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    Votes: 3 16%
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Transfer Case Issues & discussion thread

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522K 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
 
#261 ·
I found it odd that 2 advisors at the dealership said that the transfer case issue was more prevalent in Cayennes and that they had not seen it very often in Macans. Yet so many people on this forum obviously have had the problem.

Just a simple road test with both SA’s and they were able to diagnose it right away because it is so noticeable.
 
#262 ·
I think SAs get taught that line at training, “we see that issue on model X , but not your model” to make you feel better. I feel the ooposite way however. I replaced a TC on our Cayenne and when the SA conceeded that it was a common problem but usually fixed with the new part, it made me feel better because it gave me confidence they knew what they were doing (of note, TC replaced at 35k miles, no further issues through selling Cayenne at 85k miles).

My AS was another experience altogether. I got “we never see AS issues in Cayennes, only Panameras”. At that point I felt like the lucky “winner”and worried that I would be the experiment for the tech team. 2 years later, and thousands of $$ worth of parts, some paid for by Porsche and some by me, the problem persisted and it was time to move on. I was smitten by the Macan PDK so I gave the brand another shot however :)

I feel like the denial by some dealers and Porsche corporate that TC issues are a real thing in Macans is just making owners angry and making them less likely to buy another Porsche or recommend to friends that they should get into the brand. It also makes us current owners nervous about keeping our vehicles after the warranty expires even if overall reliability data (which Porsche does not share) indicates no reason to worry. The problem is that stats and experiences are different things and being the statistic really sucks out the joy of ownership.

So far I love our Macan S, 24,000 trouble free miles and hoping for many more. Best of luck to those dealing with TC issues currently.
 
#265 ·
I think a recall will depend on the % of cars affected, especially this is not a safety issue.
 
#267 ·
Does that mean even if my transfer case goes out after the factory warranty period it is still covered?
 
#269 ·
Hope for Porsche’s goodwill.
 
#270 ·
Porsche will likely to goodwill a repair when the vehicle is regularly serviced at the dealership from my experience. One of the front caliper on my 911 went bad well past warranty 3 years ago and my service advisor went to bat for me and got Porsche to paid for the repair.

John
 
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#271 ·
I am finally getting my mew transfer case this coming Thursday. Had to wait a month. Service manager had 3 ordered, and apparently there was no stock in North America a month ago when I went in for my 3 year service. My guess is Porsche will honour this issue well into the future, given the known issues.

Has become seriously annoying in the summer. As soon as the oil temp gets to 100C, it bucks like a Bronco. Finally just pulled the cable and turned it into 2WD for the moment.
 
#272 ·
Finally just pulled the cable and turned it into 2WD for the moment.
So there's a way to "turn off" the AWD? Leave it to Macanuck to figure it out:D

Assuming it makes the Macan RWD, sounds like it could be fun! I'm thinking about how you can turn off the AWD in the new M5 and E63 (aka "drift mode").

OK, the first person to post video drifting their Macan wins!
 
#273 ·
On a more serious note I'm beginning to feel a new transfer case in my future...
 
#292 ·
How would one do this out of curiosity? I don't see it anywhere in manual?
 
#280 ·
Anyone know where we can obtain the TSB’s?
I tried google search and the best I got was from a site called truedelta.
This site allowed a few free accesses and this is from a copy-and-paste on the relevant TSB [just a snippet]:

NHTSA ID: 10130120
TSB ID: 122-L7P4X-03

The "transfer case" is designed as an active all-wheel drive system that is dynamically adapted to the respective driving state. power transmission between the front and rear axle is controlled electronically via the "all-wheel drive ser..


You can have a lot of fun searching either/both NHTSA IS or/and TSB ID.
 
#282 ·
One of the questions that I can't seem to find an answer was:

Those with transfer case replaced, do they actually solve the problem long term?

Even after replacing the transfer case, it did not show any marked improvement for @Finerthings.

My '18 Macan S was in production between 3/27/18 and 3/29/18 with about 3000 miles on the odo, and it is showing similar symptoms as she described.

Trying to characterize the symptoms more before taking it to the dealer.

--Keith
 
#283 ·
The fundamental problem is the viscosity of the oil in the transfer case that made the clutch plates grabby. It was being highly affected by moisture from a poorly designed vent tube. This problem has now been solved, they claim. And in my case, the replacement is spectacular. Night and day. We'll see how it progresses.
 
#284 ·
What to do with our transfer cases that have not been replaced? Still waiting for the symptoms to come up here.
 
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#288 ·
Yes they do recycle them. If you look up the part number for some online vendors, you'll see there is a core charge that is refunded when you send them your old one. However, the changes are made to internal baffles for the vent as well, so it isn't something that would be done in the field. Porsche would want to do QA on every one they updated in the factory.

BTW, the factory that made these transfer cases is in Mexico. My transfer case has a Made in Mexico label on it, as are the ones I've seen on eBay.
 
#287 ·
If it’s same as the differential fluid change, it’s a piece of cake.
 
#289 ·
They are called re-manufactured parts and are used all the time.

Warranty repairs can use either new or re-manufactured parts. I think it is stated somewhere in writing.
 
#290 ·
This is the first time I saw an explanation of the actual issue and the solution. Thanks you for this and it made me feel a little bit better. All this time, I wasn't sure whether they were just replacing transfer cases or actually solved the core issue.
 
#291 ·
Me also thinks I'm now running into the same issue.. bought my 2018 Macan S May 1st and now she has 3300 miles on it. I'd say the last 500 miles or so I've really noticed that even at 35-40 mpg on backroads it feels like its stuck between gears (not in sport mode) and at slower speeds seems all jerky. Was actually making a bit car sick there. So calling Porsche of Burlington Ma tomorrow. Something isn't right.
 
#298 ·
I ran a warranty poll on UK forum, 5 replacements as of today (from 21 posts), not quite statistically relevant but 25% of all warranty claims from that small data set.

cant post the link as I am only a 3 poster here.... but its under the title "Warranty Claims Poll / Data" on macanforums.co.uk
 
#299 ·
#303 ·
I first noticed mine “auto braking” backing out of my garage. Within a few months it started skipping on acceleration. Once I read about this on here, I knew I had to take it in to the dealer. This morning the Porsche mechanic went on a two minute drive with me and confirmed a failing transfer case. Parts are on order and I’m awaiting a call to bring it back in since the service manager says it is “safe” to drive for now. Add me to the list. 2016 Macan S ~14,500 miles.