Recently, I had started to notice a bit of slippage in second gear, characterised by what appeared to be a stuttering / missing sensation when warmed up. I have read that the transfer box / cases can be problematic on the Cayenne and Macan but the more I investigated, the more it appeared that the transfer case fluid was suspect and / or prone to moisture contamination.
There is a good diy how to change the transfer case fluid over on Rennlist so I dug out the all important tools, a 3/8ths 8mm Hex (allen key) socket, a torque wrench, replacement fill and drain plugs, a couple of litres of Ravenol TF-0870, meeting Porsche's specification and an oil drain pan.
On draining the old, so called lifetime transfer case fluid, it was apparent that this had degraded, was dark, almost black in colour, with a thin viscocity. The fresh Ravenol fluid was gold in colour and had a noticeably thicker viscocity.
When tightening up the drain and fill plugs it is vital not to overtighten these as the transfer case alloy is thin and will crack if too much pressure is applied. Best to use an accurate 3/8ths torque wrench and only tighten up to 20 Nm or 15 ft/lb.
Once the fluid was replaced it was apparent how noticeable the improvement was. No more slipping and everything seemed a lot smoother. On returning from my lengthy test drive I checked the fluid level again, in case there were any air pockets from the fluid change and topped it up.
The Ravenol Transfer Case fluid is only £15 per litre (you will need just over 1 litre) and only takes about 10 minutes to drain and refill if your vehicle has air suspension and you can clamber underneath with it on its highest setting! In future I am going to be changing this at every maintenance service, as a precaution.
There is a good diy how to change the transfer case fluid over on Rennlist so I dug out the all important tools, a 3/8ths 8mm Hex (allen key) socket, a torque wrench, replacement fill and drain plugs, a couple of litres of Ravenol TF-0870, meeting Porsche's specification and an oil drain pan.
On draining the old, so called lifetime transfer case fluid, it was apparent that this had degraded, was dark, almost black in colour, with a thin viscocity. The fresh Ravenol fluid was gold in colour and had a noticeably thicker viscocity.
When tightening up the drain and fill plugs it is vital not to overtighten these as the transfer case alloy is thin and will crack if too much pressure is applied. Best to use an accurate 3/8ths torque wrench and only tighten up to 20 Nm or 15 ft/lb.
Once the fluid was replaced it was apparent how noticeable the improvement was. No more slipping and everything seemed a lot smoother. On returning from my lengthy test drive I checked the fluid level again, in case there were any air pockets from the fluid change and topped it up.
The Ravenol Transfer Case fluid is only £15 per litre (you will need just over 1 litre) and only takes about 10 minutes to drain and refill if your vehicle has air suspension and you can clamber underneath with it on its highest setting! In future I am going to be changing this at every maintenance service, as a precaution.
