hlee1169

Finally have the car back from the dealer, and the service advisor told me that my car has two problems: first is the PDK emergency run, basically it's a communication problem between PDK and the control unit. Second one is the famous HPFP failure.

The fuel pump got replaced. However, unlike another member whose DME control unit got replaced, mine simply got a PDK software update. When I asked why it is not replaced, the service advisor said that this is the instruction they receive from Porsche. Sounds to me that Porsche is very strict on warranty claims. What I am worrying is that they probably want to see if a software update fixes the communication issue, and if not, then they will authorize the DME replacement. But obviously this does not make me comfortable, but I have no choice, either.

I hope that these problems are the extent of the early build issues. The car was in the dealer for a week, and when I return my loaner, I was even charged with the sales tax of the rental car. I complained to the service advisor and he refunded it to me, but is this now the standard practice of Porsche dealers? My loaner is a Hyundai, so it made me even madder.

geoffucla

Well, I guess the good news is that you do have your car back and that it only took a week. Like you said, if that's the total of the teething problems with the .2s, thn that's no so bad in the grand scheme.

I recently purchased a new 08/08 build 997.2 C4S. No problems yet, but we'll see what happens!

Geoff.

mstams

As mentioned before, my DME control module was replaced after the software update. So my guess is that you will have the emergency run error again.

BTW - Rentals at my dealer are no charge.

smoove

I also believe they replace the modules and perform software upgrades to avoid the costlier repair of replacing the HPFP.

I say this based on the following:

Despite my initial push-back that I wanted the pump replaced, Porsche would only replace the control module. After waiting 4 days for the part to arrive in Boston from Germany (not even sure how that's possible in 2009), they found that they needed to replace the entire unit.

Still waiting for the HPFP parts to arrive at the dealer (it's been 2 weeks now since the whole thing began).

If I were Porsche, I would be submitting claims against the HPFP manufacturer and doing a hell of a lot more to accommodate the customer in the meantime.

This is my first Porsche and my first 100k+ car . . . I am having a bit of trouble reconciling both this incidence of poor quality (I do cut them major slack due to this being the first year for their DI engines) and the relatively poor service.

rijowysock

porsche states that you get a porsche loaner for all warranty work, the dealer can try and give you something else but if you bitch you get a porsche loaner.. its in the paperwork when u buy the car.. you get roadside assistance, free towing if warranty work, free this, free that, porsche loaner and etc.. id bitch and get a cayman/cayenne next time..

found this out from a dealer here local after the other local dealer put me in a jetta.. they said they can claim the "we dont have any porsche loaners" to get around it.. but if you raise enough hell (which you should given the price paid) they put you in porsche loaner.

hlee1169

This is the second Porsche I got, and in all my warranty work I have never got a Porsche loaner. I understand that if I complained loud enough, I would get attention, but why it has to come to this? Isn't this by definition a bad service? Anyway, don't mean to turn this thread into a dealer complaint thread again.

mstams, I hope the PDK emergency run don't come back to bite me again. One notable difference I discovered this morning is that PDK seems to stay in 6th gear when I am cruising about 50mph, while the older software would shift into 7th when I went above 48mph.

The new fuel pump restores the fast engine startup, so at least that seems to fix it.

mstams

I hope so, too. The emergency run just hit me out of the blue with no early warnings right at a week after the software update. Just keep an eye out for it.

The main thing I noticed after the update was staying in 2nd longer in normal auto rather than kicking down to 1st as easily in slow speed situations.

Best of luck.

rijowysock

i get 5 second start ups occasionally.. but im going to wait for worse to come before i go to porsche... just a hassle to go there and here them ramble on about it being fine.

hlee1169

IMHO, your fuel pump is failing slowly, just like mine. Ask the technician to do WOT acceleration, the problem was easily reproduced in my case.

vexed

Ouch,that is unacceptable. I am on an island in the middle of the pacific and they got a HPFP overnight. Even if the HPFP failures are not widespread PCNA needs to make sure there is a sufficient supply of replacements.

I hate to jinx him but I agree with you.

rijowysock

I do wide open throttle all day and have no hiccups in accel which is the main reason I haven't brought in. The only "stumbling" I have is sometimes going into first. :-/

I have been told by local performance shop that DFI engines were not designed with partial ethanol gas in mind and this might be why starting is slow for me. All our gas here is 10% ethanol by default ( to save them money) not sure if that's the case in all other states?

I know that since it's 10% ethanol the 90% other part is probably not even 87octane because the ethanol bumps it up which might be reason fr stumbling and slow start on occasion.

hlee1169

I believe that in California we also have up to 10% of ethanol in our gasoline, and we have a lower octane than you, so I don't think fuel is not the issue here. Plus, I heard Southern California is probably the largest market for Porsche, so it would be crazy for Porsche not to take that into account.

Since you have no trouble with WOT, I guess that's good enough for now.