Don't Buy a PDK Porsche 

I'm getting old and my knee is cramping, I'll probably look at late model Porsches with auto-rev matching option for their manuals, kinda a nice middle ground between pure manual and PDK. Not having to rev-match my downshifts will help with my knees.

My 2009 Carrera S is my 4th 911 and the first one I’ve owned that is not a manual. My first 911 was a 1971 911 T Targa that I purchased in Atlanta in 1973. My last manual 911 was a 2008 Carrera S. I got a wild hair a few years ago and traded my 911 for a 2017 Mercedes AMG C63S. Within a month I knew I had made a bad decision and used the AMG for a partial trade on my wife’s new 2019 LX. Sorry for the long story, but I just want to confirm that from my experience in all kinds of sporty cars… M3, Audi S4, C63 S that for me “there is no substitute”for the Porsche 911. It took me a year, but I finally found a low mileage 2009 Carrera S with PDK in July of 2020. I am now 75 years old and drive that car every day if it’s not raining. I have just as much fun driving this with PDK transmission as I did with the 3 manual 911’s. Following is, to me, the best way to enjoy the PDK option. I start off from the beginning in manual mode. I wait until all of the fluids warm up, usually around 10 minutes or so, before Revving the engine over 3000 RPM. I then put the car in Sport Plus mode and enjoy the lightening quick shifts of that dual clutch gearbox. My car originally came with the toggle switch shifters, which was the only option in the 2009 models, but one of my first mods was to install an OEM steering wheel with proper paddle shifters. Since I purchased my car in mid 2000, it has actually appreciated around 20% in value, since it has been deemed by many to be the last analog 911. Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents on the subject from a very happy and satisfied long time Porsche 911 enthusiast.

The solution is to use it in manual mode all the time, that eliminates all the 'issues' related to the transmission trying to predict what you want to do, with the exception of lifting after hard acceleration and upshifting, that still feels somewhat odd. But if you understand how it works you can slightly adapt to avoid that specific situation. Put it in sport or sport plus and that eliminates de half a second delay when upshifting. I still find it I miss rowing my own gears.

PDK failure in my babied 997.2 C4S. I've owned 4 911's each wth manual. It's not just the cost, but also the time and stress to deal with it. The other 911's were bullet proof as they say. PDK being a sealed unit with very few mechanics trained on servicing the internals is blind faith.

Look for Jeff Richardson an Australian who tears Porsche down and explains the mechanics of them. The PDK is quite amazing.

I just bought a 2009 Boxster S with a PDK. This was the first year of the PDK. I expected it to be a bit clunky from a start in auto mode, and it is. Shift manually and you can alleviate most of that chunkiness. I did get a 4 year bumper to bumper warranty because PDK failure would really hurt the wallet. I made the dealer change the PDK fluids as part of the purchase. I'm happy with my decision to get the PDK.

I have 997.2 manual and that gearbox is made by Aisin. It feels notchy. First to second when cold is hard to engage. Sometimes you can't engage first gear when at the red light. And they all like that I was told. In city traffic it is tiring due to heavy clutch. On the country roads it is fine and is quite engaging to drive though.

the transmission emergency run message can appear for a variety of reasons including bad coil packs or a dying battery. code 1991 is related to the former. it can also show up from a bad pdk solenoid, which is relatively inexpensive. the sky ain't falling.

Bit of a strange take, so far all Porsche owners I've talked to at my local track have loved the PDK, be it in a Boxster, Cayman or 911 GT3 RS. Maybe you just got unlucky with a lemon.

While the PDK didn’t impress me (Would love to drive a newer one to compare) the PSM blew me away. Incredible system. Next video will be on why I love it

You have effectively the first gen PDK trans.. what did you expect? It was great in it's day - the new one's are miles better and improved.

Oh god , it’s him again !!

Interesting take on it. Nice video

I have a first generation PDK. I totally know what you mean. The car does not like 1st or Reverse. It feels like it’s going to break but the mechanics say it’s fine. I would not recommend an early PDK. Wish I would’ve got a manual.

What does a pdk do? And wats the difference between manual and pdk? Im kinda new to Porsche and planning to buy 718 cayman and i wanan get auto gear

Did you get used to your PDK transmission by now? I am considering getting a second hand 718 and the only decently priced and in obvious good conditions are PDK. Same thing in Porsche dealerships, they only have PDK around here (Tokyo area).

Out of first it does feel awkward as it is a mechanized shift compared to more modern automatic. It does feel slack suspect it is a mount that is worn or way past. The PDK will need it service done to make it shift better.

Amazing video

What if the manual 997.2’s are near impossible to find at a reasonable price or condition? Just stay away completely?

I'd be curious to compare my RS3 dsg to it. Anytime I want to do anything other than traffic I manual only. It's extremely violent if I just smash it and you have at least half a sec while the computer figures out what is going on. Full throttle shifts are also head snapping violent for me but that's probably due to the aggressive dsg tune and 25 psi of boost. Downshift are actually very smooth compared to upshifts.

I feel like while 997.2 pdk is not nearly as fast as 991 you can still get it very quick if you lock it in manual and sport plus. That being said fear of failure is certainly there after watching this video.

My 991s pdk is flawless and I forget there is even a transmission as shifts are so smooth that you only notice them if you look at the rev counter. It is like electric car smooth. My S4 dsg is only smooth sometimes and jerky. S5 tiptronic is also great on the newer sportbacks.

I have to admit the S85 DCT in a F80 M3 has my heart. Hate to be the Beamer fanboy here😂

These transmissions are sensitive to heat (like all electronics, fail when they get too hot). Stop and go traffic and track driving are extreme environments. For the 997 gen Porsche recommends gear oil change ever 12 years and PDK clutch fluid every 6 years. I'd reduce that by a factor of 3. So you should change your clutch fluid every 2-3 years for smoother operation and reduce the chance of failure. I have been very impressed with the PDK in my Cayman R, its emotional, responsive, smooth and quick. I can't say its really night and day difference from the newer (991) PDKs, but I can tell you its much more engaging than recently DSG offerings.

So I've got a question for anyone that can answer, I'm thinking of getting a porsche panamera turbo from 2010-2013 ish years to replace my chrysler 300c awd. I've heard porsche can rack up the cost of repairs while my 300 is at 194,000 and running strong as ever, if I buy a panamera with the pdk and biturbo v8 at around 100k miles, how many more should I expect to get out of it, or is it going to get pricey quick, as ive heard some horror stories. I only ask because the repairs are stupid cheap for the 300, and dont wanna get myself into a total money pit.

It looks like the top of the steering wheel is at the same level as your eyes. That would drive me nuts. Can’t you raise the seat?

Got a 2010 Cayman S with a 6 speed Getrag, as I didn't want a manumatic (PDK), due to I don't mind shifting and I didn't need the transmission to have the hydraulic/computer controls for a transmission that no one knew how to repair. The replacement cost is absurd and it's not the manual gear sets, but the few other parts that that kill the desire to have one.

Re the fully automatic function and your dilemma, I think where the car is designed has a great deal to do with how the transmission is programmed. German speed limits are universally 30 mph in town, 50 mph on semi-urban roads that have dividers, 60 mph on normal two lane roads, and 80 mph on the highway (plus unlimited stretches). I lived in Berlin for 3 years; no-one in Germany would launch from a start at big throttle openings to accelerate to 60 mph then hold speed; Mercedes-Benz automatics start in 2nd gear, as well as most others because the huge throttle tip-in that American muscle cars exhibit (that is, the behavior you're describing) is just not desirable when the city speed limit is 30 mph. In other words, not only does the PDK add yet another computer or two to a vehicle that has too many computers already (my 944 Turbo had two computers, the DME and the KLR system) which add yet another failure point, it tries to outsmart the driver, which is a hopeless task. Yes, on the track, the PDK is I'm sure vastly superior to the manual, but for normal driving, the "manu-matic" Tiptronic is likely the better solution, particularly for the majority of buyers who want a "Porsh". Only one automatic transmission I've ever driven seemed to know what I wanted to do--the 8-speed ZF 6HP in my Range Rover Sport--but even this would be a let down in a Porsche (I had an '11 AMG C63 with the 7G-Tronic manu-matic which was not nearly as good as the ZF, and would occasionally drop into limp mode when run hard). So manual it is, despite being a few tenths slower from 60 to 100 mph.

Love my PDK!!! Sell it and buy a manual...if you can find one...cheap.

You mention that the dealers will not repair but rather replace the entire PDK in the event of some sort of failure. There are independent shops that will repair the PDK. Everything from sensor replacements to full rebuilds, as well as performance upgrades. Atlanta Speedworks in Gainsville, Georgia is probably the best at this.

If you don’t like the auto gear selection, why not drive it in manual mode? Pdk shifting, 997.2 was 1st generation. You can get that tuned to improve it, or even upload a 991.1 pdk file (much more involved).

The PDK is from ZF not Porsche themselve and theye are easy to repair (some) i just repaired my at a independet mechanic

I have a rather wicked PDK equipped car 🤷‍♂️ #PLEBWAPS (PROBLEM LIKELY EXISTS BETWEEN WHEEL AND PILOT SEAT)

Don't worry about pronouncing Porsche like an American lol. I guarantee the fools that try to correct you don't go around saying Deutschland when they refer to Germany, so their correction to Porsche-AHH is just silly. Secondly, on your comments about the shifting trying to be predictable between whether you're racing or just quickly accelerating, is there not a driving mode option you can select? My Evo X SST trans had 3 driving modes. Normal mode in Auto drove extremely smooth through all shifts, including 1st. But when I went into S-Sport mode which is the most aggressive, it held the shifts to redline and and jerked like I was snapping through manual gears.

Can't you buy extended warranty?

Maybe there’s actually a failure in your PDK? Not common takes on it

You don't understand nothing about cars... Porsches with manual gearbox are destroyed by over-revving because the people who drive them are not capable to use it correctly. The PDK transmission preserve the car from the incorrect use of the manual transmission. I talk because I've had several Porsches and nowadays i daily drive a Carrera 991.2 GTS 4 and belive me... The PDK on my GTS is super perfect and precise like a Swiss watch. Try a last gen Porsche and make another video like this saying PDK is shit.

I have a 997 gen 1 with tiptronic, one of the strongest box’s Porsche have, for those who say this is not as good as the manual most will not have driven one properly or at all, I have had 2 of each and would recommend the tiptronic.

It’s one of my main questions about the PDK transmissions. Being an automated manual transmission a DCT can become clunky over time. The smoothest DCT transmission I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving was the Honda/Acura 8-Speed Dual-Clutch. At speed it’s fast, but when driving around town it’s shifts are always crisp and smooth. I did some research and found out that Honda solved the clunkiness of the DCT design by marrying a torque converter with it. The torque converter basically absorb any shift shocks that may happen. It’s genius and I wonder why no other manufacturer has done this 😢

Yes Can not mash the pedal down and lift off quickly Learn it Grow with it 😂

Same piece of sh..t like my old Q5 S-tronic 😁

You need a couple phone books to sit on

I’ve had 3 PDK 911s . 997.2. Tracked it for 20,000 miles. Not a problem. 50th Anniversary 991.1 25,000 miles not a problem. 991.2 GT3 11,000 Miles not a problem. Chevy copied it. So you have a problem and you’re condemning all Porsches. I’ll give you a hint. The 911 is not a drag car. DONT USE THE LAUNCH control. Maybe the gt3 PDK is more robust but that doesn’t change the fact my other 2 cars were flawless

Well it's a Porsche, it's not meant to be affordable, or a good value proposition

Duh. Are you spending a majority of your time in stop and go traffic? No? Buy manual.

Obviously… always go manual

I find it insane that you bought a car because of the tranny and not for the brand.

PDK is the best transmission ever made.You must know how to use it!and not to kill it!!

997.2 you're in is Gen 1 PDK is garbage