PDK leak and some shuddering?

[dammad]

I just did a PPI on a 09 C4S I was considering. The dealer came back and told me the PDK is leaking (not just a drip, but enough to cover the transmission housing) and seems to shudder more than normal at pull away (seems like a bit of shudder is normal).. the outside temps are cold (10F).

My plan is to turn down the car and look elsewhere (since it is a $15k+ part), but thought I'd see what the group thinks too.

[Loren]

I agree - walk away.

[JFP in PA]

+1 Walk away, quickly. PDK issues are not to be trifled with, even the dealers have very limited options as to what they can do before moving to a reman transmission.

[Silver_TT]

Also, to JFP's point, you may want to at least consider a manual transmission instead of PDK for exactly this reason. If your gearbox ever needs to be worked on or the oil needs to be changed, you won't need a PIWIS and will have a lot more options. As JFP said, if there's a problem with a PDK gearbox that's anything more than minor you're probably looking at a replacement reman transmission from Porsche = $$$$. Even if you prefer the PDK, that's ok, I think it's just important to understand this distinction upfront.

[2003996C2]

I have an 09 C2S PDK CPO. Is the one you are looking at out of warranty? If so, I agree with the other replies. I have 60k miles on mine an track it regulary. I don't agree that PDKs in and of themselves should be avoided because you can't change the fluids yourself or concerns about long term reliability. I have 60k miles on mine and track it regularly in the Florida heat and humidty. Several guys I know have tracked theirs for several thousand more track miles than I have. None have had any issues with the PDK. More and more PDKs are being used in amateur and professional racing as well; however if the seller can not get PCNA to replace the defective PDK prior to the sale, I also recommend walking away. Good luck!

[Silver_TT]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply PDK would have long-term reliability issues or that they are generally problematic. My point was only that if a problem does occur and the unit needs to be worked on, you're probably looking at a replacement unit from Porsche and they are expensive. As opposed to the manual -- which can be rebuilt at a much lower cost. Again, not knocking the PDK, just stating the facts.

[2003996C2]

I don't change the PDK gearbox or wet clutch fluids myself. I didn't change the fluid in my 996 manual box myself either for that matter. My post says "fluids"; meaning the box and the clutches. Sorry for the confusion.

[JFP in PA]

I have an 09 C2S PDK CPO. Is the one you are looking at out of warranty? If so, I agree with the other replies. I have 60k miles on mine an track it regulary. I don't agree that PDKs in and of themselves should be avoided because you can't change the fluids yourself or concerns about long term reliability. I have 60k miles on mine and track it regularly in the Florida heat and humidty. Several guys I know have tracked theirs for several thousand more track miles than I have. None have had any issues with the PDK. More and more PDKs are being used in amateur and professional racing as well; however if the seller can not get PCNA to replace the defective PDK prior to the sale, I also recommend walking away. Good luck!

I can fully appreciate Silver_TT's point, while the PDK is fascinating technology, it is also not everyone's cup of tea. Some simply are traditional and prefer the direct involvement of a manual gear box over one controlled by a computer, while others are more "early adopter's" and fully embrace the change. But from a maintenance and repair stand point, the PDK currently remains a bit of a conundrum as there is precious little technical data available of the type a shop would want if they had to work on one, and as Silver correctly pointed out, even normal maintenance service like clutch oil changes requires the use of a PIWIS system. Many dealers also confine themselves to normal service and software updates on the PDK, preferring to swap them out if even a minor problem reoccurs due to the complexity of the system; a pathway that if it remains unchanged going forward is going to be very expensive out of warranty. So people such as the original poster need to look at a 5 year old PDK car without a CPO with their eyes open to the downside potential of these new systems until the aftermarket develops more technical resources and tools to work on and maintain these new transmissions.

[dammad]

Thanks for the feedback.. I figured as much..

Interesting discussion on the pros/cons of PDK. I've been looking for either but haven't found a manual I liked in my price range.