Leaks

[pwebb]

Well, finally getting to use the extended warranty - a slow coolant leak and a minor oil leak means a fairly substantial engine strip down and new gaskets I guess.
Over the last few months the coolant level light has come on needing a good top up. The OPC couldn't find anything at the last warranty check and since moving house my new local OPC has serviced it and cleaned off the underside of the engine to try and trace the cause. Back today with the warning light on, 2k miles since the service, and sure enough tell tale signs on the bottom of the crankcase with the shroud stripped off. Also a minor oil leakage in the same area. Hopefully a fix for both in a couple of weeks time.

 

[tiskev]

Good luck Peter .Let us know if any probs with extended warranty paying up.

 

[Paulo]

Good luck too... My coolant pipes were replaced recently at a cost of £920.00 at the OPC, but I don't have a warranty.......[]

 

[tiskev]

On another Forum one of the members had probs with a Gearbox (3year old car) Luckily (hopefully) he took out an extra year . The Ins co wanted a sample of oil from the Gearbox and i wondered if it was the start of a wriggle ............

 

[pwebb]

ORIGINAL: Paulo Good luck too... My coolant pipes were replaced recently at a cost of £920.00 at the OPC, but I don't have a warranty.......[]

That's the risk isn't it - warranty for the Cayenne is currently £1290 per annum so you're probably in the black atm.

 

[david_yorkshire]

Mines developed a similar leak too Local garage spent a day looking at it foc and couldn't see where it was coming from Suggested I live with it I'm leaning towards it being the dreaded pipes on top of the head Seems to be very common And when they finally go, they really let go ! Also, very dificult to see if that is where the leak is from without stripping it all down At which point you may as well replace any way as a preventative measure I've just priced up the required parts, and they come to 375. I may do this over the Xmas period, but only if the snow disappears. I can't be without it in these conditions ! David

 

[pwebb]

ORIGINAL: david_yorkshire Mines developed a similar leak too Local garage spent a day looking at it foc and couldn't see where it was coming from Suggested I live with it I'm leaning towards it being the dreaded pipes on top of the head I've just priced up the required parts, and they come to 375. I may do this over the Xmas period, but only if the snow disappears. I can't be without it in these conditions ! David

You're a braver man than me!! But agree that it excels in these conditions - looking out of the window at deep snow and more falling as we speak I know that it'll get me up the local hills where others are stranded.

 

[tiskev]

David your ref to the dreaded pipes? Where would i look for a sign of probs . No warning signals or top ups but your comment "When the go the really go "has me worried it seems inevitable that they will go and i would not like to be on a foreign autoroute at the time and always believed Prevention is better than Cure

 

[david_yorkshire]

thats the rub you cant see the source of the problem, if it is the pipes to get to see them, you need to take the top of the engine off right down to inlets, and remove the injectors they lie in the V between the heads, along with the starter motor (thats another issue - if they are leaking your starter will be flooded too !) From the accounts I've read, when they let go they split, spewing out the entire coolant in seconds so its a shut engine off immediately to prevent overheating damage

 

[tiskev]

Does the Diesel and V6 Petrol versions suffer with the same problems as the 4.5 petrol ?

 

[david_yorkshire]

Not that I'm aware...

 

[pwebb]

Forgot to update but car went in last week. OPC fixed both leaks but as it was under warranty they didn't supply detailed paperwork so can't be more informative. I believe it was manifold gasket related. Still, hopefully all fixed now. They also discovered a rear window switch issue. Not unknown on the Cayenne (!) but this one was different - not the actual switch by the rear wiper, but a break in the circuit embedded in the rear glass. So a new rear window is now on order.

 

[Paulo]

Sounds like a good result....[]

 

[tiskev]

So Peter is the bad news that you might have a Pipe Blow Out to come ?

 

[pwebb]

Who knows - but one thing is for certain, the warranty will be renewed in March. Probably paid for itself this year.

 

[tiskev]

Mine is 7 years old but low miles would i be able to buy a warranty at a somewhere reasonable price ?

 

[Alscoob]

ORIGINAL: tiskev Does the Diesel and V6 Petrol versions suffer with the same problems as the 4.5 petrol ?

Interesting in my V6 I also have to top up the fluid about every three thousand miles or so and when its hot you can really get whiff of the antifreeze smell round the wheel arch area. No signs of a leak though... maybe I'll need to investigate this more !