On Becoming a Macan "Expert"
Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2023 1:06 pm
About a month ago, a 2016 Macan S showed up at the local dealer's auction. It was black over "saddle brown" (think milk chocolate color) and pretty well optioned with 72k miles. Like new condition. It went cheap enough that I bought it ('cause, you know, I'm cheap). Picked it up on Wednesday and by Sunday it was sold (friend of a friend needed a car right away because wreck). I offered her one of the Jaguars (F-Pace & XJ) first, but she stubbornly wanted the Porsche that I literally just freaking got. Macan S, I hardly knew ye.
So, I says to myself "Self, that actually worked out pretty well, so let's get another one." But, there aren't a lot of Macans on the market, and only a few come through the KC auction each year, so I went nationwide on my search. Because I'm in the center of the country, shipping is generally between $500 and $1,000 through the auction.
I joined MacanForum.com, which actually reminds a bit of this place.
Like pretty much every Porsche model ever made, they have some Achilles Heels. And like pretty much every Porsche model ever made, after an initial period of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the aftermarket steps up to fix Porsche's foibles. For example, there is one bolt on each side of the timing chain cover (TCC) that breaks because Porsche made them out of aluminum. Oil commences to leak. Left unchecked, it takes out the alternator and other stuff residing below. Porsche's initial fix was a $12,000, engine-out service to seal the TCC. Flat Six Motorsports came along with a $35 repair kit (two steel screws) that takes about 2 hours to install from on top.
In addition to the aforementioned TCC leak, the transfer cases are crap. There are 2 kinds of Macans - those that have had a transfer case failure and those that will. It's about a $5,600 fix at your friendly neighborhood Porsche retailer. Now, you can get a Genuine Porsche reman transfer case for about $1,450 (plus tax, shipping and core) from a dealer selling parts online (Gaudin Porsche out of Vegas for example), and it's about a 3-hour DIY project. You can also get a Chinese reman for $1,200 with the same 2-year warranty that Genuine Porsche gives you, free shipping and no core charge. Or, lastly, you can buy the parts to rebuild it yourself following DIY threads for about $500. Takes about 2 more hours to rebuild the transfer case on top of the remove & replace time.
Also, the PDK on the Macan is actually an Audi DSG. You know, the ones that stop shifting correctly after a few years. The good news is that there are 2 parts to the tranny: the hardware (gears and such) and the electronics (aka Mechatronic valve body and circuit boards). Apparently, 99% of the time, it's the Mechatronic. It's also a DIY repair - drop the pan and the Mechatronics unit is right there for the swappin'. You can get a rebuilt Mechatronic unit for $700, or you can buy a circuit board repair kit for anywhere from $150 to $580. Plus fluids, it isn't a deal killer. Now, had you taken your Macan to a Porsche dealer, they would quote you $20,000 for a new tranny. That's just how they roll. Although, if it is still under warranty, apparently Porsche will also just do the Mechatronic swap with a new unit costing (Porsche) about $2,800.
Those are the 3 main problems with the Macans. Of course, other stuff can go wrong, but those are the main things, and the car is apparently pretty reliable other than the $12,000 and $5,600 and $20,000 repairs that owners were quoted by the dealers in the first several years of the car's existence.
So, I says to myself "Self, that actually worked out pretty well, so let's get another one." But, there aren't a lot of Macans on the market, and only a few come through the KC auction each year, so I went nationwide on my search. Because I'm in the center of the country, shipping is generally between $500 and $1,000 through the auction.
I joined MacanForum.com, which actually reminds a bit of this place.
Like pretty much every Porsche model ever made, they have some Achilles Heels. And like pretty much every Porsche model ever made, after an initial period of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the aftermarket steps up to fix Porsche's foibles. For example, there is one bolt on each side of the timing chain cover (TCC) that breaks because Porsche made them out of aluminum. Oil commences to leak. Left unchecked, it takes out the alternator and other stuff residing below. Porsche's initial fix was a $12,000, engine-out service to seal the TCC. Flat Six Motorsports came along with a $35 repair kit (two steel screws) that takes about 2 hours to install from on top.
In addition to the aforementioned TCC leak, the transfer cases are crap. There are 2 kinds of Macans - those that have had a transfer case failure and those that will. It's about a $5,600 fix at your friendly neighborhood Porsche retailer. Now, you can get a Genuine Porsche reman transfer case for about $1,450 (plus tax, shipping and core) from a dealer selling parts online (Gaudin Porsche out of Vegas for example), and it's about a 3-hour DIY project. You can also get a Chinese reman for $1,200 with the same 2-year warranty that Genuine Porsche gives you, free shipping and no core charge. Or, lastly, you can buy the parts to rebuild it yourself following DIY threads for about $500. Takes about 2 more hours to rebuild the transfer case on top of the remove & replace time.
Also, the PDK on the Macan is actually an Audi DSG. You know, the ones that stop shifting correctly after a few years. The good news is that there are 2 parts to the tranny: the hardware (gears and such) and the electronics (aka Mechatronic valve body and circuit boards). Apparently, 99% of the time, it's the Mechatronic. It's also a DIY repair - drop the pan and the Mechatronics unit is right there for the swappin'. You can get a rebuilt Mechatronic unit for $700, or you can buy a circuit board repair kit for anywhere from $150 to $580. Plus fluids, it isn't a deal killer. Now, had you taken your Macan to a Porsche dealer, they would quote you $20,000 for a new tranny. That's just how they roll. Although, if it is still under warranty, apparently Porsche will also just do the Mechatronic swap with a new unit costing (Porsche) about $2,800.
Those are the 3 main problems with the Macans. Of course, other stuff can go wrong, but those are the main things, and the car is apparently pretty reliable other than the $12,000 and $5,600 and $20,000 repairs that owners were quoted by the dealers in the first several years of the car's existence.