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Porsche DME Engine ECU Cloning — Bosch ME7.8 & ME7.1.1 Mail-In Bench Service (996, 986, 955 Cayenne)

Dropped a used DME into your 996, Boxster, or Cayenne and now it cranks forever without firing? Mail in your original plus a part-number-matched donor and we clone the identity, immobilizer relationship, and calibration across on the bench — plug and play.

$250 flatFast TurnaroundFlat-rate return shipping

Sending several modules? Add them all — one box, one return-shipping charge.

Text Before You Buy

Porsche DME cloning — Bosch ME7.8 on the 996 911 and 986 Boxster (1998-2004), Bosch ME7.1.1 on the 955 / 9PA Cayenne (2003-2006), and related Bosch ME7 units on early 987 Boxster / Cayman where supported. Verified by VIN + ECU label before you ship.

How It Works

Three simple steps. Hundreds of mail-in jobs completed for shops, locksmiths, and DIY pros.

Porsche Bosch ME7 DME opened on the bench with the lid removed and probe wires attached
1

Pay & Get Address

Click "Order Now", pay securely online. We email shipping address + instructions within minutes.

Bench software transferring immobilizer and calibration data between two Porsche DME units
2

Ship Your Module

Pack per the instructions and ship to Arlington. USPS goes to our PO Box; UPS and FedEx must use the street address. Customer pays shipping to us.

Macro view of a Porsche engine control unit circuit board and memory devices
3

Receive in 1-2 Days

Work completed within 24 hours of receipt. Ships back next business day at the return speed you chose at checkout — standard to overnight. Tracking emailed.

What You Get

  • Your original DME's identity, immobilizer relationship, and calibration cloned onto the donor, where the original reads
  • Donor Bosch and Porsche part-number compatibility verified by VIN and ECU label before you ship
  • Bench read plus verification of both units before anything is written
  • Checksum and write verification on the donor after the clone
  • An honest call before any charge if the original will not read and the job is not a clone
  • Bench communication test on a stable, regulated power supply before return
  • Modules returned with tracking — return-shipping speed your choice at checkout

Compatibility

Confirm your part matches one of the variants below before ordering. Not sure? Text us a photo and we'll verify.

Service path ($250 flat)

Clone — original reads: identity, immobilizer relationship, and calibration copied onto your donor, plug and playUsed-DME install prep — the single most common reason people order thisPre-emptive clone — copy a failing but still-readable DME onto a healthy donor before it diesDonor evaluation — we read and report on a donor you already bought

Bosch ME7.8 — 996 & 986

911 996 Carrera / Carrera 4 — roughly 1998-2004911 996 Carrera S / 4S and TargaBoxster 986 2.5 / 2.7 — roughly 1997-2004Boxster S 986 3.2 — roughly 2000-2004Match the Bosch number and the Porsche part number off the DME label

Bosch ME7.1.1 — 955 / 9PA Cayenne

Cayenne 955 V6 3.2 — roughly 2003-2006Cayenne S 955 4.5 V8 — roughly 2003-2006Cayenne Turbo 955 4.5 V8 — roughly 2003-2006Same Bosch ME7 hardware family as the VW Touareg and Bentley Continental ME7 unitsDonor availability and coverage overlap with those platforms — ask before you buy

Case-by-case after verification

987 Boxster and Cayman with Bosch ME7-family DME — supported where the hardware matches996 Turbo and GT variants — verify the exact DME part number firstLate 9PA / 957 Cayenne facelift cars — different DME generation, verify first997 and later 911s — newer architecture, contact us before orderingAny Porsche DME not listed here — send the label photo and the VIN

Best for

Used or salvage DME fitted and the engine cranks but will not fireOriginal DME dead, water-damaged, or corroded and a dealer replacement quoted at a painful numberA DME that still communicates but throws intermittent faults — clone it while it readsOwners who bought the right part number but nobody local can marry it to the carOrdering alongside our Porsche alarm / immobilizer box clone so both married modules move together

Will This Fix My Problem?

Honest answer: here's exactly what this service fixes — and what it doesn't.

Fixes:

  • ✓Used DME installed on a 996, 986, or 955 Cayenne and the engine cranks but will not start
  • ✓Original engine ECU dead or no-communication and you already have a donor in hand
  • ✓Immobilizer or drive-authorization fault after an engine computer swap
  • ✓Water- or corrosion-damaged DME that still powers up — clone it out before it fails completely
  • ✓Salvage-yard DME that needs your car's identity written onto it
  • ✓You want a second-hand engine computer made plug-and-play for your exact VIN

Won't fix:

  • ✗Does not include the donor DME — you source a part-number-matched used unit and we verify it first
  • ✗Does not clone an original that is internally dead or will not read — that routes to our ECU advanced recovery service
  • ✗Does not program or cut keys — that is our Porsche BCM / Kessy key programming service on the newer cars, or our Porsche alarm box clone on the 996 and 986
  • ✗Does not repair or clone the body control module — see our separate Porsche BCM clone service
  • ✗Does not fix a no-start caused by fuel, spark, sensors, wiring, grounds, or a flat battery
  • ✗Does not perform emissions-related edits of any kind — no catalyst, EGR, or secondary-air removal, no exceptions
  • ✗Does not bypass proof of ownership

The Cayenne ME7.1.1 shares its hardware family with the Touareg and Bentley Continental

The 955 Cayenne's Bosch ME7.1.1 belongs to the same ME7 hardware family used across the shared VW-group platform of that era, including the Touareg and the Bentley Continental. Donor supply is therefore far better than most Cayenne owners expect, and our read and write coverage overlaps those units — but part numbers also look similar while calibrations differ, so a physically identical donor can still carry the wrong software for your engine. That is exactly why we verify the Bosch number, the Porsche part number, and the VIN before you buy or ship. Proof of ownership is required.

Shipping Instructions

These details are also emailed to you the moment your payment clears.

Verify first: text or email us your VIN plus clear photos of your original DME label and the donor's label — a technician confirms the Bosch and Porsche part numbers are a compatible match before you ship or buy. Then send both units, original and donor, to PO Box 120241, Arlington TX 76012 if you ship USPS — or 1009 Oakwood Ln # 120241, Arlington TX 76012 if you ship UPS or FedEx (UPS and FedEx cannot deliver to a PO Box). We clone on the bench, verify the write, test communication, and ship both back via the return option you pick at checkout (Standard $24.95, UPS 2-Day $54.95, or UPS overnight $94.95).

What to include in your box

  • Your original DME (this is the clone path — as long as it reads we can usually copy it) AND the donor DME
  • Year, model, and engine (for example 2002 Porsche 911 996 Carrera 3.6, or 2004 Cayenne S 4.5 V8)
  • VIN of the vehicle
  • Bosch number and Porsche part number off BOTH DME labels — we pre-verify the match
  • What is wrong now: original dead, cranks-no-start after a used-ECU swap, water damage, intermittent faults
  • Whether the alarm / immobilizer control unit is original to the car or has also been replaced
  • Proof of ownership (title, registration, or bill of sale) — required for all immobilizer-related work
  • Your name, return address, and a phone number or email we can reach you at

Ship to

Auto Module Lab

If shipping USPS

PO Box 120241
Arlington, TX 76012

If shipping UPS or FedEx

1009 Oakwood Ln # 120241
Arlington, TX 76012

Both shipping labels — to the lab and back to you — are purchased the moment you order. Your prepaid inbound label (already addressed) arrives by email; the return ships on the speed you chose at checkout.

Frequently Asked

Still have a question? Text us — replies in minutes.

Which Porsches does this cover?
The advertised coverage is the Bosch ME7.8 DME on the 996-generation 911 and the 986 Boxster, roughly 1998-2004, and the Bosch ME7.1.1 on the 955 / 9PA Cayenne, roughly 2003-2006. Related Bosch ME7 units on early 987 Boxster and Cayman are supported where the hardware matches. 996 Turbo and GT variants, late 9PA facelift cars, and 997-and-newer 911s are verified case by case — send the VIN and DME label photo and we give you a straight answer before you order.
Why does a used Porsche DME crank but not start?
Because the DME holds an immobilizer relationship with the car's alarm and immobilizer control unit. A used ECU still carries the donor car's identity and expects the donor car's immobilizer, so your starter turns the engine over and the DME never authorises fuel and spark. Cloning copies your original's identity and immobilizer data onto the donor, so the car and the ECU recognise each other again.
Is the Cayenne ECU really the same as a Touareg one?
Same Bosch ME7 hardware family, not the same part. The 955 Cayenne's ME7.1.1 shares its architecture with the VW Touareg and Bentley Continental units of that era, which is good news for donor supply and for our read and write coverage. But the calibration inside differs by engine and market, so a physically identical unit can still be the wrong software for your car. We verify the Bosch number, the Porsche part number, and the VIN before you buy.
My original DME is completely dead — can you still help?
If it will not power up or respond at all, there is nothing to clone from, and we say so rather than take your money. Those jobs route to our ECU advanced recovery service, where the aim is recovering data off a failed board. Contact us with your VIN and symptoms first and we map the realistic path before you ship anything.
Do you supply the donor DME?
No — you source a used donor from eBay, a salvage yard, or a Porsche parts recycler, and we verify compatibility before you buy or ship. Match the Bosch number and the Porsche part number on the label as closely as possible; a same-year, same-engine car is not automatically a match. Send us the listing photos plus your VIN and a technician confirms it, at no charge.
Is this the same as your Porsche key service?
No — they are two different modules. This service is the engine computer. Keys and immobilizer authorisation on the newer cars are handled by our Porsche BCM / Kessy key programming service, and on the 996 and 986 by our Porsche alarm / immobilizer box clone. On those older cars the alarm box and the DME are married to each other, so owners replacing one often ship both — tell us if that is your situation and we will scope it properly.
Can you tune it or remove emissions equipment while it is on the bench?
No. We do not perform emissions-related edits of any kind — no catalyst, EGR, or secondary-air removal, no exceptions. This is a cloning and programming service that reproduces your car's factory configuration on replacement hardware. If your original carried an aftermarket tune, tell us before you ship so we can set expectations about what is on the file we read.
How much is it and how does the mail-in work?
It is $250 flat. After a technician verifies your VIN and both DME part numbers, you ship the units to Auto Module Lab in Arlington, TX — this is a mail-in bench service, we do not come to the car. We clone on the bench, verify the write, test communication, and ship both units back with tracking. Return shipping is your choice at checkout: Standard $24.95, UPS 2-Day $54.95, or UPS overnight $94.95.

Related Services

Other bench services for the same brand or use case.

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Porsche Alarm / Immobilizer Box Clone
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Porsche Alarm / Immobilizer Box Clone

996 or Boxster that will not start even with a known-good key, or all keys lost after the alarm box drowned? Mail us the original plus a matched donor and we clone the immobilizer and key data across on the bench, so the replacement works with the keys you already own.

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Where we serve Porsche DME / Engine ECU Clone

Mail-in means nationwide — we accept modules from all 50 states and DC from our Arlington, Texas lab. See your state, metro, or specific vehicle:

All 51 US states + DC

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Ready to ship?

$250 flat, fast turnaround. Pay now, get the shipping address by email, drop it in the mail. Your module is back on your bench within a week.

(817) 678-3252