CincyBoxster

So I have my lovely 6 month old 981S, my first Porsche, and I've never loved a car more from a pure pleasure to drive standpoint nor had more issues with a car. About two months ago I started with a litany of electrical issues

Started with the electrical motor on the fuel door lock mechanism blowing replaced no cause determined

Blower motor failed, 3 days in the shop suddenly started working again no cause identified

Stereo failed, 3 days in shop them suddenly started working again no cause identified

Convertible top would only open halfway but after 3 attempts finally opened all the way no cause identified

iPod not recognized after car sits overnight without switching stereo to SAT or Radio and then back

PSM failed while driving home from the Airport, error gone next day, 2 days in shop no cause identified

While tech was test driving the car to try and replicate the PSM issue check engine light came on. Diagnostics indicated catalytic converter needs to be replaced. No cause identified

IMHO there is something fundamentally wrong with this car. I mentioned to the customer satisfaction team that I thought it was time Porsche stepped up and replaced the car and she indicated that the only way that would happen is if I go through the whole arbitration then if needed lemon law process.

Is this really how Porsche treats someone that buys an 85K car? I've asked to have the case escalated to see if I can get Porsche to do the right thing without putting me through the wringer.

Am I crazy? Would you expect Porsche to replace the car if it was yours?

sjfehr

I'd expect them to find the problem and fix it. That many things failing intermittently is most likely the result of a single loose connection, possibly a grounding issue. Maybe even just a connector that wasn't put on tight enough. They should be able to narrow it down on a wiring diagram, and fix it, and owe you BIG time for your troubles. This should have been fixed WAY early on.

ClintonM3

Did a Porsche factory tech ever looked at your car? Or was the work all done by dealership technicians? Unfortunately, to get a new car and exercise your state's lemon law, it will be a multi step process and requires proper documentation. Even if things were fixed at dealership level, your next step is to have your area factory reps to look at your case/car. Lemon law guidelines also depend on where your register your car. But most here would agree that 6 failures in 6 months can be grounds for lemon law. Never the less, you best consult a local lawyer. You'll get many interpretations here on the forums.

CincyBoxster

The regional tech did look at the car when it was in for the initial blower problem and they supposedly checked the wiring harnesses and all the grounds in the car and found nothing amiss.

981FTW

I really hate to say this, but with the shear number of electrical faults that appear to be happening simultaneously is there any chance there is a rodent infestation in the car?

fast1

That is an excellent suggestion. In the winter mice look for warm places to take refuge, and a car is a good place wit hall of the heat generated by the engine. Since rodents will eat almost anything, it wouldn't be surprising if they nibbled on some wires. On most cars the engine is visible, so it's not hard to find evidence of rodent infestation. On the other hand since this problem is not uncommon, I would expect that the factory rep would have already ruled out this condition.

stevecolletti

Early in her ownership. rodents ate the wiring in my wife's daily-driven Boxster S while she was at work in So Cal.

Construction at the lot next to her work drove field mice into her parking lot. For what it's worth, the tech who repaired the wiring said that some of the piezoelectrics make high pitched sounds that drive the field mice crazy, and they chew until it stops.

Porsche doesn't cover that as warranty.

The electrics on these cars all share the CANBUS and very weird things can happen with even a bad sensor - we've seen plenty of them over the years - and the newer cars have more and more electrics.

Good luck!

Marine Blue

My first gues was a faulty battery or maybe an alternator that isn't maintaing proper voltage.

Macster

At some point it is possible the car qualifies as a lemon and thus the car should be taken back by Porsche.

Whether it is or not depends.

First you need to familiarize yourself with lemon laws in your area and begin to build a case just in case.

This involves, among other things, having a paper trail of the car being in and in again for service, the same thing, or related things.

Then you need to state and get this down in writing that you have lost all enjoyment from owning the car due to it being in the shop and for such a number of seemingly unrelated issues.

You want the car fixed of all issues and fixed to your satisfaction and fixed promptly, within reason. You can't expect a one day turn around but you also want it clear you are not going to spend the next 3 years of your life having to deal with a problematic car.

If the car is fixed then fine.

If not... well you have to have built a case so you can then pursue having the car declared a lemon.

But be aware this may not bring you 100% satisfaction. Read up on lemon laws and what is in the Porsche owners manual/warranty booklet that came with the car.

CincyBoxster

I don't think it's chewed wires as that would tend to be a less intermittent problem and more consistent in what fails unless it is a ground wire. Charging system checked out as nominal. I think perhaps either a bad PCM or a pinched or exposed wire in the frame that is shorting out the electrical. I lay odds when they pull the Cat it is fine and the car got a bogus electrical signal causing the check engine that they diagnosed as a bad Cat.

Macster

In one case (Cab Turbo) the engine was running poorly and the CEL was on. Turned out rats had been at the car. Among other areas the engine wiring harness. The engine had to be removed to spot the damage and replace the harness.

In another case, a Cayman, again the CEL was on, but no bad running as far as I know. In the case of this car the engine harness was ok but the interior was obviously damaged -- once one knew where to look -- and so were various hoses and such.

With the wiring/hoses being chewed the car can manifest all sorts of symptoms.

Now it may not be rodents. Plenty of cars have exhibited odd and mysterious symptoms for other reasons.

Could be an intermittent charging system. Techs have told me about cars in with really goofy behavior that turned out to be a bad alternator that was unable to deliver sufficient power to supply the car's electrical needs.

Intermittent failures are not unknown with electrical and electronic systems. Things are fine cold then something gets hot and there you are.

Or things are bad cold then something warms up and a better contact is made and the symptoms go away.

Wiring really doesn't run in the frame. The harnesses are to be sure run out of the way but are buried/hidden under carpets, panels, and such. I've seen cars in a dealer service bay with their interior stripped right down the paint to get at a harness and replace it. Lots of labor and the harness ain't cheap either. (In the case of both cars I mentioned above damaged by rodents the owner had to fall back on his homeowners insurance the repair bill was so high.)

Issues like you are having with your car really require a good tech and one that is able to eliminate various possible causes until id's the reason.

CincyBoxster

So Porsche thinks they have identified the issues with my 981.

A bad CAT with a bad sensor sending junk into the system causing some of the issues, including the PSM failures and check engines they started receiving. They also discover that the control module was not married to the VIN on the vehicle, which they feels could have been causing my stereo and top issues and the blower they think we just a loose connector that they think got reconnected while they were troubleshooting it initially. So I picked the car up this evening and will keep my fingers crossed that they have gotten it fixed. I have a full report and record on all the services and Porsche NA is going to keep my case open until they and I are comfortable that I have a reliable car that I trust.

Macster

There are always 2 problems, unless there is just one or 3 or more.

In your case, it is the latter... 3 or more. Ouch.

But it reads like good progress is being made.

Just a heads up. When in a situation like this and you go to pick up the car try to do it early in the day. At least not before closing time. And be prepared to reject the car and leave it.

Before you agree to accept the car insist you be shown the car doesn't manifest any of the issues/symptoms/behavior you had the car in for in the first place.

Ideally the SM should take you out in the car with you supplying details as to how / when the symptoms appeared before.

Or if you drive the car away before you drive too far away give the car a reasonable road test in an attempt to get any of the symptoms you had the car in for time to reappear, or any *new* symptoms to appear.

Part of a winning formula for getting these problematic cars taken care of is to reject the car outright if any symptoms reappear. You have much more leverage, you will get much more sympathy and goodwill (as much as a dealer can muster...) right then and there.

If you take the car home then that's a win as far as the dealer is concerned.

It hurts the dealer some when the tech has written down "performs to Porsche specifications" and your test drive proves otherwise.

ajayabb

Very good advice.

fast1

The only thing that I would add to Macster's excellent list is that if it were my car, I would check everything out even things that worked in the past, before I took delivery.