View Poll Results: Have you personally experienced a PDK failure with your Macan
I have had a PDK issue with a single Macan, but it was corrected without requiring a PDK replacement
4.03%
I have had more than 1 PDK failure on more than one Macan that required replacement
0
0%
Because of the PDK and my concern with a failure, I will always have a warranty (OEM or aftermarket) on my Macan
6.04%
I'm not worried about the PDK in my Macan and won't continue to warranty it after the factory warranty expires
18.12%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 149. You may not vote on this poll
Macan Specific PDK Reliability Thread
09-07-2021, 03:34 PM
#1
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Macan Specific PDK Reliability Thread
Starting a thread to gain some perspective on how reliable the PDK in the Macan has been for the ownership here, especially since very few issues with it are serviceable and it requires a fairly high-dollar total replacement for most failure modes.
Please select only one option from the failure mode options below and one option from the 2 warranty questions below.
Feel free to add a comment into the thread if something needs further explanation or you want to list your current mileage when a failure occurred or hasn't occured, along with year and model.
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND WITH OTHER PDK FAILURES FROM OTHER PORSCHE MODEL PDK TRANSMISSIONS (Carreras, GT cars, Boxsters, Caymans, etc). Also, not with Cayenne failures as that's not a PDK - it's a Tiptronic.
Thanks.
Please select only one option from the failure mode options below and one option from the 2 warranty questions below.
Feel free to add a comment into the thread if something needs further explanation or you want to list your current mileage when a failure occurred or hasn't occured, along with year and model.
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND WITH OTHER PDK FAILURES FROM OTHER PORSCHE MODEL PDK TRANSMISSIONS (Carreras, GT cars, Boxsters, Caymans, etc). Also, not with Cayenne failures as that's not a PDK - it's a Tiptronic.
Thanks.
Last edited by Petza914; 09-07-2021 at 03:42 PM.
09-07-2021, 09:45 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Actually, Audi's PDK used in the Macan have been in the market for about a decade and are reliable if properly serviced. If they're not properly serviced or if they are driven in stop-and-go traffic, they are prone to failure. Porsche loves to replace them because they charge an arm and a leg for them but it's not necessary. I got a common failure code (no reverse and missing a gear) on my 2015 Turbo and Porsche wanted to replace it for $20k. Porsche very generously offered to pick up most of it due to failure at 30k mi, reducing my cost to just $7.5k. I found a VW/Audi PDK specialist who fixed it for $1,500 and it's been working perfectly since. PDKs overheat when they shift too much in stop-and-go traffic. If stuck in traffic, switch to sport mode and that will help by reducing the number of shifts. Also, don't miss the service intervals. If properly used and serviced, they are super reliable.
The following 9 users liked this post by Wilder:
Blu311 (03-09-2022),
chipsterguy (11-07-2022),
daddyscar (09-15-2021),
Fourwheeldrive (09-08-2021),
Ironman88 (11-03-2023),
and 4 others liked this post.
09-14-2021, 08:34 PM
#3
Actually, Audi's PDK used in the Macan have been in the market for about a decade and are reliable if properly serviced. If they're not properly serviced or if they are driven in stop-and-go traffic, they are prone to failure. Porsche loves to replace them because they charge an arm and a leg for them but it's not necessary. I got a common failure code (no reverse and missing a gear) on my 2015 Turbo and Porsche wanted to replace it for $20k. Porsche very generously offered to pick up most of it due to failure at 30k mi, reducing my cost to just $7.5k. I found a VW/Audi PDK specialist who fixed it for $1,500 and it's been working perfectly since. PDKs overheat when they shift too much in stop-and-go traffic. If stuck in traffic, switch to sport mode and that will help by reducing the number of shifts. Also, don't miss the service intervals. If properly used and serviced, they are super reliable.
The following 2 users liked this post by 3-Pedals:
DIYDanCars (10-07-2021),
nemo06 (09-15-2021)
09-14-2021, 10:55 PM
#4
no complain so far with 46k miles on the clock, sometimes the car shift pretty hard when dropping from 2nd to 1st gear,
but I see that happens on two of my near new loaners too so it seems normal
but I see that happens on two of my near new loaners too so it seems normal
The following users liked this post:
coquette (10-05-2021)
09-15-2021, 05:13 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
This is pretty crazy and pretty much would make this car a non-starter for me if I were in market for one. How can you have a "practical" car like Macan but not be able to drive it in stop/go traffic? I'm sure 30-40% of the Macan owners must be either in populated north east or west or Chicago and must be driving their Macans in traffic.
Trending Topics
09-16-2021, 07:01 PM
#8
I think the stop-n'-go problem with the transmission is related to the driver and not the PDK. I'll bet a bunch of Macan drivers are completely unfamiliar with the dual clutch and are guilty of creeping along on a spinning clutch in LA's B2B traffic. Or my personal favorite, they've got the hammer down and turbos cranking on a cold motor and wonder why the head is leaking... You can easily spot 'um, they look like they belong in a RX350.
Last edited by MrMarco; 09-16-2021 at 07:02 PM.
09-16-2021, 09:12 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
You can creep along all you want, you're not going to hurt those clutches. They are bathed in oil.
09-16-2021, 09:44 PM
#10
No really, there are some folks out there who are pulling both paddles back at once, then popping down in some sort of PDK Neutral-Neutron dance. I mean C'Mon MAN! No mass produced transmission clutch is designed to hunt five hundred times in twenty minutes and not have excessive wear from the heat.
09-16-2021, 11:24 PM
#11
Rennlist Member
Oh, it's worse than that, they will deliberately slip the clutches during normal operation to create "virtual" intermediate gears.
In any case, you can sit there doing launch-control starts until you run out of gas or get carsick, so I'm pretty sure the PDK can hack a traffic jam.
In any case, you can sit there doing launch-control starts until you run out of gas or get carsick, so I'm pretty sure the PDK can hack a traffic jam.
The following users liked this post:
MrMarco (09-17-2021)
10-01-2021, 09:34 AM
#12
16 turbo, 50k miles. no pdk issues so far.
10-01-2021, 11:27 AM
#13
Actually, Audi's PDK used in the Macan have been in the market for about a decade and are reliable if properly serviced. If they're not properly serviced or if they are driven in stop-and-go traffic, they are prone to failure. Porsche loves to replace them because they charge an arm and a leg for them but it's not necessary. I got a common failure code (no reverse and missing a gear) on my 2015 Turbo and Porsche wanted to replace it for $20k. Porsche very generously offered to pick up most of it due to failure at 30k mi, reducing my cost to just $7.5k. I found a VW/Audi PDK specialist who fixed it for $1,500 and it's been working perfectly since. PDKs overheat when they shift too much in stop-and-go traffic. If stuck in traffic, switch to sport mode and that will help by reducing the number of shifts. Also, don't miss the service intervals. If properly used and serviced, they are super reliable.
Agree with the FUD post above.
I've been reading these Macan forums since 2016 and cannot recall anyone posting they've had their PDK replaced.
The Owner's Manual warns against using the throttle to hold the vehicle on an incline as it excessively wears the clutches (constantly slipping!). A person
wouldn't do that with a manual transmission unless their goal was to wear out the clutch disk!
As noted above - the Macan PDK is an Audi unit that's been in production for almost a decade.
10-01-2021, 11:38 AM
#14
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Agree with the FUD post above.
I've been reading these Macan forums since 2016 and cannot recall anyone posting they've had their PDK replaced.
The Owner's Manual warns against using the throttle to hold the vehicle on an incline as it excessively wears the clutches (constantly slipping!). A person
wouldn't do that with a manual transmission unless their goal was to wear out the clutch disk!
As noted above - the Macan PDK is an Audi unit that's been in production for almost a decade.
I've been reading these Macan forums since 2016 and cannot recall anyone posting they've had their PDK replaced.
The Owner's Manual warns against using the throttle to hold the vehicle on an incline as it excessively wears the clutches (constantly slipping!). A person
wouldn't do that with a manual transmission unless their goal was to wear out the clutch disk!
As noted above - the Macan PDK is an Audi unit that's been in production for almost a decade.
- 2 to 3 in this thread -https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...nsmission.html
- 2 or 3 more here - https://rennlist.com/forums/991/8056...100-miles.html
- couple more here - https://rennlist.com/forums/991/7834...k-failure.html
- and here - http://www.macanforum.com/forum/engi...failure-2.html
- and here -
- 14 more in here (some may be duplicates of some in the above links) - http://www.planet-9.com/automotive-o...data-here.html
- macan pdk replaced here at 10k miles - https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...-aware-of.html
10-01-2021, 12:17 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
I'm confused. Is the Audi sourced "PDK" a Tiptronic or a true Dopple Koplung as described in the configurator and build sheet?
If a Tip, then ZF sourced, same as the Mercedes and bullet proof.
If a Tip, then ZF sourced, same as the Mercedes and bullet proof.