ZF PDK distance sensor replacement

[@TheRitualChannel]

Awesome video. Makes me less fearful of the dreaded PDK errors due to the distance sensor. Thank you.

[@OMF911]

Awesome, thank you so much for sharing. Champion.

[@WilliamMowery-o2i]

Great video! After I reinstalled the case when i move my shifter it clicks back into park, but when you

[@drawntothewater1152]

I have a question, if I may ask: my trusted garage just installed a new PDK Distance Seonsor. However on Calibration (long procedure by now, as we/they didn’t know better then) always stops, with Errors 1870 and 1767. While it does start the shift rod calibration (you hear the clicking) the progress bar in PIWIS doesn’t move and it stops with Function aborted with Error. Our Sensor Readings are -0,18 for No. 1 and 8.17 for No 2. 0,58 for No 3 and -8,719 for No. 4.. Just learned that the rods can be manually move, so nothing is “stuck” in general (and they can be all 0,0,0,0 before the start of procedure). Now my guess is that there may be something on the valve body, somewhere along the lines of “yes it moved the rods in one direction, but when it tried to push them back, there is e.g. some clogging in the valve body, so it doesn’t shift back. Is that in general something possible ? Thanks in advance and GREAT VIDS!!!!

[@j.martinez111]

Great video im learning ... Alot. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@rhyenvi]

hi, just curious, are the distance sensors available for purchase from any vendor? amazing material. thanks!!

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Are you talking specifically about the distance sensor we have developed, or about distance sensors in general?

[@rhyenvi]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy oh, sorry, didn't realize you were producing your own. could you point to the listing for the one you produce?

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@rhyenvi This: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJvMhH-GqbaIacUsi=vF1M4APr9H24DX2A A group of enthusiasts around the world got their heads together and created this. Took a few years and we are just now starting to sell them. Since this video was made the 911 sensor testing has been completed.

[@rhyenvi]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy amazing. thank you

[@1Ricky1]

Is this the same for the 718 transmission, I’m getting a distance sensor error for rod 4.

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Yes, same transmission

[@BlakeMiller-w4h]

Thank you for all of the fantastic information! I need a bit of help though. I have replaced the range sensor and put together the case by tapping it on with a dead blow hammer and then slowly bringing in all of the case bolts little by little pulling it on. It worked great but now the 2 shafts in the rear aren’t looking through enough to put the circlips on. I tried using the plate that inside to remove the case to press on the bearing to push it in a bit but no luck. Does the shaft actually need to be pulled out since it’s floating? Have had some trouble finding large enough bolts to try the method you show. Help would be appreciated! Thanks

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Yes, the shafts float in a mid position, between 0.5 and 1.0mm back from the fully forward position from what I've measured. I'd be very wary of using a mallet to hit bearings onto the shafts. Even pulling it on with the case bolts I think is a risk. There is a bearing and seal between the two input shafts that is at risk of being damaged by doing it this way. From my perspective I see the only safe way to do it as how I describe, and it also from what I've seen is really the only way to pull the shafts fully through so you can fit the circlips.

[@BlakeMiller-w4h]

Thanks for the reply! And yeah, definitely makes sense now that I realize the shafts have to be pulled in. I would’ve done that from the beginning if I had known that. I only tapped it on lightly just to get it situated and then did each case bolt not even a quarter turn so I think everything is OK. The shafts just need to come out just a tiny bit so I can get the snap rings on. I’ll get to work finding the right bolts and finish it up. Thanks so much for your videos again, I appreciate it.

[@igorburym1312]

Do you know amount of teeth at first and second shaft for shaft speed sensor? As I know for 981 and 991 first shaft has 22 teeth and second if open question. assumptions is that 981 also 22 and 991 24. Could you advice please.

[@RolandWettstein]

Thank you for the perfect documentation of your work! Two questions: - What is the inner and outer diameter of the pressure sleeve of the lower M22 thread? For the M24 I saw in the video 52/42. - Did I understand you correctly that a M24 x1.5mm screw is needed at the top and a M22x1.5mm screw at the bottom? Thanks Roland

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Shaft sizes are 40mm (this uses the M24 screw_ and 33mm (this uses the M22 screw), so the sleeve inside diameter just needs to be slightly larger than this. I used a 42mm and 34mm. Doesn't need to be exactly this, just as long as it's larger and sits on the inner race of the bearing.

[@RolandWettstein]

​@@jeffrichardsoncardiy Thank you for the quick reply. I had problems finding a comparable bolt with a long enough thread for the M22 bolt. I have now ordered the following sleeves which are not as long as the ones in the video and hope that the 56mm thread of my bolt will be sufficient. NTN, 1R35X40X20 NTN, IR42X47X20

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

I know I used the bush removal tool sleeves for the job, but you don't need a specialised tool. Normally in the past I've just gone to a metal supply shop and measured what pipes they had available. Then just get them to cut you a small piece. It doesn't need to be long. The shaft only needs to be able to come though about 1cm, so this is really all you need.

[@TB-wk3dm]

​@@jeffrichardsoncardiy I need some help with my pdk has code p181a and p0841 after a ecu tune and power upgrade the clutch was slipping so a pdk tcu tune was performed with more clamp force. The car then would go to a limp with a full throttle. key on and off code goes and car runs fine and a revert to old stock tcu file the issue goes away. What do those code usually indicate. Same files have been used on multiple cars. With the same upgrades. Thanks for any info

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@TB-wk3dm Those codes are for an implausible signal for the pressure sensor for clutch 1. I suspect this has something to do with the increased pressure being applied to the clutch with the tune and this being sensed as out of limits. If the tune is working fine on other cars, I suspect your transmission is applying more clutch pressure than others even though the same tcu outputs are being sent to the valve body. This is probably just pushing it beyond the implausible signal limit.

[@dcggames]

Hi Jeff, I have a 987 with P177F dtc and no drive. Changing the valvebody made no difference at all. Do you suspect a issue with the distance sensor?

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Send me an email at [e-mail] to discuss. Easier to pass info and docs. This email address is one I rarely use so I'm happy to put it up here in public. Reply here when you do so I know to go and find it. Jeff

[@dcggames]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy thanks Jeff. I just send you an email on that address

[@allanarcega7774]

hi Jeff do you have a template to make the transmission puller block/tool uploaded somewhere?

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

It's in the rear case removal vid. Link here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYTImJuGbLiMgLMsi=mpDlFvnNacsXoXVN&t=311

[@jacobcoen670]

Jeff did you make the rear removal tool or is that commercially available? Thanks

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

I made it myself. Just a piece of plate steel with some holes drilled into it. The template for the hole locations is in the rear cover removal video.

[@jacobcoen670]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy Thanks Jeff, Really appreciate the fast response.

[@NICHOLASSTEINBACH-wz2im]

Jeff I’m having trouble closing the case on a 911 991 (carrera S) it’s in the car and I am about 1.5 mm away from it closing (I’ve checked everything, bushing , magnet, wire, the shift lever is forward (the parking rod is retracted.) What am I doing wrong?

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Have you pulled in using the large bolts from the rear and have the circlips installed at the back or are you attempting to pull on using the perimeter bolts?

[@NICHOLASSTEINBACH-wz2im]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy used big bolts, c-Clips are removed

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@NICHOLASSTEINBACH-wz2im Normally I use the big bolts until I can get the circlips on, which means the shafts have been fully pulled through the bearings. At this point there is still normally a bit of gap between the rear case and main case. This is because the shafts float. At this time I pull the rear case fully home with the perimeter bolts.

[@NICHOLASSTEINBACH-wz2im]

@@jeffrichardsoncardiy ok sounds good I’m really close about 1/16 of an inch or so but just can’t do the cir clips yet

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@NICHOLASSTEINBACH-wz2im If the circlips won't go on then the shafts haven't been pulled through far enough. Without being there it's hard to know why. Do you have the front idler shaft bolt installed. This is the one that goes through the front casing. The rear bolt should be removed, but if for some reason you have removed the front one it will jam everything up. Did you grease the shafts and bearing faces prior to install? Also it's possible to pull one shaft in more than the other if you aren't careful to do it evenly, which might be the cause. Regardless, I'd be pulling off the rear casing, checking and start again.

[@TomHouse-bn4es]

Hello Richard, what happens if the shift rods are moved manually by hand during the repair. Any issues that might come up ? Thanks in advance , Tom

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

The only danger is if you move the rods without a hose clamp holding the gears on the lower shaft like I have in the video at the 17:00 mark . They need to be held so there is zero movement rearwards of those gears. If the gears can move rearward the synchromesh can get screwed up and it can be very difficult to get back engaged correctly.

[@TomHouse-bn4es]

I was wondering if you could possibly get air in the actuators of the rods.

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@TomHouse-bn4es Air probably gets in there, but I've done it loads and never had a problem.

[@drawntothewater1152]

Hi Jeff, just saw that this answers my other quetion already, (so it could be a problem) but would be good to point this out a bit more explicitly in the Video (as I just realized on 2nd view) -while „VERY HIGH LEVEL“ complaint, given that your vids are super well documentation in general!

[@ronkain4980]

Hi Jeff, what thread pitch are the two shafts? M22 & M24 1.5? at the 18Minute mark

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Yes, both 1.5mm

[@grsnmarroquin6314]

Que tal, alguien sabe en dónde consigo la herramienta para extraer el housing

[@gabrielklaus227]

On aliexpress

[@LynxStarAuto]

I just finished doing two of these. The second was on a 991. Had to use spacers for the extraction tool on the 991 because the rear case is different on those: as it incorporates an engine mount, and the two shafts are staggered. Also the 991 had a nut inside the lower shaft not a c-clip. 🤷‍♂️

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

Nice job. We are slowly getting more information about the differences between the different transmission types. Which sensor did you install, T design or XemodeX? Any issues with the cals?

[@LynxStarAuto]

I actually used both. On the 981, I used the T-Design. On the 991 I used the Xem. I did not have to calibrate either one. Fired up the cars, and they were ready to go. I have since acquired a 991 (this is a personal vehicle), I ran into something interesting: the shaft magnets were completely full of clutch material and debris. Nothing abnormal, just the typical build up you would see on a magnetic component. So instead of replacing the sensor, I cleaned them, and it has been trouble free for about 800 miles now! Since this is a personal vehicle, I wanted to see what the result would be. Car only has 44k miles. 2014. Did t make sense to me that sensor would have failed already. I'll share my experience on rennlist. Also, I don't solder the wires. I have the tooling and just make my own terminal ends. They are male molex terminals.

[@jeffrichardsoncardiy]

@@LynxStarAuto A lot of good info here. That you had a failure just because of the magnet debris is interesting. Were you getting PIWIS codes for the distance sensor on your personal 991, or were there other symptoms? Once cleaned did you have to do a cal, or did it just work? If you can put as much info as possible up on Rennlist the community would be very appreciative. Being a shop you will be seeing a lot more of these that the average DIYer. Most shops are very hesitant to put out any information they have, so getting good information from people who see a good number of these is going to be great. Thanks.