Macan Diesel Issues: Black Smoke & Power Loss Symptoms?

Hey there! I had a really similar issue with my 2017 Cayenne Diesel. Those symptoms sound painfully familiar! Had the same drama with black smoke, warning lights and terrible performance. Turned out it was actually faulty cable connections to the fuel system sensors. Got it fixed at my local Porsche specialist for around €155, they had to repair and reseat several connections that had corroded and were causing wonky readings. Quick question though, have you noticed any specific patterns when these issues occur? Like, is it worse in wet weather or after the car sits for a few days? This could help pin down if you're dealing with the same thing I had. Before you head to a workshop, it'd be helpful to know: Has your Macan had any recent fuel system work done? And what's your typical mileage like? Let me know, happy to share more details about what my repair process was like!

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's got 93545 KM on the clock and had its last service about two months ago. The issues seem pretty constant regardless of weather, but definitely worse during cold starts. Haven't had any recent fuel system work done, but I'm starting to think it might be sensor-related like yours was. Did your specialist mention how they diagnosed the corroded connections? I'm trying to decide whether to take it to the dealer or a Porsche specialist.

Hey again! Yeah, I totally get your concern about where to take it. When I had my Cayenne issue, the specialist used a diagnostic scanner that showed inconsistent fuel pressure readings, that's what tipped them off to check the connections. They actually explained that these sensor connection issues are more common in our Porsche diesels than you'd think! In my case, with pretty similar mileage (mine was around 98,000 KM), the cold start symptoms were exactly like yours. From my experience with the repair, I'd honestly recommend going with a specialist over the dealer. My regular Porsche guy was not only cheaper but also more thorough in explaining everything. Quick tip from my experience: get them to check all the sensor connections in the fuel system while they're at it. When mine got fixed, they found a couple other connections that were starting to show early signs of corrosion. Better to catch these things early, right? Also, the fact that your issues are constant (unlike my weather-dependent problems) actually makes me more confident it's similar to what I dealt with. Keep us posted on what you find out, really curious if it turns out to be the same issue!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! You've pretty much convinced me to go with a specialist, definitely sounds like they'll be more hands-on with the diagnostics. I've actually got an appointment booked with a well-reviewed Porsche specialist for next week. Really appreciate the tip about getting them to check all the sensor connections too, makes total sense to do a thorough check while they're in there. Your experience has been super helpful in understanding what I might be dealing with. I'll definitely update the thread once I get it sorted. With any luck, it'll be a similar fix to yours! Thanks again for taking the time to share your insights, exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping to hear about.