Had a repair list back as long as my arm..what now?

[vonders]

Hi
First post coming up..
I have just put by 97 Boxster in for a minor service having recently acquired it, this was mainly due to an oil leak found in the past week that was not there a few weeks back.

Have had a major list come back from the porsche dealer, below are the main ones, can you please advise on whether these costs look ok and also whether the work is essential?

Clearly the oil leak needs checking out..the leak on the ground was near the back centre of the car...obviously worried about the RMS

Prices in GBP

Engine
Engine leaking oil, Advise req Initial 1hr diag time to R+R engine covers, steam clean engine as best as possible &
try and identify origin of leaks & Report back on findings 104.40

this is the big one, is this an accident waiting to happen? what happens if bushes are completely gone?:

Steering & Susp
N/S/F, N/S/R & O/S/R Lower arm bushes split/separated (Labour inc Geo NB Additional time may be required to
remove siezed bolts due to vehicle age) - Req x3 Lower arms + Associated lock nuts 1314.47

Exhaust Cat section to muffler U-Bend clamps/sleeves corroded - Req Cut-off old & replace Clamp/Sleeve 128.88
- what does this mean in real terms?


Front, Rear transverse & L-Shaped undertrays broken 111.94
- probably not worth it?

Permanent fault codes stored in DME. Advise Investigation of faults as engine doesn't appear to be running right -
1hr Intial Diag 104.40
- according to dealer these are oxygen codes that need further investigation


Non-Porsche battery 260.00

- cheek!

[BYprodriver]

You should throughly read the Autofarm website & consider taking your car there or Hartech.

[thstone]

Yeah, going to the dealer can be a bit of a surprise when you see the list that they generate. The key is to triage the list into "Must Do Right Away" or "Can Wait" categories and decide if its something that you can do yourself or pay someone to do for you:

Clean engine and look for oil leak - Do right away and do this yourself. Dirty but easy, cheap, and little expertise required. Clean the engine and then inspect it daily to find the location of the oil leak. Post it back here and someone will give you some advice on where to go from there.

Failed Bushings - Can wait and probably pay to have it done. First, take the car to another shop and get an indepenent opinion before you spend that kind of money.

Exhaust components corroded - Can wait. Doesn't seem to be affecting anything.

Undertrays broken - Can wait. Unless they are dragging on the ground, not an immediate issue.

Permanent fault codes in DME - Can wait. Ask the dealer for the exact codes that they found and post them here. No reason to pay them to diagnose anything yet.

Non-Porsche battery - Really? Ignore.

[vonders]

Thanks guys much appreciated

[vonders]

Doesn't seem to be leaking now so will keep an eye on it, after a steam clean. The problems I have are perished front engine mount (causing rumbling noise) and perished coolant hose. Going to get those replaced.

On the control arms, I have seen them a lot cheaper from the same manufacturer but not porsche approved, are these are no go? And also the aftermarket control arms?
I am tempted to get these instead and save a lot.

[Pinarelloman]

The engine mount is an easy do it yourself job. Plenty of how to guides on this site, or on Pelican Parts.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/10-ENGINE-Engine_Mounts/10-ENGINE-Engine_Mounts.htm

As for the suspension. There are several DIY's on here also or Pelican Parts.
If you are not confident with the suspension, I would take it to a proper wheel alignment/ suspension place. It will be cheaper and the Porsche place would probably outsource that work anyway.

As with most things car related the initial cost is the painful part. If you can maintain the vehicle yourself, you will save big $$$ every year.

Buy yourself a Durametric from USA & you can check and clear codes.

Our local Porsche center charges $170 an hour for mechanical work. They get none of mine.

Good luck with the car, you will love it.

[jcb986]

I would also go to an Indy for the repairs...be sure he knows Porsches. We have 2 very good Indy's here in Orlando. There rate is $85 an hour...besides they can recommend aftermarket parts that may save you money. I would get Waynes Boxster DYI manual from Pelican Parts...it's very intuitive.