Macster

and oil/filter change.

Quoted $480 for plugs. Rear bumper cover has to come off. Intercoolers have to come off. Oh, Turbo has not quite 30K miles but will have 30K by the time Monday rolls around I think. Not sure, but I don't think the plugs have ever been changed. This car I bought used with 9500 miles on it last June.

Oil/filter service will be around $140. I supply my own oil: Castrol Syntec 5w-50. (Used this oil last oil change and I like what the oil pressure gage has had to say over the last 5K miles...)

Was told dealer supplied oil priced at nearly $10/quart now. Last time I bought Castrol Syntec 5w-50 it was on sale at Kragens (chain autoparts store) for $4.99/quart, compared to $6.49 (or was it $6.99?)/quart for say Mobil 1 0w-40.

This time, oh boy! Both Castrol and Mobil 1 priced at $7.99/quart.

Car goes in sometime Monday AM and I get it back either after COB Monday or sometime Tuesday.

Getting the Turbo ready for a week long road trip just as soon as I can find a lull in work to take a week off.

Couple of asides: Dealer service department had a customer's tree frog green GT3 in for brake fluid flush. PCCBs. Watched tech use the threaded rods in 2 wheel lug bolt holes (one pair for each wheel) to prevent wheels from banging down on the PCCB rotors. Nice.

Also, watched as tech siphoned out old brake fluid from reservior before hooking up pressure bleeder. Then I watched him attach a catch bottle with a hose and special hose fitting to brake caliper bleed nipple to catch old brake fluid as he opened the bleed screw. Nice, twice.

Also, was told of customer who came in a while back wanting PCCBs retro-fitted to either a Boxster or Cayman. Cost: Around $20K. No sale. Understandably so.

One other thing: Had the rear tires replaced 10K miles ago and had 4-wheel alignment done cause the then current alignment apparently was crap (done by another dealer's service department). These "new" tires show no signs of wear. I might get 20K miles from these tires. Nice, thrice.

Sincerely,

Macster.

MechanicalEng

make sure they check you coil packs...

adam_

Did my plugs and an oil change a while back. Took me about the same time as driving from to and from the dealer to drop the car off, then pick it up. (45 minutes each way, times 4 is 3 hours) Did mine around 30k also.

No issues with coil packs, but I was not too concerned with doing it at 30k as PM, since it would be my own labor to replace later if needed.

A

BostonDuce

Just curious Mac.

Did you see him bleed both bleeders on the fronts?

That's extremely cheap for a plug change. Are you using the Bosch or original Beru's? Have you considered just changing the coil packs while they're at it?

While they have the IC hoses off, ask them to check for oil in the pressure side.

BD

Macster

Working on one's car where I live is forbidden.

I can do oil changes on weekends at work -- pull car into shipping bay and work on the floor -- but it is pain to lug all the necessary stuff to/from work. 30 miles one way.

Besides the Turbo's oil change is a borderline disaster every time. The oil tank drain is so high and the oil comes out with such force I end up splashing oil over me and the floor. If I raise the drain pan up then it teeters and threatens to dump 9 quarts of of hot oil onto the floor of the shipping bay where it would be real chore to clean up.

The Boxster's oil change not so bad cause the oil drain hole located much lower to the ground.

As I said above, can't do any automobile work at my apartment (although I do manage every couple of years to sneak a brake job in for my Boxster). Have to spread this over 2 days (Sat./Sun.) under the pretense (in case apartment manager catches me) that I'm cleaning the wheels and looking for fluid leaks.

I believe the Turbo's coil packs are ok. Engine runs just fine and has not generated any misfires at all. I'm only changing the plugs cause of the miles and time. There is no engine behavior prompting this service.

I'll ask the Porsche techs -- although I really don't have to ask they do this for me anyhow -- to give the coil packs a good check and if necessary replace them.

At the same time the tech will I'm sure give the engine/drivetrain a good going over to check for any leaks, or other signs of problems cause he knows I'm shortly taking the car out halfway cross countery and back.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Macster

Wish I had taken pics.

I watched the tech roll out a cart with a large drum (20 gallons?) of brake fluid and the approx. 1 gallon siphon bottle also on the cart to siphon the brake fluid from the reservior.

He said removing this fluid before starting means it takes much less new fluid to flush the remaining fluid -- that left in the lines -- out of the system. It also reduces the mixing of new fluid with the old fluid in the reservior.

I was distracted talking with the other tech and the next thing I saw when I got back to the GT3 was the siphon bottle connected to one of the bleeder valves at the right rear brake caliper. While I didn't see him do it -- I had to leave for work -- I assumed he did this for every bleed valve on all 4 calipers making his way around the car, left rear, right front, left front I believe is the order.

Oh, I watched the tech put on the special cap on the brake fluid reservior with the connector for the hose that carries new brake fliud from the drum.

There was a way to put the drum under some pressure to force the fresh fluid up the line to the cap on the reservior and the fluid then into the reservior.

The tech will use the right spark plugs. I had my Boxster's plugs changed there and the good plugs were used. I forget the brand name but they were the same plugs that were in the Boxster engine for nearly 90K miles (I sort of forgot about the plugs...).

The price did seem a bit low but I do get a PCA membership discount -- and sometimes a bit more -- cause I have my cars serviced there: brake fluid changes, plugs, tires, alignment, tranmission fluid changes. About the only things I do are oil/filter, engine air filter, cabin air filter, and brakes (pads and when necessary rotors) for the Boxster. Also, I buy all spare parts there so the service and parts department both know me. And if I buy another Porsche I will probably buy it from this dealer.

Speaking of fluids: I may while the Turbo's in the shop have the 6-speed transmission fluid and rear diff fluid changed. I had the front diff fluid changed -- at another dealer -- shortly after I bought the car last June. Trouble is I asked that not only the front diff fluid be changed but also the transmission fluid and rear diff fluid be changed as well. Dealer service department did front diff and didn't do the transmission and rear diff.

What happened I don't know but there was some mix up. After this other dealer botched the alignment I've decided to never use this other dealer again for any service.

Anyhow, at the local dealer I now use the Turbo gets its oil/filter service done there and other fluid changes, tires, alignment. I'll do the engine air filter and cabin air filter when needed. Serpentine belt I don't know if I'll do that or have the shop do that. Some disassembly work is required I believe to get to the serpentine belt and I don't have the DIY instructions. I've done the belt on my Boxster now several times which requires some minor disassembly -- removing engine access panel inside cabin behind seats -- to get to the belt.

I'll mention the check for signs of oil while intercooler hoses off. But I suspect this unnecessary cause techs are quite knowledgeable regarding these cars and they know all the car's possible problem areas and things to check for without me having to tell them.

Sincerely,

Macster.

DesignerGenes

So, what was your total cost? I ask because I just had my 2005 Turbo S done (only 25,000 miles, but I needed to spend some money on it and get it certified for first track day of the year). I let Dealer run with it, and even without the brake fluid change (I did that last Fall.), it cost me nearly $1,500. I'm glad that only comes around every 30,000 miles.

Macster

Ummm, I don't know cause I haven't taken car in yet. I keep meaning to take it in but just haven't had the time.

Running out of time though so today, in fact in just a couple of minutes (right after I finish one more thing here at the office....), I plan on leaving the office and driving the car to the dealer and dropping it off for the services I mentioned.

Will report back cost of the oil/filter service and plug service after I pick up the car.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Michael-Dallas

Regarding the spark plug maintenance interval - it appears that PCNA has changed the interval to every 24k w/o time restriction.

///Michael

Macster

Too late. I just got back from dropping the car off for oil/filter and plugs with just under 30K on the car's odometer. Car goes under the knife, err wrench Thursday morning when dealer's service department opens and I should have it back Thursday evening.

Sincerely,

Macster.

BostonDuce

Michael;

Thanks for that update on the plug frequency.
I'm guessing the fear of the plugs seizing in the heads has passed.

Does anyone believe in "lifetime" coolant? Or is just a PIA to change out? Vacuum method or tilting the back of the car up to burp it cannot be pretty.

BD

Macster

I checked with Porsche tech this AM. He says the plug change interval for 996 Turbos has not changed, recently. Miles is down from IIRC 40K to 30K and the 4 year rule regardless of miles covered is still in effect.

The plug interval change applies to the 997 car with the new engine.

Sincerely,

Macster.

BostonDuce

Michael's document seems to be a genuine factory document. Funny after looking more closely, the time requirement is off on only the 996tt and GT2.

It seems we have an error from the Fatherland!

BD

rats, I could have used that extra 6 hours of labor on something else.

Macster

Agree. It does appear to be genuine and I have no reason to doubt its authenticity.

The tech could have been mistaken or I could have mis-understood him or he me.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Michael-Dallas

I got the maintenance interval doco from Porsche USA's website: http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessori...anceintervals/

As far as coolant, it's a good idea to change regularly, but how often is up to you. You can probably buy an antifreeze test kit to help determine when you should change it.

///Michael