guys, tonight i got my car back from another 2 days at the dealership. here is an update:
this time, they replaced not only the front-control module, but also the entire front latch mechanism (lid latch). when i picked up the car. they told me that they found another, very strange issue. the common ground, below the control module, had the retaining nut missing!?!?!?
when i went back home, i searched thru my pictures i took after the very first repair attempt (another dealership). these pictures clearly show that the nut was in place back then. so i think during one of the repairs, "someone" didn't tighten that nut, and i fall out?
who knows... invisible german nuts...
so, this time ther are "very confident" that the issue is fixed. when i dropped off my car, a guy from PCNA what there and i had a chat. they claim that there is "something" in the front latch assembly that shorts out.
anyways, we will see how long it holds up this time. i will keep you posted.
as a sidenote: this time, i had a cayenne-s loaner. i had never driven one so this was quite interesting. the car had ~3k mls on it bute it was ratteling & squeaking like helle. i couldn't believe it. also, the automatic response when downshifting was veru strange. overall, i was not very impressed by the cayenne.
the good side of this however is: when i first got my 997S, i was not so happy about "some" rattles & sqeaks. while they still anoy me, after driving a vrand new cayenne, i must say, my 997 feels like carved from a solif piece of titanium.
i was so delighted to get back in the 997. the car, conceptually, is just the best i have ever driven, i guess i just got a lemon...
-r