599 - a few questions

Hello all, I just bought a 599 and inevitably there are bits missing. The System CD Version 3.7 was in pieces in the glovebox. I'm told these are no longer available but I found one on eBay. Fortunately, I have the flash card installed in the radio. What I don't understand is how these two items interact with each other and there is precious little in the handbooks about it. Can anyone enlighten me?

Also, the code cards are missing. I can find the codes (Maranello at Egham have them) but I'm not sure I can get replacement cards. I could make some up if I knew what they look like. Has anyone a picture of them?

Finally, I believe there are two wallets - a tan one and a black one - correct? I only have the tan one but I understand the black one is available.

Any help will be much appreciated!

Best regards, Peter

 

My information is : you can use the flash card OR the CD for navigation, not both together necessary/possible.

So if you use the navigation from flash card you can use the CD player for music
or
If you use the CD for navigation you can use the flash card for music.

But honestly :
Throw out this poor radio system, buy a Kennwort, Alpine, Pioneer, ..... and you can hear music.
I have done this a year after I bought the car and damn, why did I wait so long, every day with the Becker unit is a lost day.

Daniel

 

I added a Porsche Classic Radio. All current technology. Plus it does not have the disco lights that many aftermarket units have.
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IIRC there is only the Tan wallet that clips in the boot. I think I have an old key card somewhere and will post a pic if I can find it

re the CD mine would sometimes ask for the CD to be inserted it would then seem to upload a file or similar and work fine for another 4 or 5 Months

 

The code cards simply are plastic cards, one with the key code and another with the radio code. It is the codes themselves, not the cards that are important.

The CD is used during the initial setup of the navigation system. It appears to load some voice recognition and speech files into the system...I suspect that they are language dependent. When power is removed from the radio, it is necessary to unlock it with the radio code and again initialize with the CD.

It is my understanding that the navigation flash card must be inserted in the unit for navigation and that precludes using the slot for media files simultaneously with navigation.

There is only one wallet provided which goes into the leather straps in the boot. There are more books than fit in the wallet. I keep the vehicle related books in the wallet and the infotainment books in the glove box.

While many complain about the original Becker system, it successfully performs its functions and displays navigation data on the TFT screen when properly set up. It is anything but intuitive, but it is usable. Considering it's design dates from 2006 (or earlier) and that it is limited to a single DIN unit, it does a creditable job and it is original to the car. I find it particularly amusing that there are those "purists" who proclaim they would never listen to a radio in their Ferrari preferring the song of the engine and another school who complains bitterly about the performance of the Becker being wholly inadequate and needing high end audio upgrades.

 

Absolutely correct : the CD is needed as system CD and is needed for installation purposes, only. After installation you can withdraw. The CF card is needed always to be inserted to allow navigation.
At the side on the sat nav Radio there is a little sticker with model Nr and serial Nr. With these you can ask for a new PIN code that you may need for the sat nav. There should be some people in this forum who may help you with this.
CD Vers 3.7 is rather old. The newest in Europe is 6.0. It is available from Becker for ca 197 Euro. The CF cards needs some work on this to make it work in a Ferrari OEM radio. Please See 'Radio update' in this Forum

Michael

 

Thanks to all who replied - much appreciated! I am learning - slowly.....