glap55

Hi,
new to the site but wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing a similar issue. My 2018 991.2 c4s went in for an engine control fault at 10k miles and was diagnosed as having a waste gate failure and needing a full turbo replacement. Fixed with no issues.
however, last week the light came on again and the dealership just notified me that the same issue has happened again and the turbos will need to be replaced.
under 20k miles, two full turbo replacements...
I have no modifications, never tracked, and barely if ever use launch control. I always let the car warm up and cool down correctly.
does anyone have an idea as to why this is continually happening?
my previous Porsches (981s & GTS, Macan GTS, and cayenne) never had any issues ever.
Any feedback would be great! Thank you all!

911.

That is definitely not normal for this platform. What is the code that they are pulling up that they are concluding to turbo replacement. Are you sure that it wasnt one turbo the first time and then another the 2nd time? I cant see them replacing a good turbo for fun.

glap55

seems weird to me as well. Here is what they sent me on the first time around.
A C/S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON PLEASE CHECK AND ADVISE
CAUSE: C/S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON FOUND WASTEGATE TO BE BINDED
INSTALLED NEW TURBO AND VEHICLE IS WORKING NORMAL 03350053 ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC .
612 WP
2 9P1-251-263 GASKET
11 999-084-642-02 SS PAF007634
1 997-111-230-80 CLAMPING COLLAR
1 9A2-111-215-00 SEALING
1 9A2-123-032-06 EXHAUST GAS TURBOCHA 2 999-707-692-40 O-RING
2 999-707-612-42 O-RING
1 999-707-387-40 RUBBER O-RING
2 999-707-603-40 O-RING 10,00X3,00N ** QUOTED PARTS IN NE PDC **
1 N-010-247-13 HEXAGON-HEAD BOLT
1 WPR WARR PART RETURN
03350050 ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC . 612 WP
44051904 WHEEL REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
44051903 WHEEL REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
94312000 2 REAR LIGHTS REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
63551900 REAR BUMPER REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
26011962 EXHAUST SYSTEM REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
26331962 REAR MUFFLER REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
21301962 TURBOCHARGER REMOVED AND REINSTALLED
612 WP
91432553 REVERSING CAMERA CONTROL UNIT PROGRAMMED
612 WP
91702553 2 LANE CHANGE ASSIST CONTROL UNIT
PROGRAMMED
612 WP
19381754 COOLANT DRAINED AND FILLED
612 WP
17010150 ENGINE OIL CHECKED
612 WP
16807 SEIZED WASTEGATE BANK 2 TURBO VERIFIED CUSTOMER COMPLAINT. FOUND CEL ON WITH FAULT FOR WASTEGATE STIFF FOR BANK 2 TURBOCHARGER. VERIFIED AND FOUND TURBO CHARGER WASTE GATE TO BE STIFF. REMOVED AND REPLACED TURBOCHARGER. REASSEMBLED ALL COMPONENTS. FILLED AND BLED COOLING SYSTEM. PERFORMED ALL NECESSARY CODING, PROGRAMMING, AND CALIBRATIONS. TEST DROVE VEHICLE TO VERIFY COMPONENT FUNCTION. CAR OK AT THIS TIME. CLEARED FAULTS AND RAN VAL
****************************************************

911.

Looks like they replaced the driver side turbo, bank 2, I think unless Porsche does something different. Is it the same turbo this time too?

glap55

yes I believe it’s the same again

spdracerut

Yeah, I was going to guess seized wastegate arm. How often do you drive it? How long are the drives? And how often do you get on the throttle hard? Honestly, it sounds like the car just doesn't get driven long enough and/or hard enough. If it's often taken on just short trips, the car doesn't get warm enough, so you'll end up with some water condensation in the exhaust which can cause the wastegate arm to seize. And if you don't drive hard enough, the wastegate doesn't have to move, also leading to seizing. Or, you're possibly parked next to a sprinkler which is spraying your turbo a bit and that could be causing the arm to seize.

Jack F

Barely, if ever use launch control? What does that actually mean? 🤪

glap55

It’s my daily, so I’m in it regularly-typically driving for at least an hour or more at a time. Your concerns definitely have merit but I don’t think that could be it. I’m a bit of a fanatic making sure it’s run hard when warmed-pretty much close to redline more than a couple times just about every time I drive, then usually a 15min drive cool off followed by 5min idle before I shut off. I don’t commute and work from home, so when I do drive it’s mostly just for pleasure.
tried launch control once at like 5k but didn’t care for it much and haven’t since.
I mostly drive the car in sport mode, but only after the temp is above 200ish. Auto start/stop always disengaged.
the only difference between this and my previous p-cars (981s & GTS, Macan GTS) is the pdk and turbos. Otherwise I treat them all the same, never an issue at all.
hoping this doesn’t follow me into my gt4 coming soon...

spdracerut

Huh... well, it shouldn't be your driving pattern then. Maybe something environmental where you park? I would say with a 15 minute cool-down drive, you can skip the 5 minute idle. Modern water cooled turbos will avoid the oil coking of a hot shutdown. Typical track day, I'll do the standard cool down lap followed by a lap around the paddock before parking and shutting down. It would be extremely bizarre if the 5 minute idle were causing the issue; I mean, that's a fraction of just sitting in LA traffic.

glap55

yea that makes sense-like I said I’m definitely a bit fanatical about temp and running it correctly. I have a few other cars that I keep as collectors (cobra 427, mb sl65amg black edition, ‘18 huracan) that I treat mostly the same. Obviously with less miles though. That’s kinda what’s throwing me off though. Maybe just pure bad luck.. maybe an issue with that specific new engine, no idea... perhaps environmental as it’s my only non garaged car, but like I said I haven’t seen this in my other previous daily driver. I’m in NY, so it sees all the weather and I run snows in the winter. Porsche NA is getting back to me Friday. Will let you alll know. Thanks again!

glap55

After speaking with the dealership now multiple times they have ‘said’ that the entire bank 2 turbo was replaced as the waste gate is an internal piece and that the same banks failed again. So essentially the turbo they say they replaced is broken again. That is all they have for me. I’m a bit confused to say the least. Aren’t the chances of that happening once, let alone twice insanely weird? I feel like I’m missing something..

spdracerut

Maybe time to go buy a lottery ticket? I know Aatish had to get one turbo replaced due to the seized wastegate arm. But the odds are of it happening twice to you. Potentially a bad batch of turbos and you got two from the same batch? Though again the odds seem quite low.