Porsche Diagnostics & Fault Finding – Feckenham

Porsche PIWIS 4 Diagnostics

PMR uses Porsche PIWIS 4, Porsche’s dedicated diagnostic platform.

Depending on the vehicle and fault being investigated, PIWIS 4 allows us to interrogate Porsche control units, read and clear fault memories, monitor live/actual vehicle data, carry out component activation and function tests, perform relevant adaptations and calibrations, and carry out Porsche-specific diagnostic and service procedures.

Component activation is particularly useful when fault finding because, where supported, we can command components or systems and observe their response rather than relying solely on a stored fault code.

PIWIS is an extremely powerful diagnostic tool, but it doesn’t replace diagnosis.

Porsche Technical Information

PMR has access to the Porsche Partner Network (PPN) and Porsche technical information.

Where required, our technicians can consult relevant Porsche workshop instructions, wiring diagrams, service information and technical procedures.

This allows us to combine information obtained directly from the vehicle with Porsche technical information and physical testing.

More Than Fault-Code Reading

Different faults require different approaches. Depending on the problem, diagnosis at PMR can combine:

PIWIS 4 diagnosis – fault memories, live/actual values, component activation and system tests.

Porsche technical information – workshop procedures and wiring diagrams relevant to the vehicle and system.

Electrical testing – physical testing of power supplies, earths, wiring, connectors, sensors and actuators.

Mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic testing – checking what’s physically happening within the system rather than assuming every fault is electronic.

Road testing – reproducing symptoms that occur while driving and assessing vehicle behaviour where appropriate and safe.

Complex or intermittent faults cannot always be reproduced immediately, so some problems may require further diagnostic work.

Advanced Electrical Diagnosis with an Automotive Oscilloscope

PIWIS tells us what the Porsche’s control systems are seeing, but some electrical faults require closer examination of the electrical signals themselves.

PMR uses a PicoScope automotive oscilloscope where appropriate for advanced electrical diagnosis.

An oscilloscope allows us to view an electrical signal operating in real time rather than simply measuring a single voltage. This can be particularly useful when investigating sensors, actuators, wiring and intermittent faults.

Analysing the shape and behaviour of a signal can reveal abnormalities that may not be apparent from a conventional multimeter test or fault-code scan.

PicoScope therefore complements PIWIS 4, Porsche wiring information and conventional electrical testing when a fault requires deeper investigation.

Porsche Electrical Fault Diagnosis

Electrical and electronic faults aren’t always permanent, and connecting diagnostic equipment doesn’t always provide an immediate answer.

PMR’s electrical fault diagnosis can combine PIWIS fault information and live data with physical testing of power supplies, earths, wiring and connectors, sensors and actuators.

Where necessary, Porsche wiring diagrams and technical information available through PPN support systematic testing of the relevant circuits, while PicoScope can be used for more detailed signal analysis.

This is particularly useful with intermittent faults that occur only under certain operating conditions or aren’t present when the vehicle first arrives.

A fault code can point us towards the system detecting the problem. It doesn’t automatically mean the component named in the fault information is defective.

Porsche PDK Diagnosis, Servicing & Repair

PMR provides PDK diagnosis, servicing and repair using Porsche PIWIS 4 alongside electrical and mechanical testing.

PDK diagnostic work can include fault-memory interrogation, live/actual values, component activation and function tests, relevant adaptations and calibrations, electrical testing and road testing.

We can investigate warning messages, poor shifting, delayed engagement and other abnormal transmission behaviour, including problems occurring without a warning light.

Importantly, a fault within a PDK transmission does not automatically mean the complete transmission requires replacement.

PMR has experience carrying out internal PDK repairs, including replacement of transmission distance sensors and internal oil seals. Failure of internal seals can allow the separate transmission oils to mix, resulting in PDK operating problems.

PMR also carries out scheduled PDK servicing, with model-specific service packages covering the appropriate fluids, filters and associated work where applicable.

Porsche PASM Diagnosis & Repair

PMR provides diagnosis and repair of Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) systems using Porsche PIWIS 4 alongside electrical and mechanical suspension testing.

We can investigate PASM fault memories and live/actual values, carry out component activation and function tests, and perform relevant adaptations and calibrations where required.

A PASM warning does not necessarily mean an electronically controlled damper has failed. We can investigate the wider system, including wiring, connectors, sensors, power supplies and mechanical suspension components, before recommending replacement parts.

Ride-height and level sensors are specifically checked during our vehicle inspections because their mechanisms and linkages can break, seize or become bent, resulting in incorrect information being supplied to the vehicle’s suspension systems.

PMR can diagnose and replace faulty level sensors and carry out the appropriate calibration afterwards.

We also carry out Porsche suspension repairs, including replacement of PASM dampers and associated suspension components. Where the work affects suspension geometry, the vehicle receives the appropriate full wheel-alignment and geometry setup afterwards.

Road testing can also form part of the diagnostic process where required to investigate suspension noises, poor ride quality, handling problems or intermittent warnings.

Porsche PDCC Diagnosis, Servicing & Repair

PMR provides in-house diagnosis, servicing and repair of Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) systems.

Using Porsche PIWIS 4, we can interrogate PDCC fault memories, monitor live/actual values, carry out component activation and function tests, and perform relevant adaptations and calibrations where required.

PDCC faults are not necessarily purely electronic. Diagnosis can include both electrical and hydraulic fault finding, inspection for fluid leaks and testing of the associated system components to establish the cause before recommending a repair.

PMR can replace PDCC components where required, with diagnostic and repair work carried out in-house.

We also carry out PDCC fluid-system work and servicing. Where the hydraulic system has been opened, the appropriate procedure is followed, including the PDCC bleeding sequence activated using PIWIS 4, followed by fluid-level and leak checks.

Road testing can form part of the diagnostic process where appropriate, particularly where a reported symptom needs to be reproduced or assessed under driving conditions.

Porsche Air Suspension Diagnosis & Repair

PMR provides comprehensive Porsche air-suspension diagnosis and repair for models including Cayenne, Macan and Panamera, with diagnostic and repair work carried out in-house.

Using Porsche PIWIS 4, we can interrogate the level-control and suspension systems, read fault memories, monitor live/actual values, carry out component activation and system tests, and perform relevant ride-height and level-control calibrations.

A Porsche dropping at one corner or axle does not automatically mean that the air spring or strut at that corner has failed. PMR uses several methods to investigate air leaks within Porsche air-suspension systems and establish where pressure is actually being lost before recommending replacement parts.

We diagnose and repair faults involving:

• air springs and struts
• compressors
• valve blocks
• air lines and connections
• ride-height sensors
• electrical supplies, wiring and connectors
• associated control systems

PIWIS can also be used to assess air-system volume, helping determine whether an abnormal air quantity is consistent with leakage or a problem with compressor or system operation.

Level sensors can be physically and electronically tested and are calibrated following replacement where required. More complex sensor signals can also be investigated using our PicoScope automotive oscilloscope where appropriate.

Following repairs requiring the pneumatic system to be opened, PMR can refill the air-suspension system using nitrogen and carry out the relevant PIWIS procedures, adaptations and calibrations.

We’ve encountered vehicles with more than one source of air loss. For example, a vehicle dropping at one corner was found to have leakage both at an air-line connection and the air spring itself, demonstrating why identifying the actual source of pressure loss matters before replacing components.

Road testing and final system checks are carried out where appropriate to confirm correct operation following diagnosis or repair.

Porsche Suspension & Chassis Fault Diagnosis

Not every Porsche suspension problem produces a warning light or diagnostic fault code. Symptoms such as knocks and rattles, poor ride quality, unusual handling, pulling, vibration, uneven tyre wear or incorrect ride height can have mechanical, electronic or geometry-related causes.

PMR combines physical suspension inspection, Porsche PIWIS 4 diagnostics and road testing where appropriate to establish what is actually causing the problem.

For electronically controlled suspension systems, diagnostic information and live/actual values can be considered alongside the condition of the mechanical suspension components. This helps avoid assuming that a warning message or unusual vehicle behaviour automatically means an electronic component has failed.

Suspension noises can also require investigation under the conditions in which the customer experiences them. Where appropriate, road testing allows us to reproduce knocks, rattles, ride or handling concerns before carrying out further inspection.

PMR also carries out Porsche suspension repairs and full wheel alignment/geometry, allowing suspension condition, tyre wear and vehicle geometry to be considered together where relevant.

Where suspension components are replaced and the work affects alignment, the vehicle can receive the appropriate full geometry setup afterwards.

This gives PMR the ability to investigate the Porsche as a complete chassis system rather than treating diagnostics, mechanical suspension and wheel alignment as unrelated jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT PORSCHE OWNERS SAY