Cautionary Tale of Oil Leak (timing cover)
#376
My 2018 GTS is engine out today for this . I was right at the end of warranty which I wouldn't do again . If you have a problem get it fixed .It was about a 3 month cycle to get it in get the authorization from Porsche ,schedule a loaner . They clean the engine first time in and spray or coat on a telltale solution ,revisit in 1000km and then get approval from Porsche .
I rarely take a car in for warranty but this is too big a number to miss when its going to be for sale . Otherwise I am one of those just live with it people .
If I have post repair issues I will update .This Macan never thru a code ,never had a update .
I rarely take a car in for warranty but this is too big a number to miss when its going to be for sale . Otherwise I am one of those just live with it people .
If I have post repair issues I will update .This Macan never thru a code ,never had a update .
#377
I'm just hoping that the leak doesn't come back after getting it fixed. I'm still under warranty for three more years, but either way I hope it's something I never have to deal with again.
#378
Three Wheelin'
I didn’t look at my dealers hourly rate, but 25 hours of labor to come up with $10,500 is $420 per hour. Ummm, really?😳🤬. I can’t find my quote papers at the moment and iirc it did not list labor hours, but I think from other threads Porsche TSB specifies 20 hours to do the job. Seems like it would take more, but I think that’s the rate. So the hourly tech rate is even higher? 🤦🏻♂️
#379
Yeah, labor seems really high, parts too. Not sure what it was to get to 4,500 but in looking at the diagrams it didn't look like it should come close to that. And 10,500 in labor, even at $200 an hour is 52.5 hours which seems excessive (maybe the rate is slightly higher, but it won't make that much of a difference, even at $250 it's still over 40 hours). I can't see how, even with dropping the engine, a tech would be working on the car continuously for 6 1/2 days straight (assuming 8 hour days). I wonder what they budgeted for in the work and parts. I wish it were easier to trust the dealers to do the right thing.
Number of hours... I had mine done under the warranty and reviewing the dashcam after I got the car back it was on the lift for 6 full days, and that's before the calibration and alignment,
so 40ish hours sounds right.
#380
Rennlist Member
Laboring
If Porsche says 21.5, that’s their reimbursement to servicing authorized dealer albeit at a lesser hourly rate if under warranty or CPO or 3rd party insurance methinks… a competent tech can probably do this blindfolded by now in less actual time…
#381
Race Director
I didn’t look at my dealers hourly rate, but 25 hours of labor to come up with $10,500 is $420 per hour. Ummm, really?😳🤬. I can’t find my quote papers at the moment and iirc it did not list labor hours, but I think from other threads Porsche TSB specifies 20 hours to do the job. Seems like it would take more, but I think that’s the rate. So the hourly tech rate is even higher? 🤦🏻♂️
#382
Three Wheelin'
Parts are easy to figure out, there's a few list around so one can just look up the MSRP form the part number.
Number of hours... I had mine done under the warranty and reviewing the dashcam after I got the car back it was on the lift for 6 full days, and that's before the calibration and alignment,
so 40ish hours sounds right.
Number of hours... I had mine done under the warranty and reviewing the dashcam after I got the car back it was on the lift for 6 full days, and that's before the calibration and alignment,
so 40ish hours sounds right.
#383
So here's my theory on the labor cost. Because of how involved the project is and even though someone isn't working on it 24 hours for 6 days straight because that's just not possible, the car ties up a lift AND an engine stand which most dealers only have one or maybe two of if that so that delays or potentially loses revenue. So maybe there's some "labor" algorithm that is applied to the car taking up the space so the dealer can bill back to Porsche for. I suspect this is the case as that is how some dealers can magically lower the quote if you are out of warranty and push back. Again, I'm not saying I agree with this. Just throwing out an idea.
#384
Three Wheelin'
So here's my theory on the labor cost. Because of how involved the project is and even though someone isn't working on it 24 hours for 6 days straight because that's just not possible, the car ties up a lift AND an engine stand which most dealers only have one or maybe two of if that so that delays or potentially loses revenue. So maybe there's some "labor" algorithm that is applied to the car taking up the space so the dealer can bill back to Porsche for. I suspect this is the case as that is how some dealers can magically lower the quote if you are out of warranty and push back. Again, I'm not saying I agree with this. Just throwing out an idea.
Too bad there isn't a tech, or service advisor, to chime in here as to why a quote for something like this fix would be so costly.
#385
It was on the lift for 6 days, but were they working on it the whole time? I've seen cars on the lift at the dealership for half a day and no one touched it. You shouldn't be paying labor for it to just be there. Not that I drop engines all the time, but a full week of work just seems excessive.
Porsche pays the dealer a fixed rate and hour so there's absolutely no reason for them to make it longer than it should.
You may not see them actually working on the car, but the tech can be working on the engine itself while the vehicle sits on the lift.
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#386
Three Wheelin'
look, a lift is valuable for any shop so there's no reason to let a car to sit on it if it's not being work on, especially when it's done under warranty,
Porsche pays the dealer a fixed rate and hour so there's absolutely no reason for them to make it longer than it should.
You may not see them actually working on the car, but the tech can be working on the engine itself while the vehicle sits on the lift.
Porsche pays the dealer a fixed rate and hour so there's absolutely no reason for them to make it longer than it should.
You may not see them actually working on the car, but the tech can be working on the engine itself while the vehicle sits on the lift.
That said, in the scenario we are talking about here they don't need to take the car apart to diagnose the problem so the Macan should not be sitting on a lift waiting for anything. When the car goes in the parts should be available and it should be getting worked on and completed without delays. You shouldn't be paying "extra" labor hours because it's on a lift waiting to be worked on. I still stand by not understanding how this particular fix would take enough time for over $10k in labor. Especially for a skilled technician.
#387
I recently bought a CPO '16 Macan S with 30K miles. A few weeks later I was learning about the new to me car and removed the lower engine cover to check out the oil filter location etc. When I did that I noticed oil on the lower radiator hose near the front passenger side tire. This did not seem right so I took it to the P car dealer near me (not the dealer I purchased it from) and they discovered an oil leak from the valve/timing cover. The dealer ordered the parts and repaired the car under warranty. I asked the service adviser how much the repair would have cost out of pocket, he said around $9000. The invoice lists 20 hours of labor and states "preformed val, pictures taken, removed engine and resealed timing cover".
I have no beef with the servicing dealer as they provided me with a brand new Macan (a good car but I missed the extra HP of the S). I do wonder about the selling dealer. As part of the CPO process the car had an oil change done and it seems to me that a technician would have noticed that leak (I noticed it). I suspect most owners do not ever look under the car so this could have gone unnoticed and would have been a huge issue if the car was out of warranty. The CPO status was not enough to protect me from this.
I have seen other posts about Macans leaking oil, hard to say if this will become a known issue or not. I also just saw a video about a Macan oil leak discovered by an indy shop with the narrator suggesting that people should have a good indy shop inspect your car as the dealer may overlook things like this.
I am posting this as a reference point, no replies needed.
I have no beef with the servicing dealer as they provided me with a brand new Macan (a good car but I missed the extra HP of the S). I do wonder about the selling dealer. As part of the CPO process the car had an oil change done and it seems to me that a technician would have noticed that leak (I noticed it). I suspect most owners do not ever look under the car so this could have gone unnoticed and would have been a huge issue if the car was out of warranty. The CPO status was not enough to protect me from this.
I have seen other posts about Macans leaking oil, hard to say if this will become a known issue or not. I also just saw a video about a Macan oil leak discovered by an indy shop with the narrator suggesting that people should have a good indy shop inspect your car as the dealer may overlook things like this.
I am posting this as a reference point, no replies needed.
Took it to a Porsche specialized independent mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as a timing cover leak. Quoted the cost to fix of ~$4,500. He said there are 2 solutions: (1) engine out fix and and (2) complete remove/disassemble the front of the car (bumper, radiator, maybe some a/c components) and he recommended #2 as the cheaper solution. Seemed like a knowledgeable guy. Said it would take 5-6 days to fix, but I unfortunately don't have time to get it fixed now as I'm on a road trip and we are leaving the area before that. Worth checking him out if you are in Miami - Roly's European Auto Center. Obviously can vouch his solution works fully, but seemed like a knowledgeable guy and has good reviews online.
Last edited by macan2021; 01-14-2022 at 05:27 PM.
#388
2017 Macan S 46k miles, just barely out of warranty period (approximately 6 months). An oil change tech noticed engine leaking oil from above this week. this is after a 40k scheduled service at a porsche dealer last year with no flags.
Took it to a Porsche specialized independent mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as a timing cover leak. Quoted the cost to fix of ~$4,500. He said there are 2 solutions: (1) engine out fix and and (2) complete remove/disassemble the front of the car (bumper, radiator, maybe some a/c components) and he recommended #2 as the cheaper solution. Seemed like a knowledgeable guy. Said it would take 5-6 days to fix, but I unfortunately don't have time to get it fixed now as I'm on a road trip and we are leaving the area before that. Worth checking him out if you are in Miami - Roly's European Auto Center. Obviously can vouch his solution works fully, but seemed like a knowledgeable guy and has good reviews online.
Took it to a Porsche specialized independent mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as a timing cover leak. Quoted the cost to fix of ~$4,500. He said there are 2 solutions: (1) engine out fix and and (2) complete remove/disassemble the front of the car (bumper, radiator, maybe some a/c components) and he recommended #2 as the cheaper solution. Seemed like a knowledgeable guy. Said it would take 5-6 days to fix, but I unfortunately don't have time to get it fixed now as I'm on a road trip and we are leaving the area before that. Worth checking him out if you are in Miami - Roly's European Auto Center. Obviously can vouch his solution works fully, but seemed like a knowledgeable guy and has good reviews online.
#389
Three Wheelin'
2017 Macan S 46k miles, just barely out of warranty period (approximately 6 months). An oil change tech noticed engine leaking oil from above this week. this is after a 40k scheduled service at a porsche dealer last year with no flags.
Took it to a Porsche specialized independent mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as a timing cover leak. Quoted the cost to fix of ~$4,500. He said there are 2 solutions: (1) engine out fix and and (2) complete remove/disassemble the front of the car (bumper, radiator, maybe some a/c components) and he recommended #2 as the cheaper solution. Seemed like a knowledgeable guy. Said it would take 5-6 days to fix, but I unfortunately don't have time to get it fixed now as I'm on a road trip and we are leaving the area before that. Worth checking him out if you are in Miami - Roly's European Auto Center. Obviously can vouch his solution works fully, but seemed like a knowledgeable guy and has good reviews online.
Took it to a Porsche specialized independent mechanic and he diagnosed the problem as a timing cover leak. Quoted the cost to fix of ~$4,500. He said there are 2 solutions: (1) engine out fix and and (2) complete remove/disassemble the front of the car (bumper, radiator, maybe some a/c components) and he recommended #2 as the cheaper solution. Seemed like a knowledgeable guy. Said it would take 5-6 days to fix, but I unfortunately don't have time to get it fixed now as I'm on a road trip and we are leaving the area before that. Worth checking him out if you are in Miami - Roly's European Auto Center. Obviously can vouch his solution works fully, but seemed like a knowledgeable guy and has good reviews online.
#390
I don't own a Macan, but I've been actively researching the S, GTS, and Turbo to ensure I have all the facts needed to make an informed decision when purchasing. I hope the folks here don't mind a few questions.
I hope I don't impose on anyone by asking these questions, but this TCC issue could make or break my decision to buy a pre-owned Macan. Thanks
- I see that typically only one or two bolts are replaced during the repair and that Porsche doesn't completely remove and replace both covers with all new bolts. They simply replace the bolts that show signs of fatigue. The remaining original bolts are left in place untouched. Is that an accurate assessment?
- The OEM replacement bolts are aluminum, with the exact same spec as the original bolts. There was no change to components, but the torque specification was changed. Is that accurate?
- I've seen a few posts where Macan owners suffered a 2nd incident of timing cover leaks after undergoing a previous warranty repair. Are these isolated incidents or is this a situation where failure will possibly occur again after a certain amount of age and mileage"
- I've seen forum members say they planned on finding steel bolt replacements. Has anyone successfully sourced steel replacements and were they successful in making the conversion?
- The aftermarket has been able to solve issues that Porsche refused to address. LN Engineering's IMS bearing and Nickie cylinders come to mind. Considering the number of Macans on the road, are any aftermarket companies looing at the situation?
I hope I don't impose on anyone by asking these questions, but this TCC issue could make or break my decision to buy a pre-owned Macan. Thanks
Last edited by misterioso; 01-19-2022 at 08:14 PM.
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