|2adi0head

Hello all,

First post, which is actually a public service announcement of sorts...

I have had my new 2018 CGTS for about a month, and the vehicle has exceeded all of my expectations, though during my commute yesterday, a message prompting me to 'refill coolant' and 'stop driving' was displayed. As you can imagine, while paying attention (begrudgingly) to the break-in period, and having driven only about 1000 miles, I was surprised and more than concerned.



In any case, the vehicle was towed after calling Porsche roadside assistance to my local dealer, after which I was informed by the service department that the coolant reservoir, which includes a sensor, needs to be replaced. Engine temperature was normal. It was also mentioned that there is a service bulletin on this issue and that the part will actually be replaced with an updated part (i.e. new model number). Unfortunately, I learned that the engine needs to be removed (doh) to replace the part, so I will be without for a handful of days...

I hope that this helps someone else that receives a disconcerting red 'stop driving' message during an otherwise normal commute made exceptional with their brand new 718 GTS.

Cheers

jftaylorv

OldJedi

|2adi0head

A quick update - I learned from the dealer upon collecting my repaired vehicle today that the issue apparently affects builds between 2017 and the first part 2018, and the faulty coolant reservoir that was replaced is described in service bulletin SY 62/18 10.08.

The repair took about three days (including the ordering of the replacement part). This was the first occurrence the dealer had seen with this issue, though it was a well-known problem according to their service department and they expect to see more of these issues, as the problematic part was installed for more than a year. The repair would have been around $3500 if it had not been covered by warranty.

The car seemed to be in good shape after my drive home, though I noticed a faint smell of coolant in my garage after parking this evening - wonder what (if anything) I should pay special attention to, as again, the engine had to be removed to perform the repair...?

|2adi0head

I understand that my car was delivered to the dealer early Q2 2018, though I am unsure how to determine the build date.

splinterAMG

Its build date is listed on the door jamb sticker near the latch striker.

Guaji

|2adi0head

Good to know - thanks, and looks like build date was 3/18.

OldJedi

DriveInHouston

I had the 'refill coolant immediately-stop driving' warning with the engine stone cold. I had driven for half a mile to T-Mobile to pick up an iPhone for the CarPlay and spent over an hour trying to figure the ins and outs. I had the ignition turned on (repeatedly) as I was trying to make the iPhone communicate with the car but at no time did I start the engine. I dismissed this as a computer glitch (my wife has a BMW 328i and we have seen an avalanche of glitches).

Then I read this thread. My Cayman is a 12/2017. I made an appointment and went to Porsche this morning. I'd given them the reference Service Bulletin and they told me that they were doing this to a Cayman at the time.

The first check was to read the coolant level, which was somewhat lower than normal, so they filled it to the proper level. They couldn't repeat the fault, so they asked me to drive the car until I see something.

In the meantime, the cap for the coolant reservoir is so tight that they had to use adjustable pliers to undo it. They tried another cap with the same results, so they order a replacement throat which they can install without dropping the engine. I talked to the mechanic and he said that he can drop the engine round trip in three hours!

When the temperatures here are nice, I'll sit in the car with the ignition on together with a good book and see what happens!

Blink982

I had this fault and it has been rectified (after several attempts) by the OPC. The fault only appeared in my car when the engine was warm and usually after parking up and restarting the engine e.g. at a petrol station. As soon as I turned the ignition, there it was. I had to wait up to an hour for it to clear. It never once appeared when driving.

donR

If this is a faulty sensor and given your coolant and oil temps and pressure are fine then what is the harm in driving?

DriveInHouston

If you get the warning to get immediately off the road and stop driving and call for a tow and you ignore it, and then 10 min later your engne blows up for an unrelated but unknown reason, what do you think Porsche is going to say?

Why do you think I spent 3 hours of my life for a coolant warning with the engine stone cold? I wanted them to aknowledge the service bulletin, get on record that the car is fine, or needs repairs or what not, so if something does go wrong, they can't say they didn't know.

In these situations, experience and logic won't cut it. You need everything documented. I trust that they will do their job, but I have to do mine, as an owner.