Alex
Nordschleife
- Joined
- 6 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 22,172
I've posted a few times over the last few months about a problem I've been having with my DANSK sport boxes that were fitted when I purchased the car just over 3 years ago. Anyway, on Thursday whilst washing the motor it came apparent to me what the problem (I think) has been - more of that later.
The initial problem started around a year ago. So when then car went in for its yearly service I asked my trusty mechanic to investigate. He noticed both cat to box sleeves were weeping and replaced those, also having a good inspection of the system but couldn't find anything whilst the car was running up on the ramps. Although replacing the sleeves/clamps did dramatically improve the sound, I still wasn't 100% convinced the problem was solved.
Since then, the noise problem started to deteriorate over the rest of last year and by September I had my mechanic investigate again. He couldn't visually see anything but noted that the RH box was the one at fault and suggested maybe a loose baffle or other internal component. At this point I decided to write directly to the owner of DANSK as I felt I wouldn't get much joy from the place I purchased the car or from where they sourced the boxes as 2 years (which I thought was the warranty period) had now surpassed. I also believed the issue was a manufacturing defect and felt it better to contact DANSK direct as they were the party 'at fault' here.
The dealer I purchased the car from were very helpful and contacted the place they sourced the boxes from and acquired a copy of the invoice for me as evidence of the purchase.
Anyway, after much waiting and no joy I eventually contacted their area sales Manager for the UK. He was aware of the problem and had been trying to contact me though the UK supplier but didn't get anywhere. Why he didn't just write back to me? :dont know:
Basically from that moment, although helpful, he made it clear DANSK couldn't do anything apart from chase it up with the UK distributor and see if they were able to help me as the item was purchased from them. My dealer had purchased the boxes from 9apart and the UK distributor they get them from was Eurocarparts.
9apart did contact me when the issue was raised to them. They notified me that the warranty on the DANSK boxes is only 12 months - I thought this was pretty poor as the idea of purchasing the DANSK boxes in the first place is that you're purchasing a superior product than the original OEM ones originally fitted by Porsche and due to them being a Full Stainless Steel system, you don't need to have to worry about having to replace them for another 8+ years. I would at least expect them to last as long as the OEM ones (which were 14 years old before they failed). This was 9apart's response to the quality/longevity of the DANSK system:
"Exhaust silencers, even stainless steel ones are a serviceable item so I'm not sure why you thought they would out live your ownership of the car. The stainless steel genuine Porsche silencers which are high quality were having to be replaced in the first place proving they do not last for ever. As the silencers are well out of our warranty time frame then I feel that Dansk themselves will have to look into this matter further. "
I wonder if that's their sales pitch when they're selling them?
Martin from DANSK then contacted Eurocarparts to see if they were to offer me a solution to my problem. They did - they offered me a brand new set at a discounted price:
"Yes Martin has explained the situation.
With that in mind we can offer you a set at £495.00 + vat."
The amount that carparts4less (their company) were currently selling them for once you added the discount code. :roll:
Obviously I made them aware of this.
After a few more emails, DANSK notified me ECP would be back in touch with a final offer and if I didn't take it, there was nothing more that could be done. ECP did get back to me with this offer:
"I can now offer the exhaust to you at £440.00 + vat
So that will be £528.00.
Shipping is free within the UK."
At that point I made the decision it was time to roll my sleeves up, remove the faulty part myself, cut it open and see what was wrong, with the intention of resolving the problem, welding back together and refitting back on the car, as this would be a far cheaper option than shelving out £530 on a product that I would possibly have to replace again in 2 years time. :nooo:
The car's in for its service any day now and was going to get the box whipped off then and start investigating the problem...
....but whilst washing the car on Thursday night I noticed some movement in the RH tailpipe and a not so nice metallic rubbing sound. Took a peak under the car and saw this - the flexi-pipe part of the back box where it joins to the cat:
Over the weekend I've sealed it up with some exhaust putty just to prove this was the problem I've had slowly deteriorating over the past 12 months and it looks like it was........Although started blowing again already due to the bodge fix. Fortunately those flexi-pipes are ready available so my mechanic should be able to chop that off and weld a new one on. Once this has been done, I'll give some feedback on the results. Might even get him to do the LH side as (since this has happened) I've seen many posts and threads about this problem with the DANSK boxes.
Although I've loved the boxes and the sound they create, I don't think I could recommend these to anyone without 1st notifying them there's a chance they'll only last 2 years.
If someone had asked me what will come first:
3 years ownership
10,000 posts on 911uk.com
Your DANSK boxes packing up
DANSK would've been last on the list, not 1st :nooo:
Hope this thread helps decide what boxes people will fit on their P&J and where to purchase them from when the time comes to replace.
The initial problem started around a year ago. So when then car went in for its yearly service I asked my trusty mechanic to investigate. He noticed both cat to box sleeves were weeping and replaced those, also having a good inspection of the system but couldn't find anything whilst the car was running up on the ramps. Although replacing the sleeves/clamps did dramatically improve the sound, I still wasn't 100% convinced the problem was solved.
Since then, the noise problem started to deteriorate over the rest of last year and by September I had my mechanic investigate again. He couldn't visually see anything but noted that the RH box was the one at fault and suggested maybe a loose baffle or other internal component. At this point I decided to write directly to the owner of DANSK as I felt I wouldn't get much joy from the place I purchased the car or from where they sourced the boxes as 2 years (which I thought was the warranty period) had now surpassed. I also believed the issue was a manufacturing defect and felt it better to contact DANSK direct as they were the party 'at fault' here.
The dealer I purchased the car from were very helpful and contacted the place they sourced the boxes from and acquired a copy of the invoice for me as evidence of the purchase.
Anyway, after much waiting and no joy I eventually contacted their area sales Manager for the UK. He was aware of the problem and had been trying to contact me though the UK supplier but didn't get anywhere. Why he didn't just write back to me? :dont know:
Basically from that moment, although helpful, he made it clear DANSK couldn't do anything apart from chase it up with the UK distributor and see if they were able to help me as the item was purchased from them. My dealer had purchased the boxes from 9apart and the UK distributor they get them from was Eurocarparts.
9apart did contact me when the issue was raised to them. They notified me that the warranty on the DANSK boxes is only 12 months - I thought this was pretty poor as the idea of purchasing the DANSK boxes in the first place is that you're purchasing a superior product than the original OEM ones originally fitted by Porsche and due to them being a Full Stainless Steel system, you don't need to have to worry about having to replace them for another 8+ years. I would at least expect them to last as long as the OEM ones (which were 14 years old before they failed). This was 9apart's response to the quality/longevity of the DANSK system:
"Exhaust silencers, even stainless steel ones are a serviceable item so I'm not sure why you thought they would out live your ownership of the car. The stainless steel genuine Porsche silencers which are high quality were having to be replaced in the first place proving they do not last for ever. As the silencers are well out of our warranty time frame then I feel that Dansk themselves will have to look into this matter further. "
I wonder if that's their sales pitch when they're selling them?
Martin from DANSK then contacted Eurocarparts to see if they were to offer me a solution to my problem. They did - they offered me a brand new set at a discounted price:
"Yes Martin has explained the situation.
With that in mind we can offer you a set at £495.00 + vat."
The amount that carparts4less (their company) were currently selling them for once you added the discount code. :roll:
Obviously I made them aware of this.
After a few more emails, DANSK notified me ECP would be back in touch with a final offer and if I didn't take it, there was nothing more that could be done. ECP did get back to me with this offer:
"I can now offer the exhaust to you at £440.00 + vat
So that will be £528.00.
Shipping is free within the UK."
At that point I made the decision it was time to roll my sleeves up, remove the faulty part myself, cut it open and see what was wrong, with the intention of resolving the problem, welding back together and refitting back on the car, as this would be a far cheaper option than shelving out £530 on a product that I would possibly have to replace again in 2 years time. :nooo:
The car's in for its service any day now and was going to get the box whipped off then and start investigating the problem...
....but whilst washing the car on Thursday night I noticed some movement in the RH tailpipe and a not so nice metallic rubbing sound. Took a peak under the car and saw this - the flexi-pipe part of the back box where it joins to the cat:
Over the weekend I've sealed it up with some exhaust putty just to prove this was the problem I've had slowly deteriorating over the past 12 months and it looks like it was........Although started blowing again already due to the bodge fix. Fortunately those flexi-pipes are ready available so my mechanic should be able to chop that off and weld a new one on. Once this has been done, I'll give some feedback on the results. Might even get him to do the LH side as (since this has happened) I've seen many posts and threads about this problem with the DANSK boxes.
Although I've loved the boxes and the sound they create, I don't think I could recommend these to anyone without 1st notifying them there's a chance they'll only last 2 years.
If someone had asked me what will come first:
3 years ownership
10,000 posts on 911uk.com
Your DANSK boxes packing up
DANSK would've been last on the list, not 1st :nooo:
Hope this thread helps decide what boxes people will fit on their P&J and where to purchase them from when the time comes to replace.