MrAli

Hi all I recently purchased a 2014 GTS and had the dreaded rumble whilst driving within a week. Dealership changed out the transfer case under warranty. Rumble was gone.

However, for the following month or so, I kept getting intermittent 'All Wheel Drive Fault' warnings on the dash. Car drove fine during that period. No issues. Just this warning light would pop up. Sometimes multiple times a day. Sometimes once in a week. Completely dumbfounded by it.

Took it back to Porsche to get to the bottom of it. They decided to replace the transfer case AGAIN. They called me to tell me the car was ready. I picked it up. Drove 10 seconds and the rumble was back from the very first transfer case! Somehow they made the car worse!

Naturally I wasn't happy at the fact they gave my car back in a worse state than when I dropped it off. Drove it straight back. They've had it for a few days and are now telling me that the 'final drive' needs replacing.

Apparently the previous owner had some work done to it and this was evident as silicone could be seen. They've said that this new TC is fine, and that I wasn't getting rumbles after the 1st replacement because 'the final drive wasn't being activated as a result of the faulty tc'

Now they're saying this new TC (second new one in a month) is fine, and the rumble feeling is only back because this TC is actually communicating with the final drive now, hence the final drive diagnosis.

My question is....is it possible for me to have driven the car for weeks as normal (save the fault light) without the final drive working? It doesn't make sense to me. They want to charge me for a complete replacement of the final drive and are claiming the tc is fine, despite the exact same rumble being back first time.

Unplugging the transfer case also gets rid of the rumble by the way, yet they're still insisting the tc isn't the issue as they've replaced it twice now. Any ideas on whether or not the new TC is faulty and the dealership are talking rubbish, or whether the dealers may actually be right?

Thanks in advance

A 50 second video of their diagnosis attached in this link - https://1drv.ms/v/s!AibgeJmtPs75gp96x1wpt4H9oulkqA

lowmiler

Did you try a drain and fill on the rear diff?

MrAli

I haven't done anything at all. Should I be asking them to look at it? They haven't pointed it out.

I've left it to Porsche to diagnose and they've pointed to the transfer case twice, and now the 'final drive'. Is that the front differential?

I'm just trying to figure out what they mean when they say that previously the final drive 'wasn't being activated' which is why I wasn't feeling the vibrations.

Just sounds like rubbish to me. I think the latest tc they've installed must be faulty.

e30rapidic

Final drive is most likely the rear diff. Do you know if you have PTV+?

MrAli

In the video they sent me, they were pointing out the front. In what scenario would a front diff not be 'engaged'?

No idea about PTV sorry!

MrAli

Anyone know if the shuddering that is common in transfer cases can be caused by the front diff? Porsche are suggesting this to me My car was shuddering with this new TC they have put in. They've also confirmed that unplugging the tc makes the vibrations disappear. Are they having me on hy claiming that its a front diff issue now? Maybe reluctance on their part to admit this TC is also bad (it's brand new)

GTCharlie

Is there another dealership somewhat close to you to get a 2nd opinion?

MrAli

I live in Qatar and there's just the 1 main service centre here. There's a handful of smaller ones dotted about but they all end up directing you to the main one for any big issues. This is my problem. They're fairly incompetent from what I have experienced so far, and this talk about the final drive seems like a ploy to get me to throw money at it in the hope of the problem being fixed.

If they persist, I might just get myself another tc from rockauto and replace it again. Then work from there if problems persist.