chancecasey

Hello!

I am about to pull the trigger on a used 2020 Turbo that has 8 months / 14K miles factory warranty left (not from a p-car deal and not a CPO).

I test drove it a couple weeks ago - and now have it for a 24-hour test drive to see how these "turbo seats" feel more long term - but noticed the main screen was blank (even though the radio was working).

I found the PCM fuse, removed and reinserted it to reboot the system (I could not find a way to reboot with just the buttons on a 2020 model) and voila! It now works.

The thing is, I'm pretty sure the thing was working 2 weeks ago. So. Am I going to have to remove and re-insert this stupid fuse every 2 weeks???

Should I just walk away from this car? Do some of these have PCM problems and some don't? The salesperson claimed it was working fine when he fuelled up the car today...

trickydisco71

To reboot pcm 5 you hold two fingers in the upper right corner of the screen. From there an engineering mode screen pops up where you can reboot

MJBird993

The problem with these screens and the OE infotainment systems is that there aren't many (any?) aftermarket alternatives that I'm aware of. So you have to either go to a dismantler and get a used part (assuming that you know what part to get) or pony up the big bucks at the dealer.

I would suggest that you call the dealer and get a quote for a replacement, see what the typical cause (if there is one) is - is it the computer or the screen itself - and then use that for negotiation if you decide to move forward.

I've never had issues with these on Porsches, but I have with BMW and although it was a warranty repair, it took escalation to BMW corporate to get it approved, which made me think that it was very expensive.

mark8

I would have a dealer assess the issue before you pull the trigger... I have a 2020 Turbo and mine certainly does not have any PCM issues. Could be a PCM software update needed?

BMinSFL

You may as well have the dealer take a look, they will probably say there is no issue. I wouldn't call it a deal-killer if its your only purchase option but I would also be apprehensive if this happened on a test-drive. Mine has needed a reboot twice in the past year and a half. So has the system on my Lexus, my phone, my computer and my TV. These things just happen with software running a lot of tasks.

Should you need a new one, the used ones on ebay are very reasonably priced, only about $900 - $1,500. I'm sure there are plenty more you can look up at car-part.com to see your exposure on this once you are out of warranty.

chancecasey

Thanks for all the input! My independent p-car mechanic said it's in great shape overall and "he would buy it". It DOES have 8 months / 14K miles left on the factory warranty so if I have to reboot it again anytime soon I guess I can just run it over to dealer who is like 2 miles from my house. I am buying it from a BMW dealer so no CPO unfortunately. Other than this reboot thing it's a peach for the mileage/age.

mark8

Nice, yeah a bit of factory warranty left should give plenty of time to sort it out.

One other option is to convince your local Porsche Dealer to CPO it immediately after purchase (They might even be able to purchase it wholesale). It honestly probably won't pencil out to go this route, but it's an option.

Side note... why on earth would they trade a Macan for a BMW kidding of course. If I had a better BMW dealer locally I would consider a BMW alongside the Macan.

MJBird993

It sounds like you are moving forward with this, so congratulations! I'll suggest that after you buy it, you take it to the Porsche dealer at least once before the warranty runs out so that you can document the issue and anything else that comes up. That way, should it fail after the warranty runs out, you might have a chance for some financial help.

Maybe not.

I did that once on a Buick, when I blew up the transmission drag racing it.

chancecasey

Yes I pulled the trigger on it and wife loves it (it's "her" car). I will definitely proactively take it to the dealer if nothing else than to "go on record" with this issue before the warranty is out. Maybe they can upgrade the software or something. My mechanic pointed out the... "whatever" these next-gen brakes are - some kind of hybrid between steel and ceramic? How they were very low dust, long-lasting, still perform well. I have to say, on paper that upgrade alone seems pretty amazing. The rotors look like mirrors - incredible for 36,000 miles - and I don't see a spec of dust anywhere. So far they seem as grabby as the "superdust" German OEM spec old-school pads.

quallzone

Congratulations!!! It sounds like you might have the Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PCSB). Here is an article that describes Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (yellow calipers), Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (white calipers), and Original Porsche Brakes:
https://www.porsche.com/usa/accessor...riginalbrakes/

MJBird993

Thanks to the OP & @tricky for this thread. We were on a road trip this past week, and on the way home the PCM locked up. Thanks to his post above, I knew how to restart it.

If not for that, would have been forced to listen to the same station for 3.5 more hours! Or had to talk to the wife.