wrinkledpants

...Do this and you'll have Porsche-spec'ed tires that were manufactured specifically in collaboration between Porsche engineers and the tire manufacturer engineers with your vehicle in mind. 

Uh no.  None of the tires that carry the N1 or N0 rating were made any differently for Porsche.  Porsche has a basic set of requirements for the tire, and when tire companies submit a tire for testing (at the expense of the tire company), Porsche will verify it meets those requirements and will then charge the tire company for licensing rights to carry the N0 or N1 rating.  It's the same exact process for oils.  This is purely a marketing and customer experience driven program.  If a tire company doesn't submit a tire for testing, it's not going to have the opportunity to carry the approval.  Since Porsche is a low-volume car company compared to the other german cars (BMW, Audi, VW), there isn't a whole lot of incentive for tire companies to pay the large testing costs and licensing fees.  I mean, the Dunlop Wintersport 3D carries the N0 rating, but it's nowhere near the best snow tire.  I've run that tire a fair amount, along with several others.  It's a good tire, for sure, but not the best.  Once you get a few companies that have ponied up for the Porsche rating, most other companies won't bother because they can't make the financials work to pay the licensing fees when there is so little volume, plus a bit of competition.  

Sometimes I have to snicker at the way some Cayenne owners treat their cars - as if they're a super bespoke Porsche like the air-cooled cars, or a GT3.  It's a car that Porsche had to build on a budget, and it's half VW.  It's the least "Porsche" car of any Porsche that's ever been made.  It's a great car, and I love my CTT to death, but I'm under no illusion that this is some tight tolerance track machine that requires very specific TLC.  It's a go anywhere, anytime, SUV that is reliable.  You don't get those 3 things by making a car with incredibly specific maintenance practices.  

Run whatever tire you want if you're budget minded.  I'd rather see someone run new cheap tires, than continue driving on old tires because they can't drop 1200 bucks on a new set of N1 tires.  Sure - we're all thinking "why are you driving a Cayenne if you can't afford a good set of tires," but I'm not going to be one to judge.  You get what you paid for, but I just wanted to point out that none of the N1 or N0 tires are *actually* made for Porsche.  Sure, some cars do have specially made tires, but that's when there simply isn't a tire on the market that can handle the performance requirements.  There isn't anything special about the handling requirements of a Porsche Cayenne, and plenty of tires on the market are able to meet those requirements.  Hence - no reason to build a special tire.  If Porsche didn't care about price, they would have built the Cayenne 100% on their own. 

Agreed.  If that's the driver side, that could be engine oil leaking out of the charge pipe going into the intercooler.  It's a cheap or-ring to fix it.  Most common brake booster issues stem from the hoses up near the washer reservoir.  Could be a cracked hose, or a cracked check valve.  

The struts can loose the charge over time, especially when not used.  So, it's not entirely out of the question that they are bad again.  Check out the strut holding up your hood - it's the same connection.  If they became disconnected in the roof - my guess is you'd definitely hear them bouncing around.  They're heavy, and there is plenty of metal in that area to bag against.  They're not easy to get off, and it's pretty easy to tell when you get them on all the way.  So, anyone that knows that "thunk" when they slip into place will know if they've put them on all the way when installing.  

My guess - they're shot.  It's not a hard DIY if you don't want to pay someone.  Pop those side panels off, take a few screws out, jam a screwdriver in there and pop them out.  Literally - that's it.  I feel like I could do a set in 30 minutes.  

Both ends have a cavity that the ball on the hatch fits into.  Same for the body.  My hatch would stay up with one brand new strut, and the other one removed.  Does it not stay up on it's own?  It should be able to open, apply some force to get the hatch moving, and then it should raise itself up on it's own.  

I compiled a list of the VW part numbers for all 10 motors that are on the front.  Behind the dash, the HVAC system is the exact same as a Touareg and Q7.  I take no responsibility for the accuracy of this info. The reference numbers are to the Porsche parts catalog, the prices are from ECS Tuning (cheapest place I've found the parts at).  I think this covers the 2-zone and 4-zone, but am not sure on that.  From what I can tell, the whole dash needs to come out to get at all of them.  I don't have a problem taking off the lower pads and pulling the stereo, but if the upper dash needs to come out, I might think twice about doing this myself.  

Also - does anyone know why these fail?  Are they physically binding up somehow, or is it just the circuit boards that somehow go bad?  If they are physically binding up (which it sounds like they're doing), is there some type of lube we can put on them to keep that from happening?  It's $750 to replace all of them, $665 if you subtract the fresh air flap (which is really easy to replace).  That price sucks, but it's the labor to get back there that sucks even worse.  And, to do that multiple times to keep fixing these if you happen to just replace them as they fail will start to add up.  Would like to just go in and replace all of them if I could.  There are an additional 8 more in the back if you have 4-zone, but I'm pretty sure those are a lot easier to get at.

Format:

VW Part number, flap description, Porsche Reference Position Number, ECS Price

7L0-907-511-AB front, defroster vent flap (1) $69

So, is it just the lower dash panels that need to be removed, along with possibly the stereo?  Or, does the entire dash need to come out?  I'm really considering just replacing all of them.  I've got 4-zone, and I know the distribution valve in the back is acting up, too.  Won't be cheap, but it's honestly the last issue area on my CTT.  

Check the coolant reservoir bottom for leaks on the seems.  Check the water pump for leaks.  And, get under the car and try to locate the coolant T fittings on the back of the motor.  You'll likely need a flashlight and mirror to check some of this stuff.  Aside from that, I'd take it in to have the system actually pressure tested.  My metal coolant tubes are leaking again, likely from install error.  So, it's not impossible for that to happen.

Does the exhaust smell sweet at all?  

Is there a reason these fail like they do?  Has anyone ever grabbed the flaps to see if they are binding in anyway when they are replacing the motors?  I get all sorts of interesting pops from behind the dash.  I'd really like to go in and just replace all the **** motors and be done with it, but I haven't seen a writeup on how to do it.  I know the fresh air flap is easy to get to, but no sure how much of the dash needs to come apart to get at the rest of them. 

How fast were you going at the impact?  Is that totaled?

Hi hahnmgh63,

 

Thanks for the advice.. Yes, I've been under there several times to replace the cabin filter...

 

Just starting to hear a really strange noise when starting up the car after sitting for a while and putting on the A/C

 

I pull the filter and inspect,  if no leaves fall out assume blower motor?

 

Should I proactively replace if the blower motor is the cause (even though system still working) or wait till it goes DOA?

 

On a side note... I'm not getting much air flow though the top vent on the top of dashboard ( the big oval shaped black grate) not sure if that is related to blower motor

It's probably leaves or it's a squeaky bearing on the blower motor.  Pull the filter and check around in there with a light and mirror to make sure you don't have any leaves stuck somewhere.  It's possible to get some leaves sucked in and stuck up against the filter as that *is* what's it's for.

Not much air is supposed to come out of the center grate.  That thing is called indirect air and it shouldn't be putting out much air.  You should be able to put your hand on it and it should feel warm, but that's about it (or cold if the AC is on).

Can you test them with durametric?

It's not a complicated procedure.  Any indy german shop should be able to do it.  Or, doing it yourself only requires that you have a hose that can get up into the fill hole (any hose works and using a metal coat hanger inside to keep it bent at 90 degrees is easy to rig up).  All you really need is the tranny fluid temp, and that can be done with getting an IR thermometer from any auto parts store.  They're pretty cheap.  Point it at the tranny oil pan, and top it up at the required temp.  It's not rocket science or brain surgery.  Don't let some of the odd details intimidate you.  

I'll be changing my water pump this winter.  04 with about 110K miles on it.  Doing it preventatively as I have to fix a leaking metal coolant pipe leak.  Doing a bunch of other smaller coolant parts so that I can cover about everything.  I'll post up the condition compared to the new one.  

 

That would be it! 

 

It's so **** dorky, but I just love reading this stuff.  Just in the quick browse of the engine booklet, I now get why my coolant fluctuates between high noon and just past noon when I have the HVAC system completely shut off - even in relatively cool ambient temps.  I would be idling in 60 degree weather with the HVAC system totally shut off and watch the coolant slowly rise, fans kick on, coolant goes down, fans shut off, rinse and repeat.  But, everything was rock steady with the AC on.  Searching the issue revealed plenty of posts stating "it's normal," and "it's not normal."    Well, now I know it's designed to work that way.  Most cars smooth out the engine coolant temp to prevent the unsuspecting driver from freaking out, but I'm glad to see Porsche didn't do that.  

 

I also had no idea the alternator was liquid cooled.  This site rocks!

 

 

I've been struggling with this issue myself.  My Cayenne was ALWAYS steady at 180, but it has recently fluctuated between 180 and about 220.  I have talked with the dealer and they have explained the same as the above quote, that it is normal and in spec.  That doesn't explain the change in my personal experience and from owner to owner on here.  I have been thinking of replacing my thermostat, thinking that perhaps it is working but not perfectly.  The dealer has talked me out of it thus far, but I'd prefer to have my car go back to the steady 180.

 

I think most users that report steady 180 degrees have the HVAC on in one form or another.  That seemed to be something omitted from a lot of the "I have 180 degree temps at all times and I live in Texas" posts.  Are you saying you have 180 degrees with and without the AC on?  The thermostat *starts* to open at 180, but isn't actually fully open until 220 degrees.  The other cayennes I've been in operate the exact same way.  The fans are also speed dependent, so it's entirely possible to have steady temps in stopped traffic, but climbing temps in say 45 mph.  They never reach anything over 220 degrees, though.  I see this quite a bit in the mountains when I'm lugging up a pass.  I think it would be abnormal to see steady 180 degrees with the HVAC system totally off as that means the thermostat is stuck wide open.  

Crap!  I just sold my vagcom, too.

Are you able to use for codes, or anything else?  

I would take the time and do the two coolant T's on the back of the motor, coolant temp sensors, reservoir and cap, and the thermostat.  That would cover everything and should get you to 200K miles without issue.  The parts are all relatively cheap - about 450 bucks for all of it.  I call that relatively cheap to know that I shouldn't need to touch the coolant system for a good long while.  

Coolant Sensor

$18

Water Pump

$170

Water Pump Gasket

$5

Coolant Reservoir

$80

Res Cap

$11

Thermostat

$53

Thermo Gasket

$5

Thermo Rubber Seal

5

2 T-hoses

$50

Intake Gasket

$50

I've never had an HID actually fail to ignite.  They always end up with reduced lighting output and that haze you're talking about.  I seem to get about 2-3 years or 20-30K out of my HID bulbs, and that spans various cars.  

I used their speaker, too.  Plug and play, and got my sound back.  Friend of mine ordered one, as well.  Way better than the other options out there.  Highly recommend.  

I think the bigger fan is an all-in-one type of unit where the controller is built into the fan. The smaller fan has an external controller (right next to it), but I'm pretty sure it's not a separate part that you can buy.

In my experience, the controllers don't often fail unless the fan has failed. When the fan starts to go bad, it can burn out the controller in the process. But, some cars have controllers that sense this, and they shut down the fan before that happens. I'm not sure how it works on the cayenne if it has the ability to do that, but it doesn't really matter since the controller comes with the fan. On some cars, the controller is a separate part that can be purchased on its own.

My guess is the fan needs to be replaced as they do go bad over time. Grab a blade of the bad fan, and wiggle it around. It shouldn't have any play in the bearing. If it does, it's probably bad. I can't really see any other parts that would cause it to go bad since the fans get their commands right from the ECU. The only other thing I could think of would be a chaffed wire somewhere in the harness. But, that seems like a distant possibility compared to the theory that the fan simply failed. Since the fan and controller are one part, it does make solving this problem a lot easier :)

Yes, they should both be spinning when you turn the AC on. You probably have a bad fan as they do fail.

Was the AC on?

"The air quality sensor monitors ambient air pollution and sends a signal to the Climate Control Unit. The control unit will command the recirculation flap to close if the concen- tration of pollution is excessive.

Find a towing package in a junk yard. It's just the tow hitch itself and the module that's mounted near the gas door behind the carpet. VW sells the kit for 750 online, but I'm not sure if the module is plug and play.

Otherwise, you could go almost anywhere and get a hitch put on. I don't know of anyone that has done it, but I've seen local CL ads for just that service (Touareg, Q7, and Cayenne).

Just calculated a trip from Denver to Buena Vista. For those flat landers out there, that drive has a lot of mountain climbs. Filled up before I left, and when I got back. Driving mostly 65-70 mph (65 mph speed limit), WOT during occasional passing, but otherwise standard driving habits - I got 18.9 mpg. I bet I could have gotten over 19 doing the speed limit. I guess I can see getting over 20 if you live where it's flat and only did 55 or 60 mph, but I think 19 is the best I can expect out in the mountains.

Is that hand calculated? You driving a CTT or is it a V6? That's amazing.