PDK Problems

[Brenden]

I am having problems with the PDK transmission. I have the a 2009 Boxster Basic (2.9L) with PDK. It has 2000+ miles.

This is my first Boxster or Porsche. I did briefly drive a Boxster S and a Cayman S, both with the PDK, and they did not have this problem. Also I have searched online and not found any similar difficulties with the PDK. However, I have not seen any discussion of a 2.9L with PDK.

The transmission is often very balky and jerky in 1st & reverse. Occasionally I even get a 'clunk'. When I talked to service on the phone they asked me if I were driving with my left foot on the brake and then started to explain to me that it was a manual with automatic clutch(es) implying that it should feel like that--like I was very stupid. I am very distressed about this and don't know what to do. I still can't get the transmission to start from stop smoothly and reliably. When I start up at a light, for example, I don't know if the transmission will 'catch' right away or not. I can't keep up in stop & go traffic.

I often think I have left on the parking brake. I find myself frequently checking the parking brake but I have never left it on. However, the car often does sometimes feel like I have my foot on the brake when I start from stop.

Also I has used a quart of oil since I received delivery. Usually when I start it I get clouds of smoke. The dealership explained that the motor does this to prevent the build up of carbon. I have made two 700 mi trips and a 300 mi trip and have noticed that it doesn't seem to smoke on start after those trips but does do it after short trips, say, to a grocery store--which indicates that the dealer is, perhaps, correct.

A third problem is that I can't get the gas tank to fill to more than 3/4. I have used several gas stations and brands by now. To fill it I have very carefully hold the nozzle and add the last 1/4 very carefully. Is this a characteristic of Boxsters?

Once I am out of first gear the car is wonderful. Far better than even my high expectations. Just turning a corner is a joy.

Does anyone have any information about the PDK especially or the oil or gas tank problems? I would very much appreciate it. I think I need more information before I approach the dealer's service department again. I can't imagine the problem being 'normal'.

[wvicary]

Sorry but I know nothing about the PDK but it sounds as if your dealer is feeding you a line. Is there another dealer you could visit?

[stef]

Also I has used a quart of oil since I received delivery. Usually when I start it I get clouds of smoke. The dealership explained that the motor does this to prevent the build up of carbon. I have made two 700 mi trips and a 300 mi trip and have noticed that it doesn't seem to smoke on start after those trips but does do it after short trips, say, to a grocery store--which indicates that the dealer is, perhaps, correct.

I've heard of oil seeping down into the pistons after it's turned off, and burning oil on startup. The smoke should disappear very quickly after it's started, though. If it continues to smoke, something is probably wrong.

A third problem is that I can't get the gas tank to fill to more than 3/4. I have used several gas stations and brands by now. To fill it I have very carefully hold the nozzle and add the last 1/4 very carefully. Is this a characteristic of Boxsters?

I have to manually hold the nozzle on my 987-1 ... I've never been able to fill it using just the nozzle lock. I found it's much easier if I lift the nozzle up a bit. I don't know if it's the same on the 987-2 though.

I would have the dealer test drive the vehicle, with you as a the passenger. If it's hitching or jerking, that's not acceptable. Even sounds kind of dangerous.

[phillipj]

I agree with Wvicary,

Find another dealer if you can. There is no way your car should have all of those issues with only 2000 miles on it. I have driven a 09 PDK Boxster S at a Porsche "Ride and Drive" event and was an amazing car. It rocketed away from a dead stop with none of the hesitation you are talking about. I was very impressed by it.

Somthing is wrong and don't take no for an answer. Insist on driving one of their Boxsters on their lot and see if you experience any of the same issues.

Good luck

[coreychan]

The transmission should work even smoother than the Tiptronic S. Your car sure have problem. Get the dealer to fix it, if they refuse. Ruin the transmission gear by yourself and claim the warranty.

For break in period, consume 1/2 to 1 quart of oil is normal. But should not be any visible oil consumption after the break in period. Smokey exhaust is not acceptable. Even cold start up, my Boxster S only had white steam (Water). Make sure what you saw is not water steam. The dealer is no right, smokey exhaust means poor emission. Must be something wrong.

For the gas filling, my Boxster S never had the problem you said. Go to the dealer to also write a complain letter to Porsche headquarter.

[Loren]

All of these are dealer/OPC correctable problems.

If your dealer/OPC can not correct them find another dealer or contact your countries Porsche office and ASK for help.

[nrabbani]

I have a 997.2, my dealer offers complementary service at 2K to check the car up. As part of the service they reprogramed the PDK and it runs much smoother now. You might want to have them check the PDK for any error codes and update the software.

I had the same problem with the gas tank, they changed the charcoal canister and it works fine now.

[tutiana]

I am having problems with the PDK transmission. I have the a 2009 Boxster Basic (2.9L) with PDK. It has 2000+ miles.

This is my first Boxster or Porsche. I did briefly drive a Boxster S and a Cayman S, both with the PDK, and they did not have this problem. Also I have searched online and not found any similar difficulties with the PDK. However, I have not seen any discussion of a 2.9L with PDK.

The transmission is often very balky and jerky in 1st & reverse. Occasionally I even get a 'clunk'. When I talked to service on the phone they asked me if I were driving with my left foot on the brake and then started to explain to me that it was a manual with automatic clutch(es) implying that it should feel like that--like I was very stupid. I am very distressed about this and don't know what to do. I still can't get the transmission to start from stop smoothly and reliably. When I start up at a light, for example, I don't know if the transmission will 'catch' right away or not. I can't keep up in stop & go traffic.

I often think I have left on the parking brake. I find myself frequently checking the parking brake but I have never left it on. However, the car often does sometimes feel like I have my foot on the brake when I start from stop.

Found your complaint online and i have the same problems with my brand new cayman. I couldn't shift out of first gear today and the problem only went away when i restarted the engine. Gonna take it to the workshop tomoro but wandering what happened to yours? Was it fixed? Mine also jerks sometimes from 1st to 2nd gear. SO disappointed with PDK. And i also got those clouds of smoke at times...sigh...maybe should have bought an M3 instead

Edited October 11, 2009 by tutiana

[ELMEL]

What was the outcome? My wife has a 2012 987 and the PDK has been annoying since day 1. Clunky and lurchy at low speeds. But now, with 56k miles on it, it's making rattling noises at idle all the time. And going from a stop to go, it revs and grabs abruptly. It's awful. Taking it in Monday, but hoping to go in armed with some info. Thanks.

[fccmans1]

Hi everyone, I have been a long time lurker but finally became a member. I recently purchaced a new to me 2012 987.2 Boxster after driving my '97 Boxster base for the last several years. I was curious if there have been any developments on the PDK issue described in this thread. My 2.9 with the PDK has some similar hesiration but not nearly as bad. I'm just wondering what is "normal." Thanks in advance.

[ELMEL]

I have something to report on this...

 

I began to wonder whether the noises/issues from my wife's car had anything to do with a sensor on the brake pedal. The reason I wondered this is that the car seemed to want to creep forward even though my foot was on the brake pedal, thus making transmission noises, as if the clutch was slipping while stopped; and when I pressed harder on the pedal, the noise went away. Just for kicks, I pressed the pedal very hard a few times (down to the stop). For the remainder of the day, the car continued to make noises while idling, and misbehave during the transition into first gear. The next day, I brought the car into the dealer. No symptoms. This was frustrating after a long time with symptoms. Why was the car suddenly behaving? The technician examined the brake pedal sensor and found it was in the correct position. He told me that it's self adjusting (with a ratchet mechanism), so I concluded that the hard presses from the day before had adjusted the sensor position. It's been four days and the car has been behaving pretty well.

Edited February 13, 2015 by ELMEL

[JFP in PA]

Hi everyone, I have been a long time lurker but finally became a member. I recently purchaced a new to me 2012 987.2 Boxster after driving my '97 Boxster base for the last several years. I was curious if there have been any developments on the PDK issue described in this thread. My 2.9 with the PDK has some similar hesiration but not nearly as bad. I'm just wondering what is "normal." Thanks in advance.

 

First, welcome to RennTech :welcome:

 

Some of the earlier PDK cars suffered what has to be described as "teething pains" that were corrected (as much as possible) with some software updates.  Have your dealer check to be sure you have the latest software.

[fccmans1]

Thank you for the replies, I will do both and see if anything changes.

[fccmans1]

So....I have a very strange coincidence. Tonight on my way home from work, after my first post on this forum, and about my PDK. I was waiting at a stop light and what happens, I get a message on my OBC.... "TRANSMISSION EMERGENCY RUN" along with a bright red exclamation mark. So the light turns green and I proceed to find a parking lot to pull off into, and the Boxter won't shift above 2nd gear, even when the revs get to 3700rpm. I let off the throttle and coast for a bit, still staying in 2nd. I finally get to a parking lot and stop. Still in 2nd..... So once I'm stopped I immediately call my Porsche dealer. I'm told to restart the car and go ahead and drive it, and it may just be a glitch in the PDK's computer, requiring a re-flash. They will take a look on Monday, but the tech says it should be driveable. So I proceed to drive home, the warning is gone and never comes back. But the hesitation is worse than ever, and each shift is a little clunky. I put it in manual mode and the shifting was pretty bad. Wouldnt downshift from 4th even though the gear indicator showed the gears dropping. Back in auto it finally downshifts. So I make it home after a few more minutes and back it into the garage, and I could tell the trans was laboring up my sloped driveway. Finally I stop and it clunks into park. Since then I have done some reasearch and found that warning is a known issue on '09 911's but not much in the way of 987.2 Boxsters. So I guess I get to wait in suspense for a few days until I hear whats wrong. Keep in mind my car is a 2012 Boxster with only 25,000 miles on it. I have had itva total of 2 weeks. I'm hoping this isn't like my 986, where I had to replace the IMS bearing for preventative maintenance. At least the 2012 is CPO warrantied for 2 more years or to 100,000 miles. What a very wierd day?????

[fccmans1]

So my Boxster has been at the dealer since Saturday. The tech tells me it was an electrical problem on the 2nd gear position selector and required an ECU update. He also said they completed that and have driven it about 30 miles with no issues. I'll get it back on Thursday after they replace my drooping headliner and squeaky brakes. I'll try and update after I have driven it. Has anyone else had this reflash done lately, I'm curious if it will solve some of the hesitation issues that seem to plague the PDK.

Edited February 18, 2015 by fccmans1

[ELMEL]

I had the reflash done quite a while ago. Twice, I think. To no avail. But I was seeking the reflash merely because of the clunky behavior at low speed. A few months ago, that became the least of my worries, and I described that situation above. For me, the solution was to press the brake pedal all the way to the floor (while stopped). That recalibrated a sensor on the pedal which seems to have cured 90% of the disturbing noises I was hearing from the transmission at idle. It also cured a very disturbing behavior where, going from stop to first, the car would rev high and dump the clutch.

 

That all said, I still find the 987 PDK to be clunkier at low speeds than I'd like, especially compared to the 981.

 

Fccmans1, thanks for keeping us up to date on yours.

[fccmans1]

Funny thing is: Since my research on my issue and the actual warning light happened the same day, I actually did what you recommended to do with the brake pedal about 45 minutes prior to my PDK throwing the emergency light at me. So I was never actuall able to see if it helped. But it may give a little bit of evidence that the two are related somehow. Hopefully I get the car back soon so that i can see if anything has changed. I will definatly report any findings on the issue one way or the other though.

[ELMEL]

Oh, one thing to note: I pressed the brake pedal to the floor a few times, but I did not notice any improvement in behavior the same day. Things actually got a little worse before they got better. It's as if the computer needed to sleep on it overnight. The next day, everything seemed ok. Very strange.

[fccmans1]

That being said, I wonder if doing that had any correlation with me getting a warning light? After all you said yours possibly felt a little worse afterwards. Who really knows, with the way all those computers have to communicate and map out how the vehicle should run at any given time.

[ELMEL]

I know. Too complicated for my blood. Let us know how yours turns out.

[fccmans1]

Well after having the car back for a few days and driving it for a hundred miles or so, it seems as though whatever issue tbe car had before is gone. I have seen a definate improvement in the way the PDK shifts. There is still some hesitation, but not nearly as noticable as before. Keep in mind that most of that hundred miles was more spirited driving than normal. But the Boxster isn't really meant to be just a cruiser. All in all I'm very happy with the outcome.

[ELMEL]

Good news. Do you attribute the improvement to the software flash?

[fccmans1]

It does seem that way. The transmission seems to shift a little more aggressively than it did before, and with less hesitation off the line. I did do the procedure with the brakes but didn't notice any real change. Although I did it on the way home from the dealership, and have made sure that I am using the full travel of the brake pedal while stopped. But most importantly, no emergency light. There are probably still some improvements to be had in respect to the PDK's performance, but at this point I'm very happy with the way things are running.

[ELMEL]

Oh, just to be clear, I'm not necessarily suggesting full brake pedal travel each time you stop. I always use a light touch. It's just that I think that the sensor on the pedal needs to be recalibrated from time to time and pressing the pedal to the floor now and then seems to help.

[fccmans1]

No problem, I didn't mean everytime I stop, rather once while driving. Probably more like once a day. And still no issues after daily driving by the way. :)