Some backstory first. A few years ago, I had an E91 that was an amazing car and super fun, but it leaked around the oil pan and a couple other possible places like they all tend to do. I spent the large part of a winter trying to stop the leak(s) and ended up just improving things but not solving them all. I really needed something that would pull a trailer though, and I was tired of dealing with the leaks, so I bought a nearly new Tacoma. The Tacoma has done its job, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not a truck guy. I also don't like having a payment again, and a cheaper tow rig would put me pretty much paid off.
Enter Cayenne Diesel thoughts... There's currently one on BaT that's one town over, so it is extremely tempting. However, it appears to have an oil leak from *somewhere*. The seller posted pictures where it is seeping at a valve cover, but that doesn't look like enough oil to explain the oil on the undertray and back of the engine. Google shows a nightmare of a problem when the rear main seal leaks, and you basically have to reseal the whole motor out of the truck. Dealer rates put it at around $10k, and Out Motorsports has a thread on it. I went and checked the CD out today, and, with no experience to justify my confidence, I am pretty sure that's the source. Couldn't tell for sure though because it is all pretty tight in that engine bay.
The rest of the truck hits a lot of my big-ticket requirements. It has a factory hitch as well as the same trailer brake controller I use for my Tacoma. It has an aftermarket tune that'd I'd shop for, and, aside from swirls you'd expect on an older, black vehicle, it is in great condition. I also wouldn't have to pay shipping, so all this adds up to a LOT of quarts of oil if I need to keep it topped up. I also already have a stained garage floor (thanks, BMW). Would you just live with the leak or pull the motor and fix it right? Especially in the latter case, would it make any sense to hold out for a different one that doesn't presently have the leak but could very probably develop the same leak at any point in the future?
The trick with those is to buy one that's still under the Dieselgate wonder warranty. A coworker bought one a bit over a year ago and Porsche has since replaced a turbo and done the whole engine-out reseal - possibly twice, our Porsche dealer is apparently sloppy. He's out of warranty as of a month or two ago, but he's happy that everything's been addressed. Fingers crossed...
He loves it. He uses it as a DD and also to tow a Miata in an enclosed trailer cross-country. It's not as burly as my Cummins when it comes to towing, but he gets better fuel economy (he'd better, I'm probably 10k heavier!) and is faster.
That depends. Oil leaks on the TDIs can be anything from the valve covers to fairly involved leaks under the intake that require pulling the front timing cover or worse.
My Touareg loses a quart every 2500 miles.
The TDIs also hate short trips. Unless your commute is 15+ miles there is a good chance it will stop up the DPF. If you can't delete it, then you are repairing it. DPFs are not cheap.
If it uses AdBlue, that system also has some fairly expensive failures. One is a temp sensor above the unit that calls for 10 hours of labor to change it. Again if you can't delete it, $$$$.
I have a love-hate relationship with my Touareg. I love the tow capacity. I love the torque. The car is also decent.
But currently, it's hate as the damn thing went into limp mode on the way to work this morning. No codes, no nothing. It just won't accelerate faster than a Powerwheel.
That's part of my dilemma. There not a lot under warranty anymore except for low-ish miles 2015s, and those will also time out at ten years. Whichever way I go, I'll have an out of warranty Cayenne in a couple years at best. If I go with a 2015, I'll be cutting it close enough to the Tacoma price that price alone won't be a major motivator. I also don't want to pay a premium for a warranty that won't be there when I go to sell. It seems the window has really passed for warranty to be a major boon.
The Tacoma isn't as enjoyable to drive, but it should be far less leaky. I hope...
In reply to Toyman! :
This particular one has deleted the DPF.
Toyman! said:That depends. Oil leaks on the TDIs can be anything from the valve covers to fairly involved leaks under the intake that require pulling the front timing cover or worse.
My Touareg loses a quart every 2500 miles.
Seller says it is valve cover, but the amount of oil on the back of the block looks to be coming from elsewhere. The valve cover looks like it is only barely seeping.
Part of me says a quart per oil change or so is far cheaper and easier than fixing it, but I'll be doing some family trips with it and don't want to be stranded in BFE, Ohio.
My 2014 Cayenne Diesel leaks oil as well. It has 165k miles. One owner before me. As others have said, if you can find one still under the Dieselgate warranty, that will cover an engine out reseal, but those are getting fewer and farther between. Mine leaks. It drops 1-2 ticks on the oil level indicator screen every 5,000 miles. I think mine is valve cover. Too high up to be an RMS. It hasn't as of yet gotten to the point where it leaks onto the driveway. I honestly don't worry about it. It's 10 years old, it has 165k miles, it leaks a little oil, I'll live.
I just did the Adblue / DPF delete with a Stage 1 Malone Tune. Also installed the pre-desielgate trans tune. First time towing post tune will be this weekend, I'm curious how my oil temps will hold up.
Well, this one turned out to be an easy call - the final bid was $27k, which is massively over market for a leaking 2013 Cayenne with 112k miles. The last black CD on BaT with similar miles was a '15 and stalled out at $18k. People are nuts...
In reply to cyow5 :
It's a bummer that it didn't work out for you, but a diesel Cayenne is certainly interesting.
I was recently reminded that Mazda briefly (like very briefly) offered a diesel CX-5.
So the answer for at least two people is "yes, I really really really want a leaky Cayenne diesel!"
You must missed docwyte's nice Toureg diesel.
OHSCrifle said:You must missed docwyte's nice Toureg diesel.
There have been a couple Toaueuauregs that have piqued my interest, but overall I much prefer the Cayenne. On account of being half a ton lighter, it is higher rated for towing and mpg. It's also a foot shorter, and I don't need the third row. It might be nice as my girls get bigger if we take friends somewhere, but there's no immediate need. I also prefer the styling of the Cayenne, but the TDIs with the V12 body kit are a very close second
cyow5 said:OHSCrifle said:You must missed docwyte's nice Toureg diesel.
There have been a couple Toaueuauregs that have piqued my interest, but overall I much prefer the Cayenne. On account of being half a ton lighter, it is higher rated for towing and mpg. It's also a foot shorter, and I don't need the third row. It might be nice as my girls get bigger if we take friends somewhere, but there's no immediate need. I also prefer the styling of the Cayenne, but the TDIs with the V12 body kit are a very close second
Are you sure you are talking about the Touareg and not Atlas? The Touareg is almost a Cayenne, no third row seat and I believe its actually shorter than the Cayenne. Probably same weight or thereabouts as well.
Slippery said:cyow5 said:OHSCrifle said:You must missed docwyte's nice Toureg diesel.
There have been a couple Toaueuauregs that have piqued my interest, but overall I much prefer the Cayenne. On account of being half a ton lighter, it is higher rated for towing and mpg. It's also a foot shorter, and I don't need the third row. It might be nice as my girls get bigger if we take friends somewhere, but there's no immediate need. I also prefer the styling of the Cayenne, but the TDIs with the V12 body kit are a very close second
Are you sure you are talking about the Touareg and not Atlas? The Touareg is almost a Cayenne, no third row seat and I believe its actually shorter than the Cayenne. Probably same weight or thereabouts as well.
Sorry, I was thinking Q7. The Touareg is much closer to the Cayenne, as you said.
Howdy! Jake from Out Motorsports here, I sold my Cayenne Diesel on BaT in early 2023 and while I do miss it, I'd probably buy an S or GTS now, even for towing. As others have said, they hate short drives and I live in DC which is... all short drives.
In any case. The "big leak" tends to be from the front timing covers. Mine ended up leaking from the rear after the initial re-seal, but that was because the tech who did the work didn't install the rear main seal properly so then all the oil found a path out that way.
If you find one with the warranty intact - buy it and get all the work done. It's free and easy to get covered if there is a legit leak and not a "seep." They don't want to see you back again, so they replace everything they touch including nuts and bolts. I think the initial re-seal cost Porsche $20k on paper. Subsequent engine removal and re-reseals cost them more because they let the same incompetent tech try his hand at it repeatedly. A second dealer finally got it right.
Touareg/Cayenne are the same size and same vehicle with different interiors/styling and suspension setup. The Cayenne rides firmer and likely tows a touch better as a result. Q7 is the same platform but longer wheelbase and third row which impacts tow rating and payload a bit. Same drivetrains in all of 'em for diesel - 3.0L TDI V6 + Aisin 8-speed.
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