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Transfer Case Issues & discussion thread

521K views 1.3K replies 376 participants last post by  Vrooooom  
#1 ·
Hello,


This not really a complaint, My turbo started to shudder when I was backing up and when I put it drive it would shudder in 1st, 2nd and a little in 3rd. The car has 14k miles. I brought to the dealer and it turns out that the transfer case has gone out. The dealer was great.
We are awaiting new cv joints that Porsche recommended to be replaced also.


The car has been a great car, this is more of a heads up to all on this forum.


David
 
#6 ·
I have 44,000km and change.. lots of hard driving no problems. Rock solid Tcase.


Nothing to worry about your gonna get repair free of charge you got warranty.
 
#7 ·
Another transfer case

Just saw this thread - I had exactly the same problem with my Turbo this past July. Same symptoms developed over a few weeks - the car was delivered to me in June 2014 and had ~ 13,000 miles at the time of the failure. Mine may have been the first since the initial read was that the entire PDK had to be replaced - then extended conversations between the dealer, PCNA, & Germany determined the transfer case could in fact be "uncoupled" from the transmission and replaced. Entire process took 10 days to diagnose, determine the fix, get the parts & complete the repair. Been just fine sine then - except that now it's in the shop again waiting for parts for an airbag control system failure.:(


Notwithstanding any of this (and several more minor issues that affected mostly early build cars) this has to be the most enjoyable SUV I have ever owned & it is a keeper. The dealer has been super in terms of working thru everything. Only thing more fun to drive is my Cayman GTS!
 
#9 ·
Threads like this get me concerned. Hopefully the first model year hiccups are resolved.:eek:

Just saw this thread - I had exactly the same problem with my Turbo this past July. Entire process took 10 days to diagnose, determine the fix, get the parts & complete the repair. Been just fine sine then - except that now it's in the shop again waiting for parts for an airbag control system failure.
The Service Manager took a ride with me and said immediately that it was the transfer case.

They had a service bulletin for the Macan to replace the two front drive shafts, which they did. They also updated the differential software (SY1615.WM404425).
 
#8 ·
My 2015 Macan S (no PTV, no Sport Chrono) developed a similar problem a month ago. In addition to the "shuddering" that you experienced when backing up, it had multiple loud clunks coming from the rear during upshifts within, not between gears. The Service Manager took a ride with me and said immediately that it was the transfer case.

They had a service bulletin for the Macan to replace the two front drive shafts, which they did. They also updated the differential software (SY1615.WM404425). After I test drove it, the stuttering is only slightly improved so the Macan went right back to the dealer. (When the transmission is cold, the stuttering when accelerating is barely noticeable. Gets worse as the transmission warms up. I suspect they test drove it when it was cold and didn't notice the problem was not fixed).
 
#11 ·
Not being aware of this thread, I started another one today ("drive train issues") regarding the same problems with my Macan S. Purchased early Sept 2014, 21000 miles, PTV. Never tracked, and no problems to date. I took my car to the dealer earlier this week, but the symptoms didn't show up, either during my 20 mile drive to the dealer, or while the dealer had it. They did install a software update for the drive train. But since they couldn't feel the symptoms, and there were no fault codes, they gave it back to me. After driving about 10 miles towards home, I noticed there were some symptoms showing up again (slow turning into parking spaces, accelerating through first few gears, etc.). So based on the info in this thread, it sounds like the transfer case is the likely culprit. I will share this thread with my service advisor, and take the car back on a day it seems to be showing the symptoms consistently.
Many thanks to @SoCalS5 for bringing this thread to my attention.
 
#12 ·
I'm guessing this is the service bulletin several have mentioned related to this issue.

Service Bulletin No.: TIS-98-14

Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE

NHTSA ID Number: 10057614

Manufacturer: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

SUMMARY:
PORSCHE: DATA RECORDS FAIL TO COMPLY TO CURRENT STANDARDS REGARDING TRANSFER GEARS WITH CONTROL UNIT AT TIME OF DELIVERY AND WOULD NEED ALL WHEEL DRIVE CONTROL UNIT REPROGRAMMED. MODEL 2014-15 MACAN S, DIESEL, TURBO. *PE
 
#13 ·
^ this is the latest software update. But for some, it is more than a software update fix.

I experienced a bit of shuddering too in the last couple of months and I also had the software updated too just this month with no avail. I am not sure if my issue is related to transfer case with the described symptoms but for me, my shuddering occurs when at eco mode (much more noticeable) at around 1000 rpm (shifting gears from higher to lower when coming to a low speed stop). It is annoying and my SA and I went for a test drive yesterday and he also noticed this slight vibration/shuddering too and he will have to ask to tech and service manager next week to see what their takes are.
 
#14 ·
When I first called my service advisor and described my issue, he said he had not heard of any issues with Macans having this problem, but said that some new model Cayennes had experienced problems with transfer cases. It is interesting that there are now a number of us who have experienced this issue in the past couple of months. Apparently the replacement of the transfer case is not terribly complicated. Never the less, I'm glad it is covered by warranty! For example, when I took mine in this week for them to check it out (and symptoms didn't show up) they installed the recalled secondary fuel line and updated the drive train software. The amount charged to PCNA for warranty repairs was over $600.
 
#15 ·
My symptoms returned consistently enough that on Dec 29 I took my car to the dealer and a senior technician took a ride with me. He definitely noticed the shuddering and clunking in the drive train when turning sharp at low speeds and when accelerating from a stop, and he made a couple of video clips that he said he would send to Porsche, which they need to do for warranty issues like this. No word yet, but I'll provide an update when they get back to me, hopefully early next week.
 
#17 ·
Which dealer? I have the same issue, time to make an appointment.

Tomasz
 
#16 ·
Thanks for keeping us updated, Ken. Hope they can resolve it satisfactorily for you.
 
#19 ·
So I took my car to the dealer (at their request) on January 13 so they could perform some more tests in conjunction with PCNA technical folks. A week later (Jan 20), after taking many recordings using chassis ears and sending them to PCNA, the dealer finally got the OK on Wed to proceed with replacing the transfer case. It arrived Fri and they installed it, but need a special clamp to finish the job on Monday when I should get it back. So this is the fourth Macan on this thread that has needed the transfer case replaced. I have PTV, but I don't think it is associated with the transfer case. The symptoms of shuddering in the drive train showed up best when performing a series of slow sharp turns in a parking lot. After they'd show up, then the thumping under straight line acceleration would also show up.

It amazed me that PCNA required so many time consuming tests to identify the cause when at least 3 cars on this thread had exactly the same symptoms and ended up, again after much testing, having their transfer cases replaced to solve the problem. I told my SA to tell PCNA to talk to Suncoast and Pacific Porsche where 2 of the cars had been involved. You'd think that the benefit of having a centralized technical support team would be to avoid each dealer having to conduct the same time consuming tests to solve a problem already identified elsewhere. I was bothered more by the principle than by any inconvenience to me. After all, they gave me a 2016 991 Black Edition C4 cab as a loaner, which I've really enjoyed driving.
 
#25 ·
Thank you @keninblaine . Wow pdk is 30k-40k....seriously?!
@ghstudio that's a little harsh. I don't have a "cheap" car now.
That is what my SA said, but I think he is mistaken. I saw another thread where someone said it was a $7000 part and might cost $10k with labor. So I will edit my comment so as not to scare folks unnecessarily, since it isn't a verified number.
 
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#28 ·
My Macan S with PTV has about 14 months and 12,000 easy miles on it and developed similar symptoms a month ago. At first it was difficult to pin down. When first driven cold, it seemed fine, but as driving progressed there was hesitation on acceleration as if it was a fuel problem. The engine revved fine in neutral so I thought it might be a problem only under load so I tried lower gear acceleration and it seemed to make no difference. Coincidentally I noticed some bucking reversing in tight parking situations like my Tacoma does when its in 4WD. I wondered if that was normal but realized I hadn't really experienced it before in the Macan so why was it happening now? I didn't connect these two symptoms. I called the dealer, talked to service and it seemed they didn't recognize the symptoms so I drove on with some better and not so good days but never any smooth ones. I didn't try the Macan Forum but I'm not sure what I would have searched for - shuddering and bucking? Finally after determining that this problem was not going to go away I brought it to the dealer (Porsche of Westwood) when I could leave it for a few days, thinking they would have to spend time with it to ferret out this on again/off again problem. To my surprise and delight, the service manager said, "Oh it's probably the transfer case. We've had to replace a few. We'll verify that diagnosis and replace it under warranty if so." A week later, I had my favorite car back, clean and running like a top. I asked whether or not this might happen again and how that would be covered. He said they had had no others come back a second time, but that if it failed again, it would only be covered under the initial warranty period. The only thing that would have been better would have been if I had been aware of the symptoms sooner. If so I'd have had it fixed two months earlier.
 
#30 ·
For the transfer case to go bad so early for several owners on this forum speaks badly about the reliability of Macan. Most owners are not on this forum so there has to be quite a few of them as your service manager indicated, and that's just from one dealer! Whether the item in under warranty is besides the point. I never had any transfer case issue including my previous daily driver 2004 G35X, 120K miles.
 
#34 ·
Mine just went in yesterday. Spousal Unit thinks it may a transfer case issue. Fortunately, the SA drove the car with S.U. & heard the sound right away. We don't know what it is yet, since they haven't called with an update. I was hoping for a 911 loaner, but we got a Panamera again. :crying: S.U. said that there were two available Pannys there, but no 911s.
 
#31 ·
Folks,
I am new to the forum and wanted to relay some of the "hiccups" I have had with my 15 Turbo. All in all I drive my car like a stole it everyday and love it. It disappoints many on the back roads who challenge me when driving to the beach house. I have put 40K miles on it since getting it Oct 14. It had 5 miles on it. I haven't had the transfer case issue, but I have had a lot of the other little things mentioned within the forums. The two that worried me the most was the A/C freezing up and the entire car lighting up like a Christmas tree when I slammed on the gas pedal on a downward slope and pressing the sport plus button. The car warning lights for every system lit up and it felt like it was choking out. I had to ride it out for the next 3 miles or so since I was in a tunnel/bridge. Once I stopped shut it off and opened the door to enable the car to completely reset, it cranked up back to normal. I took it in to the dealer and they replaced and updated my system with no questions. That was about a year ago. Apparently it was problem reported before. Since then no problems what so ever.
Other little things I have had go wrong for no particular reason…the gas lid locked shut and temperature sensor under the front end went out. All I can say every and any issue I have had has been fixed no questions asked from my Porsche Service Center. They have been great. You get what you pay for is what I like to believe.
 
#32 ·
Transfer case failure

I had the same problem with shudder when shifting 1st to 2nd and sometimes to 3rd. Also had a grinding like vibration when backing up out of a parking space. Sometimes on a slow forward acceleration, it would shift from 1st to 3rd to 1st and finally to 2nd.

My 2016 Macan bought new with 34 miles; now has 7,100 miles on it and I've always driven it gently - except for some high speed romps on the highway. The tech at the dealership mentioned he had seen this behaviour in the Cayenne which shares all wheel drive components.

The transfer case was replaced under warranty and performance is now smoother and better than when new. The transfer case 'talks' to the PDK and sometimes misbehaves. Techs here in Florida don't yet have the technical depth to explain the cause or affect a repair so they simply replace. The transfer case does not throw error codes so it makes diagnosis difficult.

Very happy with this car - this was the first problem I've had in a year of ownership and it was fixed painlessly.
 
#35 ·
Same here. 2016 Macan S. 8,500 easy miles on it. Took in with shudder issues in 1-2-3 gear, all below 20 mph. Diagnosed as Transfer Case Failure. Will get can back in a week... Hope to be good as new. Other than that, all good, except Porsche crests on 2 of 4 wheels had to be replaced due to de-lamination.
 
#38 ·
My 2016 Macan S is in the shop right now too! Tech did a test drive with me and diagnosed Transfer Case right away... I have 15,000 miles on odometer, car is one year old. I drive quite hard but it's meant to be that way. No off road or track days though. Waiting to hear from Porsche North Houston on repair progress. In the mean time they put me in a rental car because they're too busy and did not have a loaner! So I'm in a Chrysler 300 from Hertz while some others enjoy a Panamera???

Olivier
 
#39 ·
I expect that your Chrysler 300 feels just as as nice as my Panamera does. ;) I just cant' embrace it. It feels like too big a car & my legs are short, relative to the seat bottom, so it digs into the backs of my calves. Bleh. I'd rather have had anything other Porsche model as a service loaner than this one.
 
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#40 ·
My 2015 S has about 13k miles now. I will watch out for symptoms of the going transfer case.

What are the most obvious signs? So far I haven't experienced any jerkiness in the drive train under any type of driving. I drive quite spiritedly.
 
#42 ·
The mild jerkiness is the first thing I noticed while accelerating full throttle in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear, at the lower RPM (<5k RPM). Initially, I thought my tires were out of balance or something. Also, I could feel a little jerkiness in reverse when turning into a parking spot that reminded me of my previous audi quattro (this was normal with that car though). This never happened when the car was cold but was starting to occur when engine oil was at temperature. All in all it wasn't a huge deal, until things got worse and more noticeable quickly. That's when I called the dealership service dept. I would say that between the time I noticed initially and when I made the call because something was obviously wrong, it was about 1 month or so. Service dept at Porsche of North Houston was very helpful and diagnosed correctly right away over the phone. When I got there, the tech who did the test drive could tell immediately and confirm the initial diagnosis. I Hope this helps!

Olivier