Cayman 718 Daily Driver

[StephenJW]

I was in no rush, and the Motorway was quite busy so it was a steady 70 most of the way apart from that awful 20 odd miles of camera controlled 50 mph. My 718 had 5,500 miles on the clock and was running on Shell V-Power.

I don't have evidence of the economy on the drive up, but here's the drive back - 39.9 mpg on an emptier motorway!

 

[Fudgie]

Had feedback from Ashley at Bristol Porsche earlier this week, after looking at the same pic's as posted here, apparently my lights are not deemed bad enough by the warranty people! The official line is 'Condensation in the light units is acceptable if it disappears after 30 mins of driving at over 30 mph with the lights on'! Can't be bothered to argue with them at present as it's not going to be a problem over the next 4 months or so, but come the Autumn I will be back to them as I know it will be worse from my experience this winter, I just stupidly didn't take any photo's until recently.

Had another strange experience over the weekend, on start up (& for only about the first 5 mins of running) there was a periodic rotary rubbing / grinding noise coming from the front bumper, louder to the left of the front number plate, this problem lasted a couple of days and then got worse before going away completely. Mentioned this to Ashley at the same time as the light unit conversation, his diagnosis was that a stone may have become trapped in the air-con condenser fan, sounds plausible & probably why people fit the metal mesh grills on previous generation models? Anyone know if there will be / or are some available for the 718 as the units behind are very exposed, but why don't Porsche produce the cars with something betters that a couple of plastic fins covering this area... plastic mesh effect grills as fitted by most other manufacturers would be much better?

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

Just to clarify, when you say N/S damper you mean Shock absorber? They replaced just the one ? !

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Although the interior quality is very good I have found that the near side seat belt buckle bangs

on both the side of the passenger seat and the plastic housing on the B pillar when the belt is not in use.This is really annoying especially on cross country driving where changes of direction cause the belt to yo-yo from side accompanied by a banging noise.

Problem solved by two self adhesive felt pads (or insisting on being accompanied by a passenger at all times!) but really should not have to do this on a new £60K motor.

As noted on earlier posts I noticed a bit of fogging on the rear light clusters after washing the car. Went away after a while , not really been out in any heavy rain so not sure if there is a problem with this. I will monitor this. I suppose there has to be some airflow to prevent condensation.

 

[Fudgie]

Yep, the n/s shock absorber was replaced at circa 3,000 mile due to 'premature wear', hadn't noticed anything but picked up during OPC routine checks when the car was in for another fault, I'm assuming the o/s one was/is ok as cars now on 7,500 miles.

I too have noticed the passenger seatbelt banging on the b-pillar & hard shell seat back when not in use, so far my solution to this has been to slide the plastic thingy (haven't got a clue what to call it) up with the bucket until it's held in place at the top, but again as said above and in my previous posts not good enough for the money.

Another major design fault seems to be with the tailgate, which after a rain storm upon opening allows water to run off into the boot.

Maybe I'm being over critical of the car but after 5 months there has been too many niggles & disappointments which I've not experienced the like of with my previous cars. A feeling not helped by the fact that this is the most expensive car I've bought and my expectation was much higher than the reality experienced, however I can't fault the driving experience ;-)!

 

[Motorhead]

As you've found out Jon, just because it's an expensive car and niche vehicle doesn't mean that the design's faultless.

In fact, with a relatively small design and development team compared with major manufacturers I'd say that it's likely that there could be more design flaws. It'll be interesting to see if things improve as Porsche becomes integrated fully into the VAG.

Good to hear that you're enjoying the driving experience, which is what these cars are about.

Jeff

 

[Fudgie]

Hi,

Thought I do an update as I've had my Cayman just over a year. The car's now on 15.5k and is still driven daily come rain or shine & in particular this winter snow... Typical that for the past 3 (relatively mild) winters I've had an Audi S3 with luxury of four wheel drive and the year I go for a rear wheel drive sports car as my daily driver the Cotswolds all to frequently resembles the Alps. Fortunately at around 13k (end of November) I had some new P-Zero's fitted, which although not exactly 'winter tyres' and certainly not the favoured choice amongst members of this forum I think they've performed well. I had the new boots fitted by my local OPC as they price matched the best I could find online and gave me a discounted on an alignment check, surprisingly only the n/s/r was out of tolerance (don't ask me any specific geo stuff as that type of thing goes straight over my head), plus received the usual (& much needed) wash & vac. At the same time they carried out a health check and found a fault code relating the the turbo pressure switch, also the PCM needed a update, the car was booked in for early Jan as they would need it for 3 days apparently. So a lovely yellow Cayman with only 150 miles on the clock was mine for a few days, as it was a PDK and had a different array of options it was good to compare. In particular I think the build quality and some of the cabin materials have improved since my early car was produced, however it was still nice to get back into my nicely 'run in' car and enjoy giving it a good workout on the way home. A bonus was that the increasingly annoying boot rattle had been fixed by replacement of a loose bump stop on the tailgate.

The cars running well and still has nearly 5k or 7 months until the first service & brake fluid change is due, so running cost to date are pretty minimal considering, other than a set of tyres, road tax and fuel (usual returning early to mid 30's mpg on the fast A & B-roads I mostly travel on). It's proved very practical with the boot's easily swallowing cases and bags on airport runs and weekends away etc and even a small Christmas tree was squeezed in the back once the load covers was removed.

As is usually the case after about a year I've been getting itchy feet, but what to change it for is the question, my local Audi dealer tried to temped me back with a RS3 but it only took a brief test drive to confirm that even with its magnificent engine the driving experience was numb in comparison. However, what that test drive confirmed most was that 'I love my Porsche', even with the slightly flaky build quality, the driving experience and pure pleasure of owning a car that makes you feel special (even on a dreary dark Monday morning) never dies. So as my partner reminded me the other day, don't worry about 'what next' just enjoy it as it's a car most people only dream of driving and I get to do it every day!

 

[Brian_Innes]

A good write-up Fudgie.

You've done more miles than me, I've done almost 10k miles in 12 months with my 718 CS PDK. Fuel consumption for me averages out at 28.2 mpg. Like you, my driving is on fast A & B roads that follow the contours of the land as you will imagine from my Highland location. I use Sport mode most of the time and manual shift the gears using the paddles or the central stick. 500 of my annual miles have been on track days, which is my thing, when MPG falls to 10.0mpg, which obviously impacts upon the average for the year.

As for faults, I have had none at all. I have no lens condensation or cabin quality complaints at all, and no error codes to my knowledge as yet. As you will know, my car is driven hard on the track days, and thankfully without any ill effects whatsoever. I am on my second oil change and second set of tyres. The Pirelli P-Zero N1 are a big improvement on the previous N0 version. My car is kept in the garage during the salty winter roads in the Highlands so I can't verify P-Zero N1 grip in the snow. For this year, I've fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S N0 for the coming track day season. I'll be reporting back on the track performance of these specialist tyres later on my own thread.

Itchy feet? What else could you buy after a Cayman? Another Cayman?

Brian

 

[Fudgie]

Thanks Brian, I have enjoyed your thread too although you & the other contributors have a lot more knowledge than me, especially regarding track work but its good to know whats possible with these cars.

Although my OPC would never acknowledge it, I'm sure the quality niggles on my car are due to it being from an early batch, this was mentioned by my local Audi dealer when they doing some costings on a possible swap for an RS3, apparently a couple of OPC's they contacted reference trade-in values mentioned it being an 'early build' car... I'm sure if it was a lightly used 'garage queen' some of the issues wouldn't have been picked up. Anyhow, the build quality maybe a little below my expectation but the driving experience more than makes up for it and makes the short list for a replacement very short!

As you say, what to replace a Cayman with? another Cayman? maybe a lightly spec'd GTS or currently I'm having naughty thought about the new Carrera T however this would involve some serious 'man maths' and negotiation with my better half... []

 

[Brian_Innes]

As a matter of interest, where was your car built? You can identify this from the VIN. After WPOZZZ98, there will be some letters. My car was built in Zuffenhausen Stuttgart, and has the letters ZHS before the final 6 numbers on the VIN. It was built in November 2016.

Just one more observation I forgot to mention, my car uses no oil between changes. As I mentioned I changed my engine oil and filter after running-in at 6000 miles. The oil level was still at the maximum mark, and I have not required to top up since. I always tell the techie at my oil changes to fill the oil up the maximum mark. Sometimes OPC's don't always do this.

Thinking about a 911 T? Nah, you'll miss the convenience of the hatchback, and cleaning the inside of the rear window in a 911 is a real pain! Keep the maths affordable and go for a Cayman..........your better half will enjoy choosing holidays with the freed up funds.

Brian

 

[Fudgie]

Hi Brian,

I've checked my vin plate and my car too has ZHS so was built Zuffenhausen Stuttgart, off the top of my head I can't remember the exact registration date but it was in September 16 so would think probably an August build?

Think I'll be sticking with the Cayman for a bit longer, at least until some demo GTS's come on the market later in the year!

Your not wrong about the holidays, I'm already getting 'we haven't booked a winter sun' one...!

 

[gronk1967]

I'm only 500miles in so imagine will start to bed in soon and getting 31.8 mpg on my 12 mile mixed commute...not done any really long runs yet but spotted >36mpg on a recent blast up/down part of the A1...the PDK makes it all to easy to be in licence losing territory tho...may be on a more controlled run to the parents this weekend so will keep an eye on the mpg.

 

[StephenJW]

Hi Brian,

I've checked my vin plate and my car too has ZHS so was built Zuffenhausen Stuttgart, off the top of my head I can't remember the exact registration date but it was in September 16 so would think probably an August build?

Think I'll be sticking with the Cayman for a bit longer, at least until some demo GTS's come on the market later in the year!

Your not wrong about the holidays, I'm already getting 'we haven't booked a winter sun' one...!

Probably July like my 718 Boxter, I don't think that they built any in August (factory shutdown)

 

[Fudgie]

Well, at the end of last week my 718 milometer turned over the 20k mark, earlier in the week it had been dispatched to OPC Bristol for it's first service. I opted to have the Brake Fluid changed early (due at 2 yrs apparently but not long until her 2nd birthday in September so to save hassle of booking a separate appointment in a few months I thought I'd get it done at the same time) and to have the Air-Con 'serviced' as they suggested, not sure it's competently necessary but as I have it on all the time (I find the car mists up badly in the winter with out it) thought I'd push the boat out and get it done.

The work was done and the car given a clean bill of health on the multi-point inspection sheet(s), one note was that the brake pads are only 30% worn and the disks 1.'something' mm of meat left until they need changing (bit too techy this for me but the service engineer seemed happy so I'm assuming this is good). Maybe I'm not driving it hard enough...? but at least I'll hopefully escape changing the pads & disks before I chop her in for my next motor.

Cost wise the initial quote of £875 all in was a little bit eye watering but a healthy £118 club discount (made up of -10% on parts and a bit of dealer good will) softened the blow and certainly made being a member worthwhile.

Also, a few months ago I mentioned on another post that I was a little disappointed that the wiper arms had started to corrode around the hinge point, the OPC warranty engineer agreed and a new set of wiper arms are now on order and will be fitted later this week.

So the cars feeling fresh & going great and it appears all the initial niggles have now been ironed out, I intend to enjoy at least another year of fun in her with a view to potentially changing sometime next year.

Anyone else had their 718 serviced yet, my OPC said they've only had a couple in so far.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Fudgie,

My 718 CS was also serviced yesterday at my request having done 12,500 miles and 5 track days. Oil and filter change, brake fluid change, (also ahead of time) and new pads front and rear. My brake pads were all 50% worn. I have posted a photo and more details on my own thread in this forum.

Regarding the discs, my discs are still good and do not need replacing. I had a conversation with the techie about this, and OPC's will recommend replacing the discs if they are showing 1.5mm of wear from the OE thickness when new. By far the most common reason for replacing discs is corrosion caused by not drying your brakes after washing the car. Cars which are parked out in the open are also more susceptible to disc corrosion, than those which are garaged. Discs also benefit from a good buffing now and again by way of a few heavy braking stops from 60-70 mph at least. If you don't do track days, you can do this on the approach to dual carriageway roundabouts if traffic conditions are safe. Bulky 4X4's have the brake lights on before the first approach marker. If no one is close behind, you can safely leave your braking until the last marker in your Porsche. This firm braking action now and again keeps the discs nice and clean.

Your service bill of £875 seems quite hefty bearing in mind the work undertaken. My service bill was £499 plus the cost of the full set of brake pads, sensors, and fitting kits which cost me an additional £440 with PC discount.

Brian

 

[Fudgie]

Thanks for the braking tip Brian, I'm off to melton mowbray this weekend to will give her some spirited on route!

From memory the service was £545, the brake fluid about £100 and the air-con service £195 plus sundries made it up to £875 before discount which did sound expensive, but then the car has done 20k so not too bad when calculated at cost per mile...

 

[Fudgie]

Well, new 'warranty' grills (& apparently various changes to the air intake ducting according to the Service Desk) fitted and first impression are... that they are as cheap & naff looking as they appear in the pictures... but at least they can't be seen at a casual glance.

With regard to Porsche Swindon (not used them before but having moved recently they are closer to home than Porsche Bristol so thought I'd give them a try), nice new-ish big showroom with very few 'brand new' cars on display (1 boxster, 1 911 & 2 cayenne), the rest used models and a couple of classics, is this a sign that the WLTP debacle has depleted stock to virtually nil new cars being available... Anyway, staff friendly, the usual coffee in a china cup & saucer with biccy on the side plus comfy sofa, TV & wifi to reduce the 1hr & 30 mins boredom whilst waiting was nice. Car completed and I went to leave, initial thoughts were not washed or vac'd as is usually the case at Bristol when my cars been in for work, my second thought was to check the work, on peering thought the vents recess I could see the new (cheap looking) grill with leaf trapped behind! Not overly impressed I returned to the service desk where the guy apologised and took the car back around to the workshop, upon return 5 minutes later he assured me that the intake area had been vacuumed prior to fitting and the leaf must of 'dropped down from somewhere'... He also stated that the grills are removable for cleaning etc, but looking at them I'm guessing you wouldn't do this too many times before they break!

In summary, pretty poor quality grills fitted along with some 'who know's' what revisions to the air intake ducting and I will probably drive a bit further & stick with Porsche Bristol in the future.

 

[Fudgie]

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to see if anyone else has experienced my latest problem...

Over the Christmas & NY break my 718 spent a week having a well deserved rest on the drive. Yesterday when I started her up for the 40 ish mile round trip to Bristol the heater decided not to blow any air, I actually didn’t realise this until about a mile into my journey when the windows started misting up. It wasn’t until midway through my return journey that the blower decided to kick in, so about 30 miles & an hour ish later. I had this once before but it only lasted 10 mins max until the blower started. The display is on & buttons all light up but nothing happens, a call to Porsche Bristol is due!

Also, on opening my inbox this morning I was greeted by an invitation from Porsche Bristol to the Porsche Experience at Silverstone, as I missed out on this when I bought the car I jumped at the opportunity & I’m now booked in for Tuesday 29th January. A nice surprise & I’m really looking forward to it, although slightly sceptical that as my car is 3 yrs old this year there is a hidden addenda in showing & letting me drive shinny new models...

 

[Motorhead]

Oddly enough Jon there’s just been a post on the 991 forum covering the same issue when the car was laid up for a few weeks.

It’s a common enough problem with the 981/991-series cars which appears to have continued with the 718. You just need to access the fan from the bonnet area and give it a spin but it’s probably best to have a word with your dealer and get them to rectify the problem.

Jeff

 

[Fudgie]

Thanks Jeff, just read the 991 post. As mines in regular use it probably won’t happen again until I go on holiday next. All was fine yesterday & this morning. I’ll just give the fan a twiddle next time and mention it to OPC when it’s in for tyres / service next as can’t be faffed taking it back at the mo. Just another Porsche quirk I suppose...