Hey guys/gals,

Back in a 2013 Pana S. Had a 2010 and loved it. Loving the new one too, but I see/feel some differences and was hoping you all can direct me.. I'll put in bullet points, thanks :

1. What is recommended tire pressure for 20" turbo II on Pirelli P-zero? service advisor says to use PCM settings which are entirely different than manual or label. for some reason, dealer had set pressure to 41 front and 38 rear. I questioned them asking if they had it backward, they said no. I disagree! I reversed and put 37 front, 40/41 rear. However, PCM in comfort setting on 20" summer tires is telling me to ADD 7 lbs each all the way around. that would give me 44 front and 47 rear. that is too much in my opinion for "comfort", any suggestion here from you experienced owners? I am not tracking the car, just a daily driver. looking for smooth ride, along with real nice handling as I should get from the Pana.

2. SiriusXM - it shows the channel list with graphics, but unless I go into info and options under that menu, I can't get listing by song or artist. this is ridiculous. I'd prefer to know what's playing on each channel than the channel name and #. Don't you agree? While I can get it, it's not without 3-4 steps each and every time. Also, if I'm in the channel list, and select any channel, it doesn't automatically revert to the details screen, which it should, to show me what song and artist is playing. suggestions? opinions?

3. I've searched high and low on all the forums regarding a choppy/grinding feel when turning at low speeds, and braking. both different events. braking feels a little grindy to me, at least on the pedal feel. turning left or right is a different issue, it's just not smooth. I'm not referring to turning at a green light at normal speeds, but rather a little slower as if I stopped at the light, waited then turned. seems more pronounced on tighter turns.. I'm also not referring to the wheel being turned all the way, which I've read about. Not the case here.

4. Rear tail grinds/makes noise going up and down. dealer will replace parts they say. goes in next week or following.

5. Steering feels a little loose. This may be normal operation and I just forgot how the Pana drives, but I seem to remember a little tighter feeling. Might have something to do with the tire pressure. I also had 19" tires on last car, vs 20" now.

6. Tires - subjective question I know, but feedback is important to me. Tires apparently have about 4600 miles on them. Pirelli PZero. Reading about Michelin Super Sports. My current setup has a bit of a road noise, almost truck like. i also notice that while smooth in general, almost svelte like, certain roads bring out a repeating bumping/bouncing in the car, but a quick repeating bounce, as if I'm driving over a bed of river rocks, but not quite as bad. any thoughts here?

7. Anyone know if Porsche entry and drive can be retrofitted? Not looking for aftermarket, OEM only.

8. Interior Lighting Package - I see them selling for around $480 at most places. I've read that the lights around lower center console are minimal at best with this package, how about the rest of the car? It says footwell lights are included. I only see footwell lights when doors are open or lights are put on, I do not see really any ambient lighting as we can set in PCM except for door storage pockets. What am I missing? do I need this package to get some ambient lighting while driving at night? If not for the looks only for the passengers! Does nothing for me personally.

9. Blinker/washer stalk - Here's an odd one, but to my mind it seems like the stalks "bang" or click a little too rough when locking in turn signal or putting on wipers. Anyone notice this? for a car that is otherwise quite perfect, I would have thought it would have been a smoother positive lock into place. Just an opinion. I did compare to another Pana and it appears to be the same, but I don't remember it being so "raw" on my older one.

10. Last one - 5mm spacers. I am a newbie on handling. Can someone explain what the purpose of this is? Is this only for tracking the car, or will it help, or hurt, in everyday driving? Any effect on tire wear, comfort, handling (how?), etc?

I am enjoying the car very much. Oddly, While I love it and it drives well, it doesn't seem to impress me as much as my 2010. Not sure why. This isn't to say I'm not a happy camper or enjoy driving it, just that I was more "wowed" last time around, maybe because I've already experienced the awesomeness? LOL. This car does have PDCC and air suspension that my other didn't, perhaps it offers a different drive even in comfort modes? I'm sure the 20" tires also make it a tad harder and different. I did have natural leather in old Pana, and standard leather in this one. There is a big difference in leather quality and look, but I'm ok with the current setup. That's what they had in this car, and I was thrilled with the deal I got, so I settled on a few things.

Thanks all for your help and guidance on the above, I look forward to MANY replies. :-)

For the record, I did search and have been searching for a full week already on all these questions in all the forums, these are the questions that remain unanswered to me. Thanks again. Pics to follow later on, after another detail.

 

When the PCM says +7, it means it's over-inflated by 7psi. The TPMS takes tire temperature into account.

The comfort setting calls for 32/32 for 20inch. For normal settings, a part-load setting calls for a higher pressure up front.

 

Well ,thanks. I just reread the manual and it said same thing. I thought it was a misprint. So then I should be dropping to 31-32PSI front/ 33-34PSI rear. Wow. big drop from where I was. Thinking somewhere in between might be more appropriate. Thoughts?

 

So I dropped the pressures to 36 F and 38/39 R. Comfort setting wanted 34/34 and standard (over 100mph) was 41/38. Not sure why rears would be lower then fronts in either case but I compromised between the two and went with a typical lower front, higher rear. Had a quick run around the block and sure enough it seems softer and more grip. Will drive more tonight. Hopefully 1 down on my issues. Next up, Michelin super sports (but I'll let these wear out a bit more, I think)

 

Car is heavy....and in my opinion, VERY sensitive to tire pressures. I have spoken with many people on here, and tried numerous combos....found that 43/43 (cold) on the 20's is optimal handling and performance. Enjoy

 

I did my aftermarket LED bulb change over for much less than $100. I did the footwell, lower door edge, trunk lid edge, trunk interior, glovebox.

 

Tged, can you tell me what parts you used and where you bought them? Any noticeable difference? Happy?

I wonder if there is a way to have the footwell lighting stay on after doors close even if at lower brightness?

 

On our 2013 Cayenne S, the footwell lights do stay on at a lower intensity after the doors are closed. Are you sure you cannot enable that on the 2013 Panamera? On our 2011 Panamera 4, this is not possible.
The LED bulbs I used are very common that you can buy from many auto gadget stores. I will try to take a photo of the LED bulbs, I think I used only one kind.

 

Type 194 wedge base LED bulbs

 

Thank you. I'm almost thinking they might be too bright for interior, no?

 

On the Cayenne, I can adjust the brightness of the footwell LED after the doors are closed. On the 2011 Panamera, they shut off after doors are closed, so brightness is not as issue.

 

The Comfort Light pkg on the Panamera is a worthwhile option, the U-shaped dome light will be in LED, and you get a mini U-shaped dome LED for the rear seat, also map lights and exterior mirror puddle lights are LED, there is also LED in the center storage in the front and rear. The Extended LED pkg is expensive and you get the remaining lights, footwell, door edge, etc. in LED but you can do it on your own except for the LED strip lights underneath the gear shift console, people who have it said it is very dim and not noticeable. For the sunvisor make up mirrors, I actually prefer them to remain in incandescent because it is more natural on facial color.

 

I didn't realize there was 2 light kits available after sales. I only see interior led which includes under shifter. I'll see what I do on these. More concerned with tires and daily driving :-)

 

There is only one retro fit LED kit available. Suncoast's kit is the same as the factory Extended LED option. The Comfort Light is a factory-only option.