DSC Sport V3 PASM Controller Installed Today - 991.1

Hi guys, I've been considering DSC Sport controller, after the option to reprogram the PASM system was bought to my attention by fellow members, when I was considering a 997 GTS and wondering whether the ride would be OK with my skeletal issues.

Having ruled out a 997 (much as I loved it), there's no doubt that the ride in the 991 is definitely better than the 997 (no offence) but clearly there's still room for improvement and even Porsche themselves seem to have recognised this, with the upgrades made to the suspension settings on the 992.

Prior to buying, I had some very enlightening discussions with the guys at DSC, about the 'basic' setup in their V3 unit, the way they've opened up the response range from the original Porsche (Bilstein) unit and how by using the suspension speed/travel sensors individual inputs, they've created a system that reacts to each individual wheel inputs, in a way that the original Porsche set-up did not - making for a more compliant AND reactive system, with more distinct variations across the Normal, Sport and Sport Plus (where fitted) settings.

All sounded very good and the whole thing can be adjusted via laptop, if you really want to create a bespoke set-up to your own liking or for track use.

As I've said elsewhere, I bought my unit from Nine Excellence and got a very good price and next day delivery (arrived yesterday) :thumb:

As I have to be very careful physically nowadays, I asked one of my mates to help install it - bit cramped in the back but we did it ok and got some pics too.

PLEASE NOTE: The install is actually very simple BUT the official video and others I have seen, fail to adequately explain how the connectors come apart - they just say "slide off", when in actual fact there are two parts to the black connectors - you will see from the pics below that there are white plastic 'nipples' on the controller unit and part of the connector has diagonal slides that they sit in, the idea is that having turned over the unit (from its original installation position), you pull the lower part of the black connector to the left (holding the unit in your right hand), which raises the upper part of the connector (where the wires enter) and disconnects the multiplug.

My mate (who's into cars but not an engineer) thought the multiplugs just pulled out and was all for getting something (like a screwdriver) to lever them off - thankfully I stopped him and asked to have a closer look first, or it could've been a very expensive mistake :roll:

Anyway, all done now and having done a few hundred miles on the original set-up, I'm looking forward to trying out the DSC unit :thumb:

Installation Instructions

IMPT: First make sure your ignition is off and the key is out.

New DSC Sport V3 Controller




Drop the rear seat backs (if fitted).





Lift the rear carpet from the middle - it's quite hefty with a thick foam back but pulls up easily once you get the hang of it. It's a good idea to prop it carefully with something solid, to help keep it out of the way whilst you work - we used an extension bar from my tool kit.

The PASM controller is the one in the middle, housed in a foam housing (you can lift the top of the foam unit) and you just carefully pull the unit towards you.



When you get it out, flip it over (so the wires and connectors are towards the back).



Now you can see the two black plastic connectors, each one is in two parts (though that's not easy to see at first), as I described earlier, with the white plastic 'nipples' of the unit located in diagonal slots or slides in each connector. Take the unit in your right hand and slide the lower part of the first left-hand black connector left (there is actually a place for your thumb to pull it left) - it might be stiff but persevere and the lower part will begin to slide, which in turn raises the upper part of the connector - disconnecting the wires.







Now you can move your attention onto the larger, right-hand connector and repeat the process BUT this time you are moving the slide to the RIGHT.





Carefully put the old unit on one side and grab the new DSC controller. Installation is the repeat of the process above. Positioning the connectors and sliding the lower portion of each left and right to engage them.







Flip the unit over, so the wires are facing the front, lift the top of the foam housing and carefully refit the unit, making sure to reposition the wires in the same places as they were on removal.



Remove the prop (if you used one) and push the carpet behind the left and right seat bolts, sliding the carpet behind the trims on either side, before pushing it down in the middle and raising the seat backs.







Job done!! Now, go and find some bumpy, twisty roads.... :thumb:

:thumb: look forwards to your thoughts on the difference. As you say the 991.1 is an improvement over the 997, but especially with 20" alloys there's room for more :thumb:

This was my first upgrade to my 991.1. GT3 and it has transformed the car. Ken at 9e recommended it and installed it without any issues and set it up for fast road and it has been a revelation. There is far more compliance and it does seem to help mitigate dive and squat.

Took the car on a road trip across to Lake Vyrnwy today, taking our usual route into Wales, which includes local roads and some fast A-roads but mainly quiet B-roads through mid Wales.

One trip may not be enough to give a full review but my initial impressions of the DSC unit are as follows:

Normal Setting: The change isn't 'night & day' (the car doesn't suddenly ride like a Limo but it wouldn't on 20" alloys on sports springs) BUT on our poor quality roads, the sometimes brittle edge to the ride has gone, the car now rides over potholes and uneven tarmac with far more compliance and there is a real sense that the body remains more level now, whilst the suspension does its job independently - rather than simply feeding energy from every bump back into the chassis.

Sport Setting: The car feels a lot more composed than before and again, each suspension unit now seems to be doing its job independently, which means not only does the car ride better in a straight line (especially along broken tarmac) but it feels better balanced and mid-corner bumps are less likely to knock it off line, or lead to those slightly hair raising moments, when rapid steering changes are necessary.

On uneven B-roads with twists, turns and variable surfaces, the DSC controller gave greater confidence to keep the engine on song in the lower gears, relying on the suspension to soak up the bumps in order to keep laying down the power from one corner to the next, making more use of the car's prodigious performance, (whenever it was safe to do so and the opportunity allowed :lol

So far, on the smiles per mile counter I can't see a downside, other than perhaps the inevitable hit on fuel consumption, that comes from being able to use that glorious engine more of the time.

DSC V3 :thumb: from me.

Hi Mark, Given there is a group buy in place on this unit, and you have had yours in place on your 991 C4S for circa a year, I wondered if there were anything further you could add / update on your original thread as I am tempted as I'm sure others might be and value your feeeback.

I know its a significant difference for the older 997 and newer 991 GT3 products but curious of your long term view on the C4S.

* Bumper B, undulating roads ?
* Sport vs Standard ?
* Any downsides ?
* Value for money ?
* Anything else ?

Many thx
Jungle

Jungle650 said:

Hi Mark, Given there is a group buy in place on this unit, and you have had yours in place on your 991 C4S for circa a year, I wondered if there were anything further you could add / update on your original thread as I am tempted as I'm sure others might be and value your feeeback.

I know its a significant difference for the older 997 and newer 991 GT3 products but curious of your long term view on the C4S.

* Bumper B, undulating roads ?
* Sport vs Standard ?
* Any downsides ?
* Value for money ?
* Anything else ?

Many thx
Jungle

Click to expand...

Hi Jungle,

I guess the short answer is: After a year, I wouldn't remove the DSC Sport unit and go back to the factory set-up!

For more in-depth comments see below:

Unfortunately, I had no track time last year, all of my use was on-road, so I can't really comment on the units performance in extremis.

My longest single journey since fitting the unit was over 2,000 miles around Scotland last August, covering parts of the NC500 with mixed types of road, from motorway, fast A, bumpy B and twisty mountain passes - at all sorts of speeds.

The quality of the road surfaces were varied and the weather was a real mix - warm & dry one minute and cool torrential downpours the next - sometimes making it a challenge to maintain good progress.

I have no doubt the DSC unit helped tame the more patchy & uneven road surfaces, gave greater body control through mid corner bumps (which would previously have unsettled the cars balance) and ultimately provided greater predictability and an extra margin of safety.

in my opinion, the suspension could still do with a bit more initial compliance in Normal mode and I wish it would breathe with the road a little better in Sport mode but with my health issues, I simply haven't got around to amending the DSC's standard settings. If my health were to hold out, I might one day look into that or consider a wholesale suspension change (like Tractive DDA) but adding the DSC unit has definitely provided a considerable improvement over the factory PASM controller.

Regarding value for money: Replacing/upgradng the factory suspension and getting it dialled in correctly, would cost at least 4 times the price of the DSC unit (and more like £6K+ for my preferred system), so the price/benefit analysis of that would be hard to justify 'most days'.

The DSC unit on the other hand, offers meaningful improvements in a number of areas and in everyday driving - therefore I think it represents good value for money. I've seen no downsides at all.

I should say that, in terms of control & predictability, I also believe that tyre choice is another crucial decision. Pairing Michelin PS4S tyres, with the improved dynamic responses available from the DSC unit, seems to me far superior over Pirelli P- Zeros, with the standard PASM controller.

Hope that helps 🙂

Thx for the extra feedback Mark.

Regds
Jungle

Jungle650 said:

Thx for the extra feedback Mark.

Regds
Jungle

Click to expand...

No problem

This is an excellent addition to the 2019 original thread, and should give guys considering parting with £1k for a DSC more confidence in buying one . I have nothing extra to add to this very informative thread other than to say I love my DSC on my 997.2 also running Michelin rubber which I also find far better than Pirelli , mine are 19" :thumb: :thumb:

Phil 997 said:

This is an excellent addition to the 2019 original thread, and should give guys considering parting with £1k for a DSC more confidence in buying one . I have nothing extra to add to this very informative thread other than to say I love my DSC on my 997.2 also running Michelin rubber which I also find far better than Pirelli , mine are 19" :thumb: :thumb:

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words Phil :thumb:

Happy to help.

Just thought I would add some extra info to this thread for future reference.

Mark detailed the installation well but if you watch several youtube clips of people installing the V2 and V3 units into either the 991 or the 981 Cayman you will notice that they all struggle with the 3 pin connector. Even DSC themselves. Just like Mark did above. Unfortunately many of the clips brush over it pretty quickly and show installation as just a couple of minutes. Which it is after you have released the vice like grip that the factory applies!

Generally the 2 pin connector releases without too much bother, but the 3 pin has other ideas.

One of the youtube clips from DSC directly, details the installation on a Cayman and the chap mentions using a trim removal tool to assist with removal. After taking a look at the unit in my car I also had exactly the same issue. 2 pin connector slides off relatively easy. The 3 pin connector would not move, certainly not without use of what would seem excessive force. Which no one should be applying !

Eventually after a bit of perseverance I managed to move it about 15-20% but it refused to go any further.. The way I did this was to slowly try to release the connector then close it again. Repeating this process over and over few times meant that each time the pins released just that extra bit further. But after I got that far, ie circa 20%, the 3 pin unit appeared to be stuck firm. I tried to use my finger in the released end to free the remainder off but i could not get enough of my finger into the gap nor could I apply the appropriate pressure, leverage. All I ended up doing was creating very sore finger tips !

But there is a solution. If you manage to free the 3 pin connector just a bit, You can carefully use a trim removal tool to slot into the gap and whilst moving the unit to the left use the tool removal tool to just tease the release mechanism to the right. You can also very carefully apply a very small amount of WD40 to the slider holes on the side and wipe away to reduce friction. This makes the process much easier... and I wish I had known this before sweating in the back of the car trying to release the mechanism with just my fingertips.

Once the mechanism has been released from its factory state, subsequent releases and applications are also much much easier. Its just the first initial release which is the hardest as the factory pressure on the clamp is quite a force.

I'm sure many people would give up, so I hope this tip helps others. Thanks to Mark for some tips and encouragement to get the job done.!

Here is a picture of where to place a soft trim removal tool. You do not need to force anything. Just a little bit of sideways pressure and the mechanism should release.

My initial thoughts pretty much echo Marks... I will put more up once I have a few more miles under my belt.... but...

Sport / Normal Mode - Very little initial difference to the ride. (To be fair compared to the 997 I think 991 rides very well in stock form and more like a GT, especially with the PASM system in comfort. But as you analyse it, there is a difference, The DSC unit makes everything marginally better. You can feel that there is a little more compliance in the ride and there is a little more movement in the damper range to just soften the edges off. Its marginal but even on a quick 10 min jaunt around the block I could pick up on the subtleties. The car definitely feels flatter in corners and rides poor road surfaces with ease. Passengers commented on a smoother ride.

Sports Plus Mode - When you press the button it does not automatically turn on the PASM on. You have to engage this separately...This is different to stock/Factory. This mode I think reflects the biggest difference. The stock Sports plus is a significant improvement over the older generations, but this unit really shines in this mode. With the DSC installed it takes it to another level. I would go almost as far to say it makes the car feel like it does in Normal mode / Sports mode using the stock controller. The DSC unit is that good. In this mode there is a night and day difference to body control and comfort.

One thing I have observed and has been noted on is passenger comfort both in the front and back. Especially in the rear with the kids. Everyone has said they can feel the difference as a passenger.

Its still very early days, and I will test a lot more. But the car certainly feels very well damped and appears to have stepped up a level in corner control. ( not that it was bad before mind you ! )

One thing to note. The DSC does not appear to save your last settings like I have read on the 997 forum. Anyone else seen this on the 991?

From what I have read the DSC controller allows the dampers to make full use of their range from 0-100%. Compared to the 20-80% under the factory/stock controller. This is translated into a flatter more controlled ride with each corner enabled to make full use of the damping range independently, therefore making the ride simply ... better... Flatter and tighter, yet fully controlled and damped.

Is it value for money... hhhm I need more time behind the wheel. I would think for a GT product with an already stiff ride yes, this would make quite a significant difference in all modes. To the non GT cars, yes it has improved the damping to make the car even better than it already is but I guess it might depend what the roads are like around you (ours are in die need of resurfacing) and what you use your car for ( .. me pleasure miles more than track ). For me (and my passengers) so far I think its great.... I cant wait for a proper spirited drive out.


Jungle.

Hi Jungle,

Thanks for adding your suggestion regarding the plastic pry tool. The larger connector isn't easy to remove, that's for sure, so some very gentle 'assistance' can certainly help and some carefully targeted WD40 on the slide 'nipples', like I mentioned in my PM.

It's good to hear your own initial thoughts on the differences the DSC unit can make to the 991.

I'm sure the more you drive the car with DSC and reflect on how the original controller responded to your local roads, the more you'll appreciate the positive differences of the DSC unit.

If it were easier to fit both units and A/B between them, whilst travelling the same road, then I have no doubt it would be a no-brainer.

Anyway, enjoy the new set-up, the improved comfort and the new found confidence I'm sure it will bring :thumb:

Just a point to note that regardless of mode, there will be very little difference between the feel whether you are in normal or sport (or sport plus depending on year) if you are driving at a constant speed with little throttle.

If you are travelling at 70mph and you flick between the modes, you won't notice much. You need to generate around 0.2g for each mode to become noticeable.

Ken

NineExcellence said:

Just a point to note that regardless of mode, there will be very little difference between the feel whether you are in normal or sport (or sport plus depending on year) if you are driving at a constant speed with little throttle.

If you are travelling at 70mph and you flick between the modes, you won't notice much. You need to generate around 0.2g for each mode to become noticeable.

Ken

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Ken - very interesting :thumb:

Although the straight-line differences between the DSC modes may not be much, there is a good improvement in suspension response in all modes, over the factory PASM controller and a perceivable improvement in comfort - presumably due to the increased input range and alternate mapping that the DSC unit affords.

The differences between DSC & factory units are particularly apparent at times when (as indicated by your 0.2g+ comment) the lateral loading is increasing AND the road surface is uneven or broken - just the sort of situation where the OEM unit can fall short in its response.

Under these circumstances, the contrast between each DSC mode and its original counterpart, are also more obvious.

As you'll have gathered, overall I'm more than happy with the improvement the DSC unit has bought.