What is your opinion of the 997 Instrument Cluster?

[Guest]

OK, probably many of you out there have little/no opinion about this essential piece of hardware "" but either way all of you will drive with at least one eye on it"¦ those still with a license anyway!


From a professional perspective, and really on its technical aspects/functionality only "" not styling - I'm interested to get opinions on the 997 instrument pack, the bits of it you like, the bits of it you don't, the bits of it that may not always work as they should"¦ if you have a convertible and notice you can't see the speedometer with the sun overhead, or if you find the LCD display doesn't work so well when the car is cold, I'm interested.


I've been an owner/anorak for years, work in the auto industry and am genuinely interested to hear your thoughts.


Happy motoring,
Peter

 

[sotoole]

I really cant fault the displays - its clear, I prefer the white background on the S, the backlighting is superb at night as it seems to use xenon-like lighting, the central rev counter looks fab and the digital speedo is perfect. I find the outermost dials top half are obscured a little with my driving position.

The only negative comments I have are that the mpg reading on the instrument dial and the trip readout on PCM screen can get out of sync if you dont reset both at the same time and I miss the Boxster-style cowling with its retro style cutouts (which i think is a plastic mesh in the 987)

 

[graham m]

The layout and clarity is fine - the analogue speedo though is only for show as the LCD device is the only one I glance at! The fuel gauge seems ok but the needle does descend quite rapidly - no idea why[8|] At night the illumination is 'classy' maybe the silver S dials enhancing the effect
The sat-nav screen is big and clear but lags behind the actual car position (may be answering a different question there) and the thing does have difficulty finding certain roads? Yet to find a quick way around the menus ie routing etc
Overall - impressed, much better than the predecessors, as it should be.
Graham

 

[Sunil]

I like the cluster on the 997S overall although:

I agree with Graham - the analogue speedo is pointless and the space could possibly be used for something more useful;

I have the multi-function steering wheel and find it annoying that, when using it, I have to keep looking down at the main PCM display. Surely it makes sense to integrate the appropriate displays into the panel below the tacho. Perfect examples are when using the address book on the phone module or programming the satnav;

It would be nice to have more information regarding the status of the cruise control as well. I appreciate that it's a pretty bog standard item but it would be handy to know at least what the 'resume' speed is. An example is where, having been cruising at say 55mph, the driver accelerates in excess of the 'cruise' speed, the driver then allows the car to slow down, whether by tempering the throttle or by simply allowing the car to decelerate naturally. In this case, the car will resume the cruise speed (55mph) which is fine if the driver has performed a simple overtaking manoevre. If, however, the driver has remained at an elevated speed for some time, he may forget that, whilst decelerating, the car will not slow below the initial 'cruise' speed.

Is it just me or does anyone else has a similar view?

Sunil

 

[mbrands]

I like the cluster on the 997. Especially important to me are central tachometer and temperature guages for both oil and water (many cars have just water temp.). I also rely more on the digital speedometer readout, but not sure I'm ready to do away with the analogue one entirely.

Great that PCM allows many of the car's settings to be user configurable. So far the system has been reliable. Only froze once, but reset itself after car was restarted. Cup holders (dare I say it) are dealt with nicely.

There's always room for improvement though:
BMW have a head-up display option, which is very cool. Especially useful with Sat-Nav instructions and other information. I would definitely tick this option, if Porsche offered it.

The time has definitely come to ditch the current PCM screen for a touch sensitive item (don't even think of going down BMW's i-drive route). Other car manufacturers (eg. Lexus/Toyota) have made the leap to touch-screen, and it is a joy to be able to select by fingertip, versus having to scroll and select with fiddly right radio button, especially when entering addresses. Talk about quick and easy to use !

The decision to only offer an optical port removes the ability to connect external devices (such as iPod, or other hard drive) to car stereo.

If while listening to the radio, the signal is lost (like when driving though a tunnel), the inevitable 'white noise' is played through the stereo at the same volume at which the radio was playing. It woud be nice (given all the other tricks the radio can do), if the radio could recognise this loss of signal and after a second or two automatically mute the noise until the radio signal is restored and then gently fade the volume back in.

Sensitivity adjustment on rain sensitive winscreen wipers is not wide enough, ie there is almost no discernable difference between max sensitivity and min sensitivity.

People find it difficult to hear me on speaker phone ( I hear them fine, but would prefer to hear them out of the driver side speaker instead of the passenger side speaker)

On board computer interface could be a little better

Finally, I find the electric window operation with the engine off unnecessarily awkward. For example, window goes down, but not up, so have to put key in ignition and power up to raise window.

 

[pvernham]

I think the instrument cluster is excellent and generally echo the other comments (my main gripe would be that I don't find analogue speedo particularly helpful).

Since we are discussing other interior issues, why do you have to have the radio or CD on when using the SatNav - or have I failed to read the manual properly [&o]

 

[Sunil]

ORIGINAL: mbrands

Cup holders (dare I say it) are dealt with nicely.

BMW have a head-up display option, which is very cool. Especially useful with Sat-Nav instructions and other information. I would definitely tick this option, if Porsche offered it.

The time has definitely come to ditch the current PCM screen for a touch sensitive item (don't even think of going down BMW's i-drive route). Other car manufacturers (eg. Lexus/Toyota) have made the leap to touch-screen, and it is a joy to be able to select by fingertip, versus having to scroll and select with fiddly right radio button, especially when entering addresses. Talk about quick and easy to use !

People find it difficult to hear me on speaker phone ( I hear them fine, but would prefer to hear them out of the driver side speaker instead of the passenger side speaker)

Finally, I find the electric window operation with the engine off unnecessarily awkward. For example, window goes down, but not up, so have to put key in ignition and power up to raise window.

Cup holders
Yes, I like the cup holders but, as I found to my detriment today, although the cup holders are solid, Starbucks need to redesign the top on their cups. I drove down a road today and it was sufficiently rough enough to send coffee everywhere through the hole in the top. A friend of mine was on the phone at the time and, when he heard me cursing, told me that I was lucky to have leather seats - I told him that I was lucky to have been wearing a raincoat! At 20 mph the coffee even hit the passenger headrest! Before anyone suggests it - PASM was in normal mode! []

HUD
Yes please!!!

Touch Sensitive PCM
Yes please! When I asked the salesman about this he said that Porsche had experimented with this but Porsche owners were very particular kinda people and that they wouldn't like fingerprints all over the PCM and that's why Porsche had dropped the idea! All I can say to that is ..... hmmmmmm!

Phone Microphone
I have the same complaint and phoned the service manager from my car. He admitted that he couldn't hear me properly and that he would take a look at it.

Electric Windows
Firstly, I don't like where the window switches are located. It's just not that easy to locate them through touch alone without looking. I preferred their location in my 986 which I presume is the same for the 996.

Secondly, I agree about having to put the key in the ignition to raise the window. You should at least be able to raise the window if the door is open (there's no chance of anyone getting a head trapped).

Thirdly, you can drop the windows using the remote on the key by keeping it pressed down but not raise them. I would have thought it would be more helpful to raise them and lock the car as could be done with the first alarms available which controlled electric windows as well nearly 20 years ago. What's the point of being able to drop them?

Fourthly, I think it's to be expected, particularly in a car like this, to have one-touch operation for electric windows. Whilst this is the case for the windows to be dropped, it is only the case for the driver's window to be raised. The passenger window has to be at least half way up to be able to use one-touch to raise the window.
Does anyone know of any way around this?

Sunil

 

[Ronnie C]

I too like the central tachometer, and only look at the digital readout for speed. I always do an engine oil readout before starting up, and if possible when the engine has warmed up, but I would really like a real dip stick as well as this would also let you get an idea on how dirty the oil really is. I know Porsche recommend a 2 year or 20k oil change, but I don't think I'll be risking my engine like that.

The other instruments I use are the engine temp ones.

I find the cup holder very handy for holding my iPod when playing through the cars speaker system.

Finally the electric windows... seems there's some confusion here.

When I exit the car, and press the remote lock button, if I hold the button down, the windows automatically close up. I find this very useful as I have to leave the windows slightly open if I don't want the helicopter effect when my sunroof is open.

With regards to the passenger window not one touch closing unless more than half closed, I was told it was because a child in USA got trapped messing around with dad's car... very litigious over there apparently.

 

[dixhuit]

I go along with concensus of opinion and a big improvement on my 996 however :
1) Windows. I much prefered the 996 lifter positioning in the centre console as the natural way of oprating all other control buttons is with your left hand allowing your right hand to steer. Now you have to change over just to operate the window.
PS I thought that the way windows operated was governed by some legal directive on safety
2) Terrible positioning of the sport mode buttons etc on the Chrono pack. You cant operate them in 3rd or 5th gear unless you are a double jointed contortionist
3) Touch sensitive Screen. No thank you. My kids would have a field day !!!!!
Overall a big thumbs up but I like to see how my car is running within an instrument cluster and hope Porsche sticks to its guns and doesnt put too much info into a computor screen which is far more distracting.
Simon

 

[mbrands]

I too have noticed the 'helicopter effect' with the sunroof open. It comes in at around 30-40mph. Opening the windows a fraction, does cure it, but I think the sunroof spoiler design must be fundamentally flawed to allow this annoying buffeting to happen at a speed, which is otherwise ideally suited for sunroof open. The 993 sunroof (a somewhat older design) does not cause buffeting at any speed, which makes me think that the right design would cure the problem.

 

[Guest]

I like it all...
I also like the big needle in the center round thing when it goes all aroung to the right, followed by a big noise from the back[]

 

[dixhuit]

Cant agree more. I have just taken delivery of a new mini.with a panoramic sun roof. Car cost £12k and roof was £600. No helicopter effect. And I am sorry Porsche £72k and £800 no comparison. Interestly the mini has a split wind deflector and two mesh sunshades. And before you ask yes its electric/tilt and slide with one touch operation but the Porsche is quicker on the road !!![][]
Standard Mini One but 130 bhp and no badges in Speed yellow
Cheers