abu5

this is interesting, because people live by DME. It's very interesting to see that there can be a possible software error.

GrantG

Yes, easy to have glitches and errors as seen with the Range 2 and 3 over-revs in the PDK cars.

abiazis

The way these cars are selling now for exorbitant prices , you could replace the engine as soon as possible, to avoid bubble bursting on pricing on GT3s.

Hopefully sell over what you paid for it, and as close to the 65K you will pay to cover the new engine, which might actually be an advantage for someone who will drive the car or track it with a brand new engine.......

or just keep the car for a long time after replacing the engine......

Archimedes

Read the whole thread. There’s no software error. One of the early responders made a math error in his calculations. The DME looks quite logical for a single, quick, very bad money shift.

RennOracle

Change your engine mounts to later part numbers, if you have movent while in gear that is the oldest most obvious telltale of shagged mounts (either gearbox or engine) in any post war manual car ever made.

RockyTopTenn

I downshifted my GT3 manual from 3rd to 2nd going about 80-85 MPH (I wasn't looking closely). Redline in 2nd is 79 MPH. The auto-blip saved my bacon by not even trying to match revs. It just dropped to idle - which caught my attention instantly. So I kept the clutch in, hit the brakes and went back to 3rd gear. Glad that it didn't just go to 9k and hang there!

Also, I agree with a previous post on this thread. Not sure why Porsche (and others) haven't made some kind of a clutch lockout that prevents money shifts. It would seem to me to be easy to just put a solenoid or something that prevents the clutch pedal from being released if the revs will be over redline in the newly-selected gear at the current vehicle speed. But what do I know?

GrantG

Hmmm, glad you were alerted by the lack of revs and didn't damage your car. However, I'm not sure I agree with the wisdom of having revs drop to idle when you're about to over-rev. If you had released the clutch anyway, you may have spun the car from the serious loads put on the drivetrain (without any rev-matching and then going to over 9k via engine braking). Could have also damaged the clutch or other driveline components. Are you sure you had the Sport button pressed?

You may not have enjoyed the engine rev-matching to 9k and hanging there, but that is the far safer alternative, in the event that you release the clutch.

RockyTopTenn

100%

That said, the auto-blip doesn't always work as advertised. Sometimes -seemingly randomly - it doesn't even try to rev match downshifts. Not sure if it is because small gas pedal inputs "override" it or maybe just bugs in the code.

rob944s2

It's the small gas pedal inputs that are overriding it. It happens to me a lot if I'm not deliberate with my intentions when using the gas pedal.

shahrukh_bakar

I had to get used to this ‘feature’ coming from other cars. The throttle response is a little artificial with the auto-blip. You have to be deliberate with intentions otherwise the car gets mixed up. It’s easy to get the hang of it but you can’t dither while changing gears, for example.

R35driver

maybe an engineer, software tech, or physicist can chime in here. But are 'bit flips' due to cosmic rays a possibility for errors in the DME ? *puts on tinfoil hat*

apparently its lead to airliners having issues and taking nose dives.

srwhitman

And now the latest.

So I was pretty sure my engine was toast and that I'd have to replace the core. The dealer had said the rod was bad and went into the block. Well, that sounded bad and they never said I had to or didn't have to replace the core - in fact, they never even talked to me about it. So after they talked to a bunch of Porsche executives and whatnot, they gave me a discount of 10% on the parts (er, the engine), 20% on labor (obviously not the biggest chunk) and they said they will not charge me for a new core!

For pricing, I don't know where their original quote of $65K came in because the math didn't exactly add up so here's what I heard (and this may vary per dealer btw):

$51K for the engine
+ $29K for the core if it can't be replaced
$6K for their labor (after discount)


So in my case, its not the additional of the latter, just the former. They suggested, to replace the clutch "while they are in there" so I'm doing that. Then there is tax of course.

They showed me what was wrong - one of the rods was severely discolored, there were lots of metal bits in the oil and one metal bit that seemed like the culprit part that was the "core" (as opposed to the rod itself or valves or whatever is in the engine oil. That one metal bit - they weren't worried about it - which is why they are saying that they will not charge me for a new core. Or, I guess a better way to put it - either way you get a new core, but I don't have to pay that $29K charge. I don't know what they do with mine - maybe research or whatnot (that was the dealer guess).

Anyway, apparently the week before there was 1 GT3 engine in the US but it was taken so now I have to wait 3 weeks or so to get one from Germany. Considering this all happened about 6 or 7 weeks ago, another 3 weeks isn't too bad. I was told an interesting way to break it in without having to go to 1500 miles. It will involve some due diligence but I'm going to try it.

No, I'm not selling the car to get a "safer" car for the track (er, PDK). I've been tracking manuals for years and I'm not going to let one mistake be the problem.
Yes, I promise I'll be extra careful on downshifts. I will probably not be quite as fast but I'll be more deliberate.

I do think one of the posters had something in the idea of sensing that something was wrong before letting the clutch out but having the sense to do that implies an awareness that one didn't have a fraction of a second ago when one downshifted to the wrong gear in the first place.

Bottom line: I still love this car and I have it set up the way I like it - awesome color, harness, harness bar, updated discs, Sparco SPX seats and rails (I hated the carbon buckets), brakes are still relatively new and I had a stereo shop put in a pretty good sound system. I do plan to have the car on the track at COTA this fall. All depends on when its ready.

ShakeNBake

That seems like a fair outcome (especially waiving the core charge). Will the car be CPO'able after the work, or covered under the original warranty?

I've had good luck with Porsche Austin advocating for me with the mother ship.

Deven

Wow, 80K for a GT3 engine, that is borderline ridiculous. I suppose that is one way to maintain the mystique of the GT3 by making it cost prohibitive for anyone wanting this specific engine.

Glad you are getting the car fixed.

Mussl Kar

A money shift is almost always a money shift for sure. Parts get stressed beyond what they are designed for and stress risers happen. Maybe not that day, not next track day or two. But stress risers are there. Maybe you get 10 or 20 track days after. Maybe not.
Talk to the dealer and buy a Panamera for wifey, no haggling on $. Maybe a Cayenne and Boxster for your daughters. They still may stick it to you, but will use scented lube.