I have an 09 C4S with 55k miles on it. I've had it for a month or so. When I first got it I did some maintenance because I didn't know exactly when things we're done and figured I'd start fresh. I did the oil/filter, PDK fluid, both diffs, cabin filter, air box filter, plugs and threw some winter tires on it. My question is specifically regarding PDK shifting, when I hammer on it or semi-hammer on it, the shifting or downshifting seems to be very loud and almost bangs. It apparent when I drive aggressive, not as smooth as I would think. I'm wondering if thats just how a PDK performs or if thats sounds like something common that I should check out?

TIA.

 

are you accidently hitting the kickdown switch and not realizing it? I was unaware of it when I first drove my 09 4s and was caught off guard, otherwise I haven't experienced anything as you have described.

 

Kick down switch?

 

Find your manual, its in there somewhere. If you push the gas pedal to the floor, or very close, it triggers a kickdown switch which drops you down a gear and then proceeds to red-line (or something like that). Scared the .... out of me 1st time.

 

Ah understood, yea that may be it, I guess its just a super hard shift when that happens.

 

I found someone post this in another forum and cut and pasted this comment:

"I tried searching and did not find any answers to this. Has anyone successful (and safety) bypassed the PDK Kickdown? That is my only complaint about the PDK transmission. In the GTR, I can bury the throttle in the higher gear and pick up speed slowly and quietly. If I do that in the 997, it violently kicks down to the optimal gear and rockets off. I understand why it does this, I just don't prefer it."

 

Violently is the right word... maybe thats what I am experiencing. I appreciate your input and help, thanks man

 

PDK kick down is pretty nonviolent in standard mode. If you have sport chrono and are in sport/sport+ you will definitely get a kick in the pants. But it's supposed to do that. Mine isn't loud though ... if you are hearing a metallic bang then I think there might be something going on.

I don't understand (based on the copy pasta above) why someone is so bothered by this. If you want to build speed slowly in the same gear, why bury the throttle? Odd.

 

After accidently initiating a kickdown in sport mode when first learning the car I've driven another 20k spirited miles and never came close. No need to bury the throttle, agreed.

 

As cbredesen asked, are you shifting with Sports+ enabled?

 

I have yet to touch Sport + mode.

 

2009 had early software that shifted much more aggressively. Sometime later, Porsche opted to soften the shift. Many of us have stressed to the dealer that we do not want the software updated when our cars go in for PDK oil changes. The update is not reversible.

But a loud clank isn't right IMHO.

 

I know when you down shift to the last few hundred rpms there isn't much left before it goes to a higher gear. It's hard on the internals. My friend has a built up mustang and frequently steps on it hard. Two transmissions later he learned his lesson. You have a mid mileage 14 year old car. If your going to drive it like that I'd leave it in manual mode and select the gears yourself with finesse as you feel the engine. It's not a hellcat, they hold high rpm while handling turns. New 992 with launch control different story.

 

I have the original PDK software on my 09 C2 and when getting on throttle the shifts are pretty firm in sport and especially sport plus. From convos I've had with some of the drivers and mechanics at the Porsche experience center in Carson they said the 997.2 PDK’s can handle repeated launch control blasts and overall quite a bit of abuse. That’s probably the reason some of the higher horsepower Turbo and GT cars came exclusively with PDK transmissions. I wouldn’t stress on it. The PDK is a really strong and robust transmission. The few documented failures seem to be unrelated to mechanical issues, but rather issues with distance sensors, ect.

Also from my understanding, there’s more wear on clutch packs when driven in normal mode as that causes more clutch slip for comfortable shifts. The firmer shifts in Sport and sport plus actually produce less wear on the clutch packs. Kinda makes sense to me. I’m sure someone can chime in with a more technical explanation.

 

The only time I get rough shift in Sport or Sport+ is from 1st to 2nd or 2nd down to 1st.

silky smooth otherwise.