lightngsvt

Hello, I almost bought nice 955 S but it sold. In searching I found a 2011 S 958 locally at an infinity dealership. I assume simlar issues applylike the 955/957 (Cardan shaft, coolant pipes, overflow, hatch struts, etc) so I'm prepared to deal with them but anything unique to look out for on the 958?

This would be vehicle #5 used for towing boat/jetskis, my Boxster, carrying large objects inc. a 90lb dog, etc. I dont want to spend a lot. This 958 popped up at only $25k. I think the price seems fair, has 86k miles, runs and shifts very well, no rattles or noises but might not have been pampered its whole life. Its in good condition, not quite mint. Its black/black, pano roof, Bose, nav, power seats, etc. Nicely equipped but not loaded by Porsche standards.

I have a few concerns: first, when I first went to test drive it wouldn't start and dash said electric parking brake fault. After a few tries it started. Second, there are no service records from previous owner so other than Carfax no idea whats been done. Tires look fairly new and dealer put in a new battery. The weather stripping on the drivers door seems a tiny bit loose at the very bottom. otherwise it just needs a real detailing and some polishing.

That fault concerns me though, what else might be lurking..... Dealer agreed to let me take it for a PPI. Or even to take it overnight if I wanted to get it PPI'ed then drive it to get a better feel for it. So would you consider this vehicle if your budget was this small? Any red flags jumping out?

deilenberger

Read the sticky, then if there are questions ask them. The 958 shares very little with the 955/957 series, and issues are almost entirely different.

Joel 67

I'd be concerned about the cam adjuster bolts on a 2011 S.

deilenberger

Joel, no longer an issue. A NHTSA recall has been issued. Read the sticky. The value of my '11 CTT just jumped up.

lightngsvt

Does the recall on the cam bolts cover the vehicle even if it is purchased after the recall was issued?

I read the sticky and it seems like transfer cases, cam bolts and possibly transmissions are the potential problem areas of the 958 S? Otherwise pretty reliable?

Does $25k seem like a good price for truck in question? And how big of a concern is the "electric parking brake fault" message w/no start condition?

jlusby

Based upon the data that deilenberger has been compiling, while the transfer case can be expensive to replace, almost everyone (if not all) have been successful by simply changing the fluid and then making this part of their routine maintenance. I was slightly concerned by that, but prior to taking delivery, I had the dealership change the fluid for me. So, I would have a PPI done and provide whomever is doing the PPI with the detail on the transfer case issue as well as how to potentially determine if the vehicle has that issue. I read where one person was able to hear/feel it and then used that to negotiate the price down. He was then able to change the fluid and the symptoms disappeared therefore saving the cost of the new transfer case yet having lowered the asking price because of the "known" problem.


Everything else that I have read says that the 958 is very reliable as long as you do the proper maintenance on a regular and timely basis.

CarGuyNVA

This is big news for us owners impacted by this! I just posted the following in the 'sticky' thread...

WOW! This is big news! Very cool. I think this deserves a post of its own in the forum to alert owners about this....it's kind of buried here. I wouldn't have checked here without having read this news in another thread.

deilenberger

Recalls apply to a vehicle no matter who owns it. If the vehicle exists, and the recall hasn't been performed the manufacturer is required to perform the recall at no cost to any owner.

termite01

I would take this with a grain of salt. Other than a random sample, there is no real evidence that once the transfer case has failed, that a fluid change will always fix it. Any mechanic that has experience with Cayennes [and many owners too] can tell you if the car has TC issues within a few minutes of driving it. Some have been resurrected with a fluid change but others have not been cured so easily. My TC went at about 30k miles. A fluid change did nothing and it need a new TC. Shortly thereafter the PTV+ diff went south for the winter; same symptoms as a bad TC. In fact, the dealer at first thought that it needed another TC. Again, fluid change did nothing and it needed a new diff. All of this was covered by CPO.

deilenberger

There appear to be two TC failure modes. Under 50,000 miles apparently is due to a defect in the case. The higher mileage ones (currently 10 I have records of) appear to be a slipping clutch in the TC, that then grabs with a jolt. So far out of the 10 I know of ALL have benefited from a fluid change. This is not a case of a single TC as our termite friend claims. It's 10 out of 10 so far. Most of these cases had symptoms appear around 60,000 miles or so

termite01

I am glad that we are still friends, as I never wrote that your fluid change stats were based on "a case of a single TC"....but rather that it was a random sample. I am also glad that 10 out of 10 forum members have "benefited from a fluid change." My only point was that this is far from empirical evidence that TC failures can be remedied with a fluid change. Further, when evaluating a used 958, it is tough to make the call based on the hope that a fluid change will solve a bad TC. I agree that the low mileage failures (which seem to be the majority seen by my local dealer) are defective and that the only fix is replacement.

bweSteve

True, but my thoughts here are that this is a case where it is being sold by a {NON Porsche} Inifinity dealership, and they have zero records of anything performed on the vehicle,.. thus the OP Lightngsvt has no knowledge of whether the cam bolt recall has yet been executed on this 2011 S. If not, then true, it's no cost to him,... but certainly time away from driving it almost immediately.

Probably also true of the TC, and other known issues of 958 S.

Since OP is already a Porsche owner (Boxster), and assumingly has a relationship with his local P dealership, I'd recommend calling & providing the VIN & get as much info as possible. And then ALSO give all that info to a PPI shop (if not his dealership to perform it).

Plus, if Infinity is willing to let you keep it overnight, I'd go drive it for hours+, and see how it feels, drives & behaves (when it's good & hot), plus another cold start the next morning. Then drive it to the PPI.
Take advantage of it.

GL!
=Steve

offagain

On the TC point - mine is going....

There is a noise and the specialist that I use, they can show that its the transfer case. However, after waiting weeks for a delivery of a replacement we stopped waiting and didnt replace it for the moment. I am not a high mileage driver and at the moment its far from being the nosiest TC they have dealt with.

A flush of the fluid showed that there is a 'metallic tinge' to the fluid that came out. Replaced and its definately quieter now. Not fixed by any stretch though. Will get it checked again at the next oil change in a month or so - I dont mind spending a little extra in TC fluid changes if it eeks out the replacement though.

I dont see a fluid change fixing anything though - delaying yes, fixing no.

deilenberger

It depends.

If the erratic Transfer Case clutch behavior is caused by a change in the fluid properties (obviously suspended solids - which give it the dark or black appearance, or a change in viscosity due to overheating, or sheering of the oil molecular chains) then a change of the fluid might well "fix" the problem (as in - the odd behavior goes away. )

There is some evidence pointing to this if you read what people have written about what they observed when they changed the fluid. In most instance - it wasn't an immediate improvement - it took some miles for it to happen. To me - that's consistent with contaminated oil in the clutch being eventually washed out by the new oil, and it might explain why the new oil is discolored rather quickly - solids built up in the clutch assembly (which is basically splash lubricated) are eventually cleared out. Result is smoother clutch operation and darkened oil again. A second change might well be in order if the TC was experiencing problems.

The clutch used in the TC is a design very commonly used on motorcycles. I'm pretty familiar with these, and have rebuilt quite a few some years ago. A multiplate wet clutch design can certainly be effected by the oil that is used to lubricate it. This sort of behavior on motorcycle clutches is often "fixed" by changing the oil, so it doesn't surprise me at all that it has a positive effect on the TC. It won't fix it 100% of the time - but at the cost of the oil change you have very little to loose by trying it.

lightngsvt

Hey guys, I figured I'd post another Cayenne I looked here rather than starting a new thread. The original Cayenne in question sold, but I found this 2011 S in blue over black. It has 89k miles, moonroof, heated/cooled/power seats, Bose, Nav and 19's. Wheels and tires are in great shape, the interior is probably a 9 of 10 for its age, the body looks like a 90k driver though... Paint is glossy, not signs of rust but there are minor scratches around the body and 1- very tiny ding on the drivers 1/4 panel. It starts, runs and sounds great, I didnt notice any leaks or hear any strange noises. Downside is no tow pkg and I would have to add that.

Based on that info, what would you expect to pay for the truck?

Big things to look out for are the TC's, Diff's and cylinder wall scoring, correct? I assume a compression test would show if the truck had scored cylinders or not?