When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey there guys, new to Rennlist. I'm actually saddened but happy that others are aware of the same issue I am facing with their transfer case. I had never owned a Porsche until a few years ago when my wife and I traded our Mercedes and decided to try a Cayenne, an '06 Titanium S with 53,000 miles. Beautiful car with great performance even for an older SUV. HOWEVER, I then began to do research about it and found many disturbing issues related to this generation. Being my wife's I thought it incumbent upon myself to dig a bit deeper and even though our Cayenne was free of these issues it didn't lessen the concern. So I set off looking at the new generation Cayenne in the hopes that it would bring less issue. About 7 months later I found a 2012 S in beautiful condition but with a few miles, 63,000. Again, wrongly assuming that Porsche being Porsche would have addressed any major issue in their later generation Cayenne, we bought it. I was crazy amazed at the performance and LOVE this car. Then, the dreaded day the transfer case problem reared its ugly head. It's been sitting in our driveway now for about 8 months. I contacted Porsche and they state it needs to be diagnosed first before they can step in and POSSIBLY help, but we're two hours from the nearest dealer. I have to say that I'm not impressed with the Porsche brand so far. I've owned VW and Audi both and loved them, but the possibility of owning a car with the Porsche name that listed for $96,000 new having a major component failure but having been babied without abuse?? Not to mention having a second Cayenne with fear of driving it for other major issues that have been flagged, I don't honestly think I could recommend a Cayenne in good conscience. I know I'm a Porsche newby but is this typical of their breed?? Anyway, I look forward to hearing more from you all as well as learning about the transfer case issue and finding a solution that doesn't cost me $4000 outta pocket for something that was no fault of my own...
Why would you bother keeping a vehicle sitting undriven in a driveway for 8 months? You have been keeping it on a battery charger during that time, right? Like it says in the manual?
It's never a good idea to own a higher-end vehicle when you're two hours away from a dealer. Have you sought help from the local PCA chapter to find a more local independent shop?
The best simple step is to start with changing transfer case fluid... twice. The second time to remove the last of what the first didn't catch. Then see how it performs. If it's good, and you're worried, take the opportunity to sell it.
The best simple step is to start with changing transfer case fluid... twice. The second time to remove the last of what the first didn't catch. Then see how it performs. If it's good, and you're worried, take the opportunity to sell it.
HummerGuy, if you take that route - do us a favor and post the VIN# here.. so none of us are tempted to buy it.
BTW - I fail to see the logic of "it might be broken, but we're too far from the dealer, so we'll park it in the driveway and watch it depreciate.." but then perhaps your username is a clue. Hows the Hummer treating you?
Wow, out come the haters already. Now I understand. No clue as to what my circumstances have been but instead of any sort of conversation or help, the supposed biggest brains on rennlist are already out hating. Guess that explains a lot. It's not just Porsche vehicles that suck...this will be my last post, it's far too crowded in hear with all of the fat heads.
If you're going to talk smack, know that first postings of it get sent out in e-mail alerts. So editing it out won't pull the foot fully back outta yer mouth.
Run away if you must, but I did ask if it's actually been sitting idle, without a battery tender, for all this time. Because if it has you may well have caused yourself additional grief. Self-inflicted wounds gather even less sympathy, beyond just rattling your cage.
You're not going to find too many online forums that cover these beasts, so you'll likely encounter all the same "fat heads".
Thing is, these folks have experience with these vehicles and are pretty good about sharing advice. Assuming someone doesn't wander in coming across like an idiot that doesn't expect to get hassled for it. So consider yourself hassled. Ready to move past it?
Here's a question I didn't see covered... at least not in anything I read, is this present in the 6 speed manual (V6) variants of these? I know it's present in the base V6, but most of what I've seen is in the S, TT, etc, with the automatic. I am aware it's not an issue of too much torque being applied to the TC, but just an inherent design flaw.
I know it's past the conversation on that, but back to the whole drain and fill plug torque discussion - I read mention of an application on the bolt. Is this a sealant or an adhesive? If it's an adhesive, I wouldn't really recommend reusing it. If it's a sealant it's fine. Judging by it's size I'd guess that 15 ft/lb isn't anywhere near plastic elongation (stretching beyond return upon torque) for it, but I would be careful of oil on the threads of the bolt and housing, as that will reduce friction on threads, reducing torque reading relative to similar clamp load (maybe this is why I was reading 13 ft/lb?) and making sure to clean both as much as possible, and taking extra caution when tightening as to not over-tighten it to prevent cracking the case.
I don't find this hating at all. Maybe some guys are little too sensitive.
When you've owned any cars at all, you know quite well that you have to get the car to the service shop/dealer to undertake any evaluations, diagnostics, and repairs. If the car is covered by a warranty, some pay the tow costs , or a portion of it. Some others you pay a fee, say like AAA. Im sure in 8 months you could have joined AAA and sent it in sometime or just paid a flat bed to carry it in. Porsche can t see through the telephone any better than you and I can.
How do you figure it is up to anyone else but you to do this?
New t-case has extended vent tube and better cooling with a plastic air wing to direct air over the case. Porsche added another oil with PN# "63". This thread started with folks either changing to Ravenol and others making sure that they have the new "63" OEM spec oil versus the older spec.
So far, from this thread, most seem to be doing well.
I pick up my repaired Porsche today and I will be checking the oil very closely. I will report back with my dealer feedback and oil progress.
New t-case has extended vent tube and better cooling with a plastic air wing to direct air over the case. Porsche added another oil with PN# "63". This thread started with folks either changing to Ravenol and others making sure that they have the new "63" OEM spec oil versus the older spec.
So far, from this thread, most seem to be doing well.
I pick up my repaired Porsche today and I will be checking the oil very closely. I will report back with my dealer feedback and oil progress.
An "air-wing" has been standard since the start of production, at least on the turbo. And it's part of the problem. It hangs below the transfer case and catches air flowing under the vehicle and directs it up toward the front side of the case, looks like in the chain area. Problem with the air-wing - it is equally effective at redirecting any water one might drive through, right up to the top of the transfer case where the vent is located (and protected with a "birds-mouth" sort of rubber vent/seal - a ****-poor design.)
Porsche did add a circular deflector to the output for the front driveshaft, since apparently that also was slinging water up onto the top of the transfer case. The vent kit is basically a simple tubular sort of plastic thing that moves the vent up into the engine compartment, behind the engine, where water is very unlikely to enter it. I don't know if they used an inverted-J sort of end on it so the actual opening points down, but that would be a good thing if they did.
I did see all the bits that Porsche includes in the new installation kit for new transfer cases - the local dealer was doing one - and they had everything laid out on the shop floor.
Unfortunately - retrofitting your existing case to take the new vent kit would require dropping the transfer case since there is almost no room above it where the vent is.
Got the car back yesterday, only service work done was to replace the t-case and test drive.
After driving home in rush hour stop-n-go traffic and then back to work this morn, I was upset to discover that the off-idle hesitation was still very obvious to me. On more than one occasion I experienced 1-3 second stumbles and hesitation. If the t-case needed to be replaced then I am quite positive that I did not make that much of a difference with my complaint. Regardless, I verified the new t-case and vent tube. I asked to see the oil that was used but the tech said that it came pre-filled from Germany. I will open the drain plug and smell, finger the oil in 1-2k miles just to get a feel for it.
I am opening up another thread on the off-idle hesitation as I now believe that it is unrelated.
Folks - this thread has been made a sticky since it is rather frequently referred to. I may merge another transfer-case thread into it after I see if the merge will look odd (messages out of place sort of odd.) If the transfer-case issue becomes old news and the thread activity dies down, I may unsticky it, but I doubt if that's happening in the near future.
I'm new here but have been following this thread before I bought my 2012 Cayenne S. I have a friend who directed me to these forums and I bought it knowing it might have this very issue. I was able to pick up on the symptoms and do the TC oil change with Ravenol and sure enough, the transfer case was running good again.
However, the symptoms didn't go away immediately, which made me discouraged at first but I read one member had the same experiance and his symptoms went away after his sat overnight and over the next couple days. I had the same experiance. I plan on doing another oil change with ravenol in the next week to clear out more of the old oil that may still be in there but I'm happy to report that the transfer case issue is resolved for my CS.
Anyway heres my CS w/SportDesign package and FabSpeed exhaust. This one in particular was very difficult for me to find as I was very interested in a GTS but it was not in budget. I found this gem and bought it before the dealer could even put it out on their website. Very Happy with this purchase.
Last edited by larryluu; 08-14-2017 at 03:53 PM.
Reason: fixed typo
So., because this is par for the course when I try to take care of things....
Anyone know if they sell just the rear cover for these? Or have the rear cover from their old one around?
I set the wrong torque (20 lb/ft, instead of 15, thinking Nm) and cracked it the cover.
Edit: I'm probably going to become the Rennlist Ghetto-pro for this, but if it works then it works. The sealant on the bolt (glad I grabbed new ones) flowed into the area of the crack causing the leak and pretty much stopped it. As to save myself a couple grand and a massive headache (for now, at least) I cleaned the whole area and gave it a healthy application of JB Weld (It's held transmissions and differentials together before... probably some transfer cases that I just don't know of) So I'll see how it looks when cured after ~20 hours. Here's to hoping this holds up, at the very least until the next time I change the fluid and hopefully these cases (or even the rear covers on their own) are more easily available.
Photos of my misery for your amusement:
Basically....
Be VERY certain to properly torque your fasteners
Last edited by projekt-h; 08-16-2017 at 01:11 AM.
Reason: I'm the reason we can't have nice things.
07-23-2017, 02:19 AM
