Answers to Porsche Macan
Maintenance Service Questions

Can Any Mechanic Service my Porsche Macan?

In theory yes, but in practice no! Maintenance service on a Porsche Macan requires specific Porsche skills and experience. For example, later Porsche Macan models require a very specific procedure involving the connection of a Porsche diagnostic tool to correctly set the oil level after a basic oil change! Ideally you want a well trained and skilled pair of eyes at a Porsche specialist inspecting your Macan and advising you on maintenance and upcoming repairs.

Do I Have to go to the Porsche Dealer for Service?

No, not at all. Many people wrongly believe that they have to use the dealer service to protect their Macan warranty. This is not the case. Maintenance service performed at an independent specialist does not invalidate your manufacturer warranty.

How Do Independent Shops Compare to Porsche Dealers?

Independent Porsche service centers will typically provide more personalized and flexible service options. Additionally, most independent shops will reduce the cost of maintenance service on your Porsche Macan. We have partnered with and recommend the top Porsche independent shops in your local area and we have also shared our experience of comparing the dealer service to the independent shop offerings.

Along with Porsche, we recommend you have your Macan inspected every 10K miles or 12 months. Inspections are designed to protect your safety and well being while driving and to advise you on upcoming maintenance and repairs. You want to catch a minor problem before it turns into a major issue. Avoiding the inspection is a recipe for getting expensive repair shocks!

State Inspections for Porsche Macan

Some states require vehicle inspections to ensure road worthiness, safety, and emission compliance. Check with your state to determine the inspection requirements. Many independent shops can perform the state inspection for you while they service your Porsche Macan.

When does my Porsche Macan need an Oil Change?

You should have your Porsche Macan inspected for maintenance every 10K miles or 12 months. It makes sense at the inspection to include an oil change and address any maintenance items that are due before the next inspection.

How often should I service my Porsche Macan?

More intensive service intervals for your Porsche Macan occur at 2 year or 20K mile intervals. These are called intermediate or major services (see question below). In addition, the Macan features a service indicator system on the dashboard to alert you to the more intense service requirement. This system will manage time and mileage elapsed and indicate when a service is due. The warning system and messages provide a count down to the next service. Don’t ignore a service indicator.

Maintenance on your Porsche Macan is split into three different types of service. Each service is based on time and mileage. The difference between the annual, intermediate, and major service, is the number and type of maintenance items replaced and of course, the cost. As suggested by their designation, a major service is considerably more expensive than a annual or intermediate maintenance service.

Details of the service schedule

Porsche Macan Intermediate Service

Your Macan is due for an intermediate service every 20,000 miles or two years. The service includes everything in the annual service plus additional maintenance items such as a brake fluid flush and cabin filters. Read more on the intermediate service.

Porsche Macan Major Service

Your Macan is due for a major service every 40,000 miles or four years. The service includes everything in the annual service and the intermediate service, plus additional maintenance items such as spark plugs, filters, and PDK transmission fluid replacement. Read more on the major service.

The dashboard on the Porsche Macan features a service indicator system that will advise you on when and what type of maintenance service is  due next on your Macan.

We recommend you always pay attention to the smaller number or the shortest amount of time indicated in the message. The amount of time or miles indicated to the next service interval can seem widely different and sometimes confusing. This gap between days and miles left will vary dramatically based on your individual driving habits. Don’t ignore these indicators.

There are also many other indicators and lights on your Porsche dashboard to alert you to the condition of your Porsche Macan.

A Porsche Macan maintenance service will typically include:

• Oil change and oil filter replacement
• Full vehicle inspection
• Tire wear check
• Visual inspection for engine or transmission fluid leaks
• Brake pad and disc wear inspection
• Brake fluid level check
• Coolant level check
• Fuel system line and connection inspection
• Washer fluid top-off
• Service indicator reset

Based on the visual inspection, and the time and mileage elapsed, additional maintenance items will be recommended. Maintenance items will also vary based on environmental conditions and factory recommendations.

Planning the expense for the next maintenance service on your Porsche Macan relies on understanding the service work already completed historically, and the recommendations for service at your next time or mileage interval. Professional independent shops will advise you based on your most recent visit as to what to expect next time your Porsche Macan comes due for maintenance.

Check the maintenance indicator on your Macan dashboard and compare the factory recommended service intervals to see the details as to what to expect at the next service interval. If you typically use Porsche dealer service, now would be a good time to identify and get advice or a quote from an independent specialist.

More major service expense is likely every 2 years or 20K miles on a Porsche Macan.

The real answer to when you need a replacement cabin filter on your Porsche Macan is when it’s dirty! The factory recommendation for replacement of the cabin filter on the Porsche Macan is every 20K miles or 2 years. However, this will change based on the environment in which you live. How dirty is the filter today?

How Clean is Your Air?

You’re breathing what’s coming through that cabin filter when you drive the car. So, this is a health consideration for you and the occupants of the car. A clean cabin filter free from debris also helps the hvac system to work more efficiently. Sometimes, dirty cabin filters lead to blower motor issues and mold build-up within the hvac system. Having a clean filter is best.

Independent Porsche specialists can advise you on the best timescales for replacing your cabin filter based on their experience in the local climate conditions. Local air quality considerations can make a significant difference to the time between cabin filter replacement.

Most Porsche models now have two cabin filters – a pre-filter and main filter. Both should be replaced at the same time.

Porsche originally recommended engine air filter replacement on the Porsche Macan at 80K miles. We recommend replacing the engine air intake filters on the Macan every 40K miles or 4 years. However, this can vary depending on the environmental conditions that the car is exposed to. No harm is done by replacing the filters more often, especially if you live in a climate with dust, sand or high levels of pollen. The best time to change an engine air intake filter is when it’s dirty.

Replace Engine Air Filter for Better Performance on Your Macan

A clean and well flowing air filter makes a significant difference to engine performance and fuel consumption. Independent Porsche professionals can advise you if an engine air filter replacement is advisable more often in your local conditions.

There’s no hard and fast rule as to when your wiper blades should be replaced on your Porsche Macan. In most climates, the blades typically need replacing every 12 months but are often overlooked.

The best way to tell if you need new wiper blades is to judge the way they clear the windscreen of water. You don’t want to see any streaks, missed sections, or bouncing of the blade – this makes driving in heavy rain dangerous, especially at night.

How to Tell if You Need New Wiper Blades on a Porsche macan

In rainy climates, judging if you need new wiper blades on your Macan is quite easy, however, drivers tend to get used to how bad wipers are working. In colder climates, freezing weather also does significant damage to wiper blades. If rain is falling and freezing while your Macan is parked outside, lift the blades away from the screen to stop them freezing to it.

In warmer climates with long dry periods and a lack of use, its easy to forget the performance of your wiper blades. Hot weather can do significant damage to the rubber on wiper blades while they sit unused. Check the blades before the rainy season starts.

Use the windshield washers to test how well the blades clear the screen on a regular basis. A single swipe should leave you completely free of water or debris obstructing your vision. If in doubt, replace the blades.

Brake wear on the Porsche Macan varies from model to model and is directly relevant to the mileage driven. Driving around town in traffic can quickly degrade the brakes versus interstate driving with fewer stops. Also highly relevant for when you need brakes, is your style of driving! If you’re the queen of late, hard braking, this will cause the brakes to need replacing sooner. More planned, refined and gentle stops definitely give you better brake life.

Brake Pad Wear Indicator on Porsche Macan

The Porsche Macan includes brake pad wear indicators or pad sensors. These electrical connectors in the brakes tell you when the brake pad material has declined to a level where the brakes need replacing. Your Porsche Macan will inform you of this in your driver dashboard display.

If the brake wear message appears, you need to replace the brakes ASAP.

Do I Need Brakes if the Brake Pad Wear Message or Indicator is not on?

No and potentially yes! A vehicle inspection by a professional should report back to you the remaining life of the brake pads in millimeters. If the pads are close to the minimum specifications and haven’t yet triggered the driver pad wear message, you still have a little time left on the brakes despite a recommendation to replace them.

However, it’s best to factor in the inconvenience of having to return to get the brakes replaced and the danger that they will be at the minimum wear level when you need the car for an extended period e.g a road trip or holidays. If they are close to triggering the wear message, it may be only a matter of a few stops before the message comes on.

You might see a message saying “brake replacement needed driving permitted.”

To get the best value from your brakes, wait for the brake wear message, but know that you must act immediately that the message comes on. That could be a matter of hours or weeks depending on how close they are to needing to be replaced. The safer approach is to take the advice as to when to replace your brakes from a Porsche specialist before the brake wear message appears on your dashboard.

Does My Porsche Macan Need Pads and Rotors?

Yes you do. Whilst the wear indicator is on the brake pad, the brake rotors also wear significantly. Brake rotors on Porsche have an optimized thickness designed to reduce weight when not being used, but also to last effectively through the brake pad wear cycle. The thickness of the rotor declines along with the brake pad.

Brake rotors are worn in the same pattern as the old brake pads. Adding new pads to old rotors typically causes the new brake pads to wear very quickly. In worst cases, the brake rotor can fail if it is not replaced when the pads are  – this causes a sudden a loss of brakes. No brakes is not a good thing!

Brake Noise on a Porsche Macan

You shouldn’t experience any noise from your brakes. On occasion using the brakes when reversing or if the car has sat out in extended rain or snow, you might have initial noise from the brakes. However, under normal circumstances no brake noise should be evident. If you do experience increased brake noise, have a professional Porsche specialist check your brakes ASAP.

Often the brake pad replacement warnings on the Porsche Macan are not detailed enough to provide the answer as to which axle the brakes need to be replaced on – front or rear or both.

A Porsche specialist can provide the answer very quickly and advise you on which set of brakes or indeed if all 4 sets of brakes should be replaced.

How often do both front and rear brakes need replacing on my Porsche Macan?

As a basic rule of thumb, the rear brakes on a Porsche Macan will typically need replacing at every second set of front brakes. This is because brake bias is geared toward the front of the car and when the brakes are used, more weight is transferred forward through momentum. As a result, the front brakes tend to work harder than the rear brakes in a near two to one ratio.

However, rear brakes play a significant role in the control of traction events or wheel spin mitigation. The more slip from the rear wheels, the more usage of the rear brakes to control the wheel spin, and therefore the quicker you need the rear brakes replaced.

Often there are more rear wheel slip events than you are aware of. Worn tires, wet pavements, slightly too much enthusiasm with the throttle trying to impress the kids, all play a role in consuming the rear brake pads.

The time to replace tires on a Porsche Macan is directly related to the time and mileage elapsed on the tires. You need to replace your tires on a Porsche Macan for two main reasons:

Tire Wear

If your tires have been correctly inflated and you have good alignment, the tires should wear evenly across the tread. Between the groves in the tread pattern are horizontal bars designed to make increased noise when the tire has worn to expose them. Once those bars are level with the tire groves the “must replace” last moment has arrived. Tires at this level of wear can be dangerous and are more exposed to aqua-planing and less likely to provide grip in wet conditions. We recommend you replace your tires before you reach this level.

Tire Age – DOT

Tires have a shelf life and a operating lifetime. Climatic and road conditions have a significant effect on the life of a tire. Road chemicals in cold climates can shorten the life of many tires. In general, tires over 5 years old begin to degrade rapidly. The rubber cracks and the tire wall weakens. Tires over 5 years old should be considered for replacement even if they have low tread wear.

Professional shops will communicate to you the production date or DOT date on your tires and make recommendations based on wear and age. If you replace the tires, it’s worth asking and noting the DOT of the new tires. Don’t replace tires with new ones manufactured more than a year prior to the current date – some of their usable life has already passed by!

Porsche N-Specification Tires

Porsche Macan – NE# Designation

Your Porsche Macan has been designed for high performance handling in varying road conditions. Safety, comfort, and handling in both wet and dry conditions is part of the unique high performance design. Porsche works closely with a limited number of tire manufacturers to approve tire designs that optimize the performance and safety of the Macan.

Tires that reach the demanding performance levels set by Porsche are given an “N Specification” approval on the tire wall. The N-specification includes two letters followed by a number. The first letter is always “N,” and this indicates the tires have been approved by Porsche. The second letter in the designation identifies which Porsche chassis the tire was designed for.

“E” represents tires designed for the Macan.

In the case of the Macan you should be looking for tires with a “NE#” on the sidewall. The # signifies the tire design version, for example, NE0 is the first version of the tire and NE2 would be the 3rd version of the tire design.

We recommend “NE#” tires approved by Porsche for the Macan.

No, you do not.

In general, the Porsche Macan has staggered tire sizes. This means the rear tires are larger than the front. Attempting to perform a tire rotation would be foolish and unsafe. The tires also have directional tread patterns and are designed such that the inner and outer side walls are in the correct location on the car. That means they only rotate in one direction. So unless you dismount a tire from a wheel you cannot move a wheel and tire combination from the passenger side to the drivers side.

If someone tells that you need a tire rotation on a Porsche Macan be sure to check your tire sizes before you agree and consult a Porsche specialist.

The wheels on your Porsche Macan should only need balancing when a tire replacement happens.

Wheel Vibrations on Your Porsche Macan

In some circumstances, wheel weights can fall off or damage from the road can occur that does require wheel balancing. This is more unusual and typically detected by a speed related vibration. A vibration in the steering wheel indicates a front wheel problem and a vibration in your seat normally means an out of balance situation on the rear wheels.

You should not experience vibrations while driving from any wheel. Visit a Porsche professional to identify the source of the vibration and take action to repair it. Vibrations in the driveline of the Porsche Macan are often not simply resolved by wheel balance and could be caused by transfer case problems.

In general, the Porsche Macan should only need an alignment when tires are replaced.

It’s important to maintain good alignment to ensure safety and even tire wear. Bad alignment can destroy tires really quickly and can prove dangerous if not corrected. During the life of the tires, suspension wear can also change the alignment. Correcting this at the time of tire replacement is optimal.

Bad Roads Cause Alignment Problems

If you live in a climate that produces pot holes and uneven road surface gaps, it’s quite easy to knock your alignment out. Regular inspections of your Macan will reveal the extend of the changes in wheel alignment and the regularity of adjustments needed.

Can Anyone Perform a Wheel Alignment on my Porsche Macan?

Many newer Porsche Macan vehicles are fitted with a night vision system (NVA) that requires special tools to calibrate the vehicle alignment with the night vision camera system. Check that the service center can calibrate the NVA during an alignment if it is fitted to your Porsche Macan.

How to Detect Bad Wheel Alignment on the Macan

Minor changes in the degrees of camber or toe in the suspension can have serious effects on your wheel alignment. In most cases you wont really notice the change from a driving position. The most common sign of bad alignment is uneven tire wear.

The worse the alignment problem is, the more pronounced it becomes when driving your Macan. If your Macan does not steer in a straight line while lightly holding the steering wheel or tends to drift right or left, then it’s likely you need an alignment or at least an inspection of the suspension.

Your Porsche Macan is fitted with a PDK transmission. Servicing recommendations for this transmission have changed since it’s launch. The gap between servicing has been shortened after problems were detected due to extended service cycles. Porsche now recommends replacing the PDK clutch fluid and filter every 4 years or 40K miles.

Understanding Which Fluid to Change in the PDK Transmission

There are two types of fluid in the PDK transmission. The clutch fluid and the gear oil. The clutch fluid needs be exchanged more regularly than the gear oil and most of the focus on servicing is around the regularity of the clutch fluid and filter service. We recommend the gear oil in the PDK transmission is replaced every twelve years or 120K miles.

Avoiding Porsche PDK Transmission Problems

Porsche PDk transmission problems can be very expensive to resolve. In many cases, Porsche dealers recommend replacing the transmission when even minor issues occur. This is usually a $20K job and has often been caused by a lack of regular PDK servicing. Thankfully for Porsche Macan owners, select Porsche specialists are now able to resolve PDK transmission problems for considerably less than the cost of replacing the transmission.

Make sure you service you Porsche Macan PDK transmission clutch fluid regularly.

Porsche recommends a brake fluid flush on your Porsche Macan every two years or 20K miles. Healthy brake fluid is an important part of ensuring your brakes work in an emergency situation and should not be skipped.

Why Change or Flush Brake Fluid on a Porsche Macan?

The brake fluid is the key component that transmits pressure from the brake pedal to the brake pads. Over time the fluid degrades and it’s ability to communicate the pressure from your brake pedal declines. Water naturally present in the brake fluid can separate and cause brake pressure problems. Overtime you’ll feel more brake pedal travel and less response from the brakes initially. Replacing the fluid brings back a sharp pedal feel and confidence in your brakes.

My fluid looks OK in the Brake Fluid Reservoir on my Macan

Fluid in the brake fluid reservoir should always be clean. This is not the issue that the brake fluid flush is concerned with. The fluid in the lines and calipers that you can’t see is what needs to be replaced. Brake fluid in the calipers can get extremely hot during extended braking. The heat can quickly degrade the fluid performance and removing it from the caliper is an important service. Brake fluids are rated at boil temperatures!

Porsche recommends you replace the spark plugs in your Porsche Macan every 30K miles or 4 years. Spark plugs are critical for engine performance and degraded spark plugs result in poor engine performance, excess gas consumption, and eventually misfires, check engine lights, and diagnostic fees!

Turbo cars tend to degrade spark plugs more quickly than normally aspirated cars, so changing spark plugs more frequently on the Macan Turbo is a good idea. In addition, a Porsche specialist can advise you on the likely wear on your spark plugs caused by the quality of gasoline available in your local area. Low grade gas can have a detrimental effect on the longevity of spark plugs.

Low Mileage Porsche Macan Drivers

Eventually spark plugs need changing regardless of mileage. Spark plugs have a nasty habit of getting stuck in the engine head if left in place too long. Cost for replacing the spark plugs if they are stuck in the engine is then extremely high!

Porsche recommends replacing the drive belt on your Porsche Macan every 6 years or 60K miles. However, the drive belt should be visually inspected annually and replaced when signs of wear show up.

Climate and Drive Belt Wear on a Porsche Macan

Where your Porsche Macan lives can affect the wear on the drive belt. Cold climates and harsh windchill can cause the belt to wear more quickly. Don’t be surprised if belt replacement is recommended before the planned 6 years or 60K miles.

Porsche recommends flushing and replace the engine coolant in your Porsche Macan every 4 years or 40K miles. However, this is very much subject to your local climate conditions.

Why Change Engine Coolant in a Porsche Macan?

The engine coolant is designed to carry heat away from hot spots in the engine and helps to maintain consistent operating temperatures. The right type of coolant is critical to preserve the quality of the surfaces it touches inside the engine. The performance of the coolant can degrade in two ways that are relevant to where you live:

Cold Climates

Engine coolant is rated for its ability to withstand freezing temperatures. Porsche engine coolant will not freeze at temperatures down to minus 30 degrees C. However, this performance drops off rapidly as the coolant ages, and the risk of freezing and serious engine damage at low temperatures increases. In cold climates Porsche specialists will test the cold temperature performance of your coolant and make a recommendation.

Warm Climates

Engine coolant is rated for its ability to transfer or absorb heat. Again, this ability declines with the age of the coolant and it’s performance drop off is less easy to detect. In warmer climates it makes sense to change your Macan engine coolant at least as often as recommended by Porsche. Overheating can result in catastrophic engine damage.

The battery in your Porsche Macan is a critical component. That’s obvious when you try to start the car and can’t due to a flat battery. However, a healthy battery plays a important role in delivering consistent power to many of the safety and entertainment systems in your Macan. Maintaining the health of the battery is critical.

How to Know if You Need a New Battery in Your Macan?

A good quality battery should last 5 to 7 years in your Porsche Macan. However, the life of a battery can be considerably shortened by driving factors, such as the number of engine starts, temperature, and the use of major power consumers e.g. air conditioning.

Having a no start condition or flat battery is an inconvenient pain in the rear! It’s much better to replace a battery before that happens. A Porsche specialist can check the battery performance and recommend replacement before a no start situation occurs.

If you experience slower engine cranking in colder temperatures, dull lighting, unusual electrical system performance, or a lack of available accessories, have the health of your Porsche Macan battery checked ASAP.

Every battery has a manufacturing date shown on the top casing. If your battery is five years old, you should consider replacing it as a precaution, even if it seems to perform well today. Batteries tend to go bad suddenly and often there are no warning signs.

While key batter replacement is simple, it’s best left to someone that knows what they are doing!

The battery in the key fob of your Porsche Macan should last through 3 years. However, battery life is obviously influenced by usage and that can be shortened considerably. Later models do feature messages related to the health of the key battery in the drivers display. If you see one, don’t ignore it. For older models, if you experience delays when using the lock or unlock function it’s past time to replace the key battery.

Failure in the key battery will stop you from driving your Porsche Macan.

Eventually, yes. Porsche recommends replacing all final drive or differential oil at 16 years or 160K miles on the Porsche Macan. There’s no harm in completing this early but it shouldn’t be necessary to service the differentials in the Porsche Macan for an extended period.

Porsche recommends the oil in the all-wheel drive controller is replaced at 6 years or 60K miles on most models. This recommendation was added as a result of issues with the transfer case on the 4 wheel drive SUVs.

Modern vehicles do not require a “tune-up” per se. The engine management in your Porsche Macan adjusts the engine performance automatically based on conditions. The regularly scheduled maintenance service intervals should take care of any need for a tune up.

If you feel your Macan is not running at it’s optimal performance or you notice an increase in gas consumption, seek the advice of a Porsche specialist.