This week in the shop
2008 Porsche Cayenne installing:
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Remote car starter
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Mobridge Bluetooth kit using factory PCM 2.1 Porsche navigation radio
Product Details
The remote car starter in this Porsche Cayenne is actually activated from the factory remote by pressing the lock button 3 times. The Mobridge Bluetooth kit features handsfree calling and A2DP audio streaming in lieu of the factory CD Changer.
This Porsche Cayenne is Remote Start Ready and yours probably is too
We get a lot of Porsche Cayenne’s in our shop upgrading the in dash navigation and audio system, but this was actually the first time I had a Porsche Cayenne in for a remote car starter. I had to do a bit of research to see if the remote starter was possible, but it didn’t take me too long to figure out that it was. Believe it or not, this car is actually Remote Start Ready.
A lot of newer vehicles are in fact remote start ready and we do quite a few of our remote start installations using this new remote start ready technology. It requires less parts, less wiring and less labor. Even so, it was still a pretty technical installation and not for the faint of heart.
Prior to October 1st 2014, all that was needed for parts was a Directed Electronics DB-ALL2 and 556UW. For this installation, those are the parts we used – I just made sure we flashed the software onto our DB-ALL2 before Directed Electronics made their changes effective. As of October 1st 2014, Directed Electronics eliminated this “Lock Three Times to Start – RSR” software on their DB-ALL2 in favor of selling more parts (more parts meaning more costly to you and more profitable for the manufacturer). This “Lock Three Times to Start ” option will be available using their new 4×10 module. However, there is still the option to use a DB-ALL2 and 556UW along with an additional remote and antenna kit.
With the DB-ALL2, a 556UW and a lot of installation expertise, we successfully enabled the remote starter in a Porsche Cayenne by simply pressing the lock button 3 times on the factory remote
I kind of like the idea of the additional remote for this particular vehicle, because the factory remote is inoperative when the engine is running, however the proximity function of the key is still active. With the one button remote kit, we can program the remote to start the car with one press and then with more one additional press, it will unlock the doors. This remote also provides additional range over the factory key fob, however for this particular client, additional range was not necessary and thus we used the OEM key fob.
- Porsche Cayenne – Remote Car Starter & Bluetooth
The installation was pretty involved and time consuming. For example, the brake wire must be obtained from the brake master cylinder under the windshield wiper motor cowling. Not exactly the easiest thing to get to. Additionally, several resistors with various and precise values needed to be inline for several wires coming off the ignition plug. This is atypical from most remote car starter installations.
After all parts were properly installed the end result is a convenient remote car starter in a Porsche Cayenne by simply pressing the lock button 3 times to start. If you own a Porsche Cayenne and are thinking of installing a remote starter, keep in mind you will need to give up a spare key in order to accomplish this installation. This is common procedure for remote car starters in many European vehicles as this is the only way to incorporate the factory immobilizer chip into the remote car starter system.
Adding Bluetooth to the Porsche Cayenne PCM 2.1 Navigation System
To add Bluetooth to this vehicle, we used an interface from the manufacturer Mobridge. Mobridge is actually based out of Australia, however they do have an American based distributor and tech support. Their application guide is not always straight forward. If you are thinking of adding a Mobridge kit to your vehicle, I highly recommend you first check their online application guide then verify application functionality with your exact trim level and factory audio options through a Mobridge dealer or distributor. It pays to be thorough in this initial investigation. Depending on the year and model vehicle, you are sometimes better off going back to the dealer and buying the OEM part.
After a few tweaks in the installation, the Mobridge M2 Connect Most worked beautifully in this Porsche Cayenne. Do not be deceived by any “Plug and Play” advertisements. These units have to be in a particular location the fiber optic MOST loop and it varies from car to car and audio package to audio package. For example, in this particular vehicle, the factory CD Changer must be taken out of line along with the factory telephone kit (even if inactive) located under the front passenger seat.
Mobridge leaves important details like this out of their installation guides. They seem to come with a very generic one size fits all installation manual which is hardly sufficient for the average installer, let alone the average do it yourselfer. So for anyone considering doing this yourself, I highly suggest you bring it to an authorized dealer just to avoid any potential headaches.
Sure, there are other options on the market like the Dension kit, but Dension is even worse when it comes to customer support. They are based out of Hungary and, last time I checked, they had one technical support agent that spoke English. With the time zone difference from there to America, your only option if you run into trouble is to create a support ticket and wait for an emailed response. Most Americans don’t have that kind of time to waste. They’re too busy working so they can afford to drive their Porsche Cayenne (LOL – that’s a joke, not meant to offend anyone, but seriously, I think we Americans work way too much).
Like factory but even better
The end result of this installation is an improved Porsche Cayenne. This customer now has an OEM style Bluetooth phone kit with Bluetooth A2DP audio streaming and they now have the added convenience of a remote car starter discreetly activated by simply pressing the lock button three times on their OEM remote. We are very thoroughly with our installations and particular job took us two days to complete.
Advice for Porsche Cayenne owners interested in a remote car starter
For anyone interested in adding a remote car starter to their Porsche Cayenne, locate your nearest Directed Electronics dealer through this following link.
Additionally, when seeking an installer for a remote car starter in your Porsche Cayenne, it’s very important to ask questions like:
- How long have you been in business?
- What kind of warranty do you offer?
- How long have your installers been with your company?
- How many years experience do they have installing?
- Are you licensed and insured? (this is not required in most states)
As I said earlier, this remote start install is not for the faint of heart. My husband John has been installing for just over 30 years and as he puts it, “This car is a real ball buster”. So, the point is your installer has to have patience and experience and he also has to be given the time necessary to execute a proper installation.
In the end we had a very happy customer with a Porsche Cayenne who is enjoying their new remote car starter and OEM style Bluetooth kit. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Any questions, please feel free to comment below.