TECH CORNER
by Joe Finkle
Cer t if ied Por sch e Tech n ician Gold M eist er
Ar e All Par t s Cr eat ed Equ al? our 2014 Cayenne Turbos S' water pump gives up the ghost after 7 glorious years of service covering some 78,000 miles of faultless performance while hitting your personal reset button on what one can expect from an SUV. After all, it's a Porsche...YOUR Porsche!
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With the advent of a vast array of replacement parts sitting mere keystrokes away via online retailers such as RockAuto and PartsGeek, it is near impossible to not cast a glance at a replacement water pump for your Cayenne on one of these sites. And when you get there, the availability and pricing are, well,
water pump that will provide you another 7 years of worry-free service for your Cayenne? You're likely not going to put that part on your Cayenne, but how about the Genuine Porsche water pump that eBay seller PartsContainer is offering at a 20% discount over a Genuine Porsche water pump sold at Checkered Flag or EuroClassics parts department? Sixty Dollars, after all, is sixty dollars and for the very same Genuine Porsche part that difference is meaningful. Do you buy it?...it's the same part, right? Well, in a word, no it is not....but it is. Porsche, like most manufacturers outsources most of their parts production to independent suppliers. In the case of Porsche water pumps, it is likely Pierburg. The parts are built to their exacting specifications including processing and quality control systems.
surprising to say the least. Are parts just parts? Are they created equal? Is purchasing that URO water pump for a mere $79.95 and 2-day shipping providing a
But even then, Porsche will test supplier part performance to certify that the parts do meet their stringent and unwavering standards. After all, it is the Porsche brand name that goes on the part
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via a Porsche part number. We have all seen the Porsche test rig where they test brake caliper, pad and rotor dura- bility. Rotors are glowing bright red ultimately to the point of destruction. Only when a part passes Porsche's test procedures does it gain placement on their cars....and in the parts department of their dealerships. By purchasing through the dealer network, you have complete assurances that the part you are purchasing is not only genuine Porsche, but has met the stingent set of specifications for that part. In purchasing from the dealer parts department, not only do you get these assurances, but they are underpinned by a 2-year full replacement warranty on every part sold by Porsche. That Genuine Porsche Cayenne water pump that you sourced from the eBay seller carries no warranty, and in this case, the part is non-returnable. But what about the price differential? Beyond the 'you get what you pay for ' cautionary note, as a dues-paying PCA/FSR member, the mention of your club affiliation will immediately net you a 10% discount at the parts counter which when you add the shipping charges, you effectively negate the perceived price advantage of the online retailer and you rest better knowing that Porsche stands behind the part you just purchased. Are all parts created equal? Not really...and now you know why.
