deilenberger

After carefully considering the generous offer my friendly local Porsche dealer offered me on a Cayenne Turbo "update" - where a 2019 similarly equipped to mine (List price $152,000) could be had for only my car and $134,000 - I decided to freshen up what I own and see how the next 50,000 miles goes.

Among the items being freshened up:

• - New tires. Putting on 295/35-21 Pilot Sport A/S 3+ - they'll be on tomorrow. ADVICE: Don't ever buy Nokia summer tires - they were awful. Crap. Junk. I regretted them the minute I put them on. Anything bad a tire could do - they did.
• - Change fluids. Engine oil done, still to do - differentials, transfer-case (again), coolant not due yet, brake fluid was done last year. Probably should do power-steering (including the reservoir) - it's never been done. And the auto-tranny is likely due - that's a bit pricey but worth doing if I'm keeping it.
• - Windshield? A bit up in the air on this. I'd love a new one, nothing makes a car feel new again like looking out of a new windshield (without 100k miles of pits and wear) - The trick is getting OE glass and finding someone competent to install it. Finding competent people is always an issue.
• - Replace foam cushion in the driver seat - on long multi-day trips, it's beginning to get tiring. Problem is finding the PN for it. There are about 50 cushion variations, 3 different types of seats, then heated, or heated/cooled, etc. So far I've gotten close but no banana yet. If anyone has done this and has a PN for sport seat heated and cooled - please let me know. I've done this on other cars with 100k miles on it and it's amazing how much better it is when done.
• - Mebbe replace the clear film on the front of the car. There is only one tiny rock nick in the front. The "clear-bra" stuff has worked quite well. The oldest stuff on the car tends to be a bit darker than the newer stuff (the hood was redone when I got the car) - but having the car out in the sun for 6 weeks seems to have bleached the darkness out. Normally it lives in the garage, but a trip to California and back, plus parking in LA put it out in the sun.
• - Take it to my friend Shawn and have him detail the car. Not that it's dirty - but it would be nice to have someone really do a good cleaning/polishing - someone who's 40 years younger than me and can still do that sort of job. I tend to lose interest in it after the first few hours now (I did detail the engine compartment yesterday..)
• - Replace all the filters - finished this yesterday. New air-filters, new cabin-filter. Done, and done..
• - Take a look at the wiring bundles under the front seat passenger carpeting. I've gotten some oddball error reports when I scanned the vehicle last time, which makes me think the past 2 footwell floods perhaps were 1 flood too many.
• - Clean the cowl drains out - maybe remove the damn things. I cleaned the AC drain in a parking lot somewhere in Oklahoma about 7 weeks ago, and it's still dribbling nicely. The rear HVAC seems to be draining well. Cowl drains? Dunno, but it's been a while since I cleared them out.
• - Consider running a high vent to the transfer case. I'm still on the original one (not a record, I know someone with >150k miles on his case..). My 100k aftermarket warranty went bye about 2 weeks ago, so it's in my interest to keep the case healthy.
• - Figure out how to clean the AC condenser and the intercoolers. I went through enough bugs in Kansas to choke a mule. I haven't looked at them with a flashlight because I don't want to know how bad they are until I'm ready to address it - but it's probably time for cleaning these. The right way is bumper removal. Doesn't look all that simple, but maybe I'll be surprised. Or high-pressure water.
• - Update the GPS maps? Maybe - or consider the Android board that goes into the PCM. I suspect the price is about equal.
• - I'd love to get the rims refinished again - last time it was $600.. but given how these rims tend to be curb magnets I question if it's worth it, or I just try to learn to ignore it. They looked pretty good for about a year - then the curbs attacked again. I'll think about this..

So that's my list so far.

Any suggestions are welcome.. FWIW - I have no interest in replacing all the interior lights with LED's - at my age and SWMBO's age - we crave soft lighting after dark.

I figure for way less than the $10k sales-tax I'd be paying on a new one - I can make this one pretty much like new again.

DAVfoto

They only offered you 18k trade for yours? Yikes.

I like my A/S 3 tires so far, they handle well. I don't think any tire will feel great on NJ roads but when I was back home in SC, I felt like I was riding on glass!

jpru2001

Columbia SC checking in. Where you from?

On the OP - NEVER had a satisfactory windshield job. Ever. On any car. Ever. The last car on our A6 takes the cake - the guy broke the freaking wiper arms...I told them when I dropped it off and left them written instructions that you needed to get in the car, open the car settings, and put the wipers in service mode. Nope.

I also don't think the current generation is that big of an improvement to justify dropping another $100k. The big screen is sexy. The rear end is marginally better....thats all I got. Is the PCM doing something else that I am not aware of that brings value? Yes it looks better, but I mean, whats it do...

deilenberger

They claimed they were offering me $21k trade on mine - but the math didn't show that. Maybe there was some additional dealer profit in the deal that they didn't bother showing. Whatever - they felt it important enough to not only email me the deal but also to mail me about the deal. Maybe I should just go ask for a test ride and see how badly I can scare the salesman during the ride.

deilenberger

The written directions might have been the problem - you assumed they could read and would bother to. Chances are the guy doing the work is making just over minimum wage, and English might not be his primary language. That was the case when I had two side windows replaced due to a break-in in California. Happily - it was pretty well put back together. The only time I had good results was when I owned an Isuzu Trooper. It had a dead flat windshield that would get a rock crack about every 3-4 months. Ping.. zip.. crack right across it. It was held in with a simple rubber channel gasket and I guess super simple to replace. The glass shop I used at the time started carrying it in stock for me after the 4th one. Every other one I've had done has been bollixed up somehow... hence my hesitation.

As far as the new Cayenne? To me the interior isn't an improvement - bigger PCM screen is OK, but the one we have does everything I need a screen to do. And the hepatic glass panel for the console switches - every one of those I've seen has been a smudgy mess of fingerprints, and that would drive me nuts. If you look over in the 9Y0 forum - not everyone is that satisfied with the new Cayenne. Some of them apparently have to be rebooted periodically to keep working correctly... that would be really annoying. And I bet they still have HVAC and cowl drains that are going to plug up and flood the front footwells.

dbv1

You guys suffer so much with those massive 20'' and 21'' rims. I'm running 19''x8.5'' with a 275x45R19 tire for the summer. No chance of curbing (tire sticks way out of the rim), less weight so better performance. Ride is better because of more tire too.

DAVfoto

From the Anderson area. I know a lot of people down there think the roads are bad but trust me, they are really good compared to what we deal with up here.

deilenberger

True - my winter rims are 19".. no real curbing problem and better ride quality. Wonder why we do this to ourselves? Does anyone know?

projectd18

Looks 10x better...but im definitely going to switch to either 285 40 21 tires or 295 40 21 for the extra sidewall

jpru2001

Nice! My whole family is from Belton and Honea Path

Yeah no freeze/thaw cycle to deal with down here. I used to date a girl in Boston and drove around up north a good bit so I appreciate it lol.

Slickdvl

I’m getting my rims powder coated black - turbo II’s, 175 a rim. They will fix any damage and balance.
i need to find a write up for bumper removal as well - maybe all data has it, but my plan is to upgrade to turbo s Intercoolers. Spark plugs and coils, maybe clean intake valves to bring the car closer back to original performance. Check for oil in intercooler lines like I did - tons of oil in there.
also debating new steering wheel from 958.2 but the adapter itself is 500 - not worth it imo.
and that apple play pcm is piquing my interest, considering a map update from 2018 is 500...

CarGuyNVA

Remember the old Canon ad campaign with Andre Agassi...."Image is Everything!" That's why!

deilenberger

New tires went on today. Didn't get over 50mph with them (NJ shore traffic jams I was detouring around) - but it feels AMAZING compared to the Nokian tires. As DAVfoto said on decent pavement "smooth like on glass.."

onehot

Do any of the coolant pipes need to be address at 100k miles?

sjg1138

You might consider replacing the spark plug coils and the plugs themselves. I did this on my 996 at about 80K and it was amazing how much smoother the engine ran. The coils are typically cracked at this age. I am also at about 100K miles on my Cayenne and appreciate the list!