Porsche Cayenne

highender

now I drive around and get greater stares...of disbelief that the cayenne is crashed by this nincompoop driver (me) ...!!

I thought mine was the first, but the dealer's auto body shop on the premises said that they had fixed about 15 Cayennes in various states of damage, and some were worst than mine....

Things just happen...I guess....

highender

hope all goes well with the recall...and fixing of the sounds/noise.

I want to get the DVD system in the headrests too. I went to a local shop, who was going to install 2 screens in the headrests, and place a small DVD player in the area below the seats...and he quoted me only $1500 for the whole deal...but someone warned me about shoddy workmanship...

so I went to Canepa Designs, which does custom work for suburbans and hummers. They suggested a Playstation 2, mounted below the rear cup holder/console area, 2 headrest screens , plus one miniscreen in the front passenger visor for my wife....and they quoted me $10,000 !!

Stillen Motorsports, which also does suburbans, said they would do the DVD system for $7000....(they do nice work, and were the customizers for my suburban) but they are 6 hrs away..,..so I am still thinking about it ...wife was nice enough to say go ahead..!!

my question is: what are you doing exactly, what size screens will fit the smaller headrests, what components( alpine?) , and how much ? I would appreciate the info....:)

BTW, mudman, I am going to ask the dealer if they can install the cat bypass.... might as well do it when the whole thing is in the shop for fixing up the dmages...

jaramabeige

Last summer, just weeks after purchase, some meatball rear-ended my Cayenne during stop-and-go on the 580/680 freeway interchange. Consequently, we both pulled over to the side of the road. After my engine was off and I exited the vehicle, this knucklehead pulled away! Now I had to chase him down… but was not able to find him. Did he go 680 north, 680 south, 580 west? Fortunately, the damage to my bumper was surprisingly minimal.

jaramabeige

Zaino? Please… tell us more. What is the benefit of polymer-based products? What is the detriment of Carnauba waxes? Do you use Z1, Z2, Z3…? Why is Zaino so easy to apply? Is it no longer “wax on, wax off” as shown in the Karate Kid movie? How much time is needed when polishing with Zaino? Do you use anything for interior leather detailing? How about the floor mats, windows, or wheels (brake dust problem)? Thanks for your advice.

jaramabeige

You mentioned your Stillen Suburban previously. I am curious about your special brakes. Is the stopping distance much shorter now? Do the brakes fade more, or less? Is pedal pressure better, or worse? Need special brake pads? Any maintenance issues? Are the aftermarket brakes worthwhile?

svinaik

Polymer based based products are better absorbed by the new paints and it has much better protection against UV etc. If you do the full course. i.e. clay bar, ZFX accelerator mixed with Z2 (Z5 is only for filling up any swirl marks etc.. or very small surface scratches).. about 3 coats within 24 hours and use the golss enhancer.. dirt and water marks are much less of a problem.

Reason they are easy to apply is that no buffing is required and Zaino comes off the car very easily also. You have to let it dry so do it on a hot day. It usually dries within 30-60 minutes (with new ZFX accelerator).

I have started using Zaino leather protection as well. Same story, other products require too much of rubbing etc.. otherwise they tend to stay at one spot but Zaino is much easier to apply.

For interior care, I still use the Mercedes interior care. They supply that in a bigger pack also.I think it is actually made by Meguires but does a great job.

I will strongly recommend Clay bar treatment as tis year was the first time I did. It does pick up lots of embadded dirt in the paints which will not come off with finger nails etc. My 4 year old E class started looking like new.

Let me know if you have a question

dubster

The quote I got for the DVD system was $1500 from the Porsche recommended shop. It was a deal I negotiated with the purchase. so I may be doing a little better, or maybe I`ll get the crap, to make up for the discounted cay deal. I know there are different calibre screens to be sure. I really have to get the specs to compare with a local shop that does a lot of work in the area. My job put the unit in the glove box with 2 screens 5 or 7 inches.

no thoughts on the vibration I hear?
I don`t want it slipping by.

I like your idea about the bypass, please fill me in on the results. Hope you get the baby back soo!!!

stever

Lots more in Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts) and Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences (Part 2).

Steve, Host

highender

sounds like a great deal !!! cause its Porsche recommended install, then it must meet a certain standard. ...

mine was just at the local boy toy audio install shop, and they are just used to stereos inside hondas....so I am having second thoughts...

I'll let you know....I did not go with Canepa( they are relatively close at 1.5 hrs) couase they were a little unsure how to do the job....and at 10,000 + !! I expect it to self load the DVDs (J/K)

good luck and let us know how the DVD install goes ?!

I'll keep you up to date also.... :-)

dubster

High -- What about the bypass? If you go ahead and do the work it`s going to void any Porsche warantees, no? Will it affect the one performance issue I have with car? ie. response in 4,5,6 gear when cruising and asking for passing power?

Did you buy a BMW? Mike

joshinny

I'm looking at a V6 and the number of options seem endless. Also I was wondering what recent buyers have experienced in the way of discounts from the sticker. Are any options truly a must and are there any that have been a bust? Thanks for your thoughts.

highender

I'm going to ask them dealer.....

hope it will not affect warranty...

still thinking about the 325i or C230.

like the Acura TL, but for 270 hp, it was not very responsive...but did have a lot of standard equipment....that would have cost more elsewhere.

Audi A4 is kinda slow and nonresponsive...

no BMW dealer is willing to go near invoice..

Mercedes was willing to go $4000 below MSRP, so slightly below invoice...

will decide this month....

good luck on install, and I'll keep you up to date.....

dubster

I`ve had experience with older entry level MB`s and BMW`s. I think the more pliant suspension of the MB will be easier to live with in the long run. Throw in $4000 of some dealer incentive and it may even seem less boring.

Tomorrow I go in for elective surgery and recall. May even go for satellite radio for $450, on face of ashtray-supposedly looks factory. I hope I`m able to conjure up that damned vibration when I meet the mechanic.

Yours in the shop yet? I`m dying to see what happens with the cat bypass surgery.

sharkala

Hi-
I have had my lapis blue cayenne for a week now and it has some options I would never have gotten and others which are great: I love the xenon lights, really lights up the road, the auto ac is good too, and the soft leather seats are more comfortable than the regular seats- Heated seats and wheel, moonroof a definite-I would have wanted the electric comfort package and memory seats-the sun shades, tow hitch, logo wheels came with the car, otherwise I would not have gotten them. the dealer threw in the mats-
Good luck

highender

not in the shop yet....just got the digital photos sent to the insurance companies...

will be making a decision soon....

dubster

I don`t know if you`re aware that the tow hitch works very very well with a 4 bicycle carrying system that works only with this tow hitch which is otherwise very expensive to add after the fact. If you do any family bike vacations, its great.

joshinny

Thanks for your thoughts. Did you have much like in getting a discount off sticker? As expected they claim the car is selling like hot cakes and are showing very little discount off of sticker. I'm eyeing a Basalt Black, its missing the sport seats, the tow hitch and the sun shades.

bmwx5jim

Looking at trading my X5 in for a new Cayenne. Can put $10k down, looking at MSRP of $65K with $5K discount, anyone know whats out there as far as deals on leases? Residuals on 36 mo or 42 mo, etc?

xjimmyx

joshinny- The option options on the Cayenne are really confusing, because you never know which ones you may grow to love.

I bought a Carmon Red/Stone Gray V6 on 4-30. I chose it in large part due to the options it had. The others had too much stuff I'd never use. The dealer also swapped out the 18" wheels for a $1,190 credit. The following options are on my vehicle: spare; rim caps; variable assist power steering; moonroof; front heated seats and steering wheel; 6 cd changer; auto climate control; electric comfort package. Sticker was $48,510, invoice was $42,347, I paid $44,500, all including destination but excluding tax, title etc. I think I got an OK deal; end of the month helped.

Lots of S's on the lot, a few turbos, and only 4 6's to pick from. Our other finalists were MDX (blah); SRX (I wanted to love it and I hated it after two extended drives); and Denali (yeah I know...). I knew after the first 3 minutes in the vehicle we should buy the Cayenne, and I think my wife knew after 5. Three extended test drives later we bought.

BTW, anyone in the Chicago area, The Porsche Exchange in Highland Park was absolutely wonderful- the anti-car salesmen. Pretty good coffee as well.

Good luck with your decision.

xjimmyx

Oh, by the way joshinny, our decision gets better with (short) age- it's a great vehicle, even with the 6. It wasn't even on the list until we stopped by the dealer on a whim. Much more utility than I'd imagined and tons of turned heads and comments.

And it kept me out of the MDX. Hooray for me.

mudman2

Isn't it a pleasure to read the remarks of people who are beginning their affair with the C.

It's kinda nice.

joshinny - Good luck with it :-)

roadtwister

What is the procedure to change the air filters on a S 2004 cayenne?

ukulele2

I think the norm is getting around ~$4000 off sticker for a v6. I got a silver v6 that includes moonroof, 18inch turbo wheels, bose, cd changer, memory package, xenon, nav, and mats. MSRP around 54,000 and I got it for 51,000. Like what the previous post said, plenty of S on the lot, but not much v6 to choose from. Your best chance to get a good deal is if the dealer has the one you want sitting in the lot for quite some time and it's the end of the month. I didn't go with that route because the color/options I want is very popular and hard to find. The dealer couldn't find one and had to order it from the factory.

Keep in mind that Porsche is only going to produce around 6000 V6s and a total of 50,000 Cayennes this year worldwide. And if you visit Porsche's website, it mentions that there will be a price increase in June.

mudman2

It s apretty easy job.

The cover panels around the engine can be removed using a nickel to turn the zoot screws a 1/4 turn.

You then have to undo the hose thats right at the fron of the engine going across the car. You then have to pull out the O2 sensor plugs.

The two filter boxes have spring clips on the bottom which you can release by hand.

The right one comes straight off but the left one has a hidden tight push fit hose at the back (like a pressure sensor hose) its a @#$% to pull off.

Once you have the boxes loose they pull up and out exposing the filters.









More on my gallery on Rennlist, the link (the site is down right now 0715 5/13)

http://gallery.rennlist.com/cayennegallery/mudman2?&page=1

roadtwister

Thanks for the how to do it on changing the air filters. The pictures on your web site were terrific.

highender

I think the stock Porsche filters last an average of 15,000 miles...in normal conditions....

I'm thinking about putting K&N (if they make them), BMC, or FRAM air hogs....but still deciding....

I would think the airfilter is the most easily done upgrade to save some minor fuel and get some more hp...

what do you think, mudman ?

highender

new cayenne owners...welcome and have fun....

it is good to see them excited...

a few will get a few niggles, though....

nothing to dampen the spirit , really...

more like inconvenience...

highender

nice website....

I love the things you did...

I got to do it , too.

How do you clean your BMC filter? with compressed air or water like K&N ? How long do they last ?

thanks...

highender

I talked to the dealer, and he said if I put in a cat bypass, the emissions light will come on....is that true for your car, mudman...?

Here in California, they are very strict about emissions. But my dealer said they would stilll honor all parts of warranty not related to my aftermarket improvements....

mudman- anyways...I like the interior color of your car...easier to take care of. I have the same titanium metalllic exterior...

dubster- I think it would still be oK for you to put on the catbypass.....it is a relatively low cost and easy mod....and will add hp and decrease a little fuel consumption....

strap on power !!

alirob

Mudman, how do you get the badge off without damaging the paint.

mudman2

thanks for the comments guys, I am truly undeserving.

1 Catbypass

On the Cayenne the O2 sensors which control the dash warning light referred to are placed for and aft of the first Cats so replacing the SECONDARY CATS does nothing the effect the computer, it still gets the same info.

My advice, buy them and take them to an exhaust shop not the dealer, should only cost about $100 to mount, or you can do it yourself.

2 - Badge.

Use only a soft plastic spatula, apply slow even pressure and it will lift off. SLOW !

3 - Cleaning Filter

20k is the time and there is a kit from BMC.

roadtwister

By removing the secondary cat converter do you really feel a power boost (how much)? How loud will the car become? Changing the air filter did seem to improve throttle response if nothing else. Incidentally I did not run accross that hidden tube that is hard to pull off on the air cleaner change. Could there have been a design change. I have 3/04 build date for cay S.

mudman2

Yes the mixture of the filter and the bypass creates quite a dramatic change in feeling of power and the freee revving ability of the engine and it sound really sweet.

Much more like a muscle car without exessive noise.

dubster

Thanks for all the imput- regarding the bypass, do you have any idea how the bypass will affect the emissions test. I live in NY, will I pass inspection? All else being equal it sounds like a great upgrade.

highender

mudman,dubster....

highender

welcome....what do you have ?

mudman2

Mine went through PA emissions a few weeks ago at the dealer...passed. The dealer remarked it wasn't even close.

:-)

bmwx5jim

Guess I will have to change my handle, Agreed to Lease Cayenne S today at $6,000 off MSRP. Got Black/Black with nav, wood interior, cd changer, moonroof, 18" Turbo wheels etc. The only thing that suprised my was the money factor on the lease, which was .0034, and I have a very good credit score. Anyone else get a better money factor? BTW, residual was 54% for a 36 month lease.

alirob

Thanks for the welcome. I've been following this Cayenne board and others for several months. I finally bought my Lapis Blue S, about 3 weeks ago, and love driving it. Coincidentally it is the same color as my very first Porsche, a 1965 356SC Cabriolet.
So far I have just over 1000 miles on the truck with virtually no problems (except for one remote door opener, which functions only intermittently). I'll take it back to the dealer to get it reprogrammed when I have time.

blackv6

Hi Highender-

Thank you for your advice on the noise I reported in msg 930 - 'clicking sound upon startup only at 12mph'.

I took it to the dealer and they agree that it's not normal. They seem to think it's an issue with the ABS pump that performs a self-check at 12mph. They think it might be hitting a rubber gasket of some kind? I need to bring it back next week and leave it there for further investigation.

I've read on the Roadfly board that others have had issues with the ABS Control module. Maybe this is the culprit?

Thanks again for your feedback.

highender

blackv6....hope they can change the module and all will be OK....

there will be niggles....

but look at what you can get....

highender

welcome to the club...

hope to talk/read you frequently ...

drcjj

I am glad to see the encouraging posts from other owners. My C-S has been in the shop 5 times for several issues each visit in my 10 weeks of ownership and nearly forced me to dump it at a $5k loss

The GOOD news is, I haven't, and with 3800 miles on the speedo, the engine, suspension (non air) and brakes just keep getting better.

Gas mileage has gone from 10mpg to 15mpg (but the dash readout is not even close to accurate) and I note that it is more "fuel sensitive" than most cars. Every once in a while I get a tank of gas that runs poorly.

I had the front windows tinted and now I'm thinking the air cleaners will get an upgrade when I have the oil change at 5,000 miles. I know the interval is supposed to be at 20k but I have little trust in Porsche for that concept given my experience with the car so far.

Hesitation in the throttle response seems to be getting less noticeable. The vibrations and rumble from the cardon shaft at 50mph (replaced) and tires improved (balancing the Bridgestone ER30's) They had seen some other C's with these problems so they trusted my complaint and did the work. Hopefully no more quality control issues.

Good to hear others are enjoying the car! What tires can I use as an all season? I see some pics with the Conti 4x4 on this car are they good in snow? I live in the mountains of Colorado so snow is year round possibility (may happen today) and these ER30's run poor in it. Any tire comments or recs appreciated...

drcjj

Forgot to mention gratitude for the great pics on your air filter replacement and general tweaks to your C!

dubster

I have the continental all season m+s (mud and snow) they are very good when pushed hard on pavement and I have no complaints in snow (coming out of Landcruiser) in Northeast with trips skiing in Vermont.

Regarding vibration -I have noticed what feels like wheel balancing issue at about 60 that goes away, but now you have me worried about cardan shaft--Can you elaborate about your experiences with vibration ? Is cardan shaft speed sensitive or does it remain after a certain speed?

mr_steve

My Lapis Blue arrived at the dealers last Friday.
I am off with cash in hand to pay for it first thing in the morning. Now they are wanting to sell me some fancy interior and exterior protections for $700 - $800!

Is this stuff just a scam, can you protect yourself afterwards? Seems like more straight profit to the dealer.

If you can let me know that would be great, I would hate to have to stump up another 800 bucks.

Thnaks
Steve

carnut36

Congrats on your purchase. I generally stay away from these interior/exterior protection packages. What magical stuff can they put on your car that would justify a cost of $700-800? Scotchguard and a coat of wax? I Zaino'd my truck and it cost less than $100 for the products. Zaino's one of the best products out there now and I doubt they'll put that on your car. Pure profit IMHO.

Save your money for mods ; )

dubster

My experience with such add ons is that they are either superfluous or should be included in a purchase for such a high caliber vehicle as an indication of the manufacturers and dealers commitment to high standards of quality and service. Ask them to throw it in. And ask them why it isn`t included if it isn`t.

I frankly haven`t heard of the service, so it`s most likely a fabricated B.S. item.

mr_steve

Thanks for all the information folks - I had a feeling that this was the case, but it is always good to get some other opinions. Mods it is then!
Regards
Steve

mudman2

Who is this dealer ?, is their other dealership Chevy or something, no class !

Don't let them con you