Took the plunge last week after a few months of searching and bought a Cayenne Diesel off an auto auction site. My first Porsche and first Auto Auction purchase. I went this route looking to possibly save some money and looking for a challenge (also could not fine any other similar Diesels for sale with the colors I wanted) I thought it might help others (and me) if I detailed out some of the experiences in buying an auctioned Cayenne.
Purchase Price: $6700 for the car + $2,334 Auction Fees and Shipping Costs (I think even some of the fees had fees but it is what it is, im not a broker so I had to use autobidbuy to access the auctions). (Link to auction for photos: https://www.copart.com/lot/85654824/clean-title-2013-porsche-cayenne-in-fort-wayne)
Estimated Work Needed based on auction images (this is a site unseen/undriven purchase, but they do say it runs/drives and provide a video of the car running)
I could see from the images this car would need:
1. New Brakes
2. Possible/Likely Oil Change
3. The glow plug light is on in the dash - what would that be?
4. Adblue
5. Likely want to upgrade the radio to a carplay compliant model
6. Leather seat refresh
7. All weather Floormats
8. Deep clean/Detail inside and out
Estimated total budget: Fingers are crossed to keep the all in price under $12k.
I placed an offer, seller countered and I accepted, Next step was to wire some strangers on the internet payment and hope a car shows up. Lucky for me it did. While they didnt provide great updates and the car just kind of showed up a few days later at 10pm with a few hour notice it did arrive.
Some independent shipper dropped it off, they had to jump it to get it off the trailer. I get in to drive to my garage for the night. I'm not sure I have ever seen that many warning lights in one car before. It was daunting and intimidating. Had very real what have I gotten myself into moment that first night.
Problems on Arrival:
1. Nearly empty Fuel tank
2. 600 miles until adblue empty
3. Low coolant
4. Brake pads worn
5. Front Left Dipped Headlight Control
6. Rear Number Plate Lights
7. Headlight Control Fault
8. Static Cornering Light Right warning
9. Its in Limp Mode/ Check Engine Light/Glow plug light
10. Windshield wipers need replacement.
11. Oil Change needed
12. Radio Resetting Randomly.
13. Scratch on Hood/ Scuffs on Wheels and Cracked rear bumper
Likely a few more but im writing this from memory.
Step 1: Get some gas, I make it to the closest gas station, fill up a few gallons and head home. This is at least a first step.
Step 2.: On day 2 I get some Adblue to fill the adblue tank and some coolant to fill that up. 3 problems done already.
On Day 2 my icarsoft POR scanner arrives (Amazon - about $140) so I can dig in and see what else I'm facing with this project.
About 14 faults in just the Engine area show up, many more other small light and electrical faults as well:
Hot film mass air flow sensor
Exaust Gas recirculation - throughput too high
Exaust Gas recirculation - throughput too high
Exause Temperature sensor upstream of cat. converter signal implausible
Exaust temperature sensor behind particulate filter bank 1 - signal implausible
boost pressure below limit
Particulate Filter, bank 1 - efficiency implausible
Exaust gas recirculation sensor, implausible signal
Exaust gas recirculation valve - malfunction
Particle sensor, residual soot, measuing electroid implausible
SCR catalytic converter, bank 1, efficiency too low
Particulate Filter, bank 1 - soot load too high
Differential pressure sensor for diesel particulate filter irregular signal
Exaust Gas Temperature after cold start too low
I cleared them and reran to see what would stick/where to begin:
Cold Start Engine Exaust Temperature too Low
Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Range / Performance Bank 1 Sensor 4
Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Range / Performance Bank 1 Sensor 2
Particulate Filter Restriction - Soot Accumulation Bank 1
Seems like we are isolated to the EGR and DPF area to start.
After some searching youtubing/ forumming etc I landed on a test to run: Rislone DPF Cleaner ($25 - Autozone)
Since I could see on the icarscanner that the measured soot value in the DPF was 23.31g and the calculated was 100g I could run this test to see how that changes and determine where to go from there.
So I got some, added it and went for a drive. Did about 50 miles on the highway (in limp mode...) and stopped to see how things were going.
The lights were still on but I could see that the DPF calculated value was moving, it was down to 75g, the measured soot was still at 23.31, seemed odd to me that it wouldn’t change at all but oh well.
I drove back another 50 highway miles with the icarsoft connected, the calculated soot continued to drop while the measured did not. Regeneration had not yet run. Ended up right around 60g
I got home, did some more googling and digging and saw that calculated soot needed to be much much lower to enable regeneration so I went out for some more highway driving again, I thought if I could get the calculated below the 23.31 I could know if the measured would start to decrease.
I got the calculated below 23.31 but the measured was unchanged. (What kind of sensor fails at 23.31 I thought, shouldn’t it be open or if its failed or return some other number like 0?)
I had a scheduled oil change (using Mobil One ESP) so I went and had that done. Immediately after the oil change the limp modes had cleared ( success I thought!)
Within 10 minutes of leaving the oil change with cleared lights the limp mode and glow plug returned.
I got home to find the DPF was now happy, with measured and calculated soot both changing. (the sensor works!) Forced regeneration is still disabled, but will have to figure that out later.
Next problem: The EGR valve is returning CEL and DTC Faults.
This post is really long so I will split into parts. To Be Continued.