2012 PDK FAILURE

 

Condolences.
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From speaking with multiple Porsche techs, the most common PDK failures are related to the car being left to sit for long periods of times. I have been advised to stay clear of extremely low mileage PDK cars. The seals dry out and leaks and failures can cascade.

It’s an extremely reliable transmission that doesn’t like sitting.

You didn’t provide much in terms of specifics like the number of miles on your 2012, but I’d venture that it doesn’t have 100k miles.
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Agree on the condolences. Many strides have been made to understand these transmissions on the 997 forum with the distance sensors being the #1 culprit. There are some pretty good shops now willing to fix them.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...l#post18595031

 

This is really not accurate information at all.

PDK failures almost always occur based on failed electronics. Sensors primarily. Porsche refuses (or perhaps is unable) to make the replacement parts available so in most cases, the transmissions have to be replaced (or at least that has been the case thus far.)

This video conveys factual info on PDK failures. The company featured is located in Atlanta. One of the few independent shops that has sought to address the difficulty in repairing PDK transmissions that have failed.

 

it has 60K miles on it and everyone i talk to says porsche will say I need a new trans
there is a shop in scottsdale that can fix it so they bit I have to ship the car there from california
it's in the limp mode and my mechanic can't fix it
tried all resets that are online and on utube but no luck
it seems after exploring this problem it is a common one and everyone just pays 45K for a new trans and that seem pretty steep
don't know what to do
and I am pissed that my little baby is not in the garage

 

 

My first two 991s were PDK and I carried a Fidelity plan mostly because of PDK. Not enough information available on its reliability (or lack there of) but it seemed prudent to leverage risk with a good warranty

 

The $45k price is certainly not what you should face if the solution ends up being a replacement transmission. If you study the 997 Rennlist forum, you'll be able to cross-reference those with 997.2's that have had to replace their PDK's. Most ended up paying under $25k.

Even at $25k, it's a bitter experience for sure.

Hopefully you'll find a less expensive solution.

 

You do know there are quite a number of PDK's on the road with very little problems.

I would like to know the exact statistic's but I'd say PDK problems are NOT common.

What codes is the tranny throwing? What was the symptoms leading up to the limp mode?

 

Agreed, PDK failures are extremely rare but when they happen they are expensive and tend to make for sad owners. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

Seconded on the Fidelity warranty, I had some leaking seals and the warranty more than paid for itself in one trip to the dealers.

I'd fully explore any warranty options at your disposal, they can be lifesaving in these circumstances. If that ship has sailed, then budget up to $25k for a total replacement. There are an increasing number of options out there, like GTS, linked above for repairs. Worth exploring what you may be able to do. The costs of shipping the car pale in comparison to a $25k repair so if you find the best shop in Atlanta, or somewhere else it would be worth seriously thinking about just shipping it out to them IF they are willing to give you a PDK warranty following their repairs. For what it costs, you should be covered for a long time.

 

2012.5 991 s. bought it cpo in june 22 for a daily driver with 41k miles. 2 weeks later with no prior warnings or problems. at stop light. got a message on the dash. no r gear possible to drive on. would not shift from first. pdk had to be replaced. fortunately it was covered by cpo.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Please get in contact with me vlad@t-design9.com - we can recommend you PDK repair shops in your area.

 

You would think you could find a used one as there are so many crashed 991.1's out there......seems steep for a new transmission. I would surf eBay or even google salvage yards and start making calls!

 

2012 911 991.1 _ New Porsche PDK transmission installed by my Porsche dealer several years ago , all in cost was $11,500 ( parts and labor) done at 47K miles.

Yes, it was not mechanical it was an internal electronic failure. At least at the time, no other options but to replace the transmission. Hopefully, there are less costly solutions today.

 

That sounds much more reasonable than $25k.