For the newest Porsche model after 2017 year (i.e 2018 Macan), requires piwis tester 3;
For the older Porsche model (i.e a 99 Boxster), don’t need the newest version, then piwis 2 is okay.
Question: As I’m researching this myself, given that you don’t have a model year that requires it, what is driving you to upgrade from piwis II, to piwis III? Is it just this: “The PIWIS III testerhas a built in multimeter and oscilloscope and the cables are included.”, or other factors that you can note here, for reference?
Reply:
I also have a 2018 Macan that requires the piwis3. I hope to help people in my community and I also plan to rebuild another. I’m excited my PIWIS III arrives tomorrow. I will review after I test it out. I have PSM module arriving Saturday that will need the module replacement procedure.
An interesting thing happened to me the other day. I had just received my PIWIS III and was going to use it to change out the PSM module and before I did I had it run a full diagnostic. At the time I didn’t realize that the unit was in development mode. My Piwis 2 would only show one code, a faulty recirculation servomotor which I have struggled to physically change due to its location. When the diagnostic was complete two things happened; one I realized it was in development mode since all the responses were in German (in development mode the menus can be changed to English but the responses from the modules appear in German) And two there were more error codes. After having Google translate the German responses I discover that the b piller servomotors were mechanically jammed. It also found a fault in the brake light switch which was working properly. I switched the unit to after sales mode( the dealer mode) and those codes weren’t there Then I used the unit to monitor the servomotors in question. What I discovered was that they were indeed not moving from 0 to 100. After finally figuring out where they were located (under the front seats) I pulled one out and took it apart and the motor shaft was seized. Un seizing it didn’t do enough to fix it so I ordered 3(one for the recirc). Anyways the point is that developers mode not only tested the motors it tried to run them from stop to stop which normal mode does not. The brake light switch after checking the voltage while pressing on the switch was showing only 7 volts so it was partially shorted something else missed by the regular mode. If you have mysterious issues with no codes and have access to Porsche tester, try running it in development or engineering mode as it is sometimes called, and see if it reveals any new codes.
Question:
Do you know if it is possible to activate the rear DRL and the LED Matrix headlamps with the PIWIS III?
Answer:
activation codes are not included with the tester. You can add them if you have them but this is an online programming function and the dealer must pay Porsche for the options that he installed. When he sends a work order to Porsche he receives the activation codes then enters them into the PIWIS. Now there are some Russians who have hacked porches codes and will sell you an activation code for new options. I haven’t tried them but I did pay $125 for my original activation codes so I code reprogram a pcm and a new clock spring.
Question: Porsche diagnostic tool PIWIS III clone or original, which one should i buy?
Answer:
I recall now that I encountered a Chinese PIWIS at a local “indy” shop. I had my Turbo in there in Sep. of 2019 to get new O2 sensors installed and the tech — recently from the local Porsche dealer I use — was there and after the sensors were replaced he grabbed what looked like a PIWIS but when I expressed surprise that an indy shop would own one he told me it wasn’t the real thing but a Chinese clone. He said it worked pretty good.
Question:
PIWIS Chinese knock-off is way too expensive for me and offers no online updates. Is it true?
Answer: No. It depends on where you buy one Piwis 3, this one comes with U disk update tool and allows user to update online:
