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Had to take the turbo into the shop today - some bearing is on its way out, screaming like a banshee. Of course, when I got there, the screaming stopped, but discovered that the other screaming part on its way out was the fuel door actuator, which, of course, cannot be replaced until it totally fails. Pointed out to my service guy the lack of logic in this, being that it will only be determined to have failed when I am out of gas, at the pump... some of these Porsche policies are really quite silly.
Also may be leaking refrigerant, but that will be determined a little later as we could not fit our heads between the gap to see clearly.
And then, they gave me a brand new Cayenne as a loaner, the one with this new(?) electric steering... What a total soul-less POS compared to the last one I drove. Some bright young spark straight out of engineering school had to come up wit this system - mat the gas in Sport, the front jumps all over the place with zero feedback, but total chaos in trying to apply power. This suggests that there is in fact more power going to the front than the previous model, and it really isn't being managed very well. Sad, the last one (model) I drove was in fact pretty solid and had some decent feedback, for a truck.
And we are not even going to touch on the transmission other than the turbo (991) makes double the power (?) and shifts solidly, and this thing just bangs through the gears, loudly.
So update from the dealer; they have determined that both the water pump and fuel door actuator are faulty, however, they will not replace them until the water pump is leaking, and, the fuel door will not open - both failures will effectively leave you stranded.
This is what an extended factory warranty buys you...
So, I went back down to pick up the car and spoke with both service, and the manager:
Andrew: So is it meant to make that howling noise?
Service: Well, no, but, it's not leaking, so Porsche will not warranty it.
Andrew: I see. Do you guys see the lack of logic in that argument?
Service: Ummmm, no - what do you mean?
Andrew: You just told me that the bearing(s) noise within the water pump and the screeching of the actuator indicate a failure is inevitable.
Service: Well, yes, but, it's not leaking.
Andrew: So, either I'll be driving and the water pump goes, or, I'll go to the gas station to fill up and cannot because I can't open the door - both scenarios render the vehicle inoperable, and, in both scenarios (now), you're telling me that this noise is bad. So, I'm not quite agreeing with your position because it really doesn't make sense.
Service: Yes we see your point.
Andrew: And...?
Service: We will reach out to Porsche and see if we can get the repairs authorized.
Andrew: Great! A solution that works! I'll wait in the waiting area until you get something back.
Service: Uhhhhh, we may not hear anything from them for a week or more...
Andrew: *looks at them in shock*
Service: We will try to expedite this as quickly as possible.
So update from the dealer; they have determined that both the water pump and fuel door actuator are faulty, however, they will not replace them until the water pump is leaking...
Andrew: So is it meant to make that howling noise?
Service: Well, no, but, it's not leaking, so Porsche will not warranty it..
While I absolutely agree with your assessment and frustration, it's not surprising that PCNA/PCA is (at least initially) unwilling to warranty an item due to noise vs. an actual leak. "Noise" in general can be highly subjective, and not always indicative of a pending failure. And again, of course I believe that in your situation, failure is really imminent, but warranty denial based on a noise only I think is pretty much the norm... It's usually up to the shop/dealer to try and be persuasive to get the claim covered if the noise is extreme, even if PCNA or PCA have to put it under "good will".
Thank you Sir; sometimes the logic in these situations really irritates me. I agree that they are trying to save a few bucks, but logic suggests it will cost more if there is a catastrophic failure leaving the car undrivable.
Interestingly, the last warranty thing I had, steam coming from one of the condensers randomly, resulted in a condenser being replaced without being able to replicate the problem.
01-09-2024, 01:38 PM
