Stuck Thermostat in a 2016 Macan S
12-22-2019, 04:53 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Stuck Thermostat in a 2016 Macan S
We just got my wife's 2016 Macan S back from the dealer, who had it for nearly a week to change a stuck thermostat.
My wife had gotten a yellow CEL and I scanned it as P2181 (Coolant System Performance) and P0128 (Coolant Thermostat) errors. I assumed it was a sticky thermostat, so I cleared the codes to see what would happen.
Well, exactly nothing happened for a week or two when she got the same CELs, which I cleared again. From that point on, every time I cleared them, she would get them again within a day or so, so I assumed that the thermostat was permanently stuck open. I set up an appointment at our Porsche dealership, the earliest was about 10 days later.
In the meantime, a third code, PO3081 (Engine Coolant Temperature Implausible) also popped up, which did not surprise me. She also started getting "Auto Stop/Start Disabled" messages after driving for 10 to 15 minutes. I was pretty sure this was related, and after thinking it through, it makes sense that the computer would disable the Auto Stop/Start if the engine was always running cold since it might not restart reliably.
Finally the day arrived to drop our Macan off, and I gave the SA a printout of my latest CEL scan along with my voiced suspicions. I expected it to take a day or two, but when I called towards the end of the first day, the SA told me it might take a week! First, they had to perform their own diagnostics, then call the aftermarket extended warranty company to send in a representative to verify the diagnosis and bless the warranty claim (!). It took three more days just to get the warranty company rep there, who promptly validated the repair as what I had told them when I dropped off the car four days earlier.
Two days later, we picked up the repaired car. Just in case you don't know what it takes to change out a thermostat in a Macan S, pay attention. It's a little bit of a surprise to one who has changed out thermostats in the driveway years ago when it took about an hour (including some appropriately persuasive language) and maybe $100 for a new thermostat and some antifreeze.
* Front bumper had to be removed
* Drive belt had to be removed
* Coolant had to be drained
* Water pump had to be removed
* Thermostat had to be removed
* Water pump had to be replaced with a new gasket
* Drive belt was put back on
* New coolant was added and bled
* Front bumper had to be put back on
But get this --
* The Adaptive Cruise Control sensor (mounted on the front bumper) had to be recalibrated, which required . . .
* A 4-wheel alignment (!)
They also checked out the Auto Stop/Start because of my initial list of CELs and the specific error message, and somewhat smugly noted that the red light on the Auto Stop/Start had to be off for it to work correctly. That was never the problem, the error message was the problem. Since it now works, I can only surmise that my original deduction about the coolant temperature was correct.
Total labor was about 16 hours (which surprised me), and total cost was $3,155 to replace a thermostat (including $471 for parts (which does not surprise me). Our out-of-pocket cost ended up being $250.
Special note: Our factory warranty had run out in September, and we had decided to purchase an aftermarket warranty, especially because of other peoples' transfer case problems and since our oil consumption had recently increased a little and I wanted some insurance against some catastrophic engine failure as well. After all, I had to rebuild the engine on my 2008 Porsche Carrera S for bore score for a cost of $23,000. It turns out the Alusil cylinders of our Macan engine are not that much different than the original Lokasil cylinders of my 911. I'm something of a big anti-extended warranty type guy in general, but with Porsche, you have to protect yourself.
By the way, I also complained about the back wiper juddering during operation no matter how much water was on it. It turns out there is an open Technical Bulletin (SY3515) about this requiring the wiper motor assembly to be reworked and the blade replaced for No Charge. Apparently, it does not rise to the level of a legal recall, so don't expect to be notified about it. You have to go in and complain.
(Sigh)
My wife had gotten a yellow CEL and I scanned it as P2181 (Coolant System Performance) and P0128 (Coolant Thermostat) errors. I assumed it was a sticky thermostat, so I cleared the codes to see what would happen.
Well, exactly nothing happened for a week or two when she got the same CELs, which I cleared again. From that point on, every time I cleared them, she would get them again within a day or so, so I assumed that the thermostat was permanently stuck open. I set up an appointment at our Porsche dealership, the earliest was about 10 days later.
In the meantime, a third code, PO3081 (Engine Coolant Temperature Implausible) also popped up, which did not surprise me. She also started getting "Auto Stop/Start Disabled" messages after driving for 10 to 15 minutes. I was pretty sure this was related, and after thinking it through, it makes sense that the computer would disable the Auto Stop/Start if the engine was always running cold since it might not restart reliably.
Finally the day arrived to drop our Macan off, and I gave the SA a printout of my latest CEL scan along with my voiced suspicions. I expected it to take a day or two, but when I called towards the end of the first day, the SA told me it might take a week! First, they had to perform their own diagnostics, then call the aftermarket extended warranty company to send in a representative to verify the diagnosis and bless the warranty claim (!). It took three more days just to get the warranty company rep there, who promptly validated the repair as what I had told them when I dropped off the car four days earlier.
Two days later, we picked up the repaired car. Just in case you don't know what it takes to change out a thermostat in a Macan S, pay attention. It's a little bit of a surprise to one who has changed out thermostats in the driveway years ago when it took about an hour (including some appropriately persuasive language) and maybe $100 for a new thermostat and some antifreeze.
* Front bumper had to be removed
* Drive belt had to be removed
* Coolant had to be drained
* Water pump had to be removed
* Thermostat had to be removed
* Water pump had to be replaced with a new gasket
* Drive belt was put back on
* New coolant was added and bled
* Front bumper had to be put back on
But get this --
* The Adaptive Cruise Control sensor (mounted on the front bumper) had to be recalibrated, which required . . .
* A 4-wheel alignment (!)
They also checked out the Auto Stop/Start because of my initial list of CELs and the specific error message, and somewhat smugly noted that the red light on the Auto Stop/Start had to be off for it to work correctly. That was never the problem, the error message was the problem. Since it now works, I can only surmise that my original deduction about the coolant temperature was correct.
Total labor was about 16 hours (which surprised me), and total cost was $3,155 to replace a thermostat (including $471 for parts (which does not surprise me). Our out-of-pocket cost ended up being $250.
Special note: Our factory warranty had run out in September, and we had decided to purchase an aftermarket warranty, especially because of other peoples' transfer case problems and since our oil consumption had recently increased a little and I wanted some insurance against some catastrophic engine failure as well. After all, I had to rebuild the engine on my 2008 Porsche Carrera S for bore score for a cost of $23,000. It turns out the Alusil cylinders of our Macan engine are not that much different than the original Lokasil cylinders of my 911. I'm something of a big anti-extended warranty type guy in general, but with Porsche, you have to protect yourself.
By the way, I also complained about the back wiper juddering during operation no matter how much water was on it. It turns out there is an open Technical Bulletin (SY3515) about this requiring the wiper motor assembly to be reworked and the blade replaced for No Charge. Apparently, it does not rise to the level of a legal recall, so don't expect to be notified about it. You have to go in and complain.
(Sigh)
