Smoking Cayenne Diesel: Injector Woes or Worse?

I had almost identical issues with my 2013 Porsche Panamera Diesel last year. The symptoms were spot on with what you're describing, black smoke, rough idling, and terrible performance. Turned out to be a defective injector on cylinder 3. Took it to the official Porsche dealer because I wanted someone who really knows these engines. They ran diagnostics and confirmed fuel wasn't being injected properly. Had to replace the faulty injector and clean the entire fuel system. It was a pretty serious job that took them two days to complete, but it solved all the problems. The diesel injectors are quite complex on these cars, and when they go bad, they can potentially damage other engine components if not fixed quickly. After the repair, my Panamera runs like new again, no smoke, smooth acceleration, and proper performance restored. I'd strongly suggest going to a Porsche specialist for this one. These diesel injection systems need specific diagnostic tools and expertise.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much the repair set you back? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other issues pop up? Asking because I want to budget properly and know what to expect long-term with my Cayenne.

Hey there! Following up on your questions about the repair costs and long-term reliability. I paid exactly 515€ to fix the defective injector, and I can tell you it was worth every penny. Since getting it sorted at the Porsche dealer, my Panamera has been running like a dream! The functional limitation of the injection system that was causing all those headaches is completely gone now, no more black smoke, no stalling, nothing. It's been smooth sailing for over a year now. The car runs just like it did when it was new, great performance, clean acceleration, and no warning lights whatsoever. You know how these diesels can be temperamental, but once you get the injection system properly sorted by someone who knows what they're doing, they're actually super reliable. Just make sure you get it fixed sooner rather than later, these injection problems can snowball if you leave them too long. Hope this helps with your budgeting! Let me know if you need any other info about the repair process.

Thanks so much for all that detailed info! Just wanted to update everyone, I took my Cayenne to the Porsche dealer last week based on your advice. You were spot on, it was indeed a faulty injector causing all the drama. The repair bill came to around 600€, a bit more than what you paid, but they also found and fixed a minor fuel line issue while they were at it. The whole thing took about three days, but what a difference! No more black smoke, engine runs super smooth, and the car feels like it's got its mojo back. The mechanic was actually really great, showed me the old injector and explained everything. Definitely feeling better about the whole situation now. Thanks again for steering me in the right direction with this one. Guess I've found my new go-to mechanic too! Just hope this helps anyone else who runs into similar issues with their Cayenne. Sometimes paying a bit more at the dealer really is worth it, especially with these complex diesel systems.