Guide to Repairing a PDK Transmission
#1486
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Hey guys, yesterday I got the "Possible R gear fault Driving permitted" message, along with "Engine control fault Consult a workshop Driving Permitted". I used my bluetooth OBDII adapter with the Torque app and got a P1733, but when I use the iCarSoft diagnostic tool I don't get any faults. I have disconnected the negative terminal on the battery a couple times to "reset" the ECU/TCU, but the problem persists.
Like everyone else with the P173x code, the car won't move forward or backward, and if it's in D or M, the "2" just blinks erratically. <-- I've looked through tons of posts, and I'm not seeing that anyone is getting the blinking gear "2" that I am...so I'm suspicious of what my error actually is.
For the record, I'm in a base Cayman 718 2.0 (2017 model year). The battery is fully charged and the car has been driving well for 77,000 miles.
Are there any other troubleshooting steps I should take to confirm what the issue is? Does the blinking "2" mean anything, or is that typical with the Distance Sensor fault? I really don't want to spend $1900 on the T-design sensor and have it turn out to be the valve body or something.
Is it worth it to have the car towed to a dealership/repair shop to put the PIWIS on it just to confirm it's the Distance Sensor, or is getting the P1733 code a sure indicator that the sensor is toast? Just not sure what to try next.
Thank you for any suggestions or help!
Like everyone else with the P173x code, the car won't move forward or backward, and if it's in D or M, the "2" just blinks erratically. <-- I've looked through tons of posts, and I'm not seeing that anyone is getting the blinking gear "2" that I am...so I'm suspicious of what my error actually is.
For the record, I'm in a base Cayman 718 2.0 (2017 model year). The battery is fully charged and the car has been driving well for 77,000 miles.
Are there any other troubleshooting steps I should take to confirm what the issue is? Does the blinking "2" mean anything, or is that typical with the Distance Sensor fault? I really don't want to spend $1900 on the T-design sensor and have it turn out to be the valve body or something.
Is it worth it to have the car towed to a dealership/repair shop to put the PIWIS on it just to confirm it's the Distance Sensor, or is getting the P1733 code a sure indicator that the sensor is toast? Just not sure what to try next.
Thank you for any suggestions or help!
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Lostpilot28 (04-24-2024)
#1487
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What a great thread. Thank you PV997 and jjrichar's videos are so informative.
I'm trying to figure out my PDK issue.
2011 Porsche 911 (997.2) C2S PDK 110K Miles.
Having trouble engaging in odd numbered gears - 1,3,5,and 7. Slight hestation (revving) or light clunk or slap when engaging. If accelerating and manually shifting, no issue.
Recently had PDK service as a first step in hopes of a remedy. No change.
My theory (or guess) is a sticky clutch 1 solenoid? Or could it be a worn clutch needing calibration?
I'm about to install a new valve body as the next step.
Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
Please share your wisdom @PV997 et al. ...
Thank you!
I'm trying to figure out my PDK issue.
2011 Porsche 911 (997.2) C2S PDK 110K Miles.
Having trouble engaging in odd numbered gears - 1,3,5,and 7. Slight hestation (revving) or light clunk or slap when engaging. If accelerating and manually shifting, no issue.
Recently had PDK service as a first step in hopes of a remedy. No change.
My theory (or guess) is a sticky clutch 1 solenoid? Or could it be a worn clutch needing calibration?
I'm about to install a new valve body as the next step.
Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
Please share your wisdom @PV997 et al. ...
Thank you!
__________________
Todd Lamb
Atlanta Speedwerks
www.ATLspeedwerks.com
Porsche repairs, servicing, and upgrades / Certified IMS installer / PDK repair experts
Over 150 PDK's repaired and counting: https://youtu.be/m54P_zisEcI
Todd Lamb
Atlanta Speedwerks
www.ATLspeedwerks.com
Porsche repairs, servicing, and upgrades / Certified IMS installer / PDK repair experts
Over 150 PDK's repaired and counting: https://youtu.be/m54P_zisEcI
#1488
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Hey,
So many different posts here, unsure who is the one with the new electronic PDK issue. I have a different 2013 991.1 PDK issue post yet it is not electrical, it is a noise at idle speed, or in park.
Anyway Todd Lamb@ Atlanta SW is on the right track. I retired 25 year electronics technician, mostly Japanese and domestic, I was a new science minded auto tech when everything changed over and hit the fan. I mean it was the very early 80's and us fresh out of Auto Tech college knew 10x more about base low voltage electronics than the 25- year, beer belly, know it all old school jumper wire journeymen.
That said Todd is most likely correct in that something went awry during a service. Back then we would get tow-ins from other shops after servicing/repairs because the "check engine light thing" was on and won't go away. For example, I found pinched solonoid wires inside the trans pan a handful of times. Also recommend do not watse more time and $$, get your baby to a shop with the resources and reputation to get you a solid diag.
And yes, would like to know what they came up with...
So many different posts here, unsure who is the one with the new electronic PDK issue. I have a different 2013 991.1 PDK issue post yet it is not electrical, it is a noise at idle speed, or in park.
Anyway Todd Lamb@ Atlanta SW is on the right track. I retired 25 year electronics technician, mostly Japanese and domestic, I was a new science minded auto tech when everything changed over and hit the fan. I mean it was the very early 80's and us fresh out of Auto Tech college knew 10x more about base low voltage electronics than the 25- year, beer belly, know it all old school jumper wire journeymen.
That said Todd is most likely correct in that something went awry during a service. Back then we would get tow-ins from other shops after servicing/repairs because the "check engine light thing" was on and won't go away. For example, I found pinched solonoid wires inside the trans pan a handful of times. Also recommend do not watse more time and $$, get your baby to a shop with the resources and reputation to get you a solid diag.
And yes, would like to know what they came up with...
#1489
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there is a 3.5 hour evaluation we have done for the 150+ PDK’s we have repaired. This allows us to determine the actual cause of failure. Sometimes it is straightforward and points to sensors. But most of the time it points to multiple things to check and test. We test solenoids, valve bodies, and sensors, as well as inspect clutches and wiring. We have found some very complex issues end up being a simple and inexpensive fix of a wiring issue, to many failures at the same time of sensors, TCU’s and solenoids (likely something got corrupted during a service). Clutches and flywheels are two common replacement items after 100k miles. Lots of unpack here and very difficult to do more than guess over the internet.
#1490
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Hey guys, yesterday I got the "Possible R gear fault Driving permitted" message, along with "Engine control fault Consult a workshop Driving Permitted". I used my bluetooth OBDII adapter with the Torque app and got a P1733, but when I use the iCarSoft diagnostic tool I don't get any faults. I have disconnected the negative terminal on the battery a couple times to "reset" the ECU/TCU, but the problem persists.
Like everyone else with the P173x code, the car won't move forward or backward, and if it's in D or M, the "2" just blinks erratically. <-- I've looked through tons of posts, and I'm not seeing that anyone is getting the blinking gear "2" that I am...so I'm suspicious of what my error actually is.
For the record, I'm in a base Cayman 718 2.0 (2017 model year). The battery is fully charged and the car has been driving well for 77,000 miles.
Are there any other troubleshooting steps I should take to confirm what the issue is? Does the blinking "2" mean anything, or is that typical with the Distance Sensor fault? I really don't want to spend $1900 on the T-design sensor and have it turn out to be the valve body or something.
Is it worth it to have the car towed to a dealership/repair shop to put the PIWIS on it just to confirm it's the Distance Sensor, or is getting the P1733 code a sure indicator that the sensor is toast? Just not sure what to try next.
Thank you for any suggestions or help!
Like everyone else with the P173x code, the car won't move forward or backward, and if it's in D or M, the "2" just blinks erratically. <-- I've looked through tons of posts, and I'm not seeing that anyone is getting the blinking gear "2" that I am...so I'm suspicious of what my error actually is.
For the record, I'm in a base Cayman 718 2.0 (2017 model year). The battery is fully charged and the car has been driving well for 77,000 miles.
Are there any other troubleshooting steps I should take to confirm what the issue is? Does the blinking "2" mean anything, or is that typical with the Distance Sensor fault? I really don't want to spend $1900 on the T-design sensor and have it turn out to be the valve body or something.
Is it worth it to have the car towed to a dealership/repair shop to put the PIWIS on it just to confirm it's the Distance Sensor, or is getting the P1733 code a sure indicator that the sensor is toast? Just not sure what to try next.
Thank you for any suggestions or help!
#1491
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I've not heard that a calibration is 50/50...what makes you say that? Once the distance sensor is installed you are calibrating to it's variance values, right? How did you attempt the calibration? I had considered replacing the sensor, then taking the car to a shop to do the calibration, but I see that I can possibly rent a PIWIS 3 and do it myself. Can you describe your experience with all this?
#1492
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I've not heard that a calibration is 50/50...what makes you say that? Once the distance sensor is installed you are calibrating to it's variance values, right? How did you attempt the calibration? I had considered replacing the sensor, then taking the car to a shop to do the calibration, but I see that I can possibly rent a PIWIS 3 and do it myself. Can you describe your experience with all this?
If you replace a faulty distance sensor and you conduct the short cal rather than long, I think the chance of getting the cal to work fine is close to 100%. I've never had one fail if the sensor works OK. The problem is conducting the long cal, which will wipe all the valve body adaptations and attempt to gather these again. If you wipe the VB data and attempt to start from scratch on an old VB, it's can be a nightmare getting it to work OK. This isn't required for a DS failure. You only need to gather the new data for the sensor and shift rod positions, which is done in a short cal. This is the main reason why I made the video (also linked above) about electrical diagnosis, and why conducting a long cal can make diagnosis difficult, and should only be conducted if you are absolutely sure you know this procedure is required.
My test car has 60,000 km, so it's barely run in. Every short cal I ever conducted with a good sensor worked, and I'd done a lot of them. The only time it didn't was when the test sensor response was out of limits. After it failed a short cal, I though a long cal might do the trick, as I didn't understand at the time what was going on behind the scenes. It failed the hydraulic teach in, and took dozens of further long cals to get it going again on a perfectly serviceable VB that had been working perfectly. It was about 3 months later that I got it working. We even got into the PIWIS code and re-wrote stuff to try and get it to work. Finally one day it worked OK and I vowed to never conduct a long cal ever again unless I was absolutely certain it was required.
Last edited by jjrichar; 04-24-2024 at 09:44 PM.
#1493
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Thank you...I'm making a note to *NOT* do a long cal.
Would you mind advising me on whether PIWIS version 42.3 is OK to test my 2017 base Cayman? I found a shop on eBay that rents it out for 7 days...I plan to do this (assuming the version is right for my car) to validate the issue, then buy the T-Design part if that's it.
Would you mind advising me on whether PIWIS version 42.3 is OK to test my 2017 base Cayman? I found a shop on eBay that rents it out for 7 days...I plan to do this (assuming the version is right for my car) to validate the issue, then buy the T-Design part if that's it.
#1494
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Thank you...I'm making a note to *NOT* do a long cal.
Would you mind advising me on whether PIWIS version 42.3 is OK to test my 2017 base Cayman? I found a shop on eBay that rents it out for 7 days...I plan to do this (assuming the version is right for my car) to validate the issue, then buy the T-Design part if that's it.
Would you mind advising me on whether PIWIS version 42.3 is OK to test my 2017 base Cayman? I found a shop on eBay that rents it out for 7 days...I plan to do this (assuming the version is right for my car) to validate the issue, then buy the T-Design part if that's it.
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Lostpilot28 (04-26-2024)
#1495
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The information I provided regarding the calibration was specific to the 981/991. Whilst it looks in PIWIS that it's doing the same thing for a 9x7, the routines in PIWIS it's using are entirely different. What it's doing to calibrate the trans is most likely very similar, but the PIWIS indications seem to be very different for this platform. So having not ever worked with a 9x7 car, I don't really know what is going on behind the scenes. @stjoh has more experience with the platform and the PDK than anyone else I know, and might be a good person to chime in here to help.
The fact that it's clunking (the shift rod cal) when you start the cal does seem to indicate that all is good with the TCU and programming, as it wouldn't start if it wasn't programmed correctly.
I have a question though, if you clear all codes and then start the engine, do you have any codes then appear for the PDK, or does it remain clear until the failure in the cal? If no codes until after the failure, this would indicate to me that the TCU is fine, and it's something in the cal that's failing. In the 9x1 cal code it will allow the cal to start with a small number of pre-existing codes, but for the vast majority it won't even allow the cal to start. If the TCU wasn't programmed correctly I suspect it wouldn't even allow the cal to begin.
The fact that it's clunking (the shift rod cal) when you start the cal does seem to indicate that all is good with the TCU and programming, as it wouldn't start if it wasn't programmed correctly.
I have a question though, if you clear all codes and then start the engine, do you have any codes then appear for the PDK, or does it remain clear until the failure in the cal? If no codes until after the failure, this would indicate to me that the TCU is fine, and it's something in the cal that's failing. In the 9x1 cal code it will allow the cal to start with a small number of pre-existing codes, but for the vast majority it won't even allow the cal to start. If the TCU wasn't programmed correctly I suspect it wouldn't even allow the cal to begin.
There are no codes shown when a "fresh start" is performed after clearing codes. And I can get actual values shown - here is running at idle speed:
![](https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_2313_61f98a7ba6cd6798fc4ef85f37ed272dfe3f1dc3.jpeg)
The calibration process is failing during the shift rod phase. Not immediately, but after a few minutes of hearing the rods being moved. Video here
![](https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_2311_7fa323aab04eaffd7cbc8dab0848edc96b4e3ae9.jpeg)
The error data shown is below - I don't know the format of this error info, can anyone guide me to understanding it?
![](https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_2312_272df27ab5947678a7d99a0ee4b91f66723d3ccf.jpeg)
Last edited by cbracerx; 04-26-2024 at 03:16 PM.
#1496
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I had an issue with my PIWIS so wasn't able to test again until today. To recap, this is A 2011 987.2 and the symptom was complete trans failure - no limp mode. The trans does select neutral.
There are no codes shown when a "fresh start" is performed after clearing codes.
There are no codes shown when a "fresh start" is performed after clearing codes.
The other idle numbers indicate that a gear on shaft 1 is engaged (zero speed), and this is with shift rod 2 as all the other channels are reading close to 0mm. So it has selected either 5th or 7th, but due to the implausible DS response it has basically shut down and said it's not going to do anything as it can't work out what the correct shift rod positions are, and it's not doing to do anything else so it doesn't break anything. If there are no codes after a fresh start and these only occur after the failed cal, I suspect fixing the DS will make it all go away.
In a nutshell, the DS is broken, or something really bad has happened with the gearing at the 5th/7th position. Of the two, I'd take about a 99.9% bet that it's the DS. Also the selection sounds during the cal are normal. Nice thing is you just need to remove the rear casing to either change the DS and you can have a good look at 5th/7th as this is right at the back of the transmission.
#1497
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Hey guys,
i got myself Piwis 3 and tried to calibrate. I think my biggest mistake was, to try the long version and now there is no was back and I cant return to the short cal.
As I already wrote, I tried a second ( used ) TCU, which I needed to clone.
With both TCUs( Piwis and Autel ) the cal stops at 6%.
Piwis tells me the Code: 100014 unerwarteter Rückgabewert nach SG Tausch ( unexpected value After TCU replacement).
I think I have two final options:
+ replace the sensors again ( last amazon sensors of course did Not work)
+ask a Porsche dealer to try it or whatever it takes
im gettin tired of the PDK
i got myself Piwis 3 and tried to calibrate. I think my biggest mistake was, to try the long version and now there is no was back and I cant return to the short cal.
As I already wrote, I tried a second ( used ) TCU, which I needed to clone.
With both TCUs( Piwis and Autel ) the cal stops at 6%.
Piwis tells me the Code: 100014 unerwarteter Rückgabewert nach SG Tausch ( unexpected value After TCU replacement).
I think I have two final options:
+ replace the sensors again ( last amazon sensors of course did Not work)
+ask a Porsche dealer to try it or whatever it takes
im gettin tired of the PDK
Spoiler
Last edited by Exizuus; 04-28-2024 at 05:56 PM.
#1498
Rennlist Member
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The distance greater than 11mm on channel 2 tells me the distance sensor has probably failed. A serviceable DS will only ever give a response of between 10-90% when a magnet is detected. 11.5mm is the equivalent of a response of about 92%. This correlates with the 1732 code you had posted on the OP.
The other idle numbers indicate that a gear on shaft 1 is engaged (zero speed), and this is with shift rod 2 as all the other channels are reading close to 0mm. So it has selected either 5th or 7th, but due to the implausible DS response it has basically shut down and said it's not going to do anything as it can't work out what the correct shift rod positions are, and it's not doing to do anything else so it doesn't break anything. If there are no codes after a fresh start and these only occur after the failed cal, I suspect fixing the DS will make it all go away.
In a nutshell, the DS is broken, or something really bad has happened with the gearing at the 5th/7th position. Of the two, I'd take about a 99.9% bet that it's the DS. Also the selection sounds during the cal are normal. Nice thing is you just need to remove the rear casing to either change the DS and you can have a good look at 5th/7th as this is right at the back of the transmission.
The other idle numbers indicate that a gear on shaft 1 is engaged (zero speed), and this is with shift rod 2 as all the other channels are reading close to 0mm. So it has selected either 5th or 7th, but due to the implausible DS response it has basically shut down and said it's not going to do anything as it can't work out what the correct shift rod positions are, and it's not doing to do anything else so it doesn't break anything. If there are no codes after a fresh start and these only occur after the failed cal, I suspect fixing the DS will make it all go away.
In a nutshell, the DS is broken, or something really bad has happened with the gearing at the 5th/7th position. Of the two, I'd take about a 99.9% bet that it's the DS. Also the selection sounds during the cal are normal. Nice thing is you just need to remove the rear casing to either change the DS and you can have a good look at 5th/7th as this is right at the back of the transmission.
Options I found (not an exhaustive list)
https://xemodex.com/us/product/pdk-s...r-for-porsche/
https://t-design9.com/porsche_PDK_di...on_sensor.html
Last edited by cbracerx; 04-29-2024 at 10:08 AM.
#1499
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Thanks very much for that analysis! Gives me a clear path to follow. I haven’t built the tool (plate and bolts “puller”) to remove the rear casing on the transmission - are these being made or rented by any enterprising folks? As for the distance sensor replacement part, I am open to supplier suggestions for this unit.
Options I found (not an exhaustive list)
https://xemodex.com/us/product/pdk-s...r-for-porsche/
https://t-design9.com/porsche_PDK_di...on_sensor.html
Options I found (not an exhaustive list)
https://xemodex.com/us/product/pdk-s...r-for-porsche/
https://t-design9.com/porsche_PDK_di...on_sensor.html
#1500
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As jrichar stated you can quite easily make the tool for less than $50 in parts. If that's not for you, there are professional tools available from eBay and AliExpress for around $300.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/296145600581
https://www.ebay.com/itm/296145600581
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cbracerx (04-29-2024)