Got this indicator Saturday. I thought it was related to the gas cap being loose which it was.
I opened and re tightened the cap but the indicator still is there.
Any ideas?

 

Brought car to dealer for a reset. All OK now.

 

Did they say what caused it? I'm having the same FAULT.

 

No they didn't, and unfortunately I didn't ask. So I can't help here.

 

Drive it a week and see if it resets. If it s cap related it make take that long to reset. May save you a dealer trip.

 

Final disposition . . . Porsche reprogrammed the ECU with all updates and all is well now. Old battery 'may' have been part of the problem as well. Replaced! All is right with the world . . . or so they tell me. I pick it up tomorrow with a slightly lighter wallet! Thanks to all who tried to help!

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I left out what I had considered unrelated info. While changing the front brake pads and rotors this weekend I had to disconnect the ABS sensor from the back of the wheel. They were stuck pretty tight from all the grime and I managed to break the retaining clip on them getting them off. I safety wired them back on but after this problem started I got to thinking that since they are sensors, that if they came loose, not only would it be a safety issue, it might be causing havoc with the ECU. I had them both replaced ($126 each at Porsche). Total installation cost with 'programming'? $800!!!. When I picked the car up, since all the faults had been cleared and not reoccurred on their 25 mile test drive, that the problem was solved. Sooooooo, $1800 later, I picked the car up and it drove like a top going back home . . . until I started decleration on the exit ramp and the FAULT reoccurred! :\ Pretty upset, I limped home, having to pull over 3 times in 6 miles to start/stop and find a gear. I called Porsche and they sent a wrecker, and it is now back at Porsche. The new mechanic that will work on it (the one that did the original work left on vacation right after "fixing" my vehicle) called me and I went through all the symptoms and conditions under which the fault occured with him. I am somewhat upset that they now have to start the diagnosis process over again. I do not think I should be on the hook for that, just any actual parts and labor. After all factory trained service techs should have a clue, and not have to guess at what's wrong. Am I being unfair? Thoughts and opinions welcomed. ~Wailer

 

No definitive answer to you now because we first have to find out what the issue is and if it s related to anything they knew or should have known.
I agree that a Porsche dealer should just not be throwing parts at a car like a street corner shop. Best of luck.

 

OK, you guys won't believe this! This tale gets weirder (and sadder for me). After enjoying a week with my buddy and our wives in the mountains of NC, he got the same fault in his Panamera (same year, same mileage . . . about 45K)! His was not accompanied by a slipping transmission however and was intermittent as he turned it off and on. Made it back to Jax this past weekend and his is now in the same shop and being diagnosed. It is not lost on the dealer that we both returned from the trip together and both had the same Fault a week apart (albeit for apparently different reasons). It has been suggested to me that the Bermuda Triangle has expanded to include Jax!

My problem turned out to be the worst case scenario. Some sensors in the transmission were operating outside their tolerance (Hey, I'm just quoting my Service Rep)! I need a new transmission AND control unit.

"Recommend replacement of PDK with control unit. (Found distance sensors within the PDK unit to be out of specification sporadically, Control unit has shown internal fault.)"

After some back and forth (as it was out of warranty since last October), I was asked if this was my first Porsche. It isn't. I was asked if I purchase at a dealer, which I did. Because of my loyalty (?) Porsche is going to pick up over $12K of the cost, and I'm on the hook for about $3,400. That's in addition to the other recent $1800 service (battery and ABS sensors). Because of my "participation" in the cost, Porsche will warranty both for 2 years. If they'd picked up the entire cost, there would have been no warranty (at least that's what I was told). So, at least it's going to get fixed, but I must say it has soured my view of the brand to some extent. I love the car, but I've never driven ANYTHING that had a transmission take a dump at 45K. I guess sometimes life hands you lemons. I'm really trying to make lemonade! The dealer is ordering the parts today, and hopefully I'll be on the road again sometime in the reasonable future with a dependable car. My quandary right now is whether I should sell it. I love it, and it is supposed to be my fun retirement toy, but I don't think I can really stand another "surprise." Especially out of something that has not been driven hard! I guess it could have been worse.

 

Found this info on PDK last night online . . . "An electronic control unit orchestrates*PDK*operation, and it is in constant communication with the engine control unit and the*ABS/PSM*control unit to optimize shift strategy and perfectly match engine revs during shifts."

And this PDK Porsche Service Bulletin . . . https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...43332-8620.pdf

The question I have is whether the damaged ABS sensor could have worked itself loose (I was almost back home in Jax from a round trip to Winter Park) sending spurious signals to the control unit causing the fault. Would an intermittent connection cause harm to the control unit or the non-serviceable distance sensors in the the transmission? The fault DID return even AFTER the ABS sensors were replaced. Probably, only a well trained Porsche techie would know the answer to that one.

Counting my blessings that Porsche is picking up most of this. A word to the wise for those DIYers out there. If you break a clip on any sensor taking it off or putting it back on, replace it before driving!!! Do NOT try to jerry-rig it with safety wire like I did! Not sure if that caused the problem or not, but certainly not worth the risk.

And yeah, I'm going to keep the car. Can I purchase an (outside) extended warranty at 45K miles (mainly concerned about the engine after replacing the transmission)? What are your views on the value of that, and are non-Porsche warranty programs any good? Any recommendations?

 

Sorry to hear your trouble.
pdk issues are really not frequent. Sucks when happens to you.
Ecu is like a computer dedicated to monitoring a system. Receuves input from sensors, gives signals to other sensors and parts. It has a main program running, that governs operation of entire system. If sensors get faulty, like in your case, but do not generally cause ecu to go bad.
For what its worth, I have seen my share of dealer mechanics who are under pressure to upsell. Find any fault at all, maximize replacement cost thats how dealer makes monet.
Thats why Iearned diy work in Porsches, and all great now.
Update us on your issues. Good luck.

 

Well, two days shy of a month, and my Cayman is finally back home and (knock on wood), a full up round once again. As I perused the article on the history of Porsche's PDK transmissions in this month's Panorama magazine (pg 78) it occurred to me that as "bullet proof" as these things are supposed to be, every now and then a bad one can slip through. While I hated that this happened at all (especially out of warranty), I guess I was fortunate that Porsche still stood behind it, and agreed that I should not have had such a devastating issue. Final disposition had me shelling out about $3600, while Porsche picked up the remainder of the $16,224. repair bill for the new transmission and transmission control unit. Because of my "participation" in the cost, I get a two year, unlimited mileage guarantee on the repair. So that's something. It could have been worse I suppose. MUCH worse.

We all know these cars are expensive going in. Hopefully this transmission will far exceed the 45K miles the last one lasted. I love the car. Does this taint my view of Porsche? Not as bad as if I had been stuck with the whole tab as I likely would have with many other brands. I will keep this car and drive it. That's why I bought it. Besides, what are the chances of lightning striking twice? Right?

 

Very cool, glad too hear they stepped up and you got your car back.

nothing and nobody is perfect, sadly these things will always happen.