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1- The slow start (almost to the point where the engine barely turns over for a few seconds, then all of the sudden sparks to life) has been happening with more frequency. Tests to the 6 month old battery yield very positive results, so it looks like sooner than later I will need a new starter motor (Bosch part number 000113921 or SR0482N) that sells for $350-$400, but Porsche branded is $850 (part numbers 94860421400, 94860421401, 94860421402; not sure what the last 2 digits mean..). Labor to replace it (and the thin coolant pipes) is $214 at an indy shop.
2- The stiff suspension and ****ty roads are taking a toll on the interior: rear hatch rattle has become permanently annoying and now some new rattles on the rear doors.
3- Having put ±1,500 miles in 7 months of which a third have been on "highways" (2 lane roads with strips of broken pavement connecting craters is not what I'd call a highway...) have led me to ponder if I should have held out for a Turbo (softer suspension, less grippy seats) on 20" wheels. Don't get me wrong, absolutely love the GTS (especially the sounds), but the older I get, the more comfortable I want to be.
4- Visually confirmed that the front lower suspension arm bushings were in fact replaced by the dealer. Too bad I still have the odd "clunk" noise when going over speed bumps (dealer refuses to fix it permanently).
5- After owning a black SUV from 2002-2014, I swore off more black cars, but fell for this one. Only looks nice (to me) when it is clean and unfortunately 10 minutes after a wash, it's dirty.
6- Have to keep a close eye on tire pressures. Amazing how sensitive it is to changes. Not even on the 911s I've owned and other sports cars has tire pressure been so "delicate"
If you are open to comments:
I've always found speed bump clunks or creaks in the front end to be the upper control arms needing replacement. Those tend to wear out faster than the lower arms.
Sounds like you need some 19" wheels with some all season or all terrain tires to manage the ride harshness. Or if you must keep 21" wheels, get a slightly larger tire in an all season compound, like the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires in 295/40ZR21 size.
Regarding rattles, take apart the trim and find the source and cure it. 958s are fantastic regarding having no interior rattles - almost always, a rattle arises because someone didn't put something back together correctly, or broke the attachment points.
Upper arms seem to be fine (I checked), but will keep a closer eye on them next time wheels are off.
I do plan to increase the sidewall size when time comes to replace the current stock setup with Michelin Latitude tires.
I'll be taking the vehicle to a trusted audio installer for the creaks and rattles as they are pros taking apart and putting back together different vehicles.
Really like this GTS as it does so many things so well. Just wish that the road situation down here would improve as when the roads are in fact smooth (rarely), it's sublime (for a SUV).
I merely did a visual inspection of the bushings (no cracks) as well as trying to move them (no budge). Perhaps I'll ask the indy mechanic to do this (pop the ball joint) when it goes in for the starter motor and coolant pipes.
Picture of the front upper arm (other side looks identical). This from a couple of days ago. Yes, the car is dirty, I actually use my car rain or shine....
Does anyone know if trying to start the car multiple times with a starter that is failing (slow to start) damage something else in a vehicle? No clue if this slow start puts extra stress on the battery/wiring or anything else. In any case, will replace it sooner than later, just wondering if me using the vehicle with this soon-to-be-dead starter motor will damage something else. Thanks in advance for the replies.
Edit: as per a couple of mechanics, apparently using the vehicle as-is (failing starter motor and sometimes barely cranks) does not damage anything else (besides my ego). It's a hit or miss wether it will start and when it will permanently stop working. Just placed an order at Rock Auto for the Bosch (new) starter motor for $362.50 (delivered to Miami).
I merely did a visual inspection of the bushings (no cracks) as well as trying to move them (no budge). Perhaps I'll ask the indy mechanic to do this (pop the ball joint) when it goes in for the starter motor and coolant pipes.
Picture of the front upper arm (other side looks identical). This from a couple of days ago. Yes, the car is dirty, I actually use my car rain or shine....
front left side upper
I have the same clunking issue (front upper arm) and this was replaced just 1 year ago. Everything still looks new. Not sure whether is quality issue since its OEM Lemforder. To be safe i replaced both front pair Even the other corner bush is new Still new
Last edited by driftmeister; 01-14-2024 at 04:02 AM.
I just went through a complete suspension refresh on one of my Audi Q5 and while doing research on the matter, it became very obvious that pre loading the suspension is a must for the front upper control arms. Apparently this procedure applies to many other brands and models (pre loading). Not sure if the shop that installed your control arms did this or not, but if they did not, then perhaps that is why the Lemforder part failed prematurely.
Anyone have actual experience in using Febi brand for suspension parts?
Took the vehicle today to a local audio installer to see if they could figure out what the rattle was on the rear hatch. Turns out that the two screws that tie the straps to hold the emergency triangle reflector were completely loose. They also noticed that the driver's side taillight seems to be a tad loose... Gotta figure out how to tighten that down. 90% of the rattles are now gone! Can't believe those two little screws could cause such a nasty rattle.
Was told that they'd be willing to install Mr12Volt for me for $150 (labor). They rather me get their own "no name" wireless CarPlay & AA board. Would not share what brand they sell and as per their salesperson, it's not Isudar or Joyauto. Theirs, installed is $450. That said, still on the fence about how much I'd use it and perhaps have those ±$500-$600 in the bank in case the car needs something.
What does pique my interest is the fact that for the first time since I've owned the vehicle the PCM did an auto reboot, so I want to get back to figuring out how to clone my drive. Took a chance and decided to remove the central air vents (lot easier than what most say) and remove the PCM (those 4 screws felt like they were soldered to the chassis!) and took some pics.Now to figure out if I have a IDE or SATA drive. Can anyone confirm which type of drive I have based on these pics?
Doubt: If I already updated my PCM (from 4.41 via DVD) to 4.76, will the clone have 4.76 installed, or will I need to update the cloned drive once installed in the vehicle? I would assume 4.76 would be already installed in the cloned drive, but I've found conflicting replies to this (updated or not, navigation works, sometimes it doesn't, etc.)
Yesterday, I took my vehicle to have the starter motor replaced and for an additional $80, I decided to replace the plastic coolant purge pipe that sits right below the fuel rail (did it because it did not add any labor and it was showing signs of coolant leak right where it connects to the engine towards the front of the vehicle). What a difference! I'm guessing the previous owner replaced the battery back in July of last year as perhaps he experienced some slow start issues, but now it cranks radically different when starting and sparks to life almost immediately. Never heard it start like this before. Really pleased with the result.
Learned that my vehicle has the "old style" coolant pipes, but that they are in great shape. The new version comes with a flange and some screws/bolts from factory. The way to tell if your coolant pipes are about to go is to check for residue right around where the pipes meet the connector near the the fuel rail. Took advantage of the repair to look down the intake and saw very little carbon deposit. Learned that the dealership broke some of the screws that hold the plastic cover in place over the coil packs and did not replace them and in some, the screw broke inside the threads. All cosmetic stuff, but still speaks about the quality of the work they did
Just updating my log in case anyone finds anything useful....
Today I had to take the vehicle to the local indy shop so he could reset my airbag light. Apparently when I hit the brakes hard and "slapped" the horn for 15 seconds when an idiot shot across 4 lanes at once this past Sunday it triggered "something" that caused the resistance to the airbag to detect a "higher than normal value". It was easily reset, light is off, my pocket is $53.50 lighter after a 2 minute scan & reset.
About a week ago I received the WEme hard drive cloning device as well as a 128GB SDD so I can clone the PCM drive. Just have to find the time to do this properly/carefully/slowly to avoid creating a mess.
Yesterday I refilled my fuel tank after getting the most amount of kilometers out of any tank (571 = 355miles), but overall efficiency over the past 3,616 kms (2,247 miles) has averaged 18 L/100km (13.6 mpg).
Not sure what sort of driving you're doing but that's awful gas mileage. On the highway I'm getting roughly 540 miles per tank and more like 400 to 425 in mixed driving
The "driving" is mostly stuck in heavy traffic (think Manhattan during rush hour) and "highway" equates to an average speed of ±55 km/h. (±34 mph) due to poor road conditions because of tons of road work. Definitely not the best of circumstances, but it is what it is.
01-06-2024, 12:08 PM
