claudior

slight oil leak from rear of engine (£1230): Almost certain is the RMS. My car is exactly the same as yours, 2001 S with 37k miles. This is expensive to fix but NOT that expensive. My mechanic (a guy that worked for Porsche many years and decided to open his own shop) charges around US$ 570 in labor to replace the RMS and the clutch at the same time (as you need to get to the exact same spot to work on either one - so if you want to save money, do both at the same time). If it is indeed the RMS and it is leaking just a little you can get by and wait for when you need a clutch. Or just get the clutch (a new kit costs around US$ 400) and do both now at the same time (what could be a good idea as if you wait too much for the clutch you may need a flywheel too). ignition coil cracks (£360) slight clicking from front suspension top mounts (£660) front brake pad and discs worn (£780) : I just purchased everything to do this. Brand new rotors (front/rear), pads (front/rear) and sensors. US$ 540 for everything. Note I could have bought cheaper (but still very decent) pads but they were out of stock. If you add up what you have from your quote (£780 +£690 = £1470), this is WAY too much. An independent mechanic will easily do this in less than two hours. My guy charges US$ 145 for this work. rear discs corroded and worn as well as pads (£690) catalytic heat shields loose and corroded (£136) I am sure the other major one, the suspension top mounts can be done MUCH cheaper as well. I would definitely look for a trusted mechanic with Porsche experience (other members in the UK can point you to one for sure) and if parts are too expensive in the UK, try getting them shipped from the US from a place like Pelican Parts. I am sure you can get all this done for 1/3 of what you were quoted, parts included. CR

Could be a different issue than mine but the symptoms are the same. In my case, every single winter this shows up on the dash. The funny part is it NEVER logs that on the onboard computer. So for several times I complained to the dealer (car bought new, under warranty) and they were NEVER able to find the issue even after replacing the battery. Again, only happened during cold days. They tried to charge me for their time 'diagnosing' and not finding anything on the computer log/car and I told them and Porsche to screw themselves. After I brought pictures of the dash showing the error they never asked me for any payment again (and when they did I simply refused to pay). If there is a problem with the car that the dealer cannot find, it is NOT my problem. I told them to go and discuss the issue with Porsche and leave me alone. It was not about the money. Could be $1 or $100. It is a matter of principle. Porsche and the dealer standing for their product. Simple as that. Most of the time by simply turning the car on and leaving it on for 2-3 minutes then shutting it off and turning it on again, the error would magically disappear from the dashboard. I had several other electrical issues that no one was ever able to fix. They even flew a guy in from Porsche to see the issues. Never fixed. Long story short, car is gone and I got a Boxster. At least no more electrical issues. Now I am just waiting for the day an IMS failure will bite me and Porsche as usual will say there is nothing wrong and you the customer should pay for a new engine. Trust me, Porsche does care about their customers as long as their cars are under warranty. After that nothing is their fault, even if it is a problem that happens due to a proven design flaw (like the 06 Cayennes engine angle that allows water in without a way to get out and toasts your coils - three replaced on mine thanks to this design flaw). German Engineering at best. And I say that as an Engineer with 18+ years of experience. CR

No idea about the ignition coils pricing but I do remember having to replace almost ALL of them on mine (thank Lord, under warranty). On the 2006 V6s (the one I had) there was a design flaw where water accumulates somewhere on the top of the engine (thanks to the angle AND to the fact Porsche never imagined such thing would occur) and your coils get toasted. It could be the same on the V8s. This was only fixed from what I heard on the 2007 models. As soon as my warranty was over (Jan, 2010) got rid of the car. Too many issues (nothing major other than the coils) on a car that I got brand new. So got a Boxster instead. :-) CR

The Cayenne is a freaking nightmare, electronic wise. The main reason why I got rid of my 2006 one, as soon as the warranty was over. The car is NOT made for cold climates, guaranteed. From December to March we have temperatures all the way down to -30/-40oC and the Cayenne was the only car I could not park outside my garage. All other cars would start, no warnings on the dash, nothing. The Cayenne would give me ALL sorts of issues when it was cold. As mentioned, these issues would show up in the dashboard but NEVER on the computer log so the dealer could never find anything wrong and always tried to make me pay for their time trying to 'diagnose' it. Until the day I took PICTURES of the dash and brought to the dealer. Since that day they NEVER even tried to mention the words 'you owe us...'. Great car in several ways and I really loved it and missed it a lot. But as an engineer, I cannot live with bad engineering, especially on the electronics side, what Germans are well known for screwing up. They may be great mechanically but not electronically. If you never had an electrical/electronic issue with your Cayenne, it will come. Guaranteed. CR

Another option, without going through the re-wiring hassle is to get a kit that basically includes HID bulbs, ballast, etc and connects directly on the existing wiring. The bulb is H7 size so it is just a matter of disconnecting the existing halogen bulb and connecting the new HID one. Then you connect the ballast to the wire that was going to the halogen bulb. Easy. Ok you do not get the auto-leveling thing and the HID projector lenses. But is it as bright as the HID and you can do it yourself. :-)

Same here. Got my V6 back in January with a 6-speed manual transmission. For everyday traffic and depending how you drive, the difference between it and the S model is minimal. For the money you save, as CJack mentioned, you can get the V6 and use the leftover as a downpayment for something else or get the V6 loaded with things like PCM, Air suspension, Xenon, etc. I love the V6 and I get it offroad a lot. Great car. Go for it and save your money for something else. :-) Well if money is not a deciding factor, of course go for the Cayenne Turbo S. Hey I love my six. Sure I'd really like a Turbo, maybe even just an S...but I've spread the $$$ out with the purchase of a Boxster too...(Working on the C4 next.) Truthfully though, it's not that bad in the 6- it's a Tipper. Sure I have to downshift to get 'er going, but its really not that bad considering the weight of the beast. Most of the time it's in auto and I get through traffic fine. Now, I had the oppourtunity to REALLY drive the 8 in a demo my dealer was doing for clients. Numerous fast starts, sharp, cornering and hard braking. OK sure there is more pep and it (The S) has that throaty sound, but for the price difference, with options (and depending on your needs) you could still get a great SUV, pretty darn equal to it's big brothers, and have some change left over for a good down payment on another P car. MY simple advice...drive them both and depending on your driving habits/needs and bank account...go from there... Best Regards, CJack