A SENSOR OF OCCASION
In readiness for another long trip down to Cornwall, the GCAP Performance 957 Cayenne Turbo is treated to a new auxiliary belt and a replacement crank sensor, as well as in-car TV screens...
Holiday season finally arrived, and with it came the Conway clan’s annual Cayenne crusade to Cornwall. After an exceptionally busy few months at GCAP Performance (my sports car tuning business in Notting Hill), including work on an unusually high number of air-cooled 911s, I was really looking forward to getting away from the city for a couple of weeks, though my Porsche needed a little TLC before heading down to the West Country.
Chief among my concerns was the fact the big bruiser was taking longer than usual to crank and fire. I connected my Cayenne-friendly diagnostic tool and discovered a fault registered by the crank sensor. This makes sense — the sensor is exposed to the elements and bolted to an engine running extremely high temperatures. Failure through age and exposure to repeated heat cycles, so it seems, is fairly common on this model.
A new crank sensor was ordered direct from Porsche parts retailer, Design 911. A Porsche-branded sensor was huge money, but an alternative from Bosch (an OEM supplier to Porsche) was a quarter of the price, setting me back just sixty quid. Installed in less than an hour, the only problem presented by this new sensor was reaching down the back of the huge lump of an engine to gain access to the connecting plug on the wiring harness.
After installation, the fault code was cleared and it was on to the next job: replacing the auxiliary belt. When fitting the crank sensor, I noticed cracks in the belt and, once again, relied on Design 911 for a replacement part. I took advantage of a well-priced belt manufactured by Gates (another OEM supplier). It took roughly thirty minutes to install. The most difficult part of the task was removing the top Y-pipe, intercooler pipework and a coolant hose. Thankfully, the latter could be clamped closed and pushed out of the way, meaning the amount of coolant lost was minimal. Another satisfyingly quick job and one I shouldn’t have to worry about doing again any time soon.
Away from the car’s mechanicals, I was faced with a problem I’m sure many of you have had to contend with in the past: keeping your child entertained on a long journey. It takes more than five hours to travel from my house in central London to our holiday destination in Cornwall. Acutely aware my young son is at an age where he is likely to become restless without adequate entertainment on long drives
taking in many uninspiring motorway miles, I invested in a pair of in-car infotainment screens for the rear cabin.
Taking the form of a universal-fit kit from Ultraview, the screens measure 10.5 inches and feature their own user interface software. They also seamlessly lock into the headrest shafts. Hardware inputs for AV, HDMI and USB are included.
Compatible with Android OS and preloaded with many apps, such as those to view Youtube and Netflix, as well as an internet browser and a stack of games, the feature-heavy screens also boast built-in speakers and headphone ports, the latter ensuring the wife and I don’t have to endure five hours of Peppa Pig, Dennis the Menace, Teen Titans or whatever else the little man wants to watch! Installed discreetly, all wires run down the inside of the seat covers to the AV input. In this instance, they link to the display on my Cayenne’s recently installed head unit, meaning we can all enjoy watching a film together (when parked, of course) and my son can view live maps when we’re on the move. I can also personalise the display with custom colours, a different typeface and bespoke logos. I couldn’t resist introducing the Porsche crest and the company’s script to proceedings!
I’m delighted to report the journey from London to Cornwall and back again was completed without complaint from either the Cayenne or my son. I’m looking forward to our next holiday already!