Accessport Tuning for Porsche PDK Transmissions

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The COBB Porsche Team is excited to bring a world’s first to the Porsche enthusiast community, PDK Tuning!  For the past few years our Porsche Team has spent thousands of hours perfecting their understanding of a variety of both naturally aspirated and turbocharged Porsche engines.  We have had our hand in claiming numerous 1/4 Mile and 1/2 Mile records along with supporting class winning teams in the IMSA Continental Sports Car Challenge Series and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The idea of offering custom tuning for Porsche’s PDK transmission was conceived late last year by our COBB Porsche reverse engineering team.  With the ability to tune a vehicle’s engine at almost all power levels well sorted, it was now time to investigate methods of putting that new-found power to the ground more efficiently.

After thousands of in-house testing hours on various vehicles of all trims as well as some grueling development time spent at the 2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, we are extremely pleased to now offer PDK Transmission tuning support for the following Porsche vehicles:

 

AP3-POR-006 Supported Vehicles
  • 2014-2016 Porsche 911 (991) Turbo PDK WM
  • 2014-2016 Porsche 911 (991) Turbo S PDK WM

 

 

AP3-POR-007 Supported Vehicles
  • 2014-2016 Porsche Cayman (981) PDK WM
  • 2014-2016 Porsche Cayman (981) S PDK WM
  • 2015-2016 Porsche Cayman (981) GTS PDK WM
  • 2016 Porsche Cayman (981) GT4 Clubsport PDK WM
  • 2013-2016 Porsche Boxster (981) PDK WM
  • 2013-2016 Porsche Boxster (981) S PDK WM
  • 2015-2016 Porsche Boxster (981) GTS PDK WM
  • 2012-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) PDK WM
  • 2012-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) S PDK WM
  • 2012-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) S X51 PDK WM
  • 2013-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) 4 PDK WM
  • 2013-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) 4S PDK WM
  • 2013-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) 4S X51 PDK WM
  • 2015-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) GTS PDK WM
  • 2015-2016 Porsche Carrera (991) 4GTS PDK WM

Gaining access to PDK Tuning can come in two ways.  First, existing Accessport owners can upgrade current Accessports with PDK compatible firmware.  In order to begin that process, contact our Customer Support Team at 1-866-922-3059 or [email protected].  Once the upgrade is purchased, a firmware update key will be sent to the Accessport owner to be applied to the Accessport via Accessport Manager.

Accessport for Porsche 991 Turbo (Upgrade to PDK Flashing)

Accessport for Porsche 981 Cayman/Boxster, 991 Carrera (Upgrade to PDK Flashing)

The second method to obtaining PDK Tuning capabilities is to purchase one of two new Accessport part numbers that will come with PDK Tuning enabled.

Accessport with PDK Flashing for Porsche 991 Turbo

  • AP3-POR-006-PDK

Accessport with PDK Flashing for Porsche 981 Cayman/Boxster, 991 Carrera

  • AP3-POR-007-PDK

PDK Off The Shelf Maps

In releasing a product that has never before been offered, our Porsche Calibration experts created PDK calibrations that we felt would give the greatest performance impact as well as appeal to most enthusiast owners.  While the specifics of the map for each vehicle may differ slightly, below is a general representation of what to expect when using one of three provided PDK OTS maps.

All supported vehicles will have the following maps to choose from:

  • COBB Sport Map
    • A nice mix between the factory Normal and Sport Drive Modes.
  • COBB Aggressive Map
    • More ideal for vehicles being used on track or during competition.
  • COBB High Torque Aggressive Map (not in firmware)
    • Intended for vehicles with significant torque increase over stock.  Requires PDK Relearn after flashing.

Below we highlight features that are integrated into the PDK Off The Shelf Maps.  For a complete list of changes made to the PDK OTS Maps please see the PDK Map Notes Page.

Increased Minimum Shift Points

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The factory shift schedule is geared towards maximizing fuel economy in Normal mode.  Our calibrators have increased the Minimum Shift Point for each individual gear, giving cars a more sport like feel during normal driving.  The Minimum Shift Points in both Normal and Sport Mode are adjusted and will provide a more consistent and predictable shifting schedule.

Increased Auto Shift Points

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With an increased Auto Shift Point cars are able to carry out power a bit higher before initiating a gear change.  This is specifically beneficial to naturally aspirated cars and turbocharged cars with upgraded turbochargers where power is still increasing at the top of the power band.

Race Start Lite

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This feature adds Race Start to both the Normal and Sport drive modes, including cars WITHOUT the factory Sport Chrono option.  The Race Start Lite RPM in Normal and Sport mode will typically be slightly lower than in Sport Plus.

Increased Shift Firmness

Shift firmness is the culmination of a few variables that determine how quickly the clutches are engaged between gears.  The COBB PDK OTS maps offer slightly increased firmness over stock which translates to a shift more akin to that in a 991 GT3.

Increased Clutch Pressure

Minimizing clutch slip when engaging a gear moves power through the drivetrain more efficiently.   Our calibrators have increased clutch pressure only in the High Torque Aggressive OTS map.  This is intended to be used on vehicles that have a significant increase in torque over stock (50% or more).  As a note, when flashing the High Torque Aggressive map, a PDK Relearn MUST be performed.

Minimized Continuous Clutch Slip

Continuous Clutch Slip can often present a sloppy feel when driving PDK equipped cars at low loads.  COBB PDK OTS Maps will mitigate the “gear hunting” feeling by minimizing the amount of slip the clutches exhibit at low RPMs.

***For more information on Off The Shelf Maps specific to your vehicle please visit the Map Notes Page.***


PDK Relearn

This is a service that is typically performed on vehicles that have had the transmission replaced or serviced, clutch packs replaced or upgraded, or simply on vehicles with higher mileage where tolerances in the clutch packs may have increased over time.  During the PDK Relearn process, the PDK control unit will adjust clutch engagement, clutch torque, and touch points to account for clutch wear, or slip.

For written instructions, please see the PDK Clutch Relearn How To Guide.


Updated ECU Off The Shelf Maps

Accessport users that wish to take advantage of the PDK Off The Shelf Maps will also need to update to a v200 ECU Off The Shelf Map.  The only updates to the v200 maps is adding compatibility for cars that are also using COBB PDK OTS Maps.  As always, you can reference changes to OTS Maps on the Map Notes Pages listed below.

Porsche 991 911 Turbo/Turbo S Map Notes

Porsche 981 Cayman/Boxster and 991 Carrera Map Notes

 

Performing a Firmware Update using Accessport Manager will load updated Off The Shelf Maps onto the Accessport.  Once the update is complete, select the “Restore OTS Maps” function on the Accessport while connected to the vehicle and the Accessport will add v200 maps to the selectable list.

 


23 responses to “Accessport Tuning for Porsche PDK Transmissions”

  1. Hi Guys,

    Sooo excited to see you release this!
    I’m about to pull the trigger on Cobb to tune my 997.2 Turbo and have been hoping you would release a way to tune the PDK so I didn’t have to use a competing system for this.

    Seems so far you’ve got 991 support….is 997.2 PDK support on the way soon too?

    Geoff…

    • Hey Geoff! Glad to hear the excitement behind this product, we’re super excited for feedback to start working on additional PDK Maps. We do already have a planned second PDK release for which will add support for all currently supported 987.2 and 997.2 vehicles. I would expect to see that late this Fall.

      Marshall@COBB

  2. Awesome thanks Marshall, that’s made my day!
    Will keep an eye out and pick up the Accessport when I’m in the US later this year (no dealers that I can find in Malaysia?).
    Would also love to know the closest authorized shop to me in Kuala Lumpur that you could recommend for custom tuning it….I’d even drive to Singapore if need be?
    Cheers!
    Geoff.

    • It unfortunately does not look like we have any Porsche Protuners within driving distance of you. Luckily, the Porsche platform lends itself very well to remote tuning (referred to as E-Tuning). There are a number of Protuners around the world that would be able to help you out with a custom tune.

      Marshall@COBB

    • It is not on the current plan however we have seen quite a few requests for Macan PDK support. It may indeed be something we look into.

      Marshall@COBB

  3. cant wait for your next release of PDK maps for the 991 … I’m loving what you’ve done, but cant wait for the reverse of the .1 shifter and elimination of that annoying kickdown feature on the e-gas!!!

    • Hey Mike, that project is our Porsche team’s top project right now. We are hopeful that a product will be ready by the end of the year. Once we have a bit more R&D time a more accurate ETA should be available.

      Marshall@COBB

  4. 997.2 2009 PDK
    This is must have for ALL PDK – this is what Porsche should have done in “normal” mode . Gear is now correctly placed and driving the 911 feels lighter and smoother. Sport mode is awesome too. If only you made a software to allow us to modify the gear shift points in each gear

  5. Any chance that we’ll also see other 9×1 features like dual-paddle neutral, sequential mode and kick-down disable (or did I miss those in the release notes)?

    • It is something we hope to do in the future, though it will be a rather large project. What specific car are you looking for those features to be applied to?

      Marshall@COBB

    • In short, yes. While a car that is nearer to stock (basic bolt-ons) may not see significant measurable differences, those pushing the envelope with larger turbos, built motors, etc. definitely see improvements with a PDK tune.

      Marshall@COBB

  6. How does the PDK tune affect the sport button? Is the installed tune now the default? In a sense making the sport button useless.

  7. V202 is Amazing the latest release V400 is terrible don’t waste your money! It is a more emissions friendly release that negates the improvements that you’re expecting and experience with the V202. Instead of keeping the car higher in the power band like it used to now you will find yourself in 7th gear at 42mph like stock. I asked for help to be back dated to the previous version and Cobb told me they couldn’t help the Maps are gone. Not true by the way you can back date to the previous firmware. They also said they would update the notes for the MAP which I can see they haven’t in a month and a half, so they are continuing to falsely advertise the current product.

    • Hi Joshua,

      I’m sorry you’re dissatisfied with the updates. The shift schedules are still correct, it is the amount of throttle input necessary to achieve those schedules that has changed. If you’re driving aggressively (which is when most users wanted to stay at higher RPMs) it will operate the same as the v202 maps.

      Kyle@COBB

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