955 Cayenne Turbo what to look out for

[Walter Sobchak]

I'm hopefully going to look at a couple of these this weekend to replace a 2.7 diesel RRS, have decided for the amount of mileage I do it's not really worth the extra for the 4.8 so looking at a couple of 4.5s with between 60 and 85k on the clock.
Could anyone tell me the main things to check have either been done or will need doing on them?, from what I've heard the turbos are pretty reliable.

[Cayenneand996]

As far as I can recall

Look for a good service history for receipts for:
Proper servicing - some engines have failed if poor grade oil is used
smoke on start-up both hot and cold - evidence of leaking turbo seals
Prop shaft centre bearing £700 plus
replacement of plastic engine coolant pipes (£1000 plus)
PCM unit working properly - depends what model you buy, my 2006 has a really dated PCM, doesn't even have postcode navigation (allow £1000 plus, fibre optic backbone with bose (needs a most connector, google it) makes replacement units a bit more expensive)
Brake discs all round, for wear - not an issue but take into account the cost of replacement

None of these things are an issue, you just need to know the common failure points - I think there's one more but I can recall it now

If its a good car, buy it and enjoy it, they are great as long as you can live with 14 ish to the gallon (assuming you drive it spiritedly)

[Brother D]

Cayenneand996 said:

As far as I can recall

Look for a good service history for receipts for:
Proper servicing - some engines have failed if poor grade oil is used
smoke on start-up both hot and cold - evidence of leaking turbo seals
Prop shaft centre bearing £700 plus
replacement of plastic engine coolant pipes (£1000 plus)
PCM unit working properly - depends what model you buy, my 2006 has a really dated PCM, doesn't even have postcode navigation (allow £1000 plus, fibre optic backbone with bose (needs a most connector, google it) makes replacement units a bit more expensive)
Brake discs all round, for wear - not an issue but take into account the cost of replacement

None of these things are an issue, you just need to know the common failure points - I think there's one more but I can recall it now

If its a good car, buy it and enjoy it, they are great as long as you can live with 14 ish to the gallon (assuming you drive it spiritedly)

All good points. Just to add:

Borescope cylinders if you can - engines seem to be hit and miss on bore scraping which gets expensive having them relined or a recon engine installed. 8/10K
Engine Oil leaks - upper oil pan is an engine out 5K job
Electrics - check everything works including steering wheel adjustment.
Air suspension - another costly item if it doesn't work.
Later models have metal cooling pipes (2010 onwards I think)? But if you are getting an earlier model its worth swapping out as a preventative measure, budget 200 if you are doing it yourself - its a pita if it does go as the coolant floods starter plus other nasties.
Power steering radiator - check for leaks but not massive 600/700 for parts and labor
Just to add the propshaft bearing there are plenty of aftermarket easy replacements which are easy to swap yourself. I've seen a few where people use a garden hose and cable ties : )