About to join the P!gpen...
 

Hi all,

Been a lurker for a while, great info on this forum! I'm a long time BMW guy with a few M-cars behind me and I'm currently looking to change up my wife's daily. After testing a few models, to no surprise, she likes the Cayenne Turbo. Good taste she has, after all she married me.. lol

Anyways, I've learned a few questions to ask (Variocam warranty performed? Service History?) but besides just a basic systems check to see everything work (the ride height, modes, etc), is there anything else you wish you knew/checked on your Cayenne before you bought it?

What should I be visually looking at besides the basics, ( body condition, leaks.) Should I listen for anything specific? These motors sound quiet compared to the S62/S85 BMW powerplants I'm used to!

Thanks in advance and yes I'll continue to update once our P-car is found!

Steve

Can we assume you've read: https://rennlist.com/forums/cayenne-...his-first.html

Aside from some quirks - variocam/transfer-case/cooling-system-glued pipes - the 958 series is pretty bulletproof so far.

Ah - just saw you're considering a turbo.. . Newer is generally better, Porsche does address problems as they appear. Up until around 2014 there are some glued together cooling system parts in the V8 engine that can be problematical. If you're a DIY - PITA to do - but doable and not horribly expensive. Sometime around 2015 Porsche started bolting these parts together. The transfer case issue can be any year, Variocam is limited to 2011 and a few 2012 V8's, easy to check that on the NHTSA website using the VIN#. There is one clicking noise that the turbos make - that sounds like something bad - and it's simply a metal check valve just to the left of the throttle body assembly. It's black and held in a rubber mount - if you hear a mysterious click - it isn't necessarily the click of death - it's probably that check valve. They all do it. Mercedes uses the same one and made a foam sound cover for it.. The clue is - it changes a bit with RPM, but doesn't match RPM, and it's usually noisier when the engine is cool (it's venting the vapor recovery tank into the intake..)

I purchased a 2011 with 15k odo two years ago. It now has 45k odo and I'm driving the hell out of it everyday. Amazing vehicle.

It's been in the shop for:

Rear passenger shade, non operable - $600
PCM skipping on Bluetooth then USB stopped working - New PCM unit installed - Unknown on price
Front Diff was whining and replaced - Unknown cost
Driver's side window switch glitchy - Replaced - Unknown cost
PDCC whining - Replaced and quiet as a mouse now - Unknown cost

My 2011 doesn't qualify for the Variorum bolt recall and I have no idea why. Have yet to look in the oil cap to see if I actually have the bad bolts, but may do that right now. The car is still under a CPO warranty so I'm not worried as of yet.

Even with all these little issues, I wouldn't trade the car for anything. Now that all these issues are out of the way, my only concern is the bolts and I feel I'll have an incredibly dependable car for years to come.

That being said, DO NOT BUY WITHOUT A CPO WARRANTY!

Welcome to the forum! Pretty much all of the main 958 CTT 'gotchas' have been mentioned already. One that also occurred with mine were some errors from the optional ACC (Active Cruise Control) when I first test drove it at the dealer before buying it. The dealer had to re-calibrate it, which apparently takes specialized equipment and a process that only Porsche dealers can do. So just check everything as best you can, even if it's a CPO car (they don't check EVERYTHING).

Since owning it I've had many of the typical problem areas mentioned here in this thread addressed.....transfer case replacement, AH08 recall (camshaft actuator bolts replaced).....I also had to have the left turbo replaced (oil leaks), but that's not a common one. All of this replaced under warranty. As was mentioned, get a CPO vehicle or one with a solid warranty sold through the P dealer! It's not that the 958 CTT is overly problematic (in fact it's pretty solid compared to most in this class of vehicle), it's just that any one of the items mentioned can cost more than the warranty!

Best of luck in your quest!

Read RAudi Driver's response three times!

I would never buy a P!G unless it was a CPO from a Porsche dealer.

After the second transfer case, PCM and amp replacement, PASM repair, and windshield washer nozzle replacement, the CPO was a life saver. Hopefully the next year and a half is smooth sailing but at least the CPO is still in effect.

That being said, since you started with a turbo, there is no turning back.

Search the forum to find the thread to run VIN numbers of potential purchases. (I want to say Vampyre began it.) It's one of the safest ways of knowing the options the P!G has before driving it. For me, I considered an S but could not find one with all the goodies I wanted. (PASM, PDCC, ACC, heated and ventilated front seats, and pano roof to name a few.)

And remember, the hunt is almost as fun as the find.

Good luck!

Amen to that! :thumbup:

Yes we can definitely assume I've done my homework! I did read that thread and I also have the VIN lookup thread bookmarked. All excellent info and I appreciate the feedback. I'm VERY DIY, in fact working on vehicles has become my #1 hobby (BMW's will turn the regular Joe into a mechanic). In the past decade-plus, I haven't needed to bring a vehicle to a dealership - not once. This is including BMW's, a Merc, and a Nissan. Either I'm lucky, or I'm getting better and better :)

In the reading I've done on here, it seems like you're quite a DIY contributor. I'm sure I'll come to appreciate that in the future - so here's an early thank-you!

Out of curiosity, what did you pay for your warranty? Was it a Porsche warranty or aftermarket? Again I've often told people "I am the warranty" with regards to the older high performance German cars I've had! Like Austin Powers, I too like to live dangerously :) All kidding aside, I do enjoy DIY work, as heavy as clutch changes and even one Auto to Manual conversion on a BMW E30 that I had. If this car can be worked on, I'm sure I'll have a good relationship with it.

As far as the parts cost, I'm prepared for it. Truthfully I could buy new or lease, but I enjoy doing the maintenance and there is a TON of money to be saved as you I'm sure know, when buying secondhand.

Thank you sir! Great input from a lot of members so far. I think I'm gonna like it here! Literally the most important things I look at when it comes to buying cars are aftermarket support and active forums. I've found that with the BMW's but I'm starting to fall out of love with the brand. Maybe one of these days a Porsche will find it's way on my half of the garage as well...

Yes! I do enjoy the hunt. I'm in a unique position where part of my compensation allows me to travel the world for next to free. I couldn't imagine a better scenario than finding "the" car and flying out to get it - then to drive it home Gumball style!


Thank you all for the info. We will keep everyone posted!

There's a new one that will arrive next year. You should use the opportunity to spec out a new car and do European Delivery.

I would LOVE to do a Euro Delivery one day. Still have to make it to the German factories (went to the Ferrari ones last year!). Again, probably sticking with second hand for this kind of car. If it were say, a GT3RS.... :)

If you're impatient, getting delivery from one of the US experience centers is also worth considering. We had a blast picking up my GTS from The Atlanta PEC. All morning with Porsche personnel taking you through whatever you want to know. Then time on their circuit, in their vehicles, going through what it can do. The best part was taking a 2 day trip home, through mountain roads and highways. MUCH more of an experience getting used to the vehicle. FAR better than just schlepping it home from the local dealer.

After ordering it in August and quoting a November delivery, I didn't want to take Euro delivery and then have to wait a month (or more) for shipping to get it back stateside and then delivered to the dealer. It'd have killed me to have only driven it for a few days and then have to go back to my old vehicle until it arrived in mid-Winter.

At some point, yeah, I'd like to do a factory tour, but the whole 'get it and then wait' thing just doesn't work for me.

I like this Jetpilot guy's attitude - a stick shaker who isn't afraid to sling a wrench! :) Where's your home base? (So to speak, I gather you're a civvy aviator)

My warranty was $1,500. I purchased the vehicle from a Porsche dealer. Here are the deets:

2011 Cayenne Turbo
Purchased May of 2016
One Owner
15k odo when I got it.
All the bells and whistles I was looking for - PDCC, PTV and the Bur.
Got my price - I'll pm you on the details for this part.

Asked if it was certified and was told no. Appears that the original owner already purchased a CPO for the vehicle, when he thought he was going to keep it. He then subsequently traded it in for the new Macan and the CPO got washed away with the trade. I let my salesman know that I needed the CPO, he made a few calls and came back to me with a, "Yes this car can be certified again. We will charge you $1,500 for that process." I said put it on the car and put that car on a carrier and get it to me.

Im sending you a cut and pasted PM that I sent another member a few years ago. The market might not be as soft as it was two years ago, but doesn't hurt to try.