This smart Porsche Cayenne V6 TDI recently arrived at the JZM workshop in a state of some distress, or so the dashboard warning lights would have us believe. The owners were convinced the engine was in trouble and that the bills would be huge. Cayenne engines are generally reliable so we plugged it in to our official Porsche PIWIS 3 diagnostic set up and had a look at the fault codes being reported.

PIWIS 3 has a direct connection to the factory at Stuttgart and downloads technical updates daily. If Porsche know a model has an issue, bulletins are issued to PIWIS 3 users which explain how to solve it. JZM Porsche is one of only two specialists in the UK using Porsche PIWIS 3 – it is an expensive tool but absolutely essential to properly maintain the newer models.

Our first instinct with urban Cayennes – especially diesels – is that they are usually choked up from sitting in traffic most of their lives. This gives emission problems as the catalytic converters can only recycle and burn off pollutants when the car is on a long run at speed. PIWIS 3 checked every operating system on the Cayenne and pointed out a few faults: mainly emissions-related issues.

The owner confirmed the car was not solely used around town, so it had been going through its emissions cycles. We recycled the cats using PIWIS and, while it improved the situation, it did not solve it completely. We then checked other areas including the data being fed to the ECU – was this a sensor issue? While PIWIS had already shown its merit in manually cycling the catalytic converters, the process of finding faulty sensors is where it comes into its own.

PIWIS checks and reports on the condition of every part on the car in real time. With the car running for an extended period, we could see that a number of temperature sensors were not reading sufficiently high. Incorrect temp readings would obviously affect the ECU function, so we tracked these parts down and went through further checks to narrow it down to a single component.

After numerous emails and phone calls to Porsche, checking their opinions and knowledge of similar issues, we went with our best instinct on which sensor was likely causing the issue. Finally the Cayenne had a spring back in its step. It had been a long process to find the issue, but we would never have found it with the PIWIS system and a technical hotline to Porsche, just in case.

If you are running a late model Porsche – anything from a 981 or 718 Boxster/Cayman to a brand new 991 GT3 RS or 918 Spyder, only PIWIS 3 can correctly communicate with your vehicle and ensure it is functioning correctly. With our service workshop labour rate an average of £40 per hour cheaper than official Porsche dealers, why take it anywhere else? Email service@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss your next appointment.

This poor-running Porsche Panamera was the first service car to benefit from our latest investment in workshop equipment: a mobile Nederman dustless media blaster. Arriving in the JZM Porsche service workshop with terrible running and a string of fault lights showing, a PIWIS check directed our diagnosis towards the intake. Stripping the intake manifold from the engine, we soon found the valves to be clogged almost solid, following a life sitting mainly in London traffic.

The only way to fix this problem would normally be to strip and clean the heads and valve train – quite an expensive process. We could have used our high-power blast cabinet to great effect but would still have had to strip the heads off. Talking to our equipment suppliers, we came across the dustless Nederman system, using crushed walnut shells.

Turning the engine to top dead centre on one cylinder so the valves are closed, the machine blasts the backs of the valves with walnut shell media, simultaneously removing waste products. The shells are combustible, so any small fragment which manages to find its way into the combustion chamber will just be burned off without damaging the engine. The results were terrific and we will find many more uses for the new blaster!