Is my dealer trying to rip me off on 20k service ??

[4sound]

Brake fluid should be flushed every 2 years, regardless of how many miles are on the Porsche. As for price, the dealer can charge what ever price he wants. No doubt you could get it done for less. Baisicly it is a one hour job plus brake fluid.
As for the fuel injection cleaning, I have to agree with Wilfred.
as for cost of the service, try to remember that many independent shops DO NOT have the correct tools to work with your 997, thus the prices they will charge you will be less. Being that I own an independent shop and I paid Porsche a decent amount for the PIWIS. I can see where some services may cost more when checking prices with different shops.
by the way...love the 997S

[jnx]

4sound, what is a PIWIS?

[996superfly]

I had brake fluid done w/Super Blue $94. Local indie.

[MLindgren]

Brake fluid change runs 90-100 bucks from my dealership. When I bought the car I had the 20K maintenance performed for about $550 total including the brake fluid. Seeing the price some are having to pay I certainly see why you might consider the DIY route.

[Laura]

PIWIS, Proprietary Porsche diagnostic, testing and tooling software. V
A decent price, 4sound, you are so kind

[abe]

Originally Posted by keninirvine

My dealer already wanted $800 for just the regular service (ie, oil change), so I refused to pay another $350 for a fluid flush I find hard to believe is really necessary. Why do Porsches need something few other cars need? I've never had brake fluid problems in any of my cars, especially on a 2 or 3 year old car with only 20,000 miles. I think it is just another profit center to grab another few hundred dollars out of you.

...3k miles. BTW I have a Benz with 160k and another with 110k....never rec the injectors needing service. I think these people are going hungry and they need to stick it to you somehow.
Buyer beware....knowledge is power.
abe

[angelo1404]

What about if you track the car? Don't the local PCA rules require a brake fluid flush within 90 days of tracking your car?

[jnx]

Originally Posted by angelo1404

What about if you track the car? Don't the local PCA rules require a brake fluid flush within 90 days of tracking your car?

Yes, if you track the car it should be flushed more often. If it were me,(and I don't track my cars) I would do it right before every track event. I have even heard of people bleeding them at the track.

[jnx]

Originally Posted by Laura

PIWIS, Proprietary Porsche diagnostic, testing and tooling software. V
A decent price, 4sound, you are so kind

Thanks Laura, This is not needed to do what I do.

[Mark1996]

Here are my thoughts:

1. It is a $100k car. Paying $500 or even $800 every 20k miles for maintenance is not expensive at all.
However, I am impressed by those of you who do their own maintenance.
2. Is the service cost really that expensive if your dealer is top notch and treats you and your car
extremely well? Nice loaner car? Makes last minute service appointments? Open on Saturdays?
Washes and vacuums your car? Does little extras like cleaning your front radiator and air cond cond
condenser of leaves and other debris?
3. Cleaning of the injectors sounds questionable. Flushing the brake system every two years is by the
book and I understand that even a little moisture in the system can lead to corrosion issues. Why
would Porsche include this in the schedule if it was not a good idea? God knows that they stretched
the oil change interval to the max! Is the 20k oil change interval an industry maximum?(just
wondering).

[911Dave]

For the injectors, just run some Techron or Syntec through the fuel system once a year, and make sure you give your car an Italian tune-up as often as possible. Those two things will keep your injectors squeaky clean for the life of the car.

Standard recommendation is to change your brake fluid every 2 years. For $50, you can buy a pressure bleeder that lets you do it yourself very easily.

[8haggis]

I don't know for sure about the Bosch units, but we do not design our fuel injectors to be "cleaned". They are a 100k mile + product.
The "cleaning" of your injectors is done by the fuel filter.
The flushing of the brake system is not needed more often then the manual describes unless tracking the car. Even with tracking, I think that once a year is almost too much, but I still do it. I paid to have this done at an independent shop, but I will invest in a power bleeder this year to save money.
The comments about $100k car and therefore you should not complain about high service costs is surprising to me. I would certainly not be able to afford my $100k cars if I just when around giving money away.
If you are going to give money away, do it to a charity and get the tax break as well as helping someone who needs it.
I am sure that any local charity would appreciate the $$ even if only the $100 you saved on the DIY. Plus, you will learn more about your car and be sure that it is done correctly. A brake flush is not a complex job and is a good excuse to have some social occasion with another P-club member who has done it before.
Sorry, that got a little soapboxish. I'm done now.

[Mark1996]

I do not like giving away money but I realize that prices are set based on what the "market will bear." The dealers must know that there are enough owners out there who will agree to pay them $500 to $800 for this service. The dealers are in business to make money and as much as they can in this market. Absent fraud, this is OK with me. After all, this economy allows us to earn substantial sums of money.

I would imagine that many of us are attorneys, doctors, accountants and business owners. Do we all decide what to charge our customers based on what is fair to the customer and what will enable us to make a reasonable income? No. We set our prices based on supply and demand. This is what makes our economy work. We are allowed and encouraged to make an "unreasonably" high income if we can do it honestly.

Any Ferrari F348, F355 and 360 owners out there want to comment on our outrageous Porsche service costs? Based on what I have heard, I am sure the Fcar owners are feeling sorry for us.

The above being said, I still think the "injector cleaning" advice is a dishonest business practice. It reminds me of the salesman in the movie Fargo selling the Tru-coat paint protection.

[Jim Michaels]

P-nuts: For price comparison. Book says 2.5 hours labor for the 20k mile/2-year service. My dealer charges $262.50 labor for the service ($105 per hour); parts are extra. My dealer charges $105 (1 hour) labor for a brake fluid flush, and $32.56 for the ATE Super Blue fluid (about twice the outside retail price). My dealer charges $6.79 per quart of Mobil 1 oil. This is what keeps good independent shops in business.

I would have a brake fluid flush at two years, but I'd have it done at an independent shop for about one-third your dealer's price. Injector cleaning? Only with a free rust-proofing and under-coating.

[todinlaw]

Originally Posted by jnx

I would do the brake flush as it's cheap to do (yourself). I maintain my own cars and do things more frequently than Porsche suggests. Again, I only have to buy the oil, filters, etc. plus I enjoy doing it.

I would never consider taking my car to the dealership for this kind of work. I don't think that they would take as great of care with my vehicles as I do, plus the outlandish charges are insane.

I am with jnx on this one. I know the willingness to work on your car is a personal thing, but with all the help you can find on Rennlist no job is out of reach. On a brake fluid flush. they sell a tool that you just screw onto your reservoir cap and pressurize the system and you just open the brake bleeder one at a time, just keep fresh fluid in the reservoir and walla your flushed, Pressure pump$50.00 fluid depending on brand $50.00 can do it in 1 hr. max. So then on the next one you just need the brake fluid.