My previous 2006 C4S cab with standard transmission had the alternator fail. I'm looking at a wide range of models, from 2006 to 2009+. I'm also looking at mostly tiptronics and PDKs this time, as this car will see more rush hour traffic.

Would a 2006 CS tiptronic be affected like my manual was? Was it corrected in 2007-2008 models?

I know the water pump is prone to failure in all cars, and mine went out in my C4S also. Is it better in the 09+ cars?

I had the PCM replaced in my C4S also. I think that is pretty rare, but are the PCM 3.0s more robust?

I'm really trying to sharpen my pencil on evaluating these cars, so any help is appreciated.

 

Great forum!

 

Isn't it, lol
Probably not the answer you're looking for but search & you shall find you answer. There's a few threads that cover this subjects. G/l

 

Pretty sure the cable was a general 997.1 issue, manuals and autos.

Not sure on the other differences in regards to PCM or water pumps.

If you are strictly looking for an automatic, then try the PDK only in 2009's or newer. General consensus is they are much better then older tiptronics.

 

I bought my 2006 used with no service records last year. Is there a way to tell if the cable has been replaced with the better one?

 

I thought the earlier 997.1's had the cable issue, 2005-2006 and some 2007's. Somewhere along the line the cable part number was updated. You'll need to search the forum to find the old versus new numbers.

The easiest check is to put a voltmeter on the battery terminals with the car running. If it's 13V or lower there is too much resistance between the alternator and the battery. So the cable needs to be changed out. I don't have exact numbers but would expect a healthy cable to read 14V or more. Suncoast recommends measuring the voltage drop between the alternator and the battery. Anything more than 0.5V drop is a problem: http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKU997HARNESS.html

You might be able to check the part number label on the wire harness near the starter too.

 

You will find they all have issues. "Buy the newest one you can afford." I don't get the connection between the trans and the alternator in your query. PDK beats Tip for performance, do a search for reliability. Kind of a broad, lazy question on your part might explain the less than thunderous response

 

Thanks everyone (except Gpjli). The reason I thought the transmission might make a difference is based on the fact (as I was told) that it runs length of the car and is strapped to the transmission, and the heat from the transmission is what "cooks" the cable. That is why the car won't start after a hot run, because the cable's resistance rises due to the heat. The cable has to cool down to be sufficiently conductive again.

I thought perhaps the tiptronics dissipated heat differently, or the cable was strapped differently, resulting in a different outcome. Are there any data points on this?