Having an issue, wondered if anyone has experience something similar...

First, a bit of background: This is a 2011 C4S with PDK and about 6,000 miles on it. No prior issues. About a month ago, some a-hole rear-ended me and pushed me into the car in front of me. Luckily, no serious damage, just both bumpers and the safety parts underneath, etc. And the muffler was crushed. So, they replace the exhaust and all of the necessary parts, looks perfect.
The body guy took it out on a drive and the car went crazy with warnings, so they take it to Porsche. The dealer looks, says the codes are related to the accident and the need to replace the seat belts. Everything else is fine. Replaced the seatbels and fixed all the codes.

So, today I pick it up and am loving life.
Then, about 10 miles into my drive, the check engine light comes on. It had put out smoke a few times, but I figured this was due to it sitting for a month.
Shortly after the light comes on, it starts running like a dog and will barely move. So, I take it back to Porsche. They wouldn't look at it right away, so it sat for an hour or so.
When they did look at it, no more check engine light but he said a code indicated that cylinder 1 was not firing correctly. They thought maybe some condensation had built up in the gas tank during the month it sat.
Service guy takes it out, drives for 5-6 miles without a problem. Decides to take it on a second test drive, gets about 2 more miles down the road and it suddenly throws the light and dies. Wouldn't restart, had to be towed back to the dealership. When they got it back, it was close to 5:00pm, so they just left and didn't check to see what the codes were, etc.
(Also of note, the inside of passenger side tailpipes were coated in a light-colored bluish-gray soot of some sort - don't know if this means anything).

So basically, just wondering if this rings a bell for anyone. After a month of doing without my new car I am about to go NUTS, lol.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Sorry to hear about your problems. But I don't think sitting in the garage for a month would cause any of the problems that you are experiencing. If the accident crushed you exhaust system. Then the impact should be hard enough to cause further unknown damage to the electronics or control unit of the car.
I know your car is under warranty but if I were you, I would go after the insurance company responsible. They should restore your car to it's original state pre accident. If your car is not the same, that should be their problem not yours. Maybe you can ask them to write it off. Push for it hard enough and eventually they will give in.

 

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'm pissed. The guy who hit me just wasn't looking at the road AT ALL... saw him coming, couldn't get out of the way due to traffic all around me and tried to get his attention to no avail.

I am running all of this through the insurance company. Have decided to retain a lawyer as well, so that if this continues to be a problem I don't end up stuck with a $110k POS that the insurance company just says "oh well" about.

 

Somewhere on this forum I recall readinga post where a guy test drove a used car and a warning light went on due to some type of front bumper repair . He bought the car .. but guess what .. haven't read any recent posts ... (found the thread) https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...nt-bumper.html

My opinion -- The collision + repair/insurance/legal hurdles + the inconvenience = NOT fun. A car like this is supposed to be an enjoyable thing . Every day that you spend trying to resolves this erodes the experience and on top of that the car is depreciating.

Conclusion -- This is what a rainy day fund is for . The only way to turn this negative into a positive is with a new car . In my opinion .. cutting the loss right here makes the most sense .

 

Yeah, I see your point, but I've only had it for 4 months (purchased new of course) and as this is the first problem I've ever had, I'm willing to give it some more time.

When I said exhaust was crushed, what I mean was the muffler right under the bumper. Exhaust was replaced.

Not convinced the car has all sorts of unknown damage, but definitely worried and will move forward cautiously.

 

Sorry to hear about your luck, but glad to hear you are OK. While we love our cars, they are replaceable of course.

I agree the car sitting is not the cause of any of this. I had a broken leg and arm a few years ago and had my Audi sit for 3+ months and she started up like a champ. I realize you're anxious to have her up and going again, but I think patience will be a virtue here. Hopefully this will end up being nothing once they investigate it. Keep us in the loop if you would.

 

I'm sorry to hear this but all indications are that these issues were caused by the accident. Rear-ending accidents can cause a lot of hidden damage.

 

Was at dealership yesterday for tech check prior to PCA DE this weekend. They had a new Panamera with 500 miles on the clock, up on a lift with the engine and tranny on a stand, and the drivetrain and exhaust system all on the ground. The service manager told me it had been fine, but a thin spot in a cylinder wall (a manufacturing defect) had blown out. The initial symptom had been oil leakage, and they'd done several repairs of what turned out to be wrong things before they finally figured it out. Said he'd never seen anything like it before. You may be in for a similarly complex diagnostic situation trying to distinguish between hidden damage due to the accident (which does not sound minor) and some other problem.

 

Update: Talked with mechanic today, looks like the catalytic core (honeycomb structure) in the catalytic converter was knocked sideways in the accident. Thus, completely blocking the right exhaust and cause huge amounts of back pressure in the the right cylinders. Going to swap both converters just in case. Looks to be a pretty quick job other than waiting for parts of course. Think this is good news, as it is nothing major and shouldn't effect the engine long-term. Someone at the dealership should be slapped around however for not doing their due diligence and fully inspecting this problem while the exhaust system was removed the first time. Mechanics much like doctors never have any good news.

 

I'd use this failure on the dealers part to make them go through with the fine tooth comb that they should have used in the first place. I hope your lawyer can get you some diminished value back on your car. Having a 911 with a rear end accident will probably hurt you at resale.