9pm Dec 20: My sic white CS has been checked in the hospital (dealership) two full days now so I decided to stop by on my way home and pay a bedside visit. The service manager had met with the surgeon (technician) working on my car and was ready with the full scoop. It was slow service-wise at the time so he had time to talk about it at length.
Yup, he confirmed the "dreaded loose clutch pressure plate bolt problem" was the culprit. Said this is the first time they have seen this particular thing on a CS at the dealership. Ok I can accept that even although this is one of the largest (and best in my opinion) Porsche dealers on the East Coast. He swore up and down that the best tech in the store was assigned to my car (I think I scared him like the trailer hauling guy the other day). G_d help either of them if they screwed up my car. The service tech took me back in the shop (which was cleaner than my kitchen ~ I wouldn't eat off my kitchen floor, I would in their shop. There was my car up on a lift with it's entire ***-end disassembled and arranged in neat bundles of pieces and parts on the floor, the bench, the stools, everywhere.....The transmission was on the stand and it was completely apart from the flywheel back. You could examine every piece and part. He specifically pointed out the bolts that had been found to be loose. It was easy to see why the clutch could not fully disengage (and hence why it would not shift into gear) if these bolts were loose. The clutch, pressure plate, flywheel and ring-gear did not appear to be damaged, burned or scored and the ring gear looked new down to the last tooth. However, they had already replaced all those parts with new, even the bolts. They were waiting on the new clutch which must have arrived after the mechanics left because it was sitting in a package on the bench. The service manager assurred me that all the parts that could have been affected by the loose clutch will be replaced ~ even the transmission if it needs it. This technician is particular; very particular and I am very thankful for that. I could see the evidence first hand they were doing what appeared to be a very careful, thorough job. When returned it should be as new. Again I asked and he repeated that Porsche has not put out any specific service bulletins on this issue. Last night I collected and printed a dozen and a half postings from The Cayman Club describing this problem and others seemingly close to it and gave it to him to read. He was pretty astounded. In fact he said it is possible that later on some of you may get service recall letters from Porsche directing you to bring your vehicles in for preventitive service. In fact he warned me if it happens I might have to bring mine back and go through this whole ordeal again even though they are doing what they are doing now.
Anyway I was very impressed with how consciencious and accommodating these folks have been so far. Believe me, I have genuine concerns about this car's long-term durability and reliability after it has had to undergo a quadruple by-pass at 1300 miles. This is major surgery. After seeing the work in progress, the new parts and the care they seem to be taking with the work I feel somewhat better about it, "better, but not totally relieved". When an assembly error (birth defect) like this happens to a new car of this caliber the company ought to step up and hand you an unconditional extended warranty on the drive train or at least the specific component group affected, but they won't. It just occurred to me that with the back end in pieces I need to call them and remaind them to check and perfect the alignment before they give it back. Also, I said I could not visually identify any damage on any of the parts they had replaced. I also compared the clutch plate they had removed to the new one on the bench and I could see little difference and no evidence of wear on the original part. Doesn't matter, I'm glad they are replacing it anyway. I expect this is because I was driving it so gingerly. If I had been a little more aggressive the problem probably would have become apparent sooner; and if I had not stopped driving and not had it trailered in, very likely significant damage would have occurred elsewhere in the drivetrain.
Now, the company that ownes me also ownes a 12 place turbo-prop we use for short hops to project sites around the Southeast. I am on that thing several times a week and being the only mechanical engineer in the company and habitually paranoid about maintenance of that piece of equipment since my *** is on the line up there, I spend enough time around the hanger to convince myself the aviation mechanics are doing the job right when working on our plane. These guys are top notch, really well trained and organized, methodical and super-thorough. I believe I can recognize a good mechanic. I carried that impression away as I left the Porche dealer's shop tonight....and that is exactly what I had hoped to see for myself.
I am a zone 3 guy. If anyone wants particulars just ask and I'll give you the dealer, service writer, technician, etc. I'm convinced the key to a first-class result is the quality and training of the individuals you let touch the machinery, and their supervision, period.
There is a distinct possiblity my CS will be back together, tested and returned tomorrow. I am really anxious to see if it shifts, clutches and drives any differently than it did before the problem manifested itself. I'm going to have to pick up some gifts to leave behind to say thank you to those guys when I pick it up. I will be so happy to have custody again; even happier that I don't have to pay the hospital bill ~ this time. I'll let you know how it works out, how the clutch, shifter feels before/after, etc. This time tomorrow night I better be smiling. Stay tuned for the last chapter.
As I suspected, the flywheel bolts......
On the up side, most folks who suffered this problem reported 'better than ever' clutch operation after the 'corrective surgery'.
If it were my car, I would be jumping up and down insisting on a new clutch, pressure plate and flywheel. Even as careful as you were, that clutch was dragging and glazing in the drives before it became hard to shift. It's admirable that they are doing this without even being asked.
One could argue that the syncros in the transmission took some abuse because of this, but this would really only be the case if you kept trying to drive it despite the hard shifting. It sounds like you were on top of this as soon as it started dragging.
I look forward to chapter 4, post recovery.
There was another good side to this. I got a good, close look and a chance to hold and examine the innards they had all spread about in pieces. There is a lot of beef in that drive train. I could hardly lift the flywheel. It is a heavy double plate affair with rotating internal fluid dampers. Must have weighed 40 pounds. I imagine when it's all mechanically right it will take a pounding and should give good service....it's ashame what a few loose bolts will do. I agree and was pleasantly surprised when he told me they had already replaced the parts. However, I had already plowed the ground when I took it in by telling him I was not going to be happy with anything less than a like new drivetrain. The dealership is really trying to accommodate. So far they get high marks.
That's cool. That flywheel is a mechanical masterpiece. It's dual mass design should make the car shift like a precision instrument.
I didn't realize that there were fluid dampers in that thing. That's amazing. And all the more reason it should be replaced.
I toured the Porsche factory back in 2000. I remember our guide telling us that they have a sophisticated logistics system that can tell them exactly who tightened a specific bolt. I remember asking him why that would be important and he told me that if they see a recurring problem, they can then better tell what's causing it. Is it a bad part? A bad air gun? Or a bad employee? Etc....
I am sure that Porsche is well aware that they have a problem here with these flywheels. And I'd like to think that they have identified the source and corrected it.
Though there are many instances of this problem found here in these forums, it seems the problem is only affecting a small cross section of the cars that are out there. For example, there are 2006s that are older than yours with more miles that have not suffered the problem. That suggests to me that the problem was not a design error, but more of an assembly error.
I guess I am hoping that they have this corrected so when I get my car this summer I don't have to worry about this.
jbreiner,
Just curious what the production date for your vehicle is? I've had mine in the shop and I've asked them to double check the bolts but they refused as they said the date of mine does not fall within the ones that have had problems.
Thanks!
-Moto
Good to hear this has come out well... Last thing I read was that Porsche was blaming this on assembly/QC problems from Getrag, the supplier of the transmission - apparently they arrive fully assembled and ready to bolt onto the Porsche motor... I also don't find it unusual that yours is the first this large dealer has seen of this problem. While a few members of the CC have experienced this, out of the more than 5,000 cars sent to the States, the number is still relatively small, and problem is still relatively rare.
brad
Just an addition, I was at the dealer today for an oil leak on my new 07 CS which may require replacing the engine. Harper's Porsche in Knoxville Tn. said they have retorqued the flywheel bolts on 3 06' CSs so far. Rare, I don't know.
Larry
Interesting and sort of disappointing that it's still appearing on the '07s. I'm really sorry to hear about your engine-oil problem. It makes my X-problem seem sort of insignificant. Hope it gets solved promptly and to your complete satisfaction. I'll be looking for your next posting on this. I get to Knoxville frequently. It would be a great short trip from Atlanta in a CS and good to know a reputable dealer there in case there is ever a problem. I hope you bought an extended warranty for good measure. Actually they should give it to you graciously, but they won't. If you haven't already got one you can still buy it from the dealer or from a good after-market source. Good luck with the repair.
Where is the production date information?
Hmmmm....... Engine needs to be replace, huh? Anyone thinking what I'm thinking? If I had a Cayman that needed a new engine, I would be looking for a way to turn that exchange into a 3.8.
jbreiner - month and year production information is located on a sticker on the driver's side door jamb.
brad
That sounds like BS as the flywheel has to be bolted on to the engine before the clutch/pressure plate can be mounted to the flywheel,sound like they have a problem with the torque settings on the equipment they are using to assemble these units.Hope it doesnt happen to mine
