TMc993

This DIY will show you the relay location: http://p-car.com/diy/relay/

RayB_911

Based on feedback from members, I also purchased a DME for mine. I bought it on amazon for under $30US. I took out the original one and put the cheapo in there. If it fails I have the "good" one in the furnk to back me up. I haven't owned my car for a year yet. It sure has been an interesting first year so far.

96PCarrera993mg

How can you favor the old DME as a good backup when the old ones are prone to failure due to faulty soldering? You may want to rethink and use the new one as a backup. Just saying.

NYC993

Especially since the original ones tend to fail after you take them out. The back up may not be even working by now unless resoldered.

Slow Guy

Can you explain to me how this would happen?

The DME Relay is pretty easy to find, it's the one closest to the front right of the car (if you were sitting in the driver's seat). It also says DME on the top......

There is a big difference in price between a OE relay and a aftermarket relay, I have no idea if there is a comparable difference in quality but I doubt it.

NYC993

Read the link on the first page. I guess that taking it out and putting back in puts some force that can easily damage the original soldering. I'm not sure what's the exact logic, it just seems that some had an issue come up very shortly after taking the original relay out. And some who never took it out never had an issue...

nr1416

If thats the case then I'm thinking of buying a spare and not switching it until I have to. Like the old saying goes, "If it aint broke...."

RayB_911

I thought of that, but the one that was in did not look 22 years old, but was Porsche. Since I figured the one I purchased was of less quality I would use it first and rely on the Porsche brand.

Since the new one has worked for a month, I may just switch it back. Makes sense if the other was older than I think.

At any rate, I carry a spare.

axl911

Well....it may also be the case where you received a new but bad DME. It is not good to find out you have a bad spare dme about 80 miles from no where and no phone reception.

There is really no risk in pulling out the old dme to test the new one. I pulled mine out countless times.

funbug

Thanks Terry!

Slow Guy

I take my DME relay out quite frequently. I take it out when changing the oil, to build up oil pressure before actually firing it up, and pretty much whenever the car has sat for more than 10 - 14 days (for the same reason). It's been removed/replaced better than 30 times I suspect, never had a problem. I fail to see how removing the relay is going to shorten it's life.

KNS

I asked the Porsche tech who works on my car about removing it/installing it repeatedly and if there would be a problem. He said no.

Mark in Baltimore

+1. My car lives without the DME in it to foil a theft attempt and to allow me to prime the engine with oil on a cold start. Never had any problems and am running on the DME that came with the car when I bought it eleven years ago.

I'm sure it's quietly collapsing on itself as I write this.

TMc993

I'm waiting for someone to say, "I bought a back-up relay and then got worried that it might fail so I bought another one because if the one that is in the car failed and I replaced it with my back-up, I wouldn't have a back-up for the replacement. But then I got to thinking that the back-up to my back-up would fail, so I bought a third relay as a back-up for my back-up for my back-up...."

It is possible to overthink this guys....An old relay, in the car and working, along with a back-up relay will probably last you for years.

Mark in Baltimore

If you buy a DME with a manufacturing code of 5834 within the first five digits, they're fine as a primary back up. However, if the 5834 numbers are within the last five digits, you'll want a back up for this back up and might need a back up 993 for your first 993.

100% agree, Terry.