What You Should Know About Your Porsche DME

The Digital Motronic Electronics (DME) is made by Bosch GmbH, electronics supplier to Porsche. You may also see it called the Engine Control Unit (ECU). Whichever it is called, it is the "brain" that manages the car's engine, and it is factory programmed to optimize power and fuel economy under a range of driving conditions. The problem is, when you make modifications to your car, the DME still tries to "normalize" engine parameters, and this can result in a decrease in power.

What Is DME Testing For?

DMEs may be tested when the car owner notices symptoms that indicate problems with the DME. A few of the symptoms of DME problems include:

A "Check Engine" light that remains on after being reset

• Engine cutting out for no apparent reason
• Intermittent starting problems
• Seeming loss of spark, fuel pump, or injection pulse

Common DME Problems

Problems with your car's DME may be caused by broken pins, water, a short fire, corrosion, or broken tracks. This may result in your car stalling, running poorly, idling erratically, or using more fuel than normal. You can have your DME tested by experts to determine if DME problems are what's causing your car to perform sub-optimally.

Repairing a Porsche DME

If your only local option is expensive diagnostics at your dealer, you should know that there are services that specialize in DME testing and repair, and that will cost you far less. These services visually and electronically inspect DMEs, and when problems are detected, they can replace components of the DME. Before sending your unit back to you, the device must pass bench tests and have components re-soldered so that you won't have problems with signal transfer and voltages.

Replacing the DME

Sometimes replacing the DME is your only option, but you shouldn't assume that your DME can't be repaired just because you're having engine or running problems. Having your DME tested is a small investment, and in many cases, repair of a DME can get your car running perfectly again, without your having to spend a lot of money.