CloseGot 30K miles on my 2009 Cayenne Turbo S and brake pad light is coming on. Questions:
1. Should i go to my dealer, or a good service station repair shop? Repair shop folks are much cheaper. Is pad replacement a complicated, or an easy, procedure?
2. Do front and rear pads need to be replaced, or just fronts?
Thanks from a non gear head...
Jul 16, 2013 11:45:56 PM
Here is what I would do - Order the correct pads from Sunset Porsche in Oregon (Join Renntech forum and receive a discount on parts - best prices from a Porsche dealer in the US, maybe the world). Then I would look for DIY info on how hard it is on the web - surprising how detailed info can be. Then I would get a quote on how much my local private Porsche repair shop would charge to install the pads from Sunset. (check the wear on the pads and decide if the rears also need to be replaced.) If the rotors don't need to be turned or replacement (not likely) I would then decide to either do the 30 min. job myself or pay to have the pads installed. Other option (last) Take it to ta dealer and pay $1500. My neighbor at the lake just traded his 2009 CTS for a newer 997 Cab and got $18K in trade - Holly shit! He said it needed new brakes - maybe I'm missing something but at that value I would not worry about an extra &*cking from the dealer for a brake job. Porsche engineering is superb - changing the pads alone is like changing a light bulb. I encourage getting to know your vehicle! Enjoy.
Jul 17, 2013 12:17:44 AM
Thanks for the thoughtful information, Leawood. I will check with Sunset first for price, and go from there.
BTW, my dealer here offered me 49K for my CTS, and said he might do slightly better depending on what I purchased in trade. I am going to hold off on a purchase for now, but i know his offer was honest and firm. He said my car needed brakes and some rim polishing, but still he would give me the 49K.
I changed the gear linkage cable on my 997. The web has a wealth of information on how to do many of these simple things yourself and what to look for. Even if you don't want to attempt brakes (I can understand that) it's useful to understand what you're paying someone else to do.
991 (what a car!) XC90 - Black/Black 2 kids, 1 dog
Wonderbar:
Got 30K miles on my 2009 Cayenne Turbo S and brake pad light is coming on. Questions:
1. Should i go to my dealer, or a good service station repair shop? Repair shop folks are much cheaper. Is pad replacement a complicated, or an easy, procedure?
2. Do front and rear pads need to be replaced, or just fronts?
Thanks from a non gear head...
Seriously? You let a service station do a safety related job on your Porsche? 
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
bridggar:
I changed the gear linkage cable on my 997. The web has a wealth of information on how to do many of these simple things yourself and what to look for. Even if you don't want to attempt brakes (I can understand that) it's useful to understand what you're paying someone else to do.
You guys have way too much time on your hands. 
It would cost me more (lost time in my business) to do the job alone than to let my mechanic do it. As for fun doing this stuff alone, I spend a couple of years under cars (rallye sport) and I'm really fed up with it. Also I prefer to spend the free time with the family, not under my car. 
To each his own I guess. 
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
it was a matter of necessity - not choice. With a car stuck in 1st gear on a Friday and the part in stock at local OPC and needed for Monday. It took around 2 hours and as I knew the car was to be sold anyway, I thought - why not? Also admit to being a bit curious to see if I could do it.
991 (what a car!) XC90 - Black/Black 2 kids, 1 dog
bridggar:
it was a matter of necessity - not choice. With a car stuck in 1st gear on a Friday and the part in stock at local OPC and needed for Monday. It took around 2 hours and as I knew the car was to be sold anyway, I thought - why not? Also admit to being a bit curious to see if I could do it.
Now this makes sense.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
$49k for you 09 CTTS is actually pretty good (sic on a $145k MSRP). That's what the number was last year when I inquired.
Brake job at the dealer on the CTTS is insane, over $4k for all four corner (pads and rotors). After 38k miles I am on my third set already and it is done soon as the rotors have a lip again. Now that the car is out of warranty, I will likely use an independent shop that I get tires from. Brake jobs are not that hard to do and we don't drive that fast in the US. BTW the brakes on the CTTS apparently are the biggest brakes on any production car.
You can replace on the front or the rear, whatever is needed, don't have to be together. I would wait until the light comes on the dash to replace anything. My dealer told me I needed new brakes yet 4 months later and 3k miles the light did not come on yet...
SciFrog:
$49k for you 09 CTTS is actually pretty good (sic on a $145k MSRP). That's what the number was last year when I inquired.
Brake job at the dealer on the CTTS is insane, over $4k for all four corner (pads and rotors). After 38k miles I am on my third set already and it is done soon as the rotors have a lip again. Now that the car is out of warranty, I will likely use an independent shop that I get tires from. Brake jobs are not that hard to do and we don't drive that fast in the US. BTW the brakes on the CTTS apparently are the biggest brakes on any production car.
You can replace on the front or the rear, whatever is needed, don't have to be together. I would wait until the light comes on the dash to replace anything. My dealer told me I needed new brakes yet 4 months later and 3k miles the light did not come on yet...
i think bentley continental gt has bigger front rotors (405 mm).
Jul 17, 2013 2:59:25 PM
At any rate - the pads are easy to replace - Porsche engineering is superb and makes stuff like that simple for mechanics.
I am happy to see that I am not the only one to replace the shift cable in the 997. Being in first is a pain.
I once curbed my 996 on the way home breaking the right rear wishbone control arm. I limped it home ordered the part and installed it in my garage - drove it to the alignment shop and was done with it. $200 part, $40 alignment - dealer would have charged me thousands plus tow.
RC - by service station I don't think he meant gas station - although they could handle it. Most likely he meant independent repair shop.
Driving is not the only joy these cars provide. My fun is in knowing how it works and how brilliant (or not) the engineering is to make all the pieces into a Porsche. It is not that I could be making more money working it is that I enjoy knowing how to fix things myself and having the tools to do so. Classic version of the auto vs. manual debate.
I am 100% manual.
Jul 17, 2013 4:20:29 PM
Changing brake pads on the open-style Brembo calipers (the ones where you can slide the pads in and out without removing the calipers) takes about 5 minutes per wheel, once the car is on jack stands and wheels removed.
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
Rotors are usually "turned" or in other words ground back to a smooth finish to remove any uneven wear from the prior brake pads. Only when the rotors will no longer have a thickness to maintain minimum specification will they need to be replaced. Some rotors will last through many changes in brake pads and some will be closer to a one and done.
After considerable research, I finally decided to have my local Porsche dealer repair my brakes. Front and rear pads (and various sensors and other miscellaneous parts) were changed only, dealer said rotors were fine (which suited me since rotors are around $500 each). Dealer gave me a small discount--cost was approximately $1400.
The independent repair shop, in the end, was no cheaper, and as a policy would only change pads and rotors--which would have been over $4500.
I am pleased with the result and brakes feel much stronger. Thanks for all the advice, guys!
Wow - never realized how much money I was saving by doing my own brakes for over a decade. I like to do it myself anyways for peace of mind, since it's such an important item for safety.
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
I always did everything at the Porsche Center. Especially meanwhile you are in guarantee it makes sense, but even on my old 997 - all services at my Porsche Center. BUT - nowadays they call 160 € per hour for the mechanic, this is just insane! Luckily next to my town a new independent Porsche specialist opened. Those guys have been in another town for around 20 years - ultra modern workshop, new building, all technology - even software upgrades are no problem. From now on I will go there for my service - why? First of all 80 € per hour second - those guys are enthusiasts, they love what they do, so I know my car is good hands. The Porsche center uses young people still in training for doing the "normal" service stuff and for that I do not want to overpay anymore!
Lars997:
I always did everything at the Porsche Center. Especially meanwhile you are in guarantee it makes sense, but even on my old 997 - all services at my Porsche Center. BUT - nowadays they call 160 € per hour for the mechanic, this is just insane! Luckily next to my town a new independent Porsche specialist opened. Those guys have been in another town for around 20 years - ultra modern workshop, new building, all technology - even software upgrades are no problem. From now on I will go there for my service - why? First of all 80 € per hour second - those guys are enthusiasts, they love what they do, so I know my car is good hands. The Porsche center uses young people still in training for doing the "normal" service stuff and for that I do not want to overpay anymore!
My Porsche Center actually makes most money with service, not selling cars. If I do not service my car at my dealer, I do not support them. I get it, you want to save money but if I do not support my dealer, he will be gone at some point and I don't want that. Having a dealer/repair shop that close to home is worth gold for me, so I am taking the bitter pill, paying higher rates for repairs and service.
Also, from my experience, smaller independent Porsche dealers cook with water too, as we say here and even if they have lower cost than official dealers and thus can offer better prices/rates, they sometimes try to improve their gain further but not doing exactly what is necessary. It is also my experience that they lack the latest software updates, documentation and work action information but of course they would never admit that.
Yes, there are bad official Porsche Centers too, oh boy...no doubt about it. I am happy with mine though, I know almost all mechanics, I even know their families and talk to them all the time about the kids and daily problems, my relationship to them couldn't be better and this is what I really love. I feel good there, so I am willing to pay for that too.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Oct. 5th 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)
About Rennteam | Help | Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Support | Contact | Imprint | Archive
Powered by
Community
and
