I'm having second thoughts about sport chrono in my build.
I intend to do an ECU tune after the warranty period, so the launch control will be a moot point...will have plenty of acceleration without it.
I won't track the car...I am not sure I would miss the Sport+ mode.

But the kicker is the PADM failures, which I am aware was more of an early 992 issue, addressed with new moisture seals. I think the PADMs will nonetheless eventually have to be replaced out of warranty.
The $2800 sport chrono option plus 2 new PADMs at up to $3000 each parts and labor can become a $9,000 option when it comes time to replace them!

On top of that, it occurred to me for the first time today looking at pictures of PADM, that they don't look lightweight.
Does anyone know how much they weigh?
When the stock engine mount gets old, they can be replaced by engine mounts with miniminal weight that have nine different stiffness adjustments to taste(for NVH/comfort vs performance) in the aftermarket. That seems like a very reasonable compromise to use instead of PADM.

Your thoughts? Thank you.

 

I'm guessing you're not getting the Sports package which includes the chrono? Resale-wise (if it matters to you), most will want the sports chrono on there. I don't think the PADM will be an issue unless you're just constantly abusing the car every day, and even then it's probably a low chance.

Having the sports response button is also a nice plus with the chrono option.

 

I had mine replaced with the updated part that addressed a water infiltration problem with the original design. To be clear, they didn’t fail. The replacement was done as part of warranty/service bulletin.

If you’re concerned electronic parts/bits that can fail, a 992 is not where you want to be, because these cars have a lot of systems. It’s not a simple vehicle. The Sport Chrono package and PADM doesn’t make this vehicle significantly more complicated than it already is.

If you spec only one option on a modern 911, it should be Sport Chrono. 911s without Sport Chrono are lesser cars. With Sport Chrono, you get an extra, more potent driving mode, a customizable mode, handy mode selection on the steering wheel, sports response button, and the best launch control in the business. While I don’t use launch control every day, I use the other features of the sport chrono package every time that I drive the car.

 

Thank you Redd...resale not as important as I am getting PTS Which I believe will counteract that.
Sport response button is nice, but not so necessary with the prodigious torque available after an ECU tune.

I would in fact "abuse" the PADM...autocross (PCA only) and canyon carving.
Granted, it might seem silly not to get sport chrono for autocross.
The 911 is being configured as a sport/grand tourer.
For hard core autocross action, I decided not to get a GTS (also because of the wait!), and use a BMW M2
that has the stiff suspension and LSD, for SCCA autocross (and is a winner in its class this year at SCCA Solo Nationals).
In other words, GTS = Base 992 + M2 original generation.

 

Thank you Detasinn. I fully accept 911 complexity and associated future costs, especially the PDK. (PDK is non-negotiable to me as I
have trained myself to do left foot braking since doing some kart racing in the early 90s...and the manual trans is less able to handle
the torque with a tuned ECU). I am balking at potential cost of the PADM replacement(s) in the future partially because there is a great aftermarket solution,with the added bonus of being lighter...exept I don't know how much later and I have failed to find that info.

With an ECU tune, I am thinking the modes might be less important because of the amount of torque available.

Would you happen to know how much more the PADM might weigh vs the stock mounts?

 

One more thing, the PADM unit is made in England...
Which reminds me of the old gearhead joke that the reason the British drink warm beer is because
the refrigerators are made by Lucas, a.k.a. the Prince of Darkness.

 

I started this thread December 2021. My PTS car was delivered just a few months ago, hence the unusually long wait. I heard the rattling lumbar sound driving off a lot at low RPM and sure enough at mile 530,

the PADM service warning displayed and stayed. FYI it is a PDK car.

This morning picked up the car after both PADM engine mounts were replaced, drove it 5 miles, warning light came on again, and the rattling lumbar noise between 1500 and 2000 RPM roughly is still there.

Detansinn, yes, they are complex cars, and I’m well aware of that, which is why I did not order night vision or the radar cruise control, and why I didn’t get a Carrera T with RAS.

I had reservations about PADM and should have listened to my gut (and Politeperson who is a base Carrera no sport chrono proponent) and the 10 years of threads showing PADM failure, right up to the present time. Those reservations are why I started this thread in the first place.

Having to take in the car twice and perhaps more times in the future to a dealer that’s not close is an enormous inconvenience, and who knows how many more times I’m going to be taking it back both in and out of warranty.

If this persists I’m going to ask to have the plain rubber motor mounts put on and coded appropriately to reflect removal of the PADM.

Having to pull the engine part of the way out to replace the PADM, and disconnecting and draining the cooling system and AC to quote someone we all know, “is no joke”.

One less point of failure (especially after the new water seals keeping water out that was supposed to make PADM substantially more durable) would be desirable and I’m strongly regretting my decision to get sport chrono. I live in Southern California, no water has touched the car. I wash using a sponge that doesn’t allow water to drain into the engine compartment. Not a drop got on the motor mounts. Water has nothing to do with this PADM failure.

Long story short, my advice to potential base buyers is not to order sport chrono, contrary to popular wisdom.

If you want more acceleration and sharper shifting way beyond what sport chrono provides, M engineering will make that happen for less money and less headache than sport chrono the just the stage 1 ECU tune and for GTS like shifts, the PDK tune.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I will post an epilogue to the story once it concludes.

 

One more important question to the forum...
Does anyone know the part number of the most current PADM,
and the date when the most recent PADM hardware update
became available?

 

Statistics matter. How many sports chrono owners incur PADM problems? Porsche sells 10K+ 911s per year.

If you're worried about an infrequent warranty issue happening to you then it's probably best to avoid expensive, low-volume marques and go for brands known for quality (rather than Porsche).

 

No.
I fully accept all the other potential points of failure with this the 911 and I am aware of most of them, having read all pertinent 992 threads.
I am well aware that it is arguably the most highly engineered production car on the planet.
It is only this particular point of failure that I have a bone of contention with since one can choose the risk of that potential point of failure or to not have that risk.
For example I did not order ACC, Carrera T with RAS, night vision among other options to avoid issues that may occur with those.
I fully agree that if you buy this car you're accepting all the other potential points of failure. And I do. (sounds like a marriage vow, doesn't it?)

And yes, The incidence of failures matters. But when I read threads going back more than 10 years, and then my sample of one has that failure coming right off the lot, that has to get one's attention.
And yes while there is a bias towards reporting negatives, there are undoubtedly also many who have had the failures who do not report them here, also. There is no way
to get at the real numbers.

That said I certainly don't regret purchasing the car. There is no other car at any price that I would rather have in this universe.
I just regret sport chrono. This is costing me a lot of time and some stress at a particularly bad time.

 

On previous threads about this, many say that they all have this problem but most people aren't sensitive to the sound it makes and therefore don't report it. And you can see from the poster here - apparently its unfixable, they replace all the parts with new ones and its still there.

 

Sucks you are dealing with this. FWIW, most of us don't have this problem since our PADM light is not lit up. I'm very sensitive to rattles and creaks and haven't noticed the noise...
2021 992 PDK at 26k miles​​.

If your dealer can't get this resolved I would leverage the lemon law and make them buy it back and try to get another allocation. Not an ideal solution for sure.
​​
Personally I would still opt for PADM on any 911 build as it makes the car tighten up as you move up modes and I would absolutely never buy one without that option. Most buyers feel the same way. In my area the lack of the option means the car is harder to sell and priced significantly less. PTS isn't going to even that out.

 

What does PADM stand for?

 

I think it stands for Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts

 

I appreciate the suggestion… But I absolutely love the car. There is no other sports car I would want truly at any price.
I'm 6'3" and it fits like a glove. I absolutely love the boxer 6 engine and its many and significant inherent design advantages. I love the PDK. The classic shape.
And the coups de grace...the steering, braking, handling and traction honed by decades of racing breeding and development!

I am thinking about asking to replace PADM with the regular rubber mounts with the appropriate PADM delete code, which is rumored to exist. Durable solution and cheap: discounted price is $240 each plus roughly 3 hours labor. I will provide an update in the coming week.