pdk gearbox
- Thread starter silver s
- Start date
Where did you hear that? You're the 1st I've heard say it...
dereksharpuk
New member
I had one of the very first PDK gearboxes aand had absolutely no trouble with it.
adrian996
New member
There have been a few reports of software problems with the PDK 'boxes. There's a particularly awful tale of some poor guy in Germany who bought a brand new 997.2 with the woeful PDK 'box who's had no end of problems with it. Apparently he pulled out to overtake someone on an A road and the 'box just refused to kick down. Worrying.[&:] He returned it to an OPC in Germany about six times without the problem ever being resolved. The last I heard he was trying to get a full refund on the car. Every car magazine, TV prog., etc has favoured the manual instead of the PDK.
I drove one attached to a 3.6 997.2. I have to say that it was a dreadful experience. There was absolutely no feedback from the gearbox at all. You have no idea of where you are in the gears unless you look at the tiny gear indicator thingy on the 'dash. Trust me, it's far easier and more satisfying to just look down at the transmission tunnel to the left of you to see what's going on. Zero driver involvement.
Try to find a used manual 997.2; you'll struggle. They're all PDKs and they're being off-loaded faster than you can say "change gear now - for God's sake!!!!"
If you're looking for a one-arm, one-leg cruiser that you can just potter about in then the PDK is your 'box of choice.
If you're looking for a 911 then it just has to be a manual.
An automatic 911? See: "Cod and chips, please - and plenty of meconium on the lot, please!!" [
][][]
(There will now probably follow a barrage PDKers who rue the day they ever set eyes on the £85K cars sat on their drives depreciating faster than their house values!!)
I drove one attached to a 3.6 997.2. I have to say that it was a dreadful experience. There was absolutely no feedback from the gearbox at all. You have no idea of where you are in the gears unless you look at the tiny gear indicator thingy on the 'dash. Trust me, it's far easier and more satisfying to just look down at the transmission tunnel to the left of you to see what's going on. Zero driver involvement.
Try to find a used manual 997.2; you'll struggle. They're all PDKs and they're being off-loaded faster than you can say "change gear now - for God's sake!!!!"
If you're looking for a one-arm, one-leg cruiser that you can just potter about in then the PDK is your 'box of choice.
If you're looking for a 911 then it just has to be a manual.
An automatic 911? See: "Cod and chips, please - and plenty of meconium on the lot, please!!" [
][][](There will now probably follow a barrage PDKers who rue the day they ever set eyes on the £85K cars sat on their drives depreciating faster than their house values!!)
No need for a barrage because there are clearly 4 on this page who are happy with their purchase. All I would say is that it is a system you need to spend time with, and not a quick journo test for a mag or TV, to get the best out of it. As for the second comment mine has been on track half a dozen times and it does both cruising and the fast stuff very well - and seldom does it ever get to "potter"[
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dereksharpuk
New member
Adrian,
You want a manual 911.... well buy one. Nothing to stop you.
Personally I'm with Alan and the rest of those drivers who know what they are talking about. You really have to drive the car for a good 1000 miles before you get used to it. Then it is brilliant. Bottom line, don't knock it until you have driven it a decent distance.
By the way, why do F1 cars not have manual gearboxes?
Why does the Ferrari California or 458 Italia have PDK type gearboxes?
The reason is that they are far more efficient!
But if you want to live in the dark ages, buy a 3.2 Carrera. Nice car, but no ABS, no power steering, no air bags. Go on, do it, you know it makes sense [
]Mind you, I agree with you on one point. The 997 does depreciate at a disgraceful rate. However, I have to say that PDK cars are fetching more than manual ones. So there! [
]
adrian996
New member
Guys. I have a feeling that we've been here before....? It's not personal, it's just an opinion. I do own a manual 911. I'd love to own a 997.2 911 (in manual) as I think it's an awesome car. May be one day I will.
Derek: I very sorry, but the reason they put PDK 'boxes and the like in racing cars is because they're trying to win races in them. The gearbox is designed to do clinical job; change gear as quickly as possible with the minimal loss of power - which I'm sure yours does. What (IMHO) they don't do is provide the same experience as manual cars do.
This post asked for opinions and experiences on PDK 'boxes. This is mine.
There's no need to get so defensive, guys. If you're happy then great! You've made the right choice for you. For me they're a novelty that's already worn off.
I have to say that's it very amusing when people discount things that the journos say when they're less than complimentary![
][]
dereksharpuk
New member
Aaah, well of course your opinions are valid, but only if they are based on experience. How many miles have you actually driven a PDK Porsche? Maybe if you drive one more than a 1000 miles you might change your mind; maybe not. We are all different, but how can you say that PDK is a novelty that has worn off, if you have not even really tried it? [
]True that PDK is designed to be efficient. True most petrol heads like to be in control, change gear when they want and some like to play with an old fashioned gear lever.
But my friend, you miss the point. All that is indeed possible with PDK. This is not some old fashioned automatic. It is a clutchless manual. True one can stuff it into manual and forget it. Great in a traffic jam. But on an open B road one can change gear whenever one likes. You can hold it in 1st until the rev limiter. You can toodle along in 7th gear at slow speed. You can change down for a sharp corner and hold it there throughout the acceleration out of that corner. You can actually change gear with your right foot. Or your left hand.
Adrian, with PDK you lose nothing but gain everything.
Oh, by the way, I'm not being defensive, just educational [
]
We're going a bit off the OP's topic here, discussing the PDK's merits rather than it reliability. I read a lot of forums (three regularly) and haven't read a single post (other than this one!) that mentioned problems with the box. It is, of course, an incredibly complex bit of kit and long term I don't know what the arrangements would be for service - I suspect its something that would end up being swapped out rather than worked on. Should my next Porsche have PDK, I would certainly expect to extend the warranty beyond the original 2 years - the option might be only a couple of grand, but I suspect a swap-out box might cost considerably more!
Now that's very true!ORIGINAL: adrian996
Guys. I have a feeling that we've been here before....?
I have to say that's it very amusing when people discount things that the journos say when they're less than complimentary
My PDK has been utterly reliable - for me it is great. I have had a long line of tiptronic 911s and did large mileages in them including one of the first tips in a 964 which I kept for about 8 years. never had a days trouble with any of them.
I was enthralled with the PDK last July when I attended a Porsche marketing event at thier Silverstone circuit. I had had no intention of changing my gen1 tip 997 but after the day at Silverstone I was a changed man.
I was enthralled with the PDK last July when I attended a Porsche marketing event at thier Silverstone circuit. I had had no intention of changing my gen1 tip 997 but after the day at Silverstone I was a changed man.
Getting back to the reliabilty issue. My PDK was registered 1st july 2008 it's done 12500 miles and has not missed a beat. I use it every day for work and drives like a dream. However, there are those two little buttons on the centre console that say sport and sport plus and once you press these you start to get an idea of what a brilliant box the PDK is. I've driven tiptronics and manuels and IMO this is the best by far.
dereksharpuk
New member
Well I think the above just about answers Richard's question about relabilty, though I did hear that PDK software had been updated between me buying my first PDK and the second.
Bottom line, we have yet to hear from anybody who owns a PDK car that is not more than delighted with it! That says a lot. []
Bottom line, we have yet to hear from anybody who owns a PDK car that is not more than delighted with it! That says a lot. [
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the porsche tutor on my half day in an "s" pdk certainly convinced me you could have LOTS of fun with a pdk[]
most of the afternoon was spent sideways having a hoot......
all the pros and very few(if any)of the cons of a manual is what he thought,after several thousand miles in one on road and track.
have to say i didnt disagree!!
]most of the afternoon was spent sideways having a hoot......
all the pros and very few(if any)of the cons of a manual is what he thought,after several thousand miles in one on road and track.
have to say i didnt disagree!!
garyw
Moderator
We are discussing reliability to answer the OP question. [8|]
I do remember reading about the German guys problem with his PDK, very vocal and never heard the outcome..
Other than that I have only heard of one other issue regarding a reverse selection problem. That was as far as I'm aware resolved to a happy conclusion
Plenty of happy owners from a reliability point of view.
There were issues with the VW PDK as in the Golf etc... that were widely publicised, however much of that may have been jurnos and public perception of what it should be doing.[]
garyw
I do remember reading about the German guys problem with his PDK, very vocal and never heard the outcome..
Other than that I have only heard of one other issue regarding a reverse selection problem. That was as far as I'm aware resolved to a happy conclusion
Plenty of happy owners from a reliability point of view.
There were issues with the VW PDK as in the Golf etc... that were widely publicised, however much of that may have been jurnos and public perception of what it should be doing.[
]garyw
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