Ticking Macan at idle is common question. Most ticking on these engines is normal, direct injection and high pressure fuel pump make noise. But rhythmic tick that is new, or grows over the months, can be bore scoring. And on the Macan it often gets taken for a lifter.
Which engines. Every US 2015 to 2018 Macan S, GTS and Turbo has the Porsche twin turbo V6, 3.0 in the S and GTS, 3.6 in the Turbo. It comes from same family as the Cayenne and Panamera V8, same 96 mm bore, same kind of cylinders: aluminum with silicon in the surface, no iron liner. V8s from this family are known for scoring, and this V6 does it too. I had Macan Turbo with scoring myself. In Porsche parts catalog these engines are CTMA for the S, DCNA for the GTS, CTLA for the Turbo and DHKA for the Turbo with Performance Package.
From 2019 model year Macan S got new 3.0 single turbo V6 with thin iron liners, and later GTS and Turbo got 2.9 twin turbo. Base Macan has four cylinder with iron block. On the 3.0 single turbo, scored engines show up too, and on the Audi version of same engine pistons crack at the skirt.
Tick on scored Macan V6 is rhythmic, clear at idle, and gets louder over the months. Most of the scored ones are on cylinders 4 to 6, driver side bank, often number 6. It sounds like lifter, and too often lifter gets replaced first and the tick stays. Or somebody calls it normal injector noise. Before anybody sells you lifters, or tells you it is normal, cylinders get looked at.
How I tell them apart. Stethoscope to find where the noise lives, misfire counters on the scan tool, spark plugs, oil use, and at the end borescope through spark plug holes. Plug that is wetter and dirtier than the others is a hint.
Some noises are not scoring, and Porsche has bulletins for them. Knock under hard acceleration can be carbon on intake valves. Porsche bulletin for Macan, Cayenne and Panamera says the fix is cleaning the valves, not the engine. On the 2019 and later engines, rattle between 1,200 and 2,000 rpm at part load, warm, is the balance shaft bracing wheel or the high pressure fuel pump. Stethoscope on the pump and on engine housing decides which one.
Leaks get quoted as big jobs too. On 2015 to 2018 Macan the oil leak at timing chain cover is common. Until 2022 Porsche's warranty rule was engine out to reseal it, huge labor. In 2022 Porsche changed the bulletin. Now first step is two screws on the chain housing cover, replaced with steel screws and washers, and a dye test. Then cam phaser seal and head cover. Only if it still leaks, cover gets resealed, with engine in the car. If you get engine-out quote for this leak, ask about the two screws first.
Two more from Porsche's own papers. Oil on the belt tensioner is very rarely the tensioner, oil comes from above and belt carries it. And "fill coolant" warning with traces in front is thermostat housing or water pump, only the one that leaks gets replaced.
Transfer case on 2014 to 2018 Macan had seven year warranty extension from Porsche. It ran out on practically every car now. Symptom is jerking or shudder, often with no fault code. Porsche's own bulletin names dirty transmission oil in transfer case as the cause, so this oil is worth changing.
If a cylinder is scored, options are Porsche exchange engine or used engine. Used one can have the same problem and comes with short warranty. Plating or sleeving these blocks can be done, but it is rare. Under warranty or CPO, Porsche has replaced engines for this.
What makes it start is fuel washing the oil off the cylinder wall. Misfire, leaking injector or bad coil left too long. Short trips in the cold. Idling to warm up. On these engines misfires get fixed right away, and warm up is gentle driving, not idling in the driveway.
So, ticking Macan, don't start with lifters. Leaking Macan, don't start with pulling the engine. Borescope and the two screws come first.
Also: Porsche service · Bore scoring · Porsche PPI