957 GTS Low Coolant
04-08-2015, 08:36 PM
#1
957 GTS Low Coolant
Hey All,
I've read previous posts about low coolant lights in Cayenne's, but it doesn't seem that the 957 has a "common" way to fail that isn't already known by the dealers.
My wife's 09 GTS (40k miles) had a check engine light followed by a low coolant light the next day, about a week ago. The truck blows white smoke from time to time, and I've never seen a spot of coolant on the ground.
Before returning the GTS, I filled the reservoir with water, and it took 2 liters (2L) to fill her up.
Upon picking up the truck, the dealer said that the check engine light was because of a stuck thermostat and that the coolant level was just low and passed a pressure test.
However, after driving 10 miles home and running one errand, the coolant level is now below the minimum line. The low coolant light hasn't come back on though. Perhaps the dealer didn't add coolant after running the pressure test?
My fear is that the coolant is leaking into the engine. If that was the case, would the reservoir pass the pressure test? Anything else I should look for? Even though this car is under CPO, I'm considering going to a third party mechanic to evaluate this, as they aren't afraid of telling me what needs to be fixed and what else may be getting damaged by this leak
I've read previous posts about low coolant lights in Cayenne's, but it doesn't seem that the 957 has a "common" way to fail that isn't already known by the dealers.
My wife's 09 GTS (40k miles) had a check engine light followed by a low coolant light the next day, about a week ago. The truck blows white smoke from time to time, and I've never seen a spot of coolant on the ground.
Before returning the GTS, I filled the reservoir with water, and it took 2 liters (2L) to fill her up.
Upon picking up the truck, the dealer said that the check engine light was because of a stuck thermostat and that the coolant level was just low and passed a pressure test.
However, after driving 10 miles home and running one errand, the coolant level is now below the minimum line. The low coolant light hasn't come back on though. Perhaps the dealer didn't add coolant after running the pressure test?
My fear is that the coolant is leaking into the engine. If that was the case, would the reservoir pass the pressure test? Anything else I should look for? Even though this car is under CPO, I'm considering going to a third party mechanic to evaluate this, as they aren't afraid of telling me what needs to be fixed and what else may be getting damaged by this leak
04-08-2015, 09:57 PM
#2
The V8 Porschephile
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
White smoke followed by a sweet odour may be related to a blown head gasket. Hopefully, this is not the case with your GTS. The key issue here is whether or not the white smoke is a by-product of coolant spilling onto the hot exhaust or in fact, a compromised head gasket. Given that some of the 957 owners on this forum have experienced a failure of the coolant distributor pipe, this may very well be the culprit; although a pressure test should have exposed this theory.
These cars always exude a slight coolant odour from the engine compartment; usually after a long drive on a mild day. From your username, I assume that you live in TX and understand that temps can get quite high there during summer months. With that said, it is important that the water that was added is replaced with coolant since the thermal transfer properties have now been reduced considerably with the volume of water that's been added to the system.
My recommendation is to watch the coolant level closely within the next few days as well as to look out for any white smoke during heavy acceleration. If your dealer is unwilling to look further into this matter, your CPO will cover you should you decide to get a second opinion from another dealer.
These cars always exude a slight coolant odour from the engine compartment; usually after a long drive on a mild day. From your username, I assume that you live in TX and understand that temps can get quite high there during summer months. With that said, it is important that the water that was added is replaced with coolant since the thermal transfer properties have now been reduced considerably with the volume of water that's been added to the system.
My recommendation is to watch the coolant level closely within the next few days as well as to look out for any white smoke during heavy acceleration. If your dealer is unwilling to look further into this matter, your CPO will cover you should you decide to get a second opinion from another dealer.
04-09-2015, 11:38 AM
#3
Thanks Andy! I drove for about an hour last night and checking this morning the coolant is way down. I expect the coolant light to come back on the way to the dealership.
Since the coolant isn't hitting the ground, and I don't see steam, who knows what is getting damaged right now.
Since the coolant isn't hitting the ground, and I don't see steam, who knows what is getting damaged right now.
04-13-2015, 10:57 PM
#4
For those reading this someday, here is the latest.
* Everything now seems to be OK. No loss of coolant for the last few days.
* I've learned that after a coolant flush, there can be lots of trapped air in the system. When driving the car at operating temperature, the air can "burp" out. The solution is to keep adding coolant until all the trapped air is let out.
* Everything now seems to be OK. No loss of coolant for the last few days.
* I've learned that after a coolant flush, there can be lots of trapped air in the system. When driving the car at operating temperature, the air can "burp" out. The solution is to keep adding coolant until all the trapped air is let out.
04-14-2015, 12:57 PM
#5
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Actually, the correct way to change the coolant is using a vacuum lift system like the Uview Airlift. It's the only way to know that you don't have bubbles in your system. This is particularly critical on cars like the 911 which is seriously sensitive to coolant bubbles and issues.
Cheers,
TomF
Cheers,
TomF