All Taycan deliveries being held at port due to needing new heaters

[RGBArgee]

@RGBArgee

https://jalopnik.com/an-extremely-detailed-look-at-the-porsche-taycans-engin-1837802533

If you look at this article there is quite a lot of good detail but the complex cooling system is not all that well explained since the valves aren’t all there and explained.

There are plenty of heat exchangers and fans in there, both for the climate control and the cooling of the motors when they need it, but also shutters to prevent over cooling if they don’t.

The item failing is the HV heater which is a device used to heat the fluid in the temperature control system, it is neither a radiator nor would benefit from a cooling fan. It is effectively an electric element submerged in the circulating fluid which it probably needs to heat most during preconditioning and probably not much if at all once one is taking a bit of power from the motor(s).

On an IC engined car the fuel is roughly ⅓ converted to power coming out of the crankshaft, ⅓ heat rejected into the cooling water and ⅓ heat lost down the exhaust pipe. FWIW.

On a road car there are often extra provision to heat the water quickly so the cabin heater starts working as quickly as possible, it is common for there to be a thermostat so the coolant only circulates through the engine and heater matrix until up to temperature.

I was only interested in cooling racing car engines for the 30+ years I worked in formula 1.
Pure racing engines were designed to minimise the heat going into the cooling water in the first place- producing a 750kW cooling system adds quite a bit of drag and isn’t easy! One of the things we did was run a highly pressurised system at well above 100C, much less drag but special radiators and lubricants required.

The circuit for an EV is totally different. The battery pack has to be kept in a fairly narrow ,and cool compared to IC engine, temperature range for efficiency and safety. The motor can only give the overboost power if the cooling system can get the excess heat out of it. Most of the circuit runs at average temperatures way lower than any IC engine.

Thanks …. So in your opinion is the dealer service centre talking round objects?

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[Scandinavian]

Don't think its a heater matrix.. these rely on water. The Taycan uses a HV Heater which has been overheating due to the lack of a fan... well that's what Ive been told and sounds plausible.

Have a look at this heater that is installed In our Taycan. See the two pipes?? That is where water circulates. I do not think any fan would help out her at all.
https://autozparts.eu/product/heating-module-webasto-porsche-taycan-9j1963507e-az12635772206/

 

[irrelevant]

There's no reason for a fan to be necessary to cool a resistive heater. Simply remove the power from it. Problem solved...without another fan.

 

[TheSauce]

You guys are some nerds! Just give me my car ASAP with a functional heating system people! Lol.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

This heater saga reminds me of the 12V battery shortage, but compounded by the fact that all existing cars need replacements (ok, maybe ones out of warranty will be excluded if the heater lasted that long). It does make me think however - according to their own media messaging, Porsche spent many YEARS testing the Taycan in the extreme heat and cold, WTF were they doing? Testing mission-E prototypes, declared them good to go, then redesigned individual parts and shipped them without testing?!?

The one thing you can’t catch with stress testing is a slow-evolving defect. (IMS bearing?) Porsche have put 6M mi on Taycan test vehicles before release, which to my casual recollection is the most by far for them - ever (1-2M mi is typical). I’m very curious to see a root cause analysis on this defect, but I suspect it’s that niche of “long pause between short drives” - for which there simply is no time during long haul preproduction testing.

Another possibility may be uneven quality of the parts - you’ll have noticed that a good 70+% of poll participants here still have their original heater, in working condition.

(edited to fix the grammar, an example and typos. Argh)

 

[f1eng]

Thanks …. So in your opinion is the dealer service centre talking round objects?

Yes.
If you look at the temperature control circuit and the component failing is as reported, the HV heater, a fan blowing on it would be bonkers in more ways than one.

 

[Bibo]

So we have no formal information from the Factory but it seems that all Taycans are being held at ports, hauliers for a replacement heater but the factory are prioritising used cars with faulty heaters which is understandable. No information when these held cars will be delivered.

Dealers have no information but are predicting up to 6 month delay. My car is one of those. It was elivered to the French haulier 2 weeks ago and still no information. I have no choice but to wait and complain with the lack of information but at some point I will cancel my order and wait for a MY24. Surely Porsche realise many others will do the same. I'm also not keen on a car parked up in a field for 6 months.

This is a massive embarrassment to Porsche and they are trying to hide it from new customers. Very poor and totally unacceptable.

I am stuck in that situation as well , my car arrived to Houston port and the dealership informed me it won’t be released till October. Big failure from Porsche to handle that situation efficiently and really embarrassment considering the way they always market themselves

 

[whitex]

I am stuck in that situation as well , my car arrived to Houston port and the dealership informed me it won’t be released till October. Big failure from Porsche to handle that situation efficiently and really embarrassment considering the way they always market themselves

Wow, Huston port must have quite the storage capacity to hold more than half a year of Porsche's Houston bound production. Or maybe Porsche is not expecting to sell that many Taycans this year in the US.

 

[Zeegoff]

Mine has been sat in Grimsby for over 3 weeks, no sign of it leaving the port, SA say's there's just a backlog of cars............ hmm I think it's sat waiting for parts

This is a little worrying, mines been there since the 4th. Was due to take delivery this weekend, still no sign of any movement, have you had any update from your SA as to what's causing the delay?

 

[irrelevant]

I am stuck in that situation as well , my car arrived to Houston port and the dealership informed me it won’t be released till October. Big failure from Porsche to handle that situation efficiently and really embarrassment considering the way they always market themselves

A high-voltage heater is critical for summertime operations in Houston.

Best wishes for a speedier resolution. That's just ridiculous.

 

[Cowtownhusker]

I am stuck in that situation as well , my car arrived to Houston port and the dealership informed me it won’t be released till October. Big failure from Porsche to handle that situation efficiently and really embarrassment considering the way they always market themselves

Was your car on the SFL Conductor? My car was released and delivered today after PPF and tint. No electric steering column. 14 speaker (not 12 speaker) bose system. VLC present and working. Heater worked as of today thank goodness.

 

[malogos]

I am stuck in that situation as well , my car arrived to Houston port and the dealership informed me it won’t be released till October. Big failure from Porsche to handle that situation efficiently and really embarrassment considering the way they always market themselves

October!? That seems pretty extreme. I was hoping a couple weeks....

 

[TXSchnee]

Wow, Huston port must have quite the storage capacity to hold more than half a year of Porsche's Houston bound production. Or maybe Porsche is not expecting to sell that many Taycans this year in the US.

VW storage at Port Houston is huge.

 

[whitex]

VW storage at Port Houston is huge.

Except Porsche is no longer part of VW, so they will have to negotiate a lease? Also, I bet VW also needs this space. Few thousand Taycans (it truly holding all Taycans until October) is probably not insignificant to store there.

 

[TXSchnee]

Except Porsche is no longer part of VW, so they will have to negotiate a lease? Also, I bet VW also needs this space. Few thousand Taycans (it truly holding all Taycans until October) is probably not insignificant to store there.

Technically the Porsche family owns controlling stake in VW, but VW overall still owns Porsche. Their IPO was for non voting shares and did not spin them off. Edit to add: https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/porsche-ipo-leaves-vw-stock-skoda-territory-2022-09-30/

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