A few weeks ago when I was doing the body kit, I decided to check if I had plastic or metal coolant pipes. It looked like I had plastic so I decided to leave the car for a while until I get the metal upgraded ones.

Last week I got a project for school on sound waves and such, so I decided to use the car as part of the project. I recorded quite a few hard accelerations, rolling start and 0-60. I was afraid the hard accelerations would have caused my pipes to burst but they're still running strong, even after a trip to Boston over the weekend.

My question is this, did all 955 Cayennes have the coolant issue? And do hard accelerations put more strain on the pipes and cause them to burst?

 

I will also try and get a picture of the pipes for you guys to see. Maybe I do have metal and they are just dirty

 

Yes, all 955 V8s had the plastic pipes from the factory. I think the only thing that may contribute more to their failure would be heating/cooling cycles and system pressure. Cooling system pressure is regulated by the coolant cap (as long as it's working), so I think accelerating hard would probably have little effect beyond just normal driving at operating temperature.

 

Sad to say they all did and it was a matter of time before they go bad. The best thing about owning a 955 is having a previous owner take care of that issue. I bought mine based on a hope and prayer that mine were redone. Only to later find out with a bore scope that my prayers were answered. Good luck you and your coolant pipes. The only coolant issue I have had to worry about is exploding my coolant expansion tank. It was an easy fix but still a hassle.

 

A faulty coolant cap is what causes the pressure to rise in the system, and eventually lead to rupture in the pipes. Wouldn't making sure the cap is working or replacing with a new one prevent the pressure increase and catastrophe all together?

 

They will still break at stock pressure levels once age and heat take their toll on the plastic.

 

My coolant pipes let go on I-81 when I stomped on it to pass a car- on a Friday afternoon 250 miles from home and 250 miles from my destination with 3 passengers. It wasn't a Happy Easter weekend.

 

If you overheat your engine and cause damage your going to wish you had replaced the coolant pipes. I promise. Once your coolant is lost your engine temp will go up before it go's down. Without coolant flowing over the sensor the temp gauge is going to lie to you.