care4era

My driver's side door on my Panamera turbo will not open from the outside handle. The sensor seems to be working but the only way I can gain access is through another door and pull the latch on the inside.

Any ideas what this could be?

gtr

You should just call the dealer. I hate how everything is electric and not mechanical. I hope if the car ever short or catches fire we will still be able to open the doors.

turbodogs02

It's some sort of sensor for the locking mechanism I believe. Had a similar issue with a Cayenne S a couple years ago. Started out as an intermittent, and then outright failure. Same descriptor as you...couldn't open/unlock the door from the outside, only by reaching in and undoing it from the inside.

Xcellr8

I too have experienced the same problem. And I too was told by the dealer that it was probably a sensor. However, since the fob unlock would not open the door, I concluded the problem was not a touch sensor, but rather the lock actuator itself. The factory replacement part is arriving late today. The door is apart so it won't take long to install the part and report out.

FYI taking the door panel apart is not difficult, but is different from earlier cars. In the past, the door is only two parts, the outside skin and the interior door card. The Panamera is a three part door. Removing the interior door panel is basically as in the past with a few plastic pieces that hide 4 torx screws. There is a YouTube video on it, but beware. The guy in the video was trying to show how fast he could do it. Take your time. The long plastic panel that surrounds the door handle has a hook on the pillar end that should be unhooked by sliding it toward the pillar. Also, LIFT the panel, do NOT just pull it out as it appears they did in the video. Then disconnect the interior door handle and unplug electrical connections.

Note: Removing that card will only allow access to the window and mirror switches and the speaker. If you need to access the lock actuator, window regulator, or exterior handle, you will also have to remove the middle section of the door. And be ready to support it, because it is HEAVY as it includes the weight of the window and window frame.

The lock actuator is built into the door latch assembly and there are a few different part numbers depending upon the options on your car. I have noted some assemblies have nine pin electrical connectors, while others have six pins. Probably depends if your car has the touch entry feature. The part number on the nine pin assembly (from my car) is 8J1.837.015.B, it has been superseded by part number 9A7.837.215.02 which is the part I will install.

Hoping the lock actuator will solve the problem, report back to you soon.

Xcellr8

Good news. The new door latch assembly (which contains the lock actuator) did fix the problem.

A couple of observations -
First, I never tried the key. In fact, I didn't even know there was a key in the fob, untill I needed to replace the battery in the fob. So, someone should try using the key to open the door instead of reaching around from another door to open the driver door from the inside.
Second, the power window motor is accessible with just the door panel (card) removed. I indicated it was not.
Third, the 4 T45 bolts that need to be removed to separate the middle section of the door are not all the same. Though all four are the same length, two of the bolts have a shoulder, the other two do not. Pay attention when you take them out so that you know which ones go where. I did not. Just guessing that the bolts with the shoulder were the top two. If someone else fixes their lock please reply to the thread with the correct location.

All is good now.

clorigo

FadaJ

Xcellr8, I was able to get the door panel off on my 11 Panamera 4, but it look as it there is a sub panel riveted to the door and wanted to know if they were just pop out rivets or metal machine rivets?

smithsor

Xcellr8
Did you disconnect the battery or power cables going to the door before swapping the actuator?

JanBecker

Hi everyone,
I just had the same problem but here is what I did:
I opened the door with the emergency key a few times and played around with the remote lock. Locked-unlocked-locked and so on. After a while, the issue was gone and I could enter the car like before. I have a 2011 Panamera 4s

rgfinnegan

For a week or so, my 2011 PTT would not unlock via door or fob button. Just before ordering a new actuator, my wife suggested I try the fob-key (because she did not want to lean over and open the driver door from the inside, again). After unlocking the door with the key, the problem no longer exists! Its been 3 days and all is good still.

rgfinnegan

Today I learned that if I open the hatchback when the car is locked, the drivers door will not unlock; forcing me to use the metal key in the fob to open the door. Once the drivers door has been "reset" by manually unlocking it with the metal key, the drivers door always unlocks just fine, until the next time the hatchback is opened when the car is locked or the hatchback is closed with the "close and alarm" button.

UGH! Looks like I may have to replace the drivers door actuator afterall .

Pcarguy73

Had the same problem for about a month intermittently. Can't say for sure but like someone else stated, after using the key in the lock several times and then deliberately locking and locking about 30 times without removing the key, the problem solved itself. Can also say with a degree of certainty that there is a correlation between battery power and the lock failure.

On a related note, I was also suffering from failure of the passenger side view reverse mirror tilt. After, 'fixing' the lock situation, I used the same strategy on the mirror, using the controls to adjust the mirror up and down several times... and it's working again.

Only thing I can think is that at 11 years old, the 'ol joints aren't as limber as they used to be. That coupled with low battery juice can cause the mechanisms to freeze.

rgfinnegan

Pcarguy73: I tend to agree with you. Even after replacing the drivers door actuator I find that I can not use the door handle buttons on the drivers side, when turning off the car, getting out, shutting the door and trying to use the button(s) to alarm and lock the car. BUT if I wait a while (not exactly sure how long yet) the buttons work fine. ?? Also, I notice the car unlocks only after the first pull on the handle where it use to work the split second my hand touched the handle. Not a big deal I suppose, just something I notice. It's getting old but I really love this car! 107K miles.

dougpan4

Actuator is more likely. I have same problem. I just bought actuator saturday from Fremont Porsche, they matched the price from Internet, Right Rear Passenger, 2016 pan4. Surprisingly, they have it in stock. So it is common issue for Porshe.

Epcot1988

For starters, there are some good videos on YouTube on how to open up the door to get to the locking mechanism.

Then for the lock, it turns out that most all European cars use the same motor to actuate the lock system. These little motors are available on eBay for around $3. Once you have the locking mechanism removed you can open it up and replace the motor. It's just a mater of pulling the little gear off the end of the motor and putting it on the new one. No wiring involved as the motors electrical connection are made by two posts that slide into the motor when installed. Being that the motor doesn't move all that much, it kind of burns in to one spot and tends to stop working. When I pulled the motor out and hooked it up to a power supply and let it run in one direction for awhile, it started working just fine. At first it needed some help to start spinning, but after a couple of start assists, it worked fine. Never the less, the new motors are cheap and easy enough to replace once you have the locking mechanism out. This will happen with all the doors eventualy.