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Spent some quality time under the Cayenne today getting familiar with location of drivetrain drain and fill plugs.
Pro tip: raise the air suspension to "Terrain" position to get under the car. What a difference. In "Normal" height I was not able in practical terms to get comfortably under the car to see the back and sides of the transmission. I am somewhat trim build, so getting under cars usually is not a problem for me. I was able to get under an MB GLE350 with steel suspension no problem. The Cayenne on paper has the same ground clearance as the GLE but in practice it's harder to get under there.
Transfer case oil change looks very easy, after first removing the large rubber vibration damper. The presence of the large damper supports the notion that Porsche applied a band aid to a known problem of vibration, which is especially noticeable on V6 powertrains near 60mph in 6th gear.
Transmission oil drain and fill looks straightforward. Lots of documentation available on the ZF8HP.
Front axle oil fill looks straightforward. I was not able to put eyes on the drain plugs - I think there are several. The gears at the back of the transmission sending torque to the front share lubrication with the front axle, so it's a multiple low point lube system.
Rotated rear tires side-to-side, torqued wheel bolts to 160Nm
Measured brake pad thickness: 9mm both sides
Measured tread depth: 5mm / 6mm
Hoping to get the Scorpion Verde A/Ss through the winter, we shall see. They are starting to sing on concrete pavement at 60-70mph, a sure sign they are not long for this world. I will replace with Scorpions, I like them and have no complaints, maybe a bit short on tread life. Both tires were new when I bought the car, included in the CPO process. I replaced one shortly after purchased when I picked up a lag bolt in one of them. I have done about 11,000 miles and surprised they are wearing as fast as they are.
Pleasantly surprised at the amount of rear brake pad left, these should keep going for a while.
Also took a look at the rear axle to find the drain and fill plugs. Pretty straightforward.
Have you thought about getting a winger set of wheels and tires, chassis?
Not really (translation: no). I have A/S tires now and have always done that on my cars. I had a first-gen Miata with summers and winters, which was fun, but a hassle. Both winters and summers wear faster than A/S so the tire consumption is higher. Two sets of wheels is a hassle to store in the garage.
Making time to change summer to winter, and vice-versa, is a pain. I realize a tire shop or mechanic can do all of this, but it's not my modus operandi. I travel for work and there are times where I am not able to do small jobs on the car for months at a time. I am complaining, I realize!
Not really (translation: no). I have A/S tires now and have always done that on my cars. I had a first-gen Miata with summers and winters, which was fun, but a hassle. Both winters and summers wear faster than A/S so the tire consumption is higher. Two sets of wheels is a hassle to store in the garage.
Making time to change summer to winter, and vice-versa, is a pain. I realize a tire shop or mechanic can do all of this, but it's not my modus operandi. I travel for work and there are times where I am not able to do small jobs on the car for months at a time. I am complaining, I realize!
I feel you it’s a hassle to switch between summer and winter tires (bring the tires to tire shop and wait 3+ hours and hope they do a decent job every 6 months was no fun). I ended up buying dedicated sets of rims for summer and winter tires which reduced the pain.
Do your neighbors ever stop by to say hi, lol? I wash/work on the CS every weekend and people on their daily walks stop by to tell me how OCD I am. I take it as a compliment.
Do your neighbors ever stop by to say hi, lol? I wash/work on the CS every weekend and people on their daily walks stop by to tell me how OCD I am. I take it as a compliment.
i think they are more concerned the paint may gradually come off the car 😁
Do your neighbors ever stop by to say hi, lol? I wash/work on the CS every weekend and people on their daily walks stop by to tell me how OCD I am. I take it as a compliment.
No There is only one "car guy" nearby and he has a C7 with a not-so-nice sounding exhaust on it. He has a friend with a Ferrari, I think it is an older California convertible. Next time Ferrari guy is over there I will go have a chat. I am not a socialite so it's unusual for me to chit chat unless there is a reason to talk. Another guy around the corner has a 955 Turbo S which looks great, but I never see him and he doesn't seem to drive the Cayenne much.
Other people in the area drive newer luxury cars but nothing interesting imo. A Wraith showed up in a driveway last week, not sure if it was a visitor or resident. Love the Wraith.
No There is only one "car guy" nearby and he has a C7 with a not-so-nice sounding exhaust on it. He has a friend with a Ferrari, I think it is an older California convertible. Next time Ferrari guy is over there I will go have a chat. I am not a socialite so it's unusual for me to chit chat unless there is a reason to talk. Another guy around the corner has a 955 Turbo S which looks great, but I never see him and he doesn't seem to drive the Cayenne much.
Other people in the area drive newer luxury cars but nothing interesting imo. A Wraith showed up in a driveway last week, not sure if it was a visitor or resident. Love the Wraith.
The only car guy on my block is a 20 year old with a straight piped E39 540i that he revs at 4am in the morning. Id rather have your situation not gonna lie
Do your neighbors ever stop by to say hi, lol? I wash/work on the CS every weekend and people on their daily walks stop by to tell me how OCD I am. I take it as a compliment.
I have the same experience being called meticulous - I take it as a compliment!
Picked up a set of 21” Spyder design wheels with All Seasons on them to use as my winter set up, relieving my 22s with summer tires for the colder months. I know they are not winters, but I came across this set of immediate take offs from another CC and I like them.