Active drivetrain mount failure x 3 in 6000 miles

Active drivetrain mount failure x 3 in 6000 miles

Author
Discussion

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Hi all,

Just over two years ago (so it's out of warranty) the offside mount failed. About 6 months later, the other one failed. Now the first one has failed again. I've covered a smidge over 6000 miles in that time.

Each replacement is costing around £1200, so that's £3600 in 6000 miles spent on drivetrain mounts.

Car is a 2014 Cayman 981 GTS, FWIW. It's used only on the road, and not tracked.

Is this a known recurrent problem?

Twinfan

10,125 posts

103 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Very, very well known problem. It affects all 9x1 and 9x2 series cars.

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
It's reached the point where I'm seriously considering selling it. A shame, because otherwise it's pretty perfect for me.

matrignano

4,345 posts

209 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
James McScotty said:
Hi all,

Just over two years ago (so it's out of warranty) the offside mount failed. About 6 months later, the other one failed. Now the first one has failed again. I've covered a smidge over 6000 miles in that time.

Each replacement is costing around £1200, so that's £3600 in 6000 miles spent on drivetrain mounts.

Car is a 2014 Cayman 981 GTS, FWIW. It's used only on the road, and not tracked.

Is this a known recurrent problem?
Porsche won't cover the mount that failed twice, out of goodwill?

SFO

5,162 posts

182 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
The failure of the replacement part within 6 months should be covered by a parts warranty? Certainly, Mercedes guarantees their replacement parts for 2 years.

Twinfan

10,125 posts

103 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
SFO said:
The failure of the replacement part within 6 months should be covered by a parts warranty? Certainly, Mercedes guarantees their replacement parts for 2 years.
The 6 month old one is fine, it's the 2yr old one that's gone again.

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
matrignano said:
Porsche won't cover the mount that failed twice, out of goodwill?
Nope.

They quoted £1700 (parts & labour have gone up in the past 2 years). They've knocked off about £400 as "goodwill", so it's still north of £1200. The part is 26 months old, and as I say, only 6000 miles in that time.

I'm expecting the other one to fail in around six months, so that will be just out of its warranty also.

Orangecurry

7,399 posts

205 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
You must be able to source the part separately and get a proper mechanic to fit, for reasonable cost?

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Orangecurry said:
You must be able to source the part separately and get a proper mechanic to fit, for reasonable cost?
Local P specialist quoted a smidge under £1200. A large chunk is labour, it's engine out time. Since it's already at the OPC, I might as well get them to do it, for a £60 difference after the goodwill.

I'm pretty P-ed off.

SFO

5,162 posts

182 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Or just replace with standard non active mounts ?

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
SFO said:
Or just replace with standard non active mounts ?
I'm led to believe that if you do that, you will get a constant dashboard message about them having failed. Which might be a tad irritating, and would rule-out resale.

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Yes, I believe so. Also late-ish 911s w/ sport chrono.

Two grenades in your chassis.

Orangecurry

7,399 posts

205 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Jayzus. Good old Porsche.

Orangecurry

7,399 posts

205 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
James McScotty said:
I'm led to believe that if you do that, you will get a constant dashboard message about them having failed. Which might be a tad irritating, and would rule-out resale.
Wouldn't it aid resale?

'I've replaced the poorly designed and executed active mounts with solid ones, thus saving you, the new owner, 3000 GBP, on a regular basis.'

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Orangecurry said:
Wouldn't it aid resale?

'I've replaced the poorly designed and executed active mounts with solid ones, thus saving you, the new owner, 3000 GBP, on a regular basis.'
LOL, I guess that would be worth a try!

I'd wager that on the road, these things would make b*gger-all discernible difference unless you are regularly driving at the ragged edge on the limit of adhesion. They are really for track use.

Caddyshack

10,605 posts

205 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
It is terrible that a £100k car should have a part the fails on such a regular basis....to me it says that the design is at fault and should have a replacement solution.

If you go non active someone could delete out the fault code...I had my Boxster done as the 2nd lambdas kept throwing codes, nothing wrong with the cats so had the code perm deleted. Hendy performance did it for me using a MSD (blackpool) remap.

My full fat Range Rover is on about its 4th set of anti roll bar bushes.

Orangecurry

7,399 posts

205 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
James McScotty said:
Local P specialist quoted a smidge under £1200. A large chunk is labour, it's engine out time. Since it's already at the OPC, I might as well get them to do it, for a £60 difference after the goodwill.
That's exactly why I would NOT use the OPC. Tell them to feck off.


James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Caddyshack said:
It is terrible that a £100k car should have a part the fails on such a regular basis....to me it says that the design is at fault and should have a replacement solution.

If you go non active someone could delete out the fault code...I had my Boxster done as the 2nd lambdas kept throwing codes, nothing wrong with the cats so had the code perm deleted. Hendy performance did it for me using a MSD (blackpool) remap.

My full fat Range Rover is on about its 4th set of anti roll bar bushes.
I couldn't agree more. If this is a common problem, and it appears that it is, after another chat with the guys at the local specialist, it screams "design fault" to me.

My car is nearly at it's 7th birthday, so I suspect this goes back to at least that time with similarly-equipped 911s also, unless that's a different design.

James McScotty

Original Poster:

457 posts

143 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
Orangecurry said:
That's exactly why I would NOT use the OPC. Tell them to feck off.
I figured that they might knock a lot more off for goodwill, or even offer to replace it for nothing, but no. I'm going to have a long talk with them when I collect. They were pretty cagey about whether this is a common fault, but the local specialist said he has seen quite a few.

They are trying to sell me a new 4.0 GTS, btw. That, I assume, has the same chassis flaw. Hmmmm.

mr pg

1,947 posts

204 months

Thursday 15th April 2021
quotequote all
James McScotty said:
Yes, I believe so. Also late-ish 911s w/ sport chrono.

Two grenades in your chassis.
The 911 has adaptive engine mounts, 981's transmission mounts.
My 2013 981CS which I owned for nearly 6 years (may be sold today) had no issues.