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Hello everyone! I'm a long time member, automotive enthusiast, and have been maintaining and modifying cars since I was 16 years old (I'm 29 now). Lately I've enjoyed documenting all this in a single thread for reference, so that's what I've decided to do with my latest pickup.
Up until very recently I had two BMW's in the driveway -- a 2008 BMW 135i and a 2008 BMW 535i. The 135i is pampered, overly maintained, and has tons of upgrades. The 535i was a daily driver that I put 197,000 miles on over 7 years. As the magical 200k mileage mark approached, my fiance and I began exploring replacement options and it wasn't long before the car was sold and the search started becoming more serious.
She wanted an SUV. I wanted something that was AWD, European, and that I could tinker with. Without breaking the bank, that ruled out practically everything except the 958 Base Cayenne in the 2011-2012 range. Some quick research unearthed that I needed to look out for transfer case issues (that could possibly be solved with a fluid flush) and that was about it. The proven VR6 engine seemed to perform well, last as long as you were willing to maintain it, and could be reliable for years to come even though the warranty was expired. The V8 in the S was intriguing, but I wouldn't be towing anything, valued gas mileage and longevity over performance in the case of an SUV, and already have a vehicle for use when I want to go fast or tear up some backroads, so with that said I'd rather save the extra coin.
It wasn't long before I'd found a 1-owner, clean-looking car a few hours away in the color combo I wanted: Pure White exterior with Luxor Beige interior. 45,000 miles, nearly-new tires, not a scratch on it, and packed with the options I was looking for like heated/ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, rear heated seats, park assist, lane change assist, PCM with Bluetooth/backup camera, and rear power sunshades. I left a deposit on the car sight unseen at an agreed upon price of $33,000 out the door with NC taxes included and began to arrange pickup later that week.
When I arrived to see the car, it was as clean as advertised. It drove well, but after about 10 minutes of driving, the hesitation, vibration, and slipping clutches in the transfer case began acting up. I had been prepared and thanks to some very helpful information on helpful forums by very helpful members, I knew exactly what to look for and where to look for it. When I pulled back in the dealership, I asked the salesman to hop in. As we pulled out onto the main road, I went about half throttle and as soon as we the transmission shifted to 3rd gear, the heavy vibration began, continued through 4th gear and settled down in gears 5-8. There were no other "walnut cracking" sounds while doing figure 8's. Just the hesitation of the clutches in the transfer case slipping. At this point, the car was rather unpleasant to drive in city traffic. Using the Bluetooth system in the car, we called the local Porsche dealership with the salesmen still in the car, and I explained the problem knowing exactly what was causing it. The service technician confirmed my suspicions, and quoted somewhere around $3,000 for a replacement. At that point, I gave the salesman what I'd been setting him up for all along. I offered $30,000 out the door. Chances were they knew the problem was there and were just trying to cover it up, but that's besides the point. I had looked the car up and down, the history checked out, and the owner's manual contained full service history from the Porsche dealership in Georgia where the car was owned for the majority of its life; so I was comfortable purchasing the car -- if they were willing to negotiate. Eventually they caved and I signed papers at $30,000 out the door, so when taxes were taken into account, I gave well under $30,000 for just the car. While the drive home was great on the highway, the slipping transfer case was cause for concern and worried my fiance to no end. Here are some glamour shots of her first night in the driveway.
I couldn't even wait to replace the OEM amber corner lights until I got home. I had already ordered a set of clear corners with chrome coated amber bulbs and had brought them with me. While filling up with gas, I quickly swapped them out using a small screwdriver and a microfiber towel for scratch protection.
Having done all this research a few weeks prior, I had parts ready to go upon the truck's arrival back home. Service records indicated scheduled oil changes at a Porsche dealership, and most recently an oil change and spark plug change at 36,000 miles. While I was happy to see that the plugs had recently been addressed, the 45,000 current odometer reading meant that the current oil had seen 9,000 miles of use. This is a longer interval than I prefer to run, even with modern day synthetic oils.
The very next morning I had her in my garage with the hood up so I could address a list of things I wanted to get to.
While I use traditional jack stands under my E82 coupe, I invested in a set of RhinoRamps for the 958. This was much easier and provided plenty of clearance for the tasks I was about to take on. Disregard my dumbbell method of keeping the ramps in place while pulling up on them.
Here are some of the goodies I had waiting to address some needed maintenance: a full OEM oil change kit complete with new OEM filter, o-ring, drain plug, 7 quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30 ESP Formula, Ravenol transfer fluid, and Redline 75W90 gear oil.
The first order of business was the transfer case. All evidence online suggested that nearly every failing transfer case was almost fully remedied by a fluid flush, so that's exactly I started with. Using the appropriate sized hex key, I removed the upper fill bolt first, then the lower drain bolt. Talk about easy access -- this fluid change could be done without even raising the car and the bolts are staring you right in the face.
At this point a large stream of dark black fluid flooded out into the drain pan. Within a few seconds all the old fluid was in the pan and out of the case. The fluid was dark, showed signs of a small amount of clutch particle, but did not smell significantly toasted. This left me skeptical that this fluid change was actually going to be the solution to my problem and worry set in.
With the old fluid out, I replaced the drain bolt. These have a built in gasket type material on the threads that seal everything as you tighten. These do not need to be overly torqued! Now it was time to insert the new Ravenol fluid. I've done maintenance on a lot of cars, but this little spout on the Ravenol container coupled with the ease of access to the bolts made this one of the most simple things you can do to a vehicle -- a 10 minutes job and not much to screw up. Squeeze in as much as you can until it starts to come out of the fill bolt. The fluid capacity of the transfer case will leave a small amount still in the Ravenol bottle when it starts overflowing. After tightening down the fill bolt, task one was complete.
Next up was replacing the OEM Mahle filter with a K&N drop-in. Although it was clean, I'm not sure when it had last been replaced, so I wanted to have a fresh interval to go forward with.
Next up was the oil change. All of my prior research on the topic had indicated this would not be fun. Not necessarily difficult as most oil changes aren't, but messy and poor placement of the oil filter in relation to other components. A small socket made quick work of the plastic under-shielding and before long I had full access to the oil drain bolt and oil filter housing. Starting with the drain bolt first, this part was relatively mess-free. I didn't grab a picture of the tool I used this time, but here's what I use for removing all drain bolts these days. I can change the oil on my E82 without getting a drop of oil on my hands,
Next up was getting out the old oil filter removed and letting the oil trapped in the housing drain out. This is where things got extremely messy, even with the appropriate tools.
Once the oil filter housing drain bolt was removed, the oil bath began. I knew what to expect so I was not directly underneath, but the functionality of this design was immediately frustrating. After soaking up all the spills, It was then time to go for the filter cap itself. Once this was fully removed, the real problem became evident. With the old oil filter still installed in the cap, there is no way to bring both pieces down through the opening. The only way I found to get both on my workbench was to remove the filter from the cap while still trapped inside the cage of axle and oil pan. Once the filter is removed, the cap can be turned vertically and brought out. The filter can be pulled down without adjustment at this point.
My hands were so oily at this point, I was not willing to grab my camera. Re-installation was the exact same as removal. After the new o-ring was installed on the cap, the two pieces were lifted into the opening near the oil filter housing separately and coupled together once closer to the mounting point. After clicking the filter into place, screwing the assembly into place was easy.
I then replaced the drain bolt with a new one included in the ECS Tuning oil change kit, sprayed everything down with engine degreaser and left everything as clean as it looked prior to me starting the job. At this point it was time to go back up top and pour in the new 5W30.
Oil cap back on and job complete. I then started the car, verified there were no leaks and replaced the plastic shielding. I'm amazed at how clean this car is from front to rear. The underside looks brand new.
Following that messy oil change, I was done with fluid flushes for the day. I would leave the brake fluid flush with Pentosin Super DOT 4 and the front/rear differential gear changes with Redline 75W90 for another day, perhaps my 60,000 maintenance interval.
I was anxious to see if the Ravenol had saved me a bunch of money, but I had a set of OEM brushed pedals I wanted to throw on before I left. The gas pedal went on easily, but the brake pedal took a little coaxing.
I double checked all my work, verified all the drain/fill bolts weren't leaking any fluids, and backed the 958 off the RhinoRamps. Leaving the garage, there is a quarter of a mile straight stretch with a moderate incline the entire way. The last time I drove the car, about 3 hours earlier, the slipping was significant. On the way hill this time I was immediately disappointed to feel 3rd and 4th gear causing the same hesitation sensation as earlier. As I continued driving for a few miles through numerous stoplights, the hesitation had not gotten worse as it usually would. I chalked this up to placebo effect and wishful thinking.
By the time I'd reached my house about 15 minutes later it seemed the condition had improved even further. I asked my fiance to drive the car and even in the passenger seat, I could stlll feel the slippage as could she. At this point I was coming to terms with the fact I made need to find somewhere to perform a transfer case replacement so we could enjoy our new-to-us car. Despite the fact that I'd negotiated a replacement into the original agreed upon price, I had hopes of solving the problems as others had.
The next morning when I ventured out for coffee and breakfast, I decided to drive the Cayenne despite the transfer case knowing I couldn't really cause any additional damage. To my surprise, I didn't feel any type of slippage for the entire 10 minute drive through various conditions. Coming home, nothing. 3rd and 4th gear were silky smooth. This had happened before on my initial test drive, but it had always showed up eventually.
Over the course of the day I drove the Cayenne for hours in a tons of different situations. NOT ONE SIGN OF TRANSFER CASE SLIP. I was amazed. Letting the new Ravenol fluid flow through the transfer case, get into the clutches, and sit overnight had seemingly solved my issues.
For the next two weeks we drove the Cayenne when we could and could not replicate any of the failures we originally purchased the car with. We were elated and cannot thank the other forum members here who have suggested this particular fluid to remedy the problem. Just to be safe, 500 miles later I drained the fluid again and replaced it once again another fresh bottle of Ravenol. This time it wasn't nearly as dark, but there were still bits of clutch particle. I will most certainly be making this a fluid I change every 15,000 miles. Since I'll be sticking to 7,500 mile oil change intervals, this means once every other oil change.
That is the power of knowledge. Had I not known about this fluid fix, I could have possibly purchased the car for the full agreed upon price, wouldn't have known about the compromised fluid, and would have had the entire transfer case replaced. Instead I purchased the car for $3,000 cheaper than agreed upon, invested $50 in two bottles of fluid, and the issues are fully resolved.
That's all for now, but I have a few more things planned coming up including resetting the oil change interval warning with the POR II iCarSoft handheld device.
Good Job, buddy. Thank you for the writeup and pictures.
I just wanted to say thanks for this post. I also just bought a '12 Cayenne Base. It has a few more miles for a few grand less than yours, and looks to be similarly speced (plus pano-roof, minus adjustable suspension). Being entirely new to Porsche, this thread is EXACTLY what I needed for motivation to make minor mods, ideas on WHICH mods, and for confidence in the car and DIY maintenance.
(Plus I'm in Central NC and head to Asheville and the mountains fairly often as I have a daughter at UNCA if I ever need mod help and you want to make a few extra bucks. :P)
Again, thanks!
Adam
Good to hear buddy. Love that color! If you're ever interested in wrenching on the Cayenne and are in the area, certainly let me know.
Originally Posted by BallJack
Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading your post. Keep us posted on your mods and good luck on the airbag issue.
I will certainly keep you guys updated on the airbag issue. I still haven't had time to look into it any further. And in the meantime, another small issue has come up that I've also posted about in a separate thread:
For the past few weeks, I've been trying to track down a shuddering sensation that I'd been experiencing when braking to a stop. As the revs started to fall and the transmission downshifted, there was noticeable vibration felt through the steering wheel. At first I though it may be my transfer case acting up again, but yesterday I spent all day driving the car in different conditions and have narrowed the problem to something engine related.
When in Park, if the revs are slowly raised there's a noticeable vibration anywhere between 1000-1400RPM. Above and below those points the vibrations clear up and everything is silky smooth. Same symptoms when in gear and moving. Because these RPMs are used often in city driving, it's become annoying to the point where I'd like to address it if possible.
The only thing I've been able to pull up online have been a few people that Porsche told that defective downpipes were causing the problem. I find this hard to believe that all of a sudden these could just go bad after being bolted up for 5 years and 50,000 miles with no issues and no moving parts.
Anyone else dealt with anything like this?
In other news, this weekend brought quite a bit of snow to Asheville. I had plans of exploring the slippery stuff, but ended up staying in by the fire instead and only trekking out on foot with the dogs. At some point this winter, when my 135i can't be used for daily driver duties, I'll be forced to test the 958's snow worthiness with the Continental 295/35/21s.
As is typical when I purchase a new-to-me car, it doesn't take long before I start tinkering. Getting rid of the OEM US amber lighting and subtle window tint are usually among the first things. In addition to those small details that I'd addressed, the OEM rectangular exhaust tips had begin to bug me. After a bit of research it turned out I wasn't the only one.
While the OEM tips for both the V6 and V8 versions were very easy to replace, the price for new, upgraded OEM tips were laughable. The consensus replacement came in the form of Chinese made replicas at a fraction of the price. I was well aware that I wouldn't be getting OEM equipment, but for the price, and all the seemingly positive reviews, it was worth a shot.
Plenty of people had good experience with a few Amazon vendors, but I had my eyes set on the mirror polished versions of the large, quad tips. This eventually led me to eBay. After comparing pictures and the tips on my own car, I ended up going with the set below at a total cost of $234.90.
About a week later they showed up and I was prepared with a socket wrench fitted with a 10mm socket. They were very well packaged.
The actual bolt holding the exhaust clamp on is an inverted torx, but my set was at my larger garage. The 10mm worked fine for easy removal.
Two minutes later and I had both original exhaust tips off the car.
As others have said, these Chinese made quad tips are much heavier than the OEM pieces, but that's something I actually preferred. The rectangular pieces felt fragile while the quad tips felt far more difficult to damage. The spot welds inside the rear piping didn't look great, but should hold fine. If not, I can easily repair them with more spot welds myself.
After inserting the appropriate side pipe into the clamp, I had my fiance hold the tip in the correct position while I slowly tightened from underneath. Rinse and repeat for the passenger side. 10 minutes after beginning, the swap was complete. Now time to sit back and enjoy the updated rear end.
Chad,
Chinese made quad tips really look good. I have 14 Cayenne I am thinking to change it as well. How do you like it? Does it make the sound louder?
I have the same vibration, and always assumed it was transmissions related. Hopefully someone knows what it is. 1300rpms is super course.
Glad to know I'm not the only one, but couldn't find a lot of people that had reported the same problem. I'll definitely keep everyone updated on what I uncover.
Originally Posted by dougcayenne
Chad,
Chinese made quad tips really look good. I have 14 Cayenne I am thinking to change it as well. How do you like it? Does it make the sound louder?
Thank You
Doug
The tips are great. They're still holding up well, and although they really enhance the aesthetics of the rear end, they do not add any more sound. If you want more sound, you'll have to open up that welded shut hole you see in some of my pictures behind where my tips attach.
I bought these tips as well. Just clean regularly with a microfiber cloth and all is well. Combined with replacing the bright trim on the lower lift gate with black trim, it really cleaned up the rear of my black S. Everyone likes the look no difference in sound.
It's been roughly 9,500 miles since my last oil change, and since my Sunday was completely free and I had the proper oil and filter on hand, I decided to get dirty once again. In an attempt to combat the poor design of the oil filter, I picked up this Form-A-Funnel. I had envisioned this would keep all the oil from running all over everything.
This was wishful thinking. The clearances are just too tight and too awkward to fit this up inside the proper places. But with many shop towels on hand, I managed to get through the job again.
After I reset the service interval with the iCarSoft, I removed the front seat to further investigate any possible loose connections under the seat that could be causing this airbag light to stay illuminated. No luck. I'll have to further investigate some other potential culprits around the steering wheel itself before seeking professional advice.
While the splash shields were off underneath the car so I could access the oil drain and oil filter housing, I cranked the car and had someone slowly rev the engine. Sure enough, at the RPMs I'd experienced the "tremors" and "vibrations" the down-pipes were visibly shaking even though they were securely fastened down. No loose bolts, no loose brackets. It appears as if the flex sections may be too weak to support the exhaust from vibrating at certain RPMs. This is a pretty petty complaint on my part as it's barely noticeable, but I have much older cars from less respected manufactures that their exhaust systems have held up fine.
" I cranked the car and had someone slowly rev the engine. Sure enough, at the RPMs I'd experienced the "tremors" and "vibrations" the down-pipes were visibly shaking even though they were securely fastened down. No loose bolts, no loose brackets. It appears as if the flex sections may be too weak to support the exhaust from vibrating at certain RPMs. This is a pretty petty complaint on my part as it's barely noticeable, but I have much older cars from less "respected manufactures that their exhaust systems have held up fine.[/QUOTE]
Chad, Interestingly with your 2012. I have 2014 I don't hear any "Tremors" and "Vibrations" at any RPM. it is very smooth. Did you have this issue after or before you installed a new sport tailpipes?
Please update us. You did a good job with your Cayenne. I like it ...
This was already happening before the tips were swapped out, so unrelated.
Thanks Doug! Glad you're enjoying the build thread. I don't have too much else planned for this 958 except for just enjoying it and keeping up with the maintenance, but I will continue to update.
Last edited by Chadillac2000; 02-15-2018 at 08:24 AM.
Just had to chime in on those tips...I installed those same ones earlier this month on the wife's '14 S. Easy install (you really don't need a helper) and looks quite nice. There aren't that many miles on 'em yet, but I'm sure they'll hold up well; to me, it's one of the cheapest and best mods you can make to any non-PSE or Turbo 958.
Quick question on those tips. According to what I read, there are two places on the muffler, the closer spot (used with the short piped tips) is for the V8, and the longer pipes (further spot) is for the base V6. You said you have the '12 V6 base (same as me), but it looks like the tips you used in your pictures were the short ones. Are my eyes just playing tricks on me?
Folks - small moderator suggestion - when quoting someone to tell them "great job" or "great post" in a one-line comment, please don't copy all 6-10 photos along with your reply. This makes threads unnecessarily long and tedious to check what's new in the thread.
I haven't yet and have no interest in doing so in the future. If it were a more simple MT, I would have already, but I'll be adhering to the if it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality on this one. It looks very involved for a fluid flush.
Originally Posted by EpiKAC
Quick question on those tips. According to what I read, there are two places on the muffler, the closer spot (used with the short piped tips) is for the V8, and the longer pipes (further spot) is for the base V6. You said you have the '12 V6 base (same as me), but it looks like the tips you used in your pictures were the short ones. Are my eyes just playing tricks on me?
I'd go out to your Cayenne and visually verify which pipes yours is currently equipped with and order accordingly. A lot of the Amazon/eBay tips have incorrect descriptions on them, so even though the listing were for the V8, it was the V6 pipes.
Originally Posted by deilenberger
Folks - small moderator suggestion - when quoting someone to tell them "great job" or "great post" in a one-line comment, please don't copy all 6-10 photos along with your reply. This makes threads unnecessarily long and tedious to check what's new in the thread.
Thanks!
Completely agreed. Any way you can get in there and delete the unnecessary picture quoting?
11-11-2017, 10:39 PM
