Panamera The 4-dour coupe by Porsche

15 4s coolant warning (losing hope)

Old Feb 12, 2021 | 09:46 AM
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15 4s coolant warning (losing hope)

Hi Everyone,
can’t resolve this is issue and I am at point of selling the car as it’s causing major anxiety.
2 months ago while driving normally on freeway, the coolant level light came on and needle went to red right away for about 4sec and came back to normal right away like nothing happened. This happened twice in a matter of 20 minutes until I got to garage.
My Mecanic did a pressure test from the coolant cap and declared flawless. No leaks anywhere visible either. Topped up coolant changed and put a new cap with new gasket and sent me home.
Today for the first time same thing happened on low speed but only once.
Came back home with the car and did not go to garage as seems to be same issue.
also I just want to add that I smelled and smell occasionally noticeable collant smell In my garage when I come home and park the car.
please any help or direction to what to do.
much thx
jack
 

Last edited by Hagop.oun; Feb 12, 2021 at 09:48 AM. Reason: Mistake year of car
Old Feb 12, 2021 | 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Hagop.oun
Hi Everyone,
can’t resolve this is issue and I am at point of selling the car as it’s causing major anxiety.
2 months ago while driving normally on freeway, the coolant level light came on and needle went to red right away for about 4sec and came back to normal right away like nothing happened. This happened twice in a matter of 20 minutes until I got to garage.
My Mecanic did a pressure test from the coolant cap and declared flawless. No leaks anywhere visible either. Topped up coolant changed and put a new cap with new gasket and sent me home.
Today for the first time same thing happened on low speed but only once.
Came back home with the car and did not go to garage as seems to be same issue.
also I just want to add that I smelled and smell occasionally noticeable collant smell In my garage when I come home and park the car.
please any help or direction to what to do.
much thx
jack
Sounds to me like you have a minor leak and you need a new mechanic. A different mechanic needs to look for this leak.
 
Old Feb 12, 2021 | 09:23 PM
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Have you checked the coolant pipe to thermostat housing connection? It might slowly leaking here.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 06:34 AM
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Wanted to add some collant this morning but it was already full.
could it be the thermostat is acting up ? It was -20F yesterday freezing cold.
as I said the temperature gage went from middle to hot with warning light and back to normal.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Hagop.oun
Wanted to add some collant this morning but it was already full.
could it be the thermostat is acting up ? It was -20F yesterday freezing cold.
as I said the temperature gage went from middle to hot with warning light and back to normal.
I have had that erratic behavior of the temp gage occur when I had an air void in the cooling system of my 987.2 Cayman. This happened after a coolant system drain and fill. Air would get to the temperature sensor and cause the erratic reading. Obviously the mid engine cayman is a very different configuration from the 970.2. As an aside, I don't believe the 970.2 has a glued in coolant pipe like the 970.1 Panamera. I think you need a mechanic that is familiar with these cars.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 10:16 AM
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By the way, have you burp the system correctly?
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 10:17 AM
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Please elaborate how I need to burp the system.
much appreciated.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 11:49 AM
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Lift the clip up. Go on a short 10-15 minutes drive. Check coolant level when it has cooled so you won't get hurt. Do this for 3-4 driving cycles. That's it.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 02:42 PM
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Mine actually does not stay up goes from one side to the other is that ok?
i guess afterwards switch it back and place back plastic cover?
to understand what is the function of that?
thx much for your help.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 03:58 PM
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Actually the loop did stay up like your picture.
After the first ride with the loop up when I checked collant level was much higher than before almost spilling so I emptied a bit with a seringue.
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 06:44 PM
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You can leave it up and drive it for a few days. Add fluid if necessary. After a few days, the fluid level should stabilize. Assuming there are no leaks. Move the clip back to horizontal
 
Old Feb 13, 2021 | 09:15 PM
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This is the instructions I have for bleeding that I posted before. Instructions assume you’ve just done a drain and refill, that the engine is cold. So raise that bleeder valve in the morning when engine is cold. Check the level the next morning. Is that a V8 or V6? I’ve looked at some Cayennes recently and GTS is a V6 so I’m confused....

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post4822689
 
Old Jan 10, 2023 | 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Nikita4Ever
By the way, have you burp the system correctly?
What are these 3 connectors for ?
And 'thingy' with the flip is it sensor or what ?
Thank You in advance.
 
Old Jan 10, 2023 | 05:23 PM
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I believe that is the coolant bypass/bleeder valve. It seems to be the highest point in the cooling system.

For the coolant loss I was experiencing I couldn’t find an appropriately larger cap gasket. I eventually bought an entirely new reservoir. Before doing so I would add coolant maybe once a week, after replacing the reservoir (which I believe comes with a new cap), I now top off about once a month. It can definitely be a source of coolant loss…
 
Old Jan 11, 2023 | 08:09 AM
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The coolant vent line, which runs on top of the intake manifold gets old, cracks and then leaks on these (and Cayenne's) pretty regularly. It's a slow leak and very far back in the system. Mine ultimately failed complete, to the point it was spraying out of the engine bay. In my experience a pressure test with fluid in the car does NOT expose these leaks. You need to empty the system to see them not hold, and even then they can be VERY slow until total failure. On a friends Cayenne I helped him with he tested with coolant/service closed and it pressure tested fine. With system opened it drained out of the back of the engine, but still held pressure for some time. An undetailed mechanic could easily not test these correctly, particularly if they are not Porsche experts. Vent line, if its the issue, is easy to replace, its directly under the intake manifold. Ciaka just posted a great write up on the removal procedure. Few hours of work for a paid mechanic or skilled garage mechanic.

You can burp it or use a vacuum fill to ensure you get all of the air out of the system. Air in the system usually won't set off the low coolant light (which triggers the temp to go max on the gauge), but these cars do overheat over easily if not burped/vacuum filled. Whether burping or vacuum fill, make sure to run the heat to ensure you get the heater core.
 

Last edited by tallpaul; Jan 11, 2023 at 08:59 AM.

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