clemente

About 10 months ago I bought a CPO'd 2010 Boxster. It had 44K miles at purchase from dealer.

It was a weekend driver so now it has about 47K miles. The dash tells me the car is due for service. I called a local Porsche dealer and they said I should be sure to have a yearly service done even if the car is as lightly driven as mine. The cost is $695 for what amounts to oil change, filters/wiper blades, and an all around checkup.

Is this the smart way to maintain the car? Is it necessary for CPO maintenance?

Any advice on other ways to go? If there is an FAQ somewhere could someone point the way?

Thanks!

extanker

i still take my 09 cay to the dealer once a year but i do not give them complete freedom to do what ever. imo brake flush can be done every 2 or more years and the heck with the cabin filter[just omit those 2 and save 200 bucks +]. i can do the work myself but i can afford the dealer.an indy shop will save you money if you can trust them. porsche has a habit of insane pricing....batteries ,wiper blades,washer fluid,anti freeze

LexVan

Do a yearly oil change at least, regardless of miles.

Flush brake fluid every 2 years.

Air and cabin filter every few years.

Bigger things like plugs, water pump, trans/gear lube, sertp belt, coolant flush, do earlier than Porsche recommends.

terbiumactivated

Too much money for too little service. As for the brake flush, I plan on doing mine on the two year interval but I must say I think it's nonsense. People are driving every other marque on the road with five or more years on the brake fluid. MANY US cars begin and end life with the same fluid, I put 94000 on a mountaineer with the fluid it came with. So why Porsche feels 24 months is all you can get from premium fluid products sounds more like marketing and low hanging fruit for the dealers than a true preventive maintenance. One more thing, if brake fluid is hydroscopic in the Porsche than it was in the Mercury too, again I have a motive and will do it every 2 but I think it's dramatic overkill.

Marine Blue

The only reason to change brake fluid every couple of years is purely for long term maintenance. I prevents corrosion in the brake system which could lead to failure years from now. If its a leased car or you plan to trade it in within a few years then I wouldn't bother unless your tracking it.

I had a similar situation recently at my Porsche dealer. Previous dealers did the yearly check and oil change for $285 and this new dealer wants to charge $440 for the same thing. I firmly stated the price was way too high and I paid much less in the past. I have the proof to show it too. Regardless I complained to Porsche on the recent survey and no resolution. I wound up with an oil change and service light is still on (wouldn't reset with oil change).

If the cabin filters haven't been replaced then they are due. Plugs are probably due also on a 47K mile car.

terbiumactivated

I will faithfully replace the brake fluid as I intend on keeping it a long time. I already have a power bleeder, oil cartridge removal tool, a durametric and a 24 x 24 shop with a wood stove to play in. I have to say though if my dealer would do all I wanted for $285 I'd be tempted to do it once a year only so anything I might miss was picked up by a service tech and for future documentation. I fully agree with you that 440 is silly.

n2cars

My yearly service on the Spyder was $345 including the brake flush.

the_vetman

Had not personally heard that previously (corrosion) though I can see how the moisture can be harmful. It's important to remember that brake fluids are hygroscopic and wet bp is much, much lower than dry bp. In a sports car like Porsche, they're probably being conservative and telling you to change frequently because the chance of people working the brakes and getting the fluid really hot is much, much higher than, say, Mercury.

I mean, how often do we do aggressive canyon/twisty-carving and stomp on the brakes repeatedly in cars other than Porsche, M3, etc.? Boiling the fluid is much less of a concern on commuters, SUVs, minivans, etc. Again, wet bp decreases significantly after 6 mo. or so. Having said that, it's true that it's much more of a concern on the track.

That's cheap and a very good deal for Porsche dealers.

Marine Blue

Years ago when I was living in SoCal on of my neighbors in a Ford Explorer was complaining that his brakes weren't working very well but the pads/rotors looked fine. He was driving Ortega Hwy every day to work so it was twisty and he had a couple of close calls. I asked when was the last time he flushed the fluid and he said....never! 180k miles and no changes. Anyways the following weekend I helped him flush the system and the crud that came out of there was scary. That's the first time I saw actual rust particles in the fluid. That was also when I realized how important it is to keep the fluid fresh. Cheap insurance really.

meteor10

My 2010 Boxster now has 15,000 miles on it but is in service about four years now. PORSCHE recommends a 4 year service that entails an oil change, air and cabin air filters, spark plugs regardless of miles, cleaning debris out of the front radiators, and a general inspection. I have done all of that plus a brake fluid flush and oil changes at 4-5,000 mile intervals. The plugs I am planning to do as soon as the winter doldrums set in (but at 15,000 miles I am hearing it really is not necessary) and to do this work one dealer quoted me $1100 and another $1400-$1500!!!! Yikes!! Are they kidding?

the_vetman

No kidding. $1,500 has often been mentioned as the going rate for 4-year service. So, that one dealer is pretty "cheap" at $1,100.. One can save $$$ by doing many of the things themselves (as you have).

Are the spark plugs necessary at 15,000 miles? Probably not. I wouldn't wait too long, however. Biggest concern is the possibility of them seizing to the block, in which case you'd be in a world of ****. FWIW, people have changed them out at 6-7 years without untoward effects.

PGSberg

My 981 just hit 10K. My local Porsche dealer wanted almost $700 for what amounted to an oil change, inspection and convertible top service. I was mildly chastised for suggesting that I ONLY wanted the oil changed. I called a local shop that specializes in German cars that I used for my 987. Out the door at $207 and they did all of the visual inspection on the list. The only thing not done was the convertible top service. A moral victory. I don't mind paying for required maintenance but looking down the list of what is done at 10K I could not see $700. I plan to take it back to them at 20K for a more in depth service.

Marine Blue

I had a similar situation at my Porsche dealer when I brought it in for it's annual oil change. They wanted me to pay $440 to have the full inspection done including a check for leaks, mechanical top ,, replace air filter, replace cabin filter and oil change. I explained that the filters should not need replacing at 8k miles and I don't have a mechanical top. They wouldn't change their price so I said how much for just an oil change. Paid $185 for the oil change and quick inspection. When I got the Porsche survey a couple of weeks later I was honest and received an email from Porsche and dealer not long after asking what they could have done better. When I stated my case to their business development manager the guy agreed with me and said they would do the service at no charge and reset my service light. I have yet to take them up on that since my car went into storage but if they don't follow through I won't be going back other than for warranty work.

villajoe

after getting hosed at the dealer like you guys I asked about the air filter that they didnt replace at 20k miles. he said it didnt need it yet. Since I just got the car I checked myself and it was the dirtiest filter ive ever seen. clogged beyond belief. So check your air filter!

lithium1330

I document all my maintenance/service, miles, pictures on google docs just to have a record.
I have to say, it seems PCNA are more open to "chip in and help-out" a catastrophic issue for someone who takes the car into dealer for service (get their service stamps) than someone who DIY.

here is my cabin filter... ~13k miles:


Here is the air filter, ~17k miles: