger part to modern swaps than the mechanical fitting of the engine.
Was both the Audi and Porsche CAN? Will the gauges/dash lights etc work with information from an Audi ECU?
I've got a few ideas for a mad swap of my own with an Audi engine and never considered a Boxster as a base car
I'm always interested in engine swaps especially the integration of the electrics/keeping the ECU happy as that I believe is a bigger part to modern swaps than the mechanical fitting of the engine.
Was both the Audi and Porsche CAN? Will the gauges/dash lights etc work with information from an Audi ECU?
I've got a few ideas for a mad swap of my own with an Audi engine and never considered a Boxster as a base car
Thanks for the positive comments.
I'm lucky the wife puts up with me.
Both the Boxster and Audi are pre canbus, they are both 2000 model years. That was part of the reasoning for using the cars I did, wanted to try and keep it relatively simple.
Getting the dash to function correctly will take some time, the rev counter isn't working, the fuel gauge might not work correctly as it seems like the last 1/4 of the tank is calculated by the Porsche ecu rather than from the sender in the tank, the oil level gauge doesn't work, some of the warning lights don't match. Plenty still to be done.
I'm lucky the wife puts up with me.
Both the Boxster and Audi are pre canbus, they are both 2000 model years. That was part of the reasoning for using the cars I did, wanted to try and keep it relatively simple.
Getting the dash to function correctly will take some time, the rev counter isn't working, the fuel gauge might not work correctly as it seems like the last 1/4 of the tank is calculated by the Porsche ecu rather than from the sender in the tank, the oil level gauge doesn't work, some of the warning lights don't match. Plenty still to be done.
Edited by Escy on Tuesday 23 August 09:01
Another first time reader here, start to finish, love it 
Don't like Boxsters, saw the title in Readers Cars and thought, you know what, I'm curious.
Glad I clicked on it, and glad it's on the front page of PH as otherwise I wouldn't have found it in readers cars
Keep at it that man, there's only been 2 weeks of summer so far, there'll be more to come soon
Don't like Boxsters, saw the title in Readers Cars and thought, you know what, I'm curious.
Glad I clicked on it, and glad it's on the front page of PH as otherwise I wouldn't have found it in readers cars
Keep at it that man, there's only been 2 weeks of summer so far, there'll be more to come soon
I've spent some more time fighting the drive-by-wire fault codes. I noticed the Audi TT uses a similar pedal sensor to the Porsche so I thought i'd try one as it also runs a Bosch ME7 ECU so there is a good chance it could work. Porsche on the left, Audi on the right.
It didn't work so I decided to get an original Audi A6 pedal, that didn't work either.
At this point, i'm stuck, the pedal sensor values are perfect, the wiring is fine, VCDS reads it no problem. Possibly a hardware fault on the ECU (i'll try it on my mates car since the immobiliser has been removed)
Although it's running i've decided i'm going to take a couple of steps back and go for standalone engine management instead of waste more time and money on this. I originally wanted to keep the Audi ECU as I thought it would be the simpler option, I had hoped that the integration into the Porsche dashboard would have been seamless since they are both on Bosch systems and built in the same year, that was naive, nothing works on the Porsche dash.
Cost was another factor in keeping the Audi ECU but since I spent £400 on a wideband datalogger, needed a separate fan controller, and other bits and pieces it was a bit of a false economy. Mapping will be easier on a standalone and I won't have to rely on my mate to do all the coding on the Audi ECU (it's a lot of work as i've changed so much around). I've wasted a load of time pissing about with the Audi ecu which is a shame but you live and learn.
I don't suppose a standalone will be plain sailing either. I need to make a decision if I try drive-by-wire throttle again or go cable.
Here is my Zeitronix datalogger installed. That's now been removed as I won't need it anymore as the ECU's i'm looking at run widebands.
It didn't work so I decided to get an original Audi A6 pedal, that didn't work either.
At this point, i'm stuck, the pedal sensor values are perfect, the wiring is fine, VCDS reads it no problem. Possibly a hardware fault on the ECU (i'll try it on my mates car since the immobiliser has been removed)
Although it's running i've decided i'm going to take a couple of steps back and go for standalone engine management instead of waste more time and money on this. I originally wanted to keep the Audi ECU as I thought it would be the simpler option, I had hoped that the integration into the Porsche dashboard would have been seamless since they are both on Bosch systems and built in the same year, that was naive, nothing works on the Porsche dash.
Cost was another factor in keeping the Audi ECU but since I spent £400 on a wideband datalogger, needed a separate fan controller, and other bits and pieces it was a bit of a false economy. Mapping will be easier on a standalone and I won't have to rely on my mate to do all the coding on the Audi ECU (it's a lot of work as i've changed so much around). I've wasted a load of time pissing about with the Audi ecu which is a shame but you live and learn.
I don't suppose a standalone will be plain sailing either. I need to make a decision if I try drive-by-wire throttle again or go cable.
Here is my Zeitronix datalogger installed. That's now been removed as I won't need it anymore as the ECU's i'm looking at run widebands.
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