Service

Technical Information

14/16

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Documenting Warranty/Goodwill Relevant Repairs in the Event of Visible or Acoustic
Complaints With Pictures/Sound Files (14/16)
Revision:

This bulletin replaces bulletin Group 0, 14/16, dated July 27, 2017.

Model Year:

As of 1997

Model Line:

Valid for all model lines

Subject:

Documentation of a repair job in the PQIS line

Information:

Importance of documentation quality.
When documenting a repair job, it is absolutely essential that affected or rejected components are documented using pictures and/or sound files.
The documentation therefore provides the basis for quality improvement measures and for any claims for
recourse against the supplier.
To guarantee a well-founded quality analysis, repairs and customer complaints must be verifiably and fully
documented for third parties in PQIS.
Repairs and customer complaints that are verifiable for third parties help to ensure that warranty and
goodwill claims can be processed quickly.
Comprehensive documentation for the Porsche partner is essential for any legal proceedings.
When documenting complaints/repairs, it is important to differentiate between the coding
used for the following process steps:
•
•
•
•

Customer complaint (the actual wording used by the customer is important here)
Technical assessment (assessment performed by the Shop Foreman/Technical Expert)
Cause (the cause identified by the technician)
Corrective measure(s)

To ensure verifiability, it is important to specify not only the fault location (FES 5) and damage category
(SA 4), but also any further information.
Attachments:

Specifications for attachments (pictures, videos and sound files):
Pictures, videos or sound files of the affected component must be attached in order to document visibly
or acoustically verifiable complaints so that the complaint is also verifiable for third parties:
•
•
•

File attachments must preferably be attached in PQIS.
The specifications for file size and accepted file formats must be observed.
The file attachment must be labeled with the repair order number and a brief description of the
attachment.

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Visible Defect:

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Technical Information

14/16

Visibly verifiable complaint:
Definition
A visibly verifiable complaint can be explained as follows, e.g.:
•
•
•

Clearly visible damage or function restrictions of components (e.g. loose or
broken/cracked/porous components)
Discoloration or flaking
All visible leaks in air or fluid-carrying systems/components

Required documentation
•
•
•

Meaningful pictures of the damage/problem areas. It is not the number of pictures, rather the quality
(verifiable damage/problem, sharpness, brightness, contrast) that is important.
For extreme close-ups, an overview shot must be taken first.
Particularly for pictures of a paint defect, the affected area on the picture must be marked (e.g. with
an arrow or border).

Special documentation for leaks
•

Leaks on air-carrying components:

The leak on the component must be identified using leak-locating spray or a soap solution and after
applying pressure as required, must be documented by taking pictures or videos.
•

Leak/condensation:

In the event of complaints relating to misting/condensation with and without drops forming, pictures or
videos must be taken both before and after drying the affected area in order to document any residues in
the components.
•

Leaks on fluid-carrying components. These are differentiated as follows:

a) Leak without drops forming ("sweating") on the components:
No documentation required as this is not a defect in the warranty and goodwill context.
b) Leak with drops forming:
If the problem is immediately verifiable, a picture clearly showing the leak on the affected component with
correct details of the problem in PQIS is sufficient.
If the problem is not immediately verifiable, it must be made clearly visible using the following procedure
and documented accordingly.

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1

If the affected area is heavily soiled, take pictures before cleaning the area in order to document the
additional work involved.

2

After cleaning the relevant area, spray it with talcum powder/Spotcheck.

3

It may be necessary to carry out a test drive or leave the engine running until the operating
temperature of the components is reached. (The components must then be allowed to cool down as
the leak might only occur after the components have cooled down)

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Technical Information

Acoustic
Defect:

14/16

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4

Check and identify exactly where the leak starts or which component is responsible.

5

Once the leak is identified, the cause of the leak must be documented by taking more pictures.

0

Acoustically verifiable complaint:
Definition
•
•

The problem can be perceived acoustically (as a noise).
For example, this may involve unusual noises:

a) from the drive train or
b) electronic/mechanical components.
Required documentation
A sound file or FFT plot (when required) for acoustic complaints so that the noise can also be assigned
to the cause during quality analysis and quality assurance (Porsche AG).
Other Documentation:

Video documentation:
•

•

Both for visible and acoustic defects, it may be necessary/helpful to show the problem/defect in a
short video. For videos, there are also specifications relating to file size, file format and assignment
(see above).
The documentation must also contain a detailed description of the damage/damage circumstances
(e.g. exact fault location, weather and road conditions, transmission range, driving speed and
engine speed).

Documentation for paint damage:
In the event of paint damage, clear picture documentation and the cost estimate from the paint shop,
must also be attached to the quality line in PQIS.
Marking affected defects when returning components
When returning defective/damaged parts (requested via barcode), the affected damaged area on the
component itself must also be marked (e.g. using a wax crayon or chalk, water-resistant felt-tipped pen
or adhesive tape) so that it is still clearly identified following transportation.
This allows optimal analysis of the cause of damage during quality analysis and quality assurance.
Always make sure that damaged parts are packaged adequately (original packaging) during shipping.
Information
 PCNA reserves the right to reject warranty claims if the instructions and information relating to
required documentation are not observed.

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References:

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Basic information on processing warranty and goodwill claims can be found in the Warranty
Policies and Procedures,
see  PPN (Porsche Partner Network)

Important Notice: Technical Bulletins issued by Porsche Cars North America, Inc. are intended only for use by professional automotive technicians who have attended Porsche service training
courses. They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some Porsche vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of a vehicle. Porsche special
tools may be necessary in order to perform certain operations identified in these bulletins. Use of tools and procedures other than those Porsche recommends in these bulletins may be detrimental to the
safe operation of your vehicle, and may endanger the people working on it. Properly trained Porsche technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do the job properly and
safely. Part numbers listed in these bulletins are for reference only. The work procedures updated electronically in the Porsche PIWIS diagnostic and testing device take precedence and, in the event of a
discrepancy, the work procedures in the PIWIS Tester are the ones that must be followed.

© 2020 Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

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