Meursault88

Hi folks - to gain some credibility I've become a Rennlist member. I've looked but can't find a solid answer about PPK improvements within the 997.2 years. Were any changes made from 2009 that made the PDK more reliable or longer lasting for the 997.2?

Thanks in advance.

ogun228

There was a software update IIRC sometime in 2010 that smoothed out the shifting. Some people like it and some, like me, always
ask the dealer not to apply the update as we kind of like the "Kita". AFAIK, real improvements did not occur until the 991.

rauschen

H! all, I’ve owned a GCC spec 2010 997.2tt pdk and just turned 60,000km. Just before covid19 hit I noticed when at long red lights I put car in neutral and when engaging 1st there is a hesitation and slipping before full takeoff. I’ve had my local dealer go on drive and my service writer was able to reproduce the same. They took it overnight and returned it next day and said “no issues” with pdk. I asked my service writer if he’s experienced same in other cars and he said no. I asked him if this is normal and he said no. My factory extended warranty expires in August of this year and am worried about catastrophic failure AFTER warranty expires. My local agency (dealer) has been fantastic repairing a/c system (over $10,000) and replacing cracked carbon fiber ($6,000+) at NO cost to me. I bought from private party in Dubai but had ppi (after many other candidates) at their shop and continue to do so. I need your wisdom and experience. Thank you.

Carrera De Lune

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Wayne Smith

Software in late 2010 (I also refuse the update ... Not reversible, once it's done you can't go back). The third (center) radiator was 2011.

Most problems are electrical and all in all I would argue the transmission is very reliable. Can you suffer an electrical failure? Of course. But for all the miles driven on these transmissions the MTBF is pretty high.

Just musing ... When you stop, the clutches disengage. But 1st gear is selected and oil is pumped to the wet clutches preparing them to operate. The car starts normally when you release the brake and press the throttle.

If you put the car in neutral I suspect the gear shafts take an undefined location. This could have an affect on the oil pump and distribution. Then when you select 1st to start, that odd gears shaft requires oil pressure to get into gear before the clutches can engage. That could be the slippage (delay) you're feeling.

If you live in a cold climate you learn the response problems when you first start the car while you're waiting for oil distribution throughout the transmission.

ilovemaui

I have a 2009 and I have no idea if the software has been updated because I purchased the car in 2019. It was at the dealer within two weeks after purchase for 40,000 mile service, so they may have reflashed the PDK. I have noticed improved shifting since I installed the Cobb tune last fall.

rauschen

thanks Wayne, I live in United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi and the dead of winter (Dec, Jan,Feb) the coldest temps are 60f and that’s considered freezing! It’s 10:30pm now and 86f right now. We will see 130’s-140’ in the next 3 months. Bet that makes it clear as mud.

PV997

This is a good point. The PDK has lightning fast shifts because the computer has already set up the next gear in anticipation of what it thinks the driver will do. So there is no pause to position the gear, the TCU simply overlaps releasing one clutch while engaging the other clutch. This is the few tenths of a second we hear quoted. However if the driver makes a move that the TCU doesn't anticipate (e.g. manual downshifting going into a corner after steadily increasing speed) there is a very noticeable lag in that shift. This is because the TCU has to first move the shift rod to the right location before it switches the clutches.

I could see the same thing happening when one shifts the gear into neutral at a light, particularly if it was done before the car came to a complete stop. Easy way to check is to brake normally with the car remaining in gear and see if it still happens.

sandwedge

No telling unless you can dig into the car's history. All I can say is that I had a well documented failure of the PDK on my 2009 C4S. Full replacement and the replacement unit shifted very differently than the original one that failed. So something was "updated" with the replacement unit. Shifted much smoother in all modes. To me it felt slower even in sport + mode. I much preferred the original unit. In sport + manual it was insanely quick. Not smooth but the shifts felt like micro seconds and frankly felt like they could have been a bit hard on the transmission. Maybe that's why most of the PDK failures seem related to the earlier models.

Here's what's weird though. The software update seems to have been initiated sometime during 2010. My 2011 GTS PDK shifts just like the original 2009 unit did. Must have been built just before the software update. I've told the dealer not to make any changes to the PDK whenever I bring it in for service and they've left it alone. Really hated the "update" with the new PDK unit.