Automatic Software updates - Porsche needs to improve here.

MBAZ

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So to start, I'm not trying to compare a Taycan to a Tesla here. Tesla does this better (but not great) but who cares, that's a different forum.
My Taycan by default has automatic updates turned off, which is good. I don't like to receive updates until I have had a chance to see what the update is all about. That there is my issue with how Porsche is falling short. I have no idea what software version my car is on. It would be great if in my dashboard it would tell me that and then allow me the option to push an update to the car. The initial experience with the PCM is like going back to the iPhone before the app store was created. Regular updates on feature enhancements are going to be the norm for car manufactures. They have the ability to do it, it will just take the community to push them to.

Do you agree?
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Reg

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It would be great if in my dashboard it would tell me that

Do you agree?
You should spend the time to be more familiar with the car. You can get that info from the menu.
I don’t want that info cluttering the dashboard. I like to focus on driving, not obsessed with whether I am on version 2.03.04.01 or 2.03.04.02
 
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MBAZ

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You should spend the time to be more familiar with the car. You can get that info from the menu.
I don’t want that info cluttering the dashboard. I like to focus on driving, not obsessed with whether I am on version 2.03.04.01 or 2.03.04.02
You missed my point entirely. I was not talking about the in car dashboard, my bad there. I shouldn't have to go search for it, it should more intuitive and give me options. Enjoy your ride.
 

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Yeah I agree. And Tesla is great at this.

It feels weird knowing that my 7 year old Model S, currently parked right next to my 4S is superior from a software standpoint in just about every way, and was the day I bought it. This despite using a computer system that is ancient at this point.

If there's an update, I get alerted before it downloads. I get sent the patch notes to my car to read and see what's changing. If I like them, I can schedule the update at anytime I prefer. If I don't, I can hold off on the update. After all this time, my car is still being updated and supported, something I doubt we see from Porsche 7 years from now.

Using the 4S might as well be Russian roulette. There's no transparency, patch notes are not easy to find, and you're basically lucky if they let you update your car at home. Since I bought the car I've required 2 trips to the dealership for updates, because reasons??

The Taycan is an engineering masterpiece, but man the software system is horrible.
 

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I shouldn't have to go search for it, it should more intuitive and give me options.
Not sure why it is so hard to search for it

Settings - software information

My iPhone is settings - general - about

Not sure why anyone would need anything more intuitive than that, especially for something that Infrequently changes.
 


Reg

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If there's an update, I get alerted before it downloads.
The taycan does the same thing, except it downloads in the background and then notifies you that it is ready to install. That just hasn’t fully rolled out. Page 173 of the manual. I thought I got a map update ota, but I may be mistaken about that.

So, I am sure when they come out with Der Fart App, you will get notified.

As far as you car still being updated after 7 years and Porsche wouldn’t, i am sure that Porsche would not do an update that nerfs the battery capacity and charging rate - that is not the type of “support” I would want from a company. Nor would Porsche do constant updates that increase the phantom breaking.

Which two software updates did you get? I know there was the 12v battery one, which may have been tied to getting that battery replaced, what was the campaign number for the second one?
 

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The taycan does the same thing, except it downloads in the background and then notifies you that it is ready to install. That just hasn’t fully rolled out. Page 173 of the manual. I thought I got a map update ota, but I may be mistaken about that.

So, I am sure when they come out with Der Fart App, you will get notified.

As far as you car still being updated after 7 years and Porsche wouldn’t, i am sure that Porsche would not do an update that nerfs the battery capacity and charging rate - that is not the type of “support” I would want from a company. Nor would Porsche do constant updates that increase the phantom breaking.

Which two software updates did you get? I know there was the 12v battery one, which may have been tied to getting that battery replaced, what was the campaign number for the second one?
I got the map update yesterday. Map updates they seem to have been on top of, it’s the rest of the PCM software that doesn’t get updated. I turned automatic updates on...I know it’s dangerous given what we have seen by Porsche software engineering to date, but I figured I’d try it and hope for the best for a while.
 

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I know it’s dangerous given what we have seen by Porsche software engineering to date, but I figured I’d try it and hope for the best for a while.
What dangerous thing has Porsche engineering put out? I thought they were good at safety? It is not as if they are putting out frequent updates that cause more phantom breaking or fix the breaking distance of the car or nerf the battery due to possible concerns about the battery.
 


Dlurker20

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What dangerous thing has Porsche engineering put out? I thought they were good at safety? It is not as if they are putting out frequent updates that cause more phantom breaking or fix the breaking distance of the car or nerf the battery due to possible concerns about the battery.
Automatic updates always have an air of uncertainty to them. No matter how great the testing, once it’s in the wild it’s a different animal. If Porsche were known for their software engineering capabilities, proven history of agility, quality, etc. then I’d say the concern is minimal. How often has a major Windows, MacOS, iOS, or Android upgrade gone out perfectly with no adverse impacts at all? Those are companies with significant software engineering experience and they make mistakes...they’re just better at preventing and responding to those mistakes than Porsche appears to be. How many app break of have major defects from an update that gets auto-installed?

OK so it’s unlikely Porsche will release a major OS-type upgrade, but an OTA update for the PCM could cause all screens to black out (this happened to me in my BMW while driving). That’s like being on a Zoom call with a bunch of executives and your sound and video card both die at once; you’re still on video and maybe your mic works, but you have no idea who is seeing or hearing what and you have no idea what they’re saying. In a vehicle where an OTA kills your screens, you now have no idea your speed, and if you are using navigation / PIRM in the PCM good f’ing luck.

It’s honestly less about Porsche specifically (though they’ve definitely earned the right to some suspicion) it’s about any software getting auto updated. Sometimes it’s best not to be first.
 

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I'm with you on this. It's disappointing that there has been no urgency towards OTA updates. The PCM system is extremely buggy. There is something different every day. Today I get in the car and I was logged out of the system for some reason. I was in a rush so I started driving and you can't login while driving so I was staring at a blank screen for my commute with no music. CarPlay works (or doesn't work) differently every time I connect the phone. The HVAC settings have a mind of their own, sometimes the seat cooling is automatically activated when I get in, sometimes it's not (regardless of what I had it set to before). Also, why is there no button on the steering wheel for "next track"?? I programmed the shortcut button, but I would rather have that one for the engine sound on/off because I need the other one for homelink (another odd omission of buttons).

I love the car, but these small issues make it feel like it was rushed to market so they could please shareholders that were upset about dieselgate...
 

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The HVAC settings have a mind of their own, sometimes the seat cooling is automatically activated when I get in, sometimes it's not (regardless of what I had it set to before).
This may be related to your checkbox setting in the preheat/cool settings to climatize your cabin for a few minutes the moment you unlock your car. Try unchecking this setting and your seat cooling won't appear to be randomly activating.
 

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I'm with you on this. It's disappointing that there has been no urgency towards OTA updates. The PCM system is extremely buggy. There is something different every day.
I think those are two different issues.
1. First they need to have the fixes to the software
2. Then they need to deliver it conveniently via OTA.

On the second, they seem to have that capability according to the manual.

The bigger issue is the first. Is everyone who has issues with the PCM reporting that to Porsche so somewhere there creates trouble tickets that the software developers can look at?

I haven't had any of the issues that you mentioned and no issues at all with the software, and since we are undoubtedly running the same software on the same hardware, there are some apparent odd issues that crop up - but again, if Porsche doesn't know about it, it won't get addressed, OTA or otherwise.
 

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The bigger issue is the first. Is everyone who has issues with the PCM reporting that to Porsche so somewhere there creates trouble tickets that the software developers can look at?
I have reported a lot of issues with the PCM! I get an automated reply and that is it. Totally useless and a waste of time. My Porsche dealer has not got a clue so I am trying another centre but that is some 100 km away. The one close to me is part of a Monaco group and the reviews for that is not good.

I am now so fed up with the car that I am going to hand it back. Will probably be a nice legal battle but well worth it!
 

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I have reported a lot of issues with the PCM! I get an automated reply and that is it. Totally useless and a waste of time.
What more do you expect? That they are immediately going to change the code and push an update?

The point of reporting in the software development process is that they create trouble tickets, then those are evaluated for severity, then the cause is investigated and fixed, then tested, then rolled up into a scheduled release, whether that is OTA or not.
 

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What more do you expect? That they are immediately going to change the code and push an update?

The point of reporting in the software development process is that they create trouble tickets, then those are evaluated for severity, then the cause is investigated and fixed, then tested, then rolled up into a scheduled release, whether that is OTA or not.
No I do not expect any kind of fix, but with the severity of ALL screens switching off at motorway speeds, I do expect some kind of acknowledgement or a trouble ticket number. It did not feel very good to have a completely blank screen in front of me.

If it had happened just once I can understand it with a reboot, but now three times. I do not need all the other displays, but speed display would be quite nice. Have recently put on Waze with speed on my phone but not connected to the car.
Need to get a good holder for the phone though
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