Overheating Cayenne: Is Your Coolant Pump to Blame?

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2007 Porsche Macan Diesel last year (I have some experience working on cars as a hobby). The symptoms were exactly the same, overheating engine and check engine light. Turned out it was a faulty cable on the coolant pump control unit. Got it fixed at my trusted local Porsche specialist for around 220€. They diagnosed it pretty quickly and had it sorted within a day. Before you jump to conclusions though, what's your coolant level like? And are you getting any specific error codes? Would help to know more details about your Cayenne to give better advice. Feel free to share!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My coolant level is actually fine, I checked it first thing. Last service was done about 3 months ago, and I'm currently at 129,233 KM. Haven't pulled the error codes yet, planning to do that tomorrow at my local shop. The overheating seems more noticeable during city driving, especially when idling at traffic lights. It's interesting that you mentioned the control unit cable, I'll definitely have them check that. Was your repair cost just for the cable, or did that include labor too? Hoping mine will be a similar quick fix!

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your Cayenne. You know, that's exactly how my Macan started acting up too, especially rough during city driving! The 220€ I mentioned was all-in (parts and labor), but I got lucky because it was just the cable. My mechanic actually showed me the corroded connection, these things can get pretty nasty over time. Since your symptoms sound so similar to what I experienced, and given your mileage, I'm pretty confident it could be the same issue. But here's something I didn't mention before, before I got it fixed, I also noticed the temperature would fluctuate a bit on the gauge, especially when I was stuck in traffic. Did you notice anything like that? Just a heads up, if it is the control unit cable, you might want to ask them to check the connector housing too. Mine had some moisture damage that they found during the repair, and they sealed it better to prevent future issues. Cost me a few extra Euro but totally worth it for the peace of mind. Keep us posted about those error codes! Would be really interesting to see if they match up with what I had (mine was P2181 if I remember correctly).

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! Yes, I've noticed exactly that temperature fluctuation you mentioned, it bounces around a bit, especially in stop-and-go traffic. That's really reassuring to hear about the repair costs too. Definitely keeping my fingers crossed it's just the cable! I'll make sure to ask about checking the connector housing, that's a great tip about the moisture damage. Better to fix everything properly while they're in there. I'll pull those codes tomorrow and update this thread with what I find out. Really appreciate all your help and sharing your experience, it's made me feel a lot less worried about what I might be facing!