Thanks, very useful! Three things I ended up doing a little different: 1. preferred the Porsche trim and storage for the lower section of the console over the Mitria. Merely for fit and for the keeping rubber inlay of the storage; 2. put the new microfone into the space for the Porsche microphone (see left of your speedometer for this thumbsize roster). I took this out, run the wiring through the dashboard into the upper part (see video’s for removing) and made the microphone fit into the back of this thumb-size roster before placing it back. Microphone and wiring are invisible and it works excellent, even when driving open; 3. I wanted to keep the classic look of the center console with wiper-control and cigarette lighter. So I placed an almost invisible USB connector into the back of the lower “bat” trim in the center console. It fits very well and you only create a small USB-connector size hole in the trim.
This video is so helpful and well explained. I am installing my new head unit tomorrow and feel a whole lot more confident having watched your video. Thanks so much for sharing all the great and very detailed information.
I'm installing exactly this Alpine unit in my 996 this week. Thanks for the video! It's been helpful and given me a few more things to add to my parts shopping list.
I have the same issue with the Metra kit in my 2003 986 Boxster. The cup holders don’t work with the kit. Glad I ran across your video before I got too crazy designing more than I needed. I also got the Alpine radio so I can use the mounting holes.
Thanks...I enjoyed that installation...and I don't even own a 996...I own a 997 Turbo with the factory Bose amp and steering wheel controls that required MOST and UNI-CAN boxes.
PIF DIY - this was a great video for us 996 Jockeys that have an awful stock Head Unit. I will have to relocate my climate control ops module as well, so seeing that performed gave me confidence. if you were to do this again, would you purchase anything different (equipment-wise) or add or subtract any component of this mod? thanks again. there’s no telling how much time you’ve saved us in the 996 world, but it’s definitely over a metric S ton of minutes
Thanks for the kind words corporalclegg914! I was very happy with my choices when I made this upgrade. The Alpine unit had rock solid Carplay connectivity and allowed for a lot of sound adjustability. These days, I'd look for a wireless Carplay unit with the same features. The setup I had worked great with no surprises. The sound was good enough to not feel a need for an amp. Adding an amp would've improved the sound, but the HU swap alone sounded fine, even with the top down.
Great video, thanks for taking the time. It's a tedious enough job on its own, never mind trying to record it to this standard. You've got a sub. Cheers.
Great Video. I have the same setup and actually have the same radio. Just about to do the wiring harness...I'll let you know how it works out, but right now things are coming together nicely.
Nice job! Doing this exact setup now. I’m confused where you cut the rca cables and where you wired them in. Can you elaborate more on that? The video kind of skips where they go…
At 15:08 you talk about swapping the 12v constant and switched. Rather than red to red and yellow to yellow you flipped it. Why? Thanks. Great video. I have watched it 3 times and will watch more as I wait for my new head unit to arrive.
Hi, the Metra 70-1784 color codes are accurate for Audi/Volkswagen but Porsche reverses the colors for constant and switched (don't ask me why) so you need to swap those two colors when going to your HU. Hope this helps.
Long shot since this videos three years old. I've been reworking my 986. I have a similar setup with the Bose amp. I notice that my brown plug has all the speaker pairs. My yellow plug only had the remote turn on for the amp. All other wires were cut to the yellow plug. If I plug the brown plug into the Metra I get sound, but it sounds kinda flat and muddled. I have the red connector from Metra for the amp, but I'm unclear, do I I do away with the brown plug and rewire my speaker pairs into the RCA cables from the Red Metra adapter? And If so, you mentioned you they all share a common neutral so what do you do with the neutral from each pair?
@PIF Thank you for posting the video. This is exactly what I want to do with my 2002 C4S. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you located? and would you be open to installing this for me? (with compensation for your time). Thank you.
Great Video! Which USB cigarette lighter option did you choose? It looks great and "factory". I'm having trouble finding one that finishes as flush as this
Thanks I missed that completely. I had seen those on Amazon. They look much better installed than they do in the ad. Good to know. Thanks for the reply.
Question: Why not leave the RCA leads and connectors where they are on the red connector? On the car side, they connect to the amplifier plug which expects to see the (+) amp on signal and the RCA input for the 4 speakers with a common ground. On the black METRA connector, there is the power side (illumination, switched, constant and ground) as well as (+) and (-) for each speaker, which needs to go to the brown connector on the car side. I guess I do not understand how eliminating the input into the amplifier keeps the amplifier functional. It would appear to me that your wiring uses the head unit's amplifier exclusively to power the speakers.
Hi, "On the car side, they connect to the amplifier plug which expects to see the (+) amp on signal and the RCA input for the 4 speakers with a common ground." This isn't true for my car. If you go to th-cam.com/video/7FWd_gPaXuw/w-d-xo.html you'll see where that red connector attaches to the car harness. That car harness only has the remote turn on and some CD changer connections. If you look at the location of the RCAs on the red connector and then trace it to the car harness connector, the mating pinouts are not populated at all, so those RCAs would go to nowhere. Hope this helps.
@@PIFDIY I can confirm that you were absolutely right! One wire (12V to switch on amplifier) is the only pinned connection. Other observations: - the Metra kit has some shortcomings when it comes to radio fit. The cradle was so !@#$% tight that I had to literally press the radio into it. Not good. Then mounting the cradle in the frams...what a mess. I used the Metra clamping bracket around the radio and fabbed two aluminium spacers so that the radio with cradle locked into the frame. NOT an up-to-date kit, for sure.
Hi RD, I think I it's this one - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I608BJ8?th=1. Honestly, these days I just keep the phone in the little cubby most of the time because I use Carplay.
@pifdiy298, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have a 2002 911 and I’ve wired multiple stereos in the past with never an issue but I couldn’t figure this car out. I think this and the amp remote turn on are my issue and I should have tunes very soon! This video was was very helpful!
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Thanks, very useful! Three things I ended up doing a little different:
1. preferred the Porsche trim and storage for the lower section of the console over the Mitria. Merely for fit and for the keeping rubber inlay of the storage;
2. put the new microfone into the space for the Porsche microphone (see left of your speedometer for this thumbsize roster). I took this out, run the wiring through the dashboard into the upper part (see video’s for removing) and made the microphone fit into the back of this thumb-size roster before placing it back. Microphone and wiring are invisible and it works excellent, even when driving open;
3. I wanted to keep the classic look of the center console with wiper-control and cigarette lighter. So I placed an almost invisible USB connector into the back of the lower “bat” trim in the center console. It fits very well and you only create a small USB-connector size hole in the trim.
This video is so helpful and well explained. I am installing my new head unit tomorrow and feel a whole lot more confident having watched your video. Thanks so much for sharing all the great and very detailed information.
Hey man, how'd the install go for you?
By far the best 996 double Din installation video I have come across. Gives me hope I can make this mod to my 996. Thank you!
I'm installing exactly this Alpine unit in my 996 this week. Thanks for the video! It's been helpful and given me a few more things to add to my parts shopping list.
Glad it helped! Good luck with the install!
I have the same issue with the Metra kit in my 2003 986 Boxster. The cup holders don’t work with the kit. Glad I ran across your video before I got too crazy designing more than I needed. I also got the Alpine radio so I can use the mounting holes.
Thanks for making this video. Now I know one more thing I’ll never try to do.
Great video! I followed your instructions and now have a great head unit (Alpine 650) installed. You saved me from hours of extra work. Thanks!
Thanks...I enjoyed that installation...and I don't even own a 996...I own a 997 Turbo with the factory Bose amp and steering wheel controls that required MOST and UNI-CAN boxes.
Thanks James! And nice car!
As much as I would like to upgrade my Boxster, I get so many compliments with my other 1986 car that it still have everything original in it.
PIF DIY - this was a great video for us 996 Jockeys that have an awful stock Head Unit.
I will have to relocate my climate control ops module as well, so seeing that performed gave me confidence.
if you were to do this again, would you purchase anything different (equipment-wise) or add or subtract any component of this mod?
thanks again. there’s no telling how much time you’ve saved us in the 996 world, but it’s definitely over a metric S ton of minutes
Thanks for the kind words corporalclegg914! I was very happy with my choices when I made this upgrade. The Alpine unit had rock solid Carplay connectivity and allowed for a lot of sound adjustability. These days, I'd look for a wireless Carplay unit with the same features. The setup I had worked great with no surprises. The sound was good enough to not feel a need for an amp. Adding an amp would've improved the sound, but the HU swap alone sounded fine, even with the top down.
Brilliantly helpful, thank you. Small point of order, the original stereo does use speed sensitive volume, believe it or not!
Heya! Did the sam mods as you on my 996 - Metra+Sony XAV-AX5550D and Öhlins Road & Track kit. You helped me a lot, thank you!
This was awesome thanks so much. Working on my 97 Boxster.
Thanks for posting. Plan to do this same install on my 2002 911 next week.
Great video, thanks for taking the time. It's a tedious enough job on its own, never mind trying to record it to this standard. You've got a sub. Cheers.
Thanks for the nice comment!
Thank you, I have a 2002 and wasn’t sure not sure if fiber optic or not.
Thank you. Very well done video. Can you post the link for the USB in the cigarette lighter?
At 28:47 - that's a wiring harness for an aftermarket cellphone. One of those wires is always hot, another is switched.
Great Video. I have the same setup and actually have the same radio. Just about to do the wiring harness...I'll let you know how it works out, but right now things are coming together nicely.
Thanks for making this. Very helpful.
This is a great video. Thank you!
Great video. Did it work by stripping the brown ground security wire ? Some said it might beep when you lock the car with fob...
Nice job...thanks for sharing...
Nice job! Doing this exact setup now. I’m confused where you cut the rca cables and where you wired them in. Can you elaborate more on that?
The video kind of skips where they go…
At 15:08 you talk about swapping the 12v constant and switched. Rather than red to red and yellow to yellow you flipped it. Why? Thanks. Great video. I have watched it 3 times and will watch more as I wait for my new head unit to arrive.
Hi, the Metra 70-1784 color codes are accurate for Audi/Volkswagen but Porsche reverses the colors for constant and switched (don't ask me why) so you need to swap those two colors when going to your HU. Hope this helps.
@@PIFDIY I had the same question, many thanks for posting this video.
Long shot since this videos three years old. I've been reworking my 986. I have a similar setup with the Bose amp. I notice that my brown plug has all the speaker pairs. My yellow plug only had the remote turn on for the amp. All other wires were cut to the yellow plug. If I plug the brown plug into the Metra I get sound, but it sounds kinda flat and muddled. I have the red connector from Metra for the amp, but I'm unclear, do I I do away with the brown plug and rewire my speaker pairs into the RCA cables from the Red Metra adapter? And If so, you mentioned you they all share a common neutral so what do you do with the neutral from each pair?
@PIF
Thank you for posting the video. This is exactly what I want to do with my 2002 C4S.
If you don’t mind me asking, where are you located? and would you be open to installing this for me? (with compensation for your time).
Thank you.
Would be possible to have a color to clot schematic of the connections? Thank you.
Thx for posting!
Great Video! Which USB cigarette lighter option did you choose? It looks great and "factory". I'm having trouble finding one that finishes as flush as this
The parts I used are in the links in my video's description.
Thanks I missed that completely. I had seen those on Amazon. They look much better installed than they do in the ad. Good to know. Thanks for the reply.
Question: Why not leave the RCA leads and connectors where they are on the red connector? On the car side, they connect to the amplifier plug which expects to see the (+) amp on signal and the RCA input for the 4 speakers with a common ground. On the black METRA connector, there is the power side (illumination, switched, constant and ground) as well as (+) and (-) for each speaker, which needs to go to the brown connector on the car side. I guess I do not understand how eliminating the input into the amplifier keeps the amplifier functional. It would appear to me that your wiring uses the head unit's amplifier exclusively to power the speakers.
Hi,
"On the car side, they connect to the amplifier plug which expects to see the (+) amp on signal and the RCA input for the 4 speakers with a common ground."
This isn't true for my car. If you go to th-cam.com/video/7FWd_gPaXuw/w-d-xo.html you'll see where that red connector attaches to the car harness. That car harness only has the remote turn on and some CD changer connections. If you look at the location of the RCAs on the red connector and then trace it to the car harness connector, the mating pinouts are not populated at all, so those RCAs would go to nowhere. Hope this helps.
@@PIFDIY I appreciate the reply; according to the wiring diagram, the yellow connector is pinned, but I have not checked in the car, yet!
@@PIFDIY I can confirm that you were absolutely right! One wire (12V to switch on amplifier) is the only pinned connection.
Other observations:
- the Metra kit has some shortcomings when it comes to radio fit. The cradle was so !@#$% tight that I had to literally press the radio into it. Not good. Then mounting the cradle in the frams...what a mess. I used the Metra clamping bracket around the radio and fabbed two aluminium spacers so that the radio with cradle locked into the frame. NOT an up-to-date kit, for sure.
@@cattlerepairmancattlerepai9414 Yup, same here. Had to fab a little to get it to work. Still though, it gets you most of the way there...
great video! can you pls share the link to where you purchased your phone mount? thanks!
Hi RD, I think I it's this one - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I608BJ8?th=1. Honestly, these days I just keep the phone in the little cubby most of the time because I use Carplay.
Could that cubby hole where you keep your glasses be turned into a wireless charger?
Why did you wire the constant 12v to the switched 12v? Just after the 15 minute mark.
The Metra harness is made for Volkswagen/Audi and although it works in the 996, the constant and switched leads are reversed.
@pifdiy298, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have a 2002 911 and I’ve wired multiple stereos in the past with never an issue but I couldn’t figure this car out. I think this and the amp remote turn on are my issue and I should have tunes very soon! This video was was very helpful!
Hi. Can you conect a cd charger ! To this system.
Hey @PIF DIY, what phone mount are you using in your 996? the placement is perfect
Scosche magnetic
@@PIFDIY oh i see! is it adhesive and you just stuck it directly in that spot? thank you for the reply!
Why does almost NO ONE make the effort to put the AC in the top slot where the cassettes were? Only see 1 install done nicely.
Because you can't buy off the shelf parts for that fitment. To get the AC on top slot, you'll have to fabricate parts.
@@PIFDIY I saw a couple like what I want, will find someone to fabricate
What is the brand of your phone mount? Perfect positioning. Thanks.
Was just about to ask myself 😂
Did the same, I got a universal one from dash mount and re-bent it to the top screw in that upper console.
Trying to find the Parking brake wire to splice in. Anyone know where it is and color code?
Where did you get the cigarette lighter to usb also do you have the fiber optic amplifier?
He said not fiber optic because of the year at beginning of the video.
what is the metra part number to that usb lighter the same one you have on the video with that usb sticking out. (so perfectly flush to the dash)
You'll find the link in the video description.
Where did you purchase the replacement USB for the cig lighter?
Hi Todd, link is in the video description.
Thank you!
How did you do the usb port?
I added a link in the video description. It just plugs into the back of the HU.