Tarek9xx

*** Updated symptoms/observations ***

Hello everyone! I've searched thoroughly for answers to my issue but was unsuccessful , and so here it is:

2011 Cayenne TT - 112,000 miles

While driving home during in a downpour,

• The AC intermittently shut off and on, seconds at a time.
• When off, the blower was totally off. But during the times when it came back on, it seemed cold (now I’m thinking it most likely felt cold because the evaporator was still cold, but reality was probably that only the blower was intermittently going on and off while the cooling function remained off).
• Problem persisted in the following few days. progressed from seconds at a time, to minutes at a time, to hours at a time. Intermittent, while the cooling function is consistently off.
• I have the Xtool diagnosis tool. I’m not fully versed in it, but was able to feel around it a bit and pulled the following DTC's:
  • 8032 Right Front Footwell fan outlet sensor short circuit/open circuit with B+
  • 8452 Communication with LIN bus (air conditioner 1)
  • Actuation test: LIN controlled motor verification run
    • Results: All test were successful except for the following failures:
      • Successful programming status: Right extended ventilation area (Fail)
      • Successful programming status: Right extended ventilation element, left (Fail)
• Actions I’ve taken:
  • Checked the evaporator drain, and it was bone dry. No water or moisture inside the cab whatsoever.
  • Bunch of fuse and relay checks/tests. Not all relays though. I'd rather narrow down to the relevant ones before diving into adding factors. Some relays under the driver dash are a PITA to reach. I felt one of them that was pretty hot to the touch as I barely reached with the tip of my finger. I have a single .pdf workshop manual file that I just purchased online. It's been seriously cumbersome to find stuff in a 12000 page document.
  • Tested the sensor near the cabin air filter. Resistance was rising in the fridge, and dropping when moved to room temperature
  • Checked and cleared both body drain holes in the front. There were leaves mostly blocking the drain holes on both sides, but more on the driver side. I can feel the presence of a harness wrap on the passenger side when sticking my finger through the drain hole. Wondering if water pooled in that area for a while, and caused wire corrosion/damage, but I’d like to know first what that harness is for, and if it's relevant, so I can proceed with continuity tests at the extremities of that harness. I’m suspecting there is a corroded wire somewhere, but not sure how to narrow it down to a specific harness and pinout, while minimizing tearing into an otherwise mint condition vehicle
  • I also don't know if the DTC's are outdated from the time the blower was in either on or off mode for minutes/hours at a time. For that reason, I cleared the DTC's - hoping that was not stupid of me.
  • And just now noticed there is a hum in the center console (like that of a tiny fan) that stays on for a few minutes after shutdown - if that is relevant. Not consistent, though
  • I ran the car in place with AC Max for 30 minutes. Still no new DTCs. I never thought I'd want to see DTC's, but I do, because it's blowing ambient air in hot/humid Florida and would like to resolve this issue.

P.S. In the same moment during the same downpour, the AC on my 2011 Panamera 4 also blew hot. Both vehicles had perfectly ice cold AC just minutes before and during the beginning of the downpour. No I wasn't driving them simultaneously :-). Jumped out of the CTT into the Panamera and discovered the issue. - unreal. I'm convinced both failures are related to the heavy rain - unless it's a triple coincidence. Different DTCs for the Panamera though (C12094 - Check the fault memory content of the front-end electronic control unit, and C1208A - Check the fault memory content of PASM control unit). And yes I expect to find leaves in the drains when I get to it, but trying to fix one vehicle at a time.

Any help or guidance would be much appreciated. I'm new to these cars but I'm also a fast learner with intermediate experience working on older Porsches. Not fully up on all the acronyms and terminology, so hopefully I won't sound stupid/slow if I occasionally ask about the location of a certain control unit or when the obvious escapes me.
Thanks in advance

Tarek9xx

Update:

Found that the connector to the blower motor actuator was loose. Seating it in place brought back the blower to life, with correct response to the various speed commands from the console.

But there is still no cooling. Ambient air still blowing through

Still hoping someone with experience/insight can chime in

Thank you