Quote:
Originally Posted by Dino944
Hi guys,
Not sure if I'd go new or CPO. I've heard there are a few new 08 and 09s still out there, but there are also several low mileage CPO cars. It would not be our only car, just an additional fun car. We might put 2,000-3,000 miles on it per year.
Are there any known issues to be concerned about with an 08 Boxster S?
I saw a good post suggesting changing the oil at about 750 or 1000 miles and then again at 1500 to get rid of fine metal bits. Thats a great tip! But I was also wondering what are the service intervals for major services and what is done on a major ( is it just changing all fluids/ spark plugs, or does it require belts too)? Also do they take the engine out for most services? Any idea what the average maintenance costs are per year on an average year without a major and how much a major service runs?
Reason for these questions is my Wife also likes the 993 and is kind of interested in maybe getting a nice low mileage 993. Obviously, an 08 Boxster new or CPO has the advantage of a warranty...and in my preliminary research on 993s I've heard issues about rear windows cracking and also something about CELs? So we are just trying to determine what path we may wish to travel.
I did drive a Lotus Elise recently. Fun to drive but maybe a bit raw for us, and getting in and out is kind of a b*tch.
Thanks for any input or advice you can give me.
Best regards,
Dino
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You have to see what left over new (though possibly punched) 08 and 09 cars are available and what prices are and what used and CPO'd cars are available.
Given you plan on driving the car so little (2K miles per year? Man that's have a week's driving for me!) I think you could probably save money, lose less through depreciation, by buying a used car. Let someone else take the new car depreciation hit. However, there were some outstanding deals to be had on new left over 08s and I bet the same is true for some left over 09s.
I posted my early oil change mileages for my 08 CaymanS. The 1st I did at 750 miles and the second around 1350 miles.
(The 3rd at 2000 miles was done at dealer just before I was to leave on a trip, but car totaled in an accident the day before I was scheduled to leave. Then in July when I undertook the trip this time in my new used 03 Turbo I hit a mule deer and the rest of the trip was by turbo-prop and rental car and not by my Turbo. I've since got the Turbo out of the shop and it has been put back to its pre-collision condition and early Sept. drove it almost 3600 miles to Texas and back over 6 days.)
If you buy a new car, an 08 or 09 left over, I'd advise an early oil/filter service at 750 miles or so. Whether you do another early one before the break in period over depends upon the condition of the oil from the filter housing. Techs generally don't bother to look at this oil but since I change my cars oil I always look at the oil from teh filter. Based on what I saw I decided an 2nd oil change at 1500 miles warranted. My work schedule required I either do it earlier or later so I chose earlier at 1350 miles instead of the planned 1500 miles. The oil from the filter housing this second change very clear. Still I wanted fresh oil in the engine at the end of its break in.
If you buy a used car either as part of the deal get an oil/filter service done or budget in your offer to have it done, unless the car has had one done recently.
Service intervals are 15K miles (at least with my 02 Boxster, newer cars might be a bit less or a bit more miles) with major services at 30K miles.
For you and your planned usage I'd advise you change the oil/filter once a year. Brake fluid flush/bleed every 2 years. Coolant change every 4 years.
Serpentine belt not needed until 60K miles but like tires these can reach end of life on time as well as distance traveled, so I'd change the belt at the 4 to 5 year mark. You can do this yourself.
Spark plugs maybe every 60K miles.
Engine air filter, cabin filter every 4 years or so.
Numbers from memory of my 02 car's service interval recommendations. Visit a dealer and look at owners manual for an 08 and 09 car and make copies of the service schedule pages to get a feel for what is required and when.
Dealer service department might be able to print out a minor and major service sechedule.
At same time you can ask for price quotes. Though the prices will have gone up likely by the time your car needs any servicing.
One thing you have to worry about is with so little use the car may attact rodents from its being inactive for long periods of time. It can only take a few weeks of inactivity at the right or wrong time for mice or rats to see up a homestead in the car. Serious damage will almost certainly result.
So you should take steps to avoid any rodents getting in the car while it is unused. Also, buy and use a battery charger/maintainer to keep battery fully charged or you'll be replacing the battery every year.
BTW, you *can* drive the car more than 2K miles per year. I have over 225K miles on my 02 Boxster and it still runs great. And has required no heavy-duty repairs, just regular servicing and a few small things taken care of.
Best car I ever owned though of course I'm hoping the Turbo even better!
Oh, can't help you with 993 vs. Boxster. Quite different cars. Both fine cars though. The 993 to some is simply the best looking car of recent vintage. I agree the 993 is a very nice looking car.
Drive examples of both the 993 and Boxster and make up your mind. I thought about a 993 even looked at some before I bought the Cayman but I really like newer cars and the 08 Cayman of course much newer than even the last example of the 993.
(When time to replace the Cayman a few suggested instead I look at the 996 Turbo and I did and liked what I saw and I liked what I learned about the car and upon searching found a real nice example: An 03 in pristine condition with 9500 miles with 2 year, 100K mile CPO warranty and at a heck of a price at nearby dealer; and bought a Turbo instead of another CaymanS.)
The last year or two of the 993 has OBD2 (required for USA cars from '96 and on) and reports are that the secondary air injection ports can get clogged up and this can trip CEL and require some work to remove the deposits that are causing the CEL error.
'95 and earlier 993s do not have OBD2 and thus even if the secondary air injection ports blocked no check engine light will occur. The problem though should still be fixed in my opinion.
Sincerely,
Macster.