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One of those is the controller... It, ah, controls the shifting.
At $115, I think that "controller" is only sending the signal (like a switch), it isn't the solenoid mechanism that moves the gear. For the reverse gear to go in and out, it would seem like it would to have to be the solenoid failing, not the switch telling it what gear to be in. The displayed error message also indicates that the car thinks it's in reverse, it just had trouble physically engaging. I also can't imagine what replacing the entire shifter mechanism would have to do with it.
I'm just guessing though -- I like the dealer and I think they will support me under warranty if I have issues later, it just seems like they are barking up the wrong tree.
I just got a call from my dealer telling me to trade in my 2016 macan s because their is something wrong with the transmission. i get a clunk from first to second gear and when slowing down from second to first, other than that it is fine. dealer did a transmission calibration and fluid flush and it still does it. the car is not throwing any codes and has 44k miles on the clock. I am the original owner. I live 3.5 miles out of Washington Dc so am in a lot of stop and go traffic but only drive 6 thousand miles a year.
After reading this thread today I advised a female friend to either sell her Macan, or buy an extended warranty. She has a 2018 and the warranty is up in September. A buddy of mine at the PCAR dealership does her routine work. So far she's had zero issues. She's not a car person and doesn't have a clue; even had to convince her to buy a trickle charger in the winter.
^ my friends warranty is expiring at the end of this month. Porsche wants 6k, and I didn't ask her for specifics. What other warranty options are out there? Located in DC metro area.
The problem is really not with the transmission. It is not a bad transmission. The real problem is Porsche doesn't try to repair it. That rather throw an expensive mechatronic unit in it and call it a day rather than doing a proper diagnosis. Sometimes it is only one $50.00 solenoid needing replacement. And if that doesn't work for some reason then they just want to replace the entire transmission and that is very expensive. To make matters worse Porsche will not sell repair parts for it to anyone other than the dealership. Dual clutch transmissions are fairly complex making the likeyhood of it malfunctioning down the line higher and the number of people willing to do the work to repair them is small. All in all...never own a Macan that doesn't have warrenty coverage.
Correct. Except, I disagree about owning one out of warranty. There are plenty of shops that specialize in mechatronic transmissions and fixing them is usually reasonably cheap. But more importantly, just drive it in sport or sport+ whenever in traffic to avoid unnecessary heat buildup.
I've heard/read that heat is the real killer of the PDK. Seen pictures of melted circuit boards and heard of heat related sensor failures. I read somewhere where someone advised running in Sport mode because it kept front dampers open and allowed more air flow. On a recent 8 hr highway drive I noticed that my oil temp was running 219 degrees F. Just as a test, I put the car in Sport mode. Within minutes the temp dropped to 198 degrees F. Wow. I realize that's not the transmission temp, but it certainly indicates more air flow in and around the engine and the transmission. I drove a hundred miles or so and turned Sport mode off. Oil temps again climbed into the 214 to 219 range. Sport mode back on and they dropped again to 198 or so. Based on this, I've taken to driving almost 100% of the time in Sport mode. Cooler just seems intuitively better to me.
The primary reason to drive in sport or sport+ is to avoid frequent shifting. Frequent shifting is what generates heat, which subsequently deteriorates the transmission oil prematurely and if not serviced on schedule or before (assuming frequent stop-and-go traffic), it can cause failures. The transmission is solid. Just wish this was common knowledge. Porsche programmed the PDK for fuel efficiency so they won't tell us to drive it in a mode that encourages higher fuel consumption.
@Cactus and @TRINITONY I don't know if you remember me from the 993 forum between 2005 and 2009 but I remember you both. As a fellow porschephile and DIYer, I recommend you take another look. The Macan is solid. I bought mine with 6 months left on the warranty and I opted out of extending it. The problem is not so much the car but how Porsche chooses to fix things when they go wrong, as they do with virtually every car. Porsche will tell you the PDK needs to be replaced at a cost of $20k when it can be fixed for $1,500. They'll quote $10k to fix the timing case cover leak requiring engine out when it can be fixed for under $1k without taking the engine out. But mostly, these issues are blown out of proportion on the internet. Look at the poll results. 6% of people have had PDK issues.
Correct. Except, I disagree about owning one out of warranty. There are plenty of shops that specialize in mechatronic transmissions and fixing them is usually reasonably cheap. But more importantly, just drive it in sport or sport+ whenever in traffic to avoid unnecessary heat buildup.
Originally Posted by Avid Fan
The primary reason to drive in sport or sport+ is to avoid frequent shifting. Frequent shifting is what generates heat, which subsequently deteriorates the transmission oil prematurely and if not serviced on schedule or before (assuming frequent stop-and-go traffic), it can cause failures. The transmission is solid. Just wish this was common knowledge. Porsche programmed the PDK for fuel efficiency so they won't tell us to drive it in a mode that encourages higher fuel consumption.
This may not be the case at all for Porsche, but I'll mention it as food for thought (and maybe somebody more knowledgeable than me can chime in and clarify whether it is relevant for PDK). On the Maserati Cambriocorsa Coupe, the default shifting (in non sport mode) eased the clutch out more slowly every shift to make the shifts smoother, so it would heat up and wear the clutch slightly every time it shifted. Running the Maserati in auto shifting, without sport mode could cause the clutch to wear out, sometimes in as little 8k to 10k miles. We always ran in sport mode and paddle shifted to avoid that wear.
I'm not sure if anything like that applies to PDK. On the Maserati, you could feel a much smoother shifts in non-sport mode. I haven't really noticed a big difference in shifting smoothness on the Macan PDK in sport versus regular, so maybe it doesn't apply.
This may not be the case at all for Porsche, but I'll mention it as food for thought (and maybe somebody more knowledgeable than me can chime in and clarify whether it is relevant for PDK). On the Maserati Cambriocorsa Coupe, the default shifting (in non sport mode) eased the clutch out more slowly every shift to make the shifts smoother, so it would heat up and wear the clutch slightly every time it shifted. Running the Maserati in auto shifting, without sport mode could cause the clutch to wear out, sometimes in as little 8k to 10k miles. We always ran in sport mode and paddle shifted to avoid that wear.
I'm not sure if anything like that applies to PDK. On the Maserati, you could feel a much smoother shifts in non-sport mode. I haven't really noticed a big difference in shifting smoothness on the Macan PDK in sport versus regular, so maybe it doesn't apply.
Funny you Mention Maserati. I took delivery of the third 2005 GranSport delivered in all of Canada. The clutch in the F1 transmission went at 3k km. I had to fight to get them to fix it under warranty. Brutal.
I can't speak to your points but what I shared is what an indie mechanotronics specialist told me.
Funny you Mention Maserati. I took delivery of the third 2005 GranSport delivered in all of Canada. The clutch in the F1 transmission went at 3k km. I had to fight to get them to fix it under warranty. Brutal.
I can't speak to your points but what I shared is what an indie mechanotronics specialist told me.
Did you have to back out of anywhere uphill? That's supposed to be the kiss of death for the Maserati F1 clutch. The clutch replacement on those is extremely pricey also -- something $6k to $7k in early 2000's dollars. Then there's the $3500 dealer charge for F1 relay replacement...
Did you have to back out of anywhere uphill? That's supposed to be the kiss of death for the Maserati F1 clutch. The clutch replacement on those is extremely pricey also -- something $6k to $7k in early 2000's dollars. Then there's the $3500 dealer charge for F1 relay replacement...
It's so long ago I can't remember. I only remember that I kept the car for 9 months. Not my thing. And yes, they quoted $10k Canadian which is in the range you suggested. Luckily they did end up repairing under warranty.
@Cactus and @TRINITONY I don't know if you remember me from the 993 forum between 2005 and 2009 but I remember you both. As a fellow porschephile and DIYer, I recommend you take another look. The Macan is solid. I bought mine with 6 months left on the warranty and I opted out of extending it. The problem is not so much the car but how Porsche chooses to fix things when they go wrong, as they do with virtually every car. Porsche will tell you the PDK needs to be replaced at a cost of $20k when it can be fixed for $1,500. They'll quote $10k to fix the timing case cover leak requiring engine out when it can be fixed for under $1k without taking the engine out. But mostly, these issues are blown out of proportion on the internet. Look at the poll results. 6% of people have had PDK issues.
Yes sir, I do remember you. Hope all is well with ya! The thing though, is I'm now 17 years older and the less I've to swing a wrench, the better. Right now I'm having a hate relationship with Mini S Transmission.
Yes sir, I do remember you. Hope all is well with ya! The thing though, is I'm now 17 years older and the less I've to swing a wrench, the better. Right now I'm having a hate relationship with Mini S Transmission.
Thanks for sharing !
No complaints, except for no longer owning a 993.
I'm in the same boat. Point is, provided you know your stuff, indies can service these cars at reasonable rates when the need arises.
^ my friends warranty is expiring at the end of this month. Porsche wants 6k, and I didn't ask her for specifics. What other warranty options are out there? Located in DC metro area.
Thanks!
She got another quote this morning for $8k, includes a loaner, fob, tires etc..lol. Told her forget that and to look into Fidelity. Car only has 30k miles, and with the way she drives I'd be tempted to not get one.
^ my friends warranty is expiring at the end of this month. Porsche wants 6k, and I didn't ask her for specifics. What other warranty options are out there? Located in DC metro area.
Thanks!
Hey @TRINITONY , you can pass along my information to your friend to get her set up with a Fidelity warranty that will cover any PDK issues.
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09-16-2022, 02:53 PM
The thing though, is I'm now 17 years older and the less I've to swing a wrench, the better.
Right now I'm having a hate relationship with Mini S Transmission. 