Mtea

I have some ongoing electrical problems with my 2014 CD and am wondering if anybody else has experienced the same. So far Porsche has been unable to fix them as no problem codes are present. All of the problems are intermittent, but I have photo or video evidence of most of these issues:

1) AM radio audio is garbled at startup when shut down with AM on
2) No sound for any radio/CD function at startup
3) Cruise control shut off while using. Won't return until CD is restarted
4) The GPS location indicator jumps a mile off the road as if I'm driving in a field. This in a wide open area; no trees, buildings, etc.
5) The round PCM dashboard screen flips from function to function as if I am spinning the selector on the steering wheel, but I'm not.
6) The garage opener presets disappeared once
7) The round PCM dash screen warned to check left rear brake light. The left rear brake light was fine.

Has anyone experienced the same or similar issues? Were they fixed? If so, how? Some of these happened twice or more and some only once. At best they are an annoyance. At worst they could indicate a serious future failure that might be very expensive to fix. Thoughts?

pdxjim

I sometimes get the garbled AM at startup. I found switching to FM and back to AM clears it.

gnat

What have they done so far?

My first suggestion would be o replace the battery. Cayennes and other modern Porsches have a history of doing weird crap with a bad battery.

The other option is to replace the ignition switch. I haven't heard about it on Cayennes, but I know in the 996 weird stuff happens when the switch starts going.

deilenberger

If you're in the US - your CTD is probably still under warranty (or CPO) - I'd take it to a dealer and tell them "Fix this.." and ask for another Cayenne loaner. Tell them you don't care if no codes are stored - just fix it. If necessary, contact PCNA and start making some noise. Something serious is going wrong, and it's not a DIY sort of thing.

Mtea

Thanks for the feedback. PDX, I also found that cycling through FM, XM, then to AM cleared the garbling. A word of caution, if you ever get no sound at start up, be sure to spin the volume **** back down before you shut down. Even though I heard no volume, it seemed to remember that I turned the volume up looking for sound. When I started up next time it came on at what was probably full blast.

I have contacted PCNA several times, the CD is under warranty, and I have carefully documented the problems. PCNA required me to take it back to the dealer yet again even though it's been there four or five times for these problems. I see this as a PCNA issue as the dealer doesn't know what to do. About a year ago they replaced the PCM module and the garbled sound hasn't come back but everything else is still there. The dealer has my CD now so we’ll see what happens. The battery and the ignition switch are good suggestions and I'll bring them up when I talk to the dealer.

stronbl

Maybe try replacing the steering wheel with a new one. Sounds like you have issues with the MultiFunctionDisplay too.

What you have described is not normal.

nodoors

If you bought it new and they can't straighten it out in a few more visits, then I would look into the lemon laws. You know one thing for sure about this situation... once it is out of warranty the dealer will be more than happy to buy it back from you for pennies or charge you an arm, leg, and a right gonad to fix it.

nodoors

Has this happened since you first took ownership or did it pop up after a service visit? It sounds like a loose or damaged harness somewhere. If so, in time it will likely get worse and/or cause damage to other electronics in the car whose components don't like being fed dirty power and/or signals.

Mtea

Again, thanks for the input. Very helpful. Nodoors, the first symptom to show up was the garbled audio and that happened within a couple months of delivery so I doubt there had been any service visits. At practically every subsequent visit the dealer "flashed" new software so it's been done several times so it doesn't look like a software problem.

As to lemon laws, I bought the car in one state and now live in another. Not sure who's lemon laws would apply. I bought the car in PA and it's been in three or four times there, it's been in at least three times in FL, and twice in Idaho on road trips. A couple of those were oil changes only. In Idaho it was software only. None of the three dealers knows what to do.

Needsdecaf

Have they replaced the PCM? Seems like the logical step...

Edit, see they did. Would try that again and steering wheel.

Mtea

I got the CD back from the dealer yesterday. The only thing they did was to replace the left tail light. One of the issues noted when I first posted this thread was that a "check left brake light" fault appeared recently and then disappeared again without me taking any action (i.e. I didn't hit the "back" button). I checked the light and it seemed to be normal.

That fault appeared in the codes (the only code that was there) so they replaced the tail light even though that fault warning never appeared again. There was no explanation for the other problems I experienced. The dealer did forward my narrative along with photos and videos to someone at Porsche. Don't know who. It looks like I'll be working through the 800 Porsche folks to determine when I should hear back about what next steps they take, if any.

nodoors

Please keep us posted. I am curious to hear how Porsche handles this.

Mtea

I heard back from 800 Porsche this morning. Apparently if the dealership cannot duplicate the problems that I have documented by videos and photos, then the problems don’t exist and the vehicle is operating normally according to manufacturer specifications. Any suggestions or thoughts?

Here is their reply:

Dear Mr. XXXXXX,

I hope you had a nice weekend! I’ve contacted the Service Manager Suncoast Porsche who informed me that after performing a full diagnosis and repairs to your vehicle, the vehicle is now operating to manufacturer's specifications. Our dealers have special diagnostic equipment, factory trained technicians, and technical support from the factory and we rely on them for the proper diagnosis and repair of our vehicles. Because of this, we feel confident standing behind their diagnosis and subsequent repairs.

In order for a repair to be approved, the dealership will need to duplicate the concern, and once the concern is duplicated, the dealership can submit a technical ticket for Porsche to assist with the repair. Please be assured that we have documented your feedback should documentation be needed in the future. We understand that this is not the answer you were hoping for. You are free to speak with the dealership if you believe changing the battery would address your concerns.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please call us at 1-800-PORSCHE. We are available Monday through Friday 8AM to 9PM EST.

Kind Regards,
XXXXXX XXXXXX
Customer Experience Specialist
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
One Porsche Drive
Atlanta, GA 30354

Phone: 1-800 PORSCHE (1-800-767-7243)
Fax: 1-866-334-5280
Email: customer.commitment@porsche.us

gnat

Sadly that is the experience I had with PCNA when I tried to talk to them about something. "Talk to the dealer" even when the problem is the dealer...

Did you (or the dealer) ever try a new battery? If not, at least swing my your local auto parts store and have them test the current one. On a 2014 the battery shouldn't be an issue, but it could always just be a fluke bad one. The annoying part is to swap it you have to unbolt the driver's chair and of course they use a triple-square rather than a standard hex bolt I think it's a t12, but that's from memory so I'm not sure on that as it has been awhile since I fooled with the seat bolts.

nodoors

Hardwire a wide angle dashcam that records your instrument cluster while the vehicle is running. That way you can catch the anomalies on video and have hard evidence. Also, look into your state's lemon laws...