When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Maintenance and reliability of rear wheel/axle steering system?
I understand the pro’s of this system, but does anybody have any first hand knowledge about maintenance schedule (ie costs), and reliability of the rear axle steering system? I read on a Canadian dealership site that talks about how the system needs regular tuning/calibration....that made me a bit concerned about costs, and/ or reliability. Anybody have any feedback on this concern? Doesn’t have to be on a 992...
I understand the pro’s of this system, but does anybody have any first hand knowledge about maintenance schedule (ie costs), and reliability of the rear axle steering system? I read on a Canadian dealership site that talks about how the system needs regular tuning/calibration....that made me a bit concerned about costs, and/ or reliability. Anybody have any feedback on this concern? Doesn’t have to be on a 992...
Were the 991.2 new? Did the RAS ever require any maintenance/tuning...and if out of warranty, how much did that cost? Also, did the front axle lift ghosts/warnings go away on it’s own, or after re-start? Thx
My 991.1 GT3 was bullet proof in all respects (except for one minor thermostat issue).
Drove it for over 30k, and about 6k (or more) track miles.
No issues with RAS.
Here's the bottom line. These are mechanical and electronic components. Every time you add an additional mechanical/electrical component, you're going to increase the chances of a problem. It's just a pure math. More of X stuff = more likely stuff breaks. It doesn't meant that RAS is more likely to break, it's just that it is one additional thing that can break.
You're going to be covered for the OEM warranty period, and if you're worried afterwards, get an aftermarket warranty.
Stop thinking so much.
Buy, drive, enjoy life. Rinse and repeat steps 2 and 3.
Just an engineering thought, RAS goes through much smaller angles than the front wheels. It is pretty straight forward to make a reliable steering and drive system based on all the front wheel drive cars of the world. This is occurring with many OEM’s now. The problem is that these parts are all added complexity on RWD cars. There will never be zero failures from a system that is this complicated. I thought the gains versus the complexity was a good trade off for my car, but your answer may be different.
Ive had two 991.2's with RAS and I didnt have a single issue. I put over 36K on both of them. I had a ton of front axle lift ghost warning though.
Originally Posted by ipse dixit
My 991.1 GT3 was bullet proof in all respects (except for one minor thermostat issue).
Drove it for over 30k, and about 6k (or more) track miles.
No issues with RAS.
Here's the bottom line. These are mechanical and electronic components. Every time you add an additional mechanical/electrical component, you're going to increase the chances of a problem. It's just a pure math. More of X stuff = more likely stuff breaks. It doesn't meant that RAS is more likely to break, it's just that it is one additional thing that can break.
You're going to be covered for the OEM warranty period, and if you're worried afterwards, get an aftermarket warranty.
Stop thinking so much.
Buy, drive, enjoy life. Rinse and repeat steps 2 and 3.
As both an engineer and a physicist, I tend to overthink/analyze things,...especially if it involves my money, or a project I am working on. At least that’s what my wife says. But that’s my problem.
Yes, back in my day, we called that the VW bug principle, which was an extremely simple car to diagnose and fix....but more importantly, the simplicity resulted, for me and many others I knew, a very reliable car. So I get the concept that the greater the complexity, the greater the chance of something going wrong....per smiles11 post, I was looking for two things: (1) A straw man’s frequency information (Ie, from Rennlist Porsche owners, is this a common problem, or not?), and (2) Cost people experienced, if out of warranty?
As someone who’s been shadowing this site for about two years now, I don’t see much discussion on Rennlist regarding any reoccurring (indicates a part problem or a design issue) mechanical/electrical issues. Maybe that’s a good thing, or maybe people who own a $100k-$200K+ car don’t like to complain? Don’t know? Either way, thought I would ask the question.
Last edited by CodyBigdog; 09-03-2020 at 02:29 PM.
Most people never post about not having a problem. That's just the nature of the forum. Maybe ask your dealer. I believe all GT cars have it as did a whole lot of 991.2s. It is a pretty simple system. Porsche has a video on it somewhere.
Most people never post about not having a problem. That's just the nature of the forum. Maybe ask your dealer. I believe all GT cars have it as did a whole lot of 991.2s. It is a pretty simple system. Porsche has a video on it somewhere.
this.... I am a perfect example of this phenomenon .. I have never posted a thread on when something works good.. just when I have a problem
From what I can see, the RWS system is quite simple... to smallish electric motors, a linkage that seems extremely robust and a computer interface to the car.. The maintenance from what I was told is occasionally lubricate some moving parts.
No regrets for the RWS.... 99% of my love for it comes from tight turns and u-turns.
with 3500 miles on my 992 - I've only gotten a single dash warning and it was for the RAS while backing up and turning in reverse out of my garage. I drove it for a mile or two and turned off the ignition, then back on, and never saw the warning again. I was *literally* on my way to get it realigned after the dealer's first alignment and recheck (both of which claimed it was in spec) - and the indy shop showed me that the rear alignment was pretty far off - and emphasized that the ignition has to be on when doing an alignment on RAS cars to do properly. I failed to ask if he saw any codes.
Whether the dash warning was from a poor alignment or something else I don't know. This is my first 911 (or any car with RAS) so I have no reference for driving without RAS. I do enjoy making tight turns - and probably would even without it.....
Most people never post about not having a problem. That's just the nature of the forum. Maybe ask your dealer. I believe all GT cars have it as did a whole lot of 991.2s. It is a pretty simple system. Porsche has a video on it somewhere.
I did,. My service rep claims it’s “too new” to have any meaningful reliability data. Thought someone here might have some relevant experiences. Only person that chimed in with anything relevant was smiles11, and much appreciated. .
Last edited by CodyBigdog; 09-03-2020 at 05:21 PM.
with 3500 miles on my 992 - I've only gotten a single dash warning and it was for the RAS while backing up and turning in reverse out of my garage. I drove it for a mile or two and turned off the ignition, then back on, and never saw the warning again. I was *literally* on my way to get it realigned after the dealer's first alignment and recheck (both of which claimed it was in spec) - and the indy shop showed me that the rear alignment was pretty far off - and emphasized that the ignition has to be on when doing an alignment on RAS cars to do properly. I failed to ask if he saw any codes.
Whether the dash warning was from a poor alignment or something else I don't know. This is my first 911 (or any car with RAS) so I have no reference for driving without RAS. I do enjoy making tight turns - and probably would even without it.....
Thank you very much. This was an informative post, Especially about the part that the ignition has to be on while doing the alignment on RAS.
I did,. My service rep claims it’s “too new” to have any meaningful reliability data. Thought someone here might have some relevant experiences. Only person that chimed in with anything relevant was smiles11, and much appreciated. .
That comment from your dealer should tell you that it's not a big problem on cars since it was introduced. It has been out for at least two generations, 991 and 992.
09-03-2020, 11:18 AM
Maintenance and reliability of rear wheel/axle steering system?
