Turbo service and Macan 4 loaner

[daveo4EV]

well team - after a fairly blissful 12,792 miles and two major road trips (Road Trip 1, Road Trip 2) in less than a year it's come time to bring the 2024 Macan Turbo EV in for it's first service since being picked up from PECATL in Nov. of 2024 - nothing major but a couple of warranty issues and pending recalls made me do it…

I had this service "scheduled" as an appointment so a Loaner was requested and provided!!! Bonus - Macan 4 EV Loaner!!!!

My impressions of loaner are:

• well equipped - all options checked - minus: Full leather, headliner, sun visors
  • loaner has: massage, passenger display, hud, power charge port doors, air suspension, etc
  • I can't tell if it has RWS or not
  • but when this gets cycled on to the used market it will be "nicely equipped"
• Macan 4 - acceleration is muted but ample - it's not my Turbo - but it only seems to suffer "off the line" - once you're at speed the car is responsive and down right quick - this surprised me - the 4 is plenty quick and vs. most ICE SUV's nearly high performance
• it's early days on the loaner - but my impression is the 22" wheels make the ride a bit more bouncy vs. my Turbo w/20" wheels - but it's still really good
  • could be tire pressure - PSI is pretty high all around on all 4 tires - do I dare mess with tire pressure on a loaner?
• Gentian blue is still one of my favorite colors - looks so good on this car
• Loaner has the wheels I simply could not bring myself to pay for - I really like them and their look on this car - 22" Exclusive Design Wheels (Silver) $4920
  • I wanted to option the CF version of these wheels $8,960 - I decided nearly $10k for wheels was excessive and 22" ride quality and range hit was a reasonable compromise - but I still love their look and they are undeniably the best wheels in terms of appearance
• personally I would miss the "full leather" - there are bits of interior trim that are simply medium grade plastic on the loaner
• headliner is fine but lacks the upgraded feel of the headliner in my Turbo
• the plastic sun visors just feel cheap on a car at this price point
• my experience with the 4's "power performance" has surprised me in a pleasant way - but confirms my assertion that for me personally the 4S (or a future GTS) Macan EV has simply got to be the "sweet spot" - while the 4 will do it for most people - I've got to believe the 4S (or a potential GTS) would be the best spot in the line up…

Services are as follows - 2 items from me - and 10,782 items from Porsche in terms of Pending updates - I'll report when car is returned and final service invoice is produced

• CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE COMFORT ACCESS IS NO LONGER WORKING ON THE DRIVER SIDE. WILL NOT AUTO UNLOCK, LOCK ETC..PLEASE INSPECT AND REPORT
• CUSTOMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A chassis error - ride level adjustment WAS disabled FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT. PLEASE INSPECTAND REPORT
• ARC5 recall campaign Re-coding main control unit for body electronics (HCP4)and control unit for headlights Re-code main control unit for body electronics (HCP4). For vehicles with country-specific equipment C36 Canada, the control units for headlights (MX14, MX15) and the control units for auxiliary headlights (MX1, sMX2) must also be re-coded. Information The minimum programming requirement is PIWIS Tester software release 43.000.040 (or higher). Information The prerequisite for this action is the successful implementation of the campaign WRM0 Update to software network VR28.11. If software network 28.11 has not yet been installed on the respective vehicle, this must be done before carrying out the present action here. SCOPE 1 74TU, SCOPE 2 74TU
• ASA3 Re-Program Reversing Camera Control Unit and, if necessary, Replace Reversing Camera and Surround View Cameras (Recall Campaign) In rare cases, the reversing camera of the affected vehicles cannot be activated when ParkAssist is switched on due to a software error. In addition, with a very small number of affected vehicles, it is possible that the housing of the reversing camera and individual surround view cameras in the surround view equipment option were not bonded as per default value specifications. As a result, no camera image is displayed in the central display when ParkAssist is activated contrary to the default value specifications. If the camera housing is not bonded correctly, moisture can penetrate and impair the camera image. Action: Reprogram reversing camera control unit using the PIWIS Tester and replace reversing camera and individual surround view cameras if necessary. Each vehicle was assigned exactly to one scope that includes the actions required for each vehicle. PIWIS Tester software release 43.300.040 (or higher) SCOPE 1-127TU, 2-25TU, 3-230TU, 4-556TU, 5-271TU, 6-271TU, 7-597TU, 8-597TU, 9-312TU, 10-639TU
• WSD0 - Install Upgrade to the Software Network VR28.11 (Workshop Campaign) Additional software optimizations are available for various control units for the Macan Electric. An overview of the changes that will be implemented with the software update can be found in the appendix under ? Technical Information 'Overview of software update changes'. Action: Perform reprogramming of the affected vehicle using the PIWIS Tester on the incremented software network VR28.11. Information The minimum programming requirement is the PIWIS Tester software release 43.300.010 (or higher). Information The prerequisite for this action is the successful implementation of the campaign WRM0 Update to software network VR28.11. If software network 28.11 has not yet been installed on the respective vehicle, this must be done before carrying out the present action here. Read TI WRM0 for details on this. SCOPE 1 147TU

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[daveo4EV]

I'll report back when car is returned - also we'll see how long this service "takes"

• the comfort access problem seems to confuse the service manager - probably a real issue there and may need parts orders - we'll see
• the recalls are expected and time consuming - prosche is being billed for all the shop labor for these updates
  • the lack of effective OTA is not only annoying but expensive for Porsche raising their costs
• the chassis error that occurred from July 16-21 cleared itself - so probably nothing to learn there or "fix" - but they will check out the codes
  • service advisor suggested a good full power reboot may "fix a lot of issues" - and that there are a lot of problems "fixed" by software updates which will be done to my car
• service advisor noted there are a lot of transient problems with the Macan's but the software update address a world of sins - but it's blind faith that software update will address any specific issue - these digital cars are increasingly complex and software being root cause for problem removes any deterministic problem resolution when it's software faults causing any specific issue -

my prediction is it will take a week before car is returned to me - more if they have to order parts for the comfort access issue…

we'll see.

 

[tmrqs]

The Chassis Level error simply requires unplugging the battery and letting it sit for a little bit. It’s been detailed here previously, “just” an annoying software glitch.

The ARC5, ASA3 and WSD0 recalls are a matter of a couple of hours, nothing crazy there either, got them done in a morning.

The first item may take them time to identify though and likely what could extend the service duration.

 

[Diego]

Thanks for your post @daveo4EV, detailed as always.
I want to add my experience too since I just got back my 4 after someone tried to enter from the side back window. Since it has to be replaced I asked to have also my other minor issues solved and software update.
They gave me a wonderful Provence 4 with 22" (but without many of the optionals I have on y 4). I have to say that I'm happy about how Porsche "handled" my request and offered to waive the €100 deductible that my insurance company would have charged me.
The loaner was a 2024 Macan 4 with around 24000 km (5K less than mine) but perfect in aesthetics and performance (yes I know it's not a Turbo but I'm fine with 4 performance). I have to say that I'm happy to not have spec'd 22" but 21" since I found them, as @daveo4EV wrote, a little too bouncy.
About the range, well I think that it's not the car people use with care but It matched my consumption.
About my issue they told me they fixed them all BUT yesterday evening I discovered it was not:

• left manual charging port doesn't close when you close the car. They told me the changed the part but it's still the same
• noise panoramic roof when close: lubricated and realigned. No more noise at the monet.
• noisy brake: since most of the speed reduction is made by electric motors brake pads can become oxidized, and when braking, an unpleasant sound is emitted. Clean (the pads are still 100% after 27,000 km) and it is recommended to perform some “serious” braking from time to time.
• Plug&charge worked 1/20 times: they reset the car and check and everything is set as it should. I have to try.

They told me the performed the update but I don't know how to check this. No additional features (as already pointed out by others who have already upgraded) and no noticeable improvements.

I dropped off my car on Monday morning and picked it up on Thursday morning. I could have kept the loaner until Friday evening, but since I was able to pick it up, I preferred to accommodate the dealer.

At the moment, my experience (this being my first Porsche) has been positive in terms of both the level of service and customer care (and I am aware that mine is one of the least expensive Porsches and certainly not a 911 GT3 RS).

 

[shawn]

well team - after a fairly blissful 12,792 miles and two major road trips (Road Trip 1, Road Trip 2) in less than a year it's come time to bring the 2024 Macan Turbo EV in for it's first service since being picked up from PECATL in Nov. of 2024 - nothing major but a couple of warranty issues and pending recalls made me do it…

I had this service "scheduled" as an appointment so a Loaner was requested and provided!!! Bonus - Macan 4 EV Loaner!!!!

My impressions of loaner are:

• well equipped - all options checked - minus: Innodrive, Full leather, headliner, sun visors
  • loaner has: massage, passenger display, hud, power charge port doors, air suspension, etc
  • I can't tell if it has RWS or not
  • but when this gets cycled on to the used market it will be "nicely equipped"
• Macan 4 - acceleration is muted but ample - it's not my Turbo - but it only seems to suffer "off the line" - once you're at speed the car is responsive and down right quick - this surprised me - the 4 is plenty quick and vs. most ICE SUV's nearly high performance
• it's early days on the loaner - but my impression is the 22" wheels make the ride a bit more bouncy vs. my Turbo w/20" wheels - but it's still really good
  • could be tire pressure - PSI is pretty high all around on all 4 tires - do I dare mess with tire pressure on a loaner?
• Gentian blue is still one of my favorite colors - looks so good on this car
• Loaner has the wheels I simply could not bring myself to pay for - I really like them and their look on this car - 22" Exclusive Design Wheels (Silver) $4920
  • I wanted to option the CF version of these wheels $8,960 - I decided nearly $10k for wheels was excessive and 22" ride quality and range hit was a reasonable compromise - but I still love their look and they are undeniably the best wheels in terms of appearance
• personally I would miss the "full leather" - there are bits of interior trim that are simply medium grade plastic on the loaner
• headliner is fine but lacks the upgraded feel of the headliner in my Turbo
• the plastic sun visors just feel cheap on a car at this price point
• my experience with the 4's "power performance" has surprised me in a pleasant way - but confirms my assertion that for me personally the 4S (or a future GTS) Macan EV has simply got to be the "sweet spot" - while the 4 will do it for most people - I've got to believe the 4S (or a potential GTS) would be the best spot in the line up…

Services are as follows - 2 items from me - and 10,782 items from Porsche in terms of Pending updates - I'll report when car is returned and final service invoice is produced

• CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE COMFORT ACCESS IS NO LONGER WORKING ON THE DRIVER SIDE. WILL NOT AUTO UNLOCK, LOCK ETC..PLEASE INSPECT AND REPORT
• CUSTOMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A chassis error - ride level adjustment WAS disabled FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT. PLEASE INSPECTAND REPORT
• ARC5 recall campaign Re-coding main control unit for body electronics (HCP4)and control unit for headlights Re-code main control unit for body electronics (HCP4). For vehicles with country-specific equipment C36 Canada, the control units for headlights (MX14, MX15) and the control units for auxiliary headlights (MX1, sMX2) must also be re-coded. Information The minimum programming requirement is PIWIS Tester software release 43.000.040 (or higher). Information The prerequisite for this action is the successful implementation of the campaign WRM0 Update to software network VR28.11. If software network 28.11 has not yet been installed on the respective vehicle, this must be done before carrying out the present action here. SCOPE 1 74TU, SCOPE 2 74TU
• ASA3 Re-Program Reversing Camera Control Unit and, if necessary, Replace Reversing Camera and Surround View Cameras (Recall Campaign) In rare cases, the reversing camera of the affected vehicles cannot be activated when ParkAssist is switched on due to a software error. In addition, with a very small number of affected vehicles, it is possible that the housing of the reversing camera and individual surround view cameras in the surround view equipment option were not bonded as per default value specifications. As a result, no camera image is displayed in the central display when ParkAssist is activated contrary to the default value specifications. If the camera housing is not bonded correctly, moisture can penetrate and impair the camera image. Action: Reprogram reversing camera control unit using the PIWIS Tester and replace reversing camera and individual surround view cameras if necessary. Each vehicle was assigned exactly to one scope that includes the actions required for each vehicle. PIWIS Tester software release 43.300.040 (or higher) SCOPE 1-127TU, 2-25TU, 3-230TU, 4-556TU, 5-271TU, 6-271TU, 7-597TU, 8-597TU, 9-312TU, 10-639TU
• WSD0 - Install Upgrade to the Software Network VR28.11 (Workshop Campaign) Additional software optimizations are available for various control units for the Macan Electric. An overview of the changes that will be implemented with the software update can be found in the appendix under ? Technical Information 'Overview of software update changes'. Action: Perform reprogramming of the affected vehicle using the PIWIS Tester on the incremented software network VR28.11. Information The minimum programming requirement is the PIWIS Tester software release 43.300.010 (or higher). Information The prerequisite for this action is the successful implementation of the campaign WRM0 Update to software network VR28.11. If software network 28.11 has not yet been installed on the respective vehicle, this must be done before carrying out the present action here. Read TI WRM0 for details on this. SCOPE 1 147TU

So I was thinking about getting a set of the 22” wheels but it seems like at least a few people have noted that the ride quality is too bouncy. I’m just curious if other people are finding a big difference in ride quality between the 20s and the 22s because while I like the look of the 22 inches I don’t like the thought of giving up ride quality. What are your thoughts and experiences?

 

[CandianPorsche83]

I have 22” and noticed they were bouncy. It’s tolerable for me however I will be switching to 20” winters so will definitely be able to tell the difference over a sustained period of time.

 

[daveo4EV]

So I was thinking about getting a set of the 22” wheels but it seems like at least a few people have noted that the ride quality is too bouncy. I’m just curious if other people are finding a big difference in ride quality between the 20s and the 22s because while I like the look of the 22 inches I don’t like the thought of giving up right quality. What are your thoughts and experiences?

I did a "blind" test - after I got home with the loaner - we had to run some errands - put the wife in the loaner with me for the errands - she tends not to notice things like wheels and such unless you point them out…

we have bumpy roads near us - and we drove our normal route - one both of our butts are well attuned as to "by-the-seat-of-your-pants-ride-quality"…

unprompted and uninformed - wife asked:

"does this loaner not have air suspension? it seems to ride worse that ours"

NOTE: I'm so proud - when we were first dating/married wife knew less about cars - air suspension or the finer points of automotive options - over the years she has become quite sophisticated in her automotive tastes and now notices certain things that would've been blissfully ignored in her younger days - yes she now demands a higher quality automobile

I then told her it does have air suspension but that I thought it might be the 22" wheels

YMMV but there you have it.

 

[shawn]

I did a "blind" test - after I got home with the loaner - we had to run some errands - put the wife in the loaner with me for the errands - she tends not to notice things like wheels and such unless you point them out…

we have bumpy roads near us - and we drove our normal route - one both of our butts are well attuned as to "by-the-seat-of-your-pants-ride-quality"…

unprompted and uninformed - wife asked:

"does this loaner not have air suspension? it seems to ride worse that ours"

NOTE: I'm so proud - when we were first dating/married wife knew less about cars - air suspension or the finer points of automotive options - over the years she has become quite sophisticated in her automotive tastes and now notices certain things that would've been blissfully ignored in her younger days - yes she now demands a higher quality automobile

I then told her it does have air suspension but that I thought it might be the 22" wheels

YMMV but there you have it.

Seems like I might have to try the 21 and 22 for myself before I shell out any $$. Maybe the 21 would be a good compromise I don't know.

 

[CandianPorsche83]

I did a "blind" test - after I got home with the loaner - we had to run some errands - put the wife in the loaner with me for the errands - she tends not to notice things like wheels and such unless you point them out…

we have bumpy roads near us - and we drove our normal route - one both of our butts are well attuned as to "by-the-seat-of-your-pants-ride-quality"…

unprompted and uninformed - wife asked:

"does this loaner not have air suspension? it seems to ride worse that ours"

NOTE: I'm so proud - when we were first dating/married wife knew less about cars - air suspension or the finer points of automotive options - over the years she has become quite sophisticated in her automotive tastes and now notices certain things that would've been blissfully ignored in her younger days - yes she now demands a higher quality automobile

I then told her it does have air suspension but that I thought it might be the 22" wheels

YMMV but there you have it.

Haha super helpful!

 

[MFitz]

So I was thinking about getting a set of the 22” wheels but it seems like at least a few people have noted that the ride quality is too bouncy. I’m just curious if other people are finding a big difference in ride quality between the 20s and the 22s because while I like the look of the 22 inches I don’t like the thought of giving up ride quality. What are your thoughts and experiences?

The ride quality on my 22" RS Spyder Design Wheels is not problem for me. Ride quality is such a individual opinion. It depends on what you are coming from, where you live, how you use the car etc. Is it as good as the 20" option?, for sure no. I love the look and I am willing to make the small trade off. The availability to try both options now would be available where it was not when I made my choice.

 

[daveo4EV]

NOTE: I am not reporting that the ride quality on the 22s is “bad”

but it is clearly different vs my 20s on my turbo - but also in the grand scheme of things (vs other suspensions) very very good

the 22s do not make the ride quality “bad” or unacceptable

but it is sometimes less absorbent for bumps and such

you have to be in an A/B situation to even notice - otherwise you’d think it excellent!

 

[daveo4EV]

I am more and more convince that Porsche's business model product lineup recipe doesn't work for EV's (Oliver Blume has acknowledged Porsche has business model problems)

the pricing "tiers" between Base ---> Turbo - are purely arbitrary and the _ONLY_ difference is "power/performance" - largely all models can be optioned to be almost identical to "higher" tier models - so we're left with performance as the SOLE arbiter and it's simply not enough to justify both he price difference and complexity and confusion…

Rather than

• base
• S
• 4
• 4s
• GTS
• Turbo
• TurboS
• GT
• GT RS
• random money grab exclusive #547
• more random money grab exclusive #928 3 weeks before close of production

there should be 3 models of the Macan

• Base RWD + options
• 4S + options
• Turbo + options

Porsche business model product line up strategy does not work for "EV's" and that's part of their problem

until manufactures and customer become more savvy about EV's there should be as little complexity as possible so a simple: Good, Better, Best model line up is in EVERYONE's interest - manufacturers, sales, customers, service - it's a huge win to simplify new technology for EVERYONE while we in the adoption growth curve…

Porsche has made many mistakes in their EV foray - and I believe they blaming "EV's" rather than examining "core issues" and leveaging EV advantages…

that's my $0.02 YMMV.

 

[shawn]

I am more and more convince that Porsche's business model doesn't work for EV's (Oliver Blume has acknowledged Porsche has business model problems)

the pricing "tiers" between Base ---> Turbo - are purely arbitrary and the _ONLY_ difference is "power/performance" - largely all models can be optioned to be almost identical to "higher" tier models - so we're left with performance as the SOLE arbiter and it's simply not enough to justify both he price difference and complexity and confusion…

Rather than

• base
• S
• 4
• 4s
• GTS
• Turbo
• TurboS
• GT
• GT RS
• random money grab exclusive
• more random money grab exclusive

there should be 3 models of the Macan

• Base RWD
• 4S
• Turbo

Porsche business model does not work for "EV's" and that's part of their problem

that's my $0.02 YMMV.

In general, I get the point, but I think that the Macan 4 is likely their best seller as it is their entry-level AWD. I mean I would not buy the RWD, and I don't think the 4S is worth the extra money over the 4. Since you cannot downgrade a 4S to become a more affordable AWD, then just have a 4 and option it up to create your 4S. So if you're limited to 3 trims, I would turf the 4S and let people add in a "performance motor set" and maybe torque vectoring to create one. I agree that they should not try to push for all those sub-versions, but I think the 4 trim levels that they have are good enough, and to be honest, I would be surprised if they started piling more on. This is, of course, my $0.02 add-on.

 

[daveo4EV]

In general, I get the point, but I think that the Macan 4 is likely their best seller as it is their entry-level AWD. I mean I would not buy the RWD, and I don't think the 4S is worth the extra money over the 4. Since you cannot downgrade a 4S to become a more affordable AWD, then just have a 4 and option it up to create your 4S. So if you're limited to 3 trims, I would turf the 4S and let people add in a "performance motor set" and maybe torque vectoring to create one. I agree that they should not try to push for all those sub-versions, but I think the 4 trim levels that they have are good enough, and to be honest, I would be surprised if they started piling more on. This is, of course, my $0.02 add-on.

I also get your point -but I never said "keep the current" price points

in reviewing and simplifying model offerings a complete "rethink" on pricing is also in order

I would suggest there is no manufacturing cost difference between a 4 and 4S - and therefore moving the 4S to the 4 price point and eliminating the 4 all together would be an effective strategy…

but all this is too little too late

but I believe Prosche suffered from "legacy thinking" in their approach to EV's and the results have suffered due to this as well…

too much choice overwhelms customers and they they make no decision and for a completely "new" purchase it added to the purchase cognitive load and makes it easier to not engage at all…

there simply is less nuance with an EV vs. an ICE vehicle and you don't need 1257 different trim's to hit each particular variable like you do with an evolved mature technology.

 

[shawn]

I also get your point -but I never said "keep the current" price points

Fair enough. I would love a 4S at the price of a 4 so that works for me.

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