Thank you JFP,
I found this post in another forum, basically this post shows the more in depth look into the PDK transmission, but in conclusion, the poster points out that PDK is a scam and Porsche does not repair this transmission and you have to get a new one. At what service level, the PDK should be replaced with new one? Also the poster in the Clutch Failure section in the bottom of the post says the clutch pack is sealed and not serviceable and Porsche does not provide any parts. Posters conclusion is very interesting too.
Would be great to know your opinion about this post.
The link with all the pictures here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/1172826-guide-to-repairing-a-pdk-transmission.html
Clutch failure
Last but not least is potential failure of the clutch itself. The good news is that these clutches have proven to be very robust and don’t fail often. The failures that do occur are usually on heavily built engines (e.g. 30% power over stock) with just too much torque for the clutch plates. At these high torques the clutches slip resulting in highly accelerated wear. There are replacement heavy-duty track clutches available for the PDK from Dodson Motorsports, but they are very expensive, on the order of $12k.
The clutch truly is a sealed unit and is not serviceable. There are different clutches for the Carreras (rated at 450 Nm) and the Turbo (rated at 700 Nm). I could not find any OEM clutch suppliers and only found one Chinese aftermarket supplier. Here’s a shot of what they advertise. They don’t list a price but say to contact them for more info.
This supplier only lists the lighter duty Carrera clutch as available and doesn’t have a listing for the Turbo clutch. Their website can be found here:
https://go4trans.com/porsche-pdk-7dt...l-clutch-assy/
As of June 2020 another Chinese aftermarket supplier now lists a remanufactured replacement clutch for $785. The link can be found here:
https://www.shenghaiautoparts.com/shop/clutch/pdk-transmission-clutch/
I don’t think I would go this route unless I was really desperate as I can’t imagine the quality is anything close to OEM. Plus I’ve got a turbo so I’m SOL anyways. Fortunately these clutches don’t fail often so it’s unlikely I’ll need a new one. If it does fail it’s a good excuse to get the Dodson heavy-duty clutch and a monster engine build
Conclusion
To be blunt, I think Porsche’s “sealed” PDK transmission is a scam meant to separate us from our money. There are many relatively inexpensive, readily replaceable parts in this transmission that could be serviced by qualified shops and experienced DIY’ers. Failure of these parts likely makes up a large majority of PDK replacements. I think Porsche has deliberately withheld servicing information to create an aura of mystique around the transmission, to sucker us into thinking we have no choice but to drop $15K to $25k on a new transmission. I don’t see anything that makes this transmission so complicated or delicate that warrants their ridiculous policy. Frankly, it seems borderline illegal to me, violating consumer protection regulations.
To be fair Porsche dealerships do replace valve bodies on the PDK but there is little information on this available to the general public. I suspect there are also plenty of cases where a transmission replacement is performed by dealers when a valve body would have done the trick. On top of that, the Porsche list price for a valve body (which most dealers typically charge) is nearly $3k. Better than $15k but still absolutely crazy, particularly since a valve body "failure" is likely caused by a $50 solenoid.
As an experienced DIY’er, I will almost certainly forgo an extended warranty and attempt to repair the PDK myself if it fails prior to shelling out big bucks for a new transmission. The odds are really good the transmission can be repaired for less than 10% the cost of a replacement.
Note that pretty much every repair discussed here will require PIWIS service prior to being back on the road. Replacing the valve body needs a transmission calibration, as likely will installing a new clutch. (The PIWIS calibration procedure is described in detail in the first document linked at the bottom of the post. It's not difficult.) Any repair that removes the valve body (even if not replaced) will require a PIWIS for refilling the transmission. A Durametric can read the codes but it can’t perform the PDK commanding. So hopefully anyone affected is on good terms with a competent indy who can take care of this for a reasonable price. Also note that you’ll likely have to flatbed your car to the indy for the cal and/or fill procedure if you DIY the work.
BTW, it’s very likely a PIWIS is not required if one is simply draining the clutch fluid and not removing the valve body. The reasons are found at the link below, and the author explains in detail why that is the case and the tests he undertook using a PIWIS to demonstrate this. I find his rationale to be very compelling, and it squares with other information I’ve found in researching this transmission. This would also apply to the scheduled 60k mile clutch fluid replacement service.
https://www.planet-9.com/threads/diy...l-mode.237865/
Next steps
Compile transmission fault codes (readable with a Durametric) to cross reference against likely part failure and the repair process. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Attached Images
File Type: pdf PDK factory t-shoot document.pdf (569.7 KB, 329 views)
File Type: pdf PDK valve body and temp sensor.pdf (485.5 KB, 254 views)
File Type: pdf PDK repair aftersales training.pdf (3.90 MB, 303 views)