300,000km (186k mi) Taycan

[ct14garage]

300,000km Taycan

A few months ago I posted here about how, on our rebuilt Taycan batteries, we replaced the factory Polytec Liquid TIM with old-school thermal pads, and also stopped using factory screws to seal the lids, we rivet them instead and use Syka EV sealant instead of factory sealant glue... Several Porsche dealer techs laughed 🥹

1.5 years ago, this Taycan came to us at around 195,000 km with a yellow electrical system fault and unable to charge. The factory seal had failed, water got into the HV battery, and several modules were badly leaking. We fully rebuilt the pack and sealed it according to our own internal spec.

Today the car came back at an astonishing 270,000 km, but for a completely unrelated issue: a rat had chewed through the rear left air spring wires. The rebuilt battery is still doing its job after around 80,000 km in its second life, more than many factory packs ever do before needing serious work. They laughed, but the battery kept driving.

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[Porsche-Guru]

Awesome….
As I have previously written in other threads; as an independent garage, the innovation you are bringing to these cars is priceless. Thank you.

 

[Dee]

How can you tell the new sealant is still ok?
Did you open the battery again?

Although Porsche is making a huge fuss about its 'professional sealing procedure' it's no rocket science either.
Any butylene sealant will do the job but then again, Porsche has to take responsibility for that $50.000 battery pack, that's the difference.

I can imagining hobbyists will do these sealing themselves in the future and is as good, maybe even better than factory.
Nevertheless, you're doing an awesome job Cris.
I wish we had access to a shop like yours here in the Netherlands but the future is still open for new adventures!

 

[Gino]

How can you tell the new sealant is still ok?
Did you open the battery again?

Although Porsche is making a huge fuss about its 'professional sealing procedure' it's no rocket science either.
Any butylene sealant will do the job but then again, Porsche has to take responsibility for that $50.000 battery pack, that's the difference.

I can imagining hobbyists will do these sealing themselves in the future and is as good, maybe even better than factory.
Nevertheless, you're doing an awesome job Cris.
I wish we had access to a shop like yours here in the Netherlands but the future is still open for new adventures!

It’s only a matter of time before more companies like ReCell in the US builds successful businesses around the repair & replacement of Porsche EV batteries as well as the electric motor’s & transmissions.
The more difficult repairs may be the electronics, displays, cameras, etc which fail over time forcing customers to dealers but even these repairs will eventually have plenty of 3rd party options for repair at significantly cheaper cost.
Porsche, like all OEMs, would like customers to only service their vehicles at Porsche but that was never happening with ICE vehicles and won’t happen with EVs either.
Porsche will learn at some point that if a PCM fails and they expect to get $10K to replace it there will be alternatives from 3rd party shops to do it for $5K or less. I deal with incredibly expensive semiconductor manufacturing systems costing up to $50M which have custom electronics & displays which can be sent out to companies that specialize in the repair & remanufacture of these low volume components at anywhere from $500 to several thousand per unit to repair & fully test.
The electronics in a Porsche will be much easier to build a business on these repairs, replacements just as good if not better than the OEM parts.
It’s only a matter of time.

 

[TonyR]

A matter of time is in a couple of years when Taycans start coming off warranty and there is an incentive for third parties to start to provide services. At the moment most are still covered by Porsche under warranty and extended warranties bar the rare exceptions that have gone over 100k miles on the batteries like this one.

 

[Gino]

A matter of time is in a couple of years when Taycans start coming off warranty and there is an incentive for third parties to start to provide services. At the moment most are still covered by Porsche under warranty and extended warranties bar the rare exceptions that have gone over 100k miles on the batteries like this one.

The EV batteries are first since there are many Tesla’s which have come off warranty over the past 5 years on time but many more on miles. Now companies like ReCell are just expanding their operations to include other OEMS like Porsche, Mercedes, etc at a 75% reduction in cost compared to the OEMs. It will take longer for the specific parts custom to each OEM & model such as motors & transmissions but eventually electronics, displays & cameras. The 3rd party repair business is too attractive to ignore when the OEMS keep their prices so high that they can’t compete on price and just hope they can get their small volume of very high margin business. It’s the same with ICE Porsches & ICE Mercedes.
I needed my transmission rebuilt on my 2006 Sprinter van. The dealer wanted $21000 but my 3rd party transmission shop did it for $6300.
My 2000 Boxster would have cost be $27K for Porsche to replace the motor with a certified rebuild but my local Porsche certified master engine builder who started his own Porsche engine rebuild business would do the same job for $12K back in 2021 the last time I checked.
The same will happen with everything outside the EV Battery packs. It will just take a bit more time. I’m expecting by 2030 there should be plenty of 3rd party options in my area in Southern California.

 

[ct14garage]

How can you tell the new sealant is still ok?
Did you open the battery again?

I didn't inspect the battery, but still going strong and isolation measurement is perfectly normal.

I guess the day it fails we will know the same way we knew when the original seal failed and water got in.

But anyway, matter of fact is that a waterlogged battery which was repaired following a different spec than factory one has already done 80,000km and still going strong proves that there is hope for aftermarket repairs!

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