Question…Boxster S with 329,000 miles

[jesseborgelt]

My mouth dropped. Congradulations... there is hope afterall.

[The Radium King]

porsche also says change the oil at 15k, that the ims and water pump are lifetiime service items, you don't need to ever change the coolant, etc. the porsche recommended service schedule is a minimum standard that should be exceeded, not met. if you want to change you plugs every 30k then go for it, your car won't be any worse off, especially noting that while the lifetime of the actual plugs may exceed 30k, that of the associated plastic tubes and o-rings may not (mine had cracked and were leaking at less than the recommended service interval). inspecting the plugs is a great way to get an indicator of how things are going inside the engine and, for the cost of a set of plugs vs labour, once they are out for inspection you may as well put new ones in.

[BYprodriver]

IMO the main takeaway from this experience is to be extra wary of Porsche Mechanics with more than 16 years experience. Just because they have been working on aircooled Porsches & VW's for 30 years doesn't mean they know anything about Boxsters & their unique engines. Early Boxsters sparkplugs should be changed every 30,K miles & that changed to 60K for the later models probably due to the improved fuel injectors & O2 sensors. Also worthy of notice is the high mileage acheived by this Boxster & in 2nd place Mac's at 256K, both original owners, both maintained properly at authorized Porsche dealers into the 200k mile range. This gives credibility to Porsche's criteria for "goodwill" out of warranty repairs.

[recycledsixtie]

If you the customer want your plugs changed every 30K miles, then u should get it. The reason your Boxster has gone so many miles is because either 1) you are lucky 2) you are meticulous about your servicing or a combo of the two. I suspect the latter. Go to a shop that gives u what u want!

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

If you the customer want your plugs changed every 30K miles, then u should get it. The reason your Boxster has gone so many miles is because either 1) you are lucky 2) you are meticulous about your servicing or a combo of the two. I suspect the latter. Go to a shop that gives u what u want!

I'll throw out a 3rd hypothesis that has been born from my experience with aircraft engines (many similarities with Porsche power plants)...the OPs car was run 25K or more per year.

Machines that are run often tend to give outstanding service life while those that are used less often are more prone to malfunction, corrosion, accessory failure, leaks etc...

I doubt the mechanic refused to change the plugs...what's more likely is he looked at them and decided they were serviceable and informed the customer.

If the customer is more concerned about what a piece of paper says over what an experienced tech says, then the tech should just do it, logic be damned!

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

IMO the main takeaway from this experience is to be extra wary of Porsche Mechanics with more than 16 years experience. Just because they have been working on aircooled Porsches & VW's for 30 years doesn't mean they know anything about Boxsters & their unique engines. Early Boxsters sparkplugs should be changed every 30,K miles & that changed to 60K for the later models probably due to the improved fuel injectors & O2 sensors. Also worthy of notice is the high mileage acheived by this Boxster & in 2nd place Mac's at 256K, both original owners, both maintained properly at authorized Porsche dealers into the 200k mile range. This gives credibility to Porsche's criteria for "goodwill" out of warranty repairs.

Could you elaborate on this a bit. I'm new to Porsches but have a lot of experience with many types of machines, cars, motorcycles etc... I'm curious about the improvements to the FI and the failure mode of the plugs and O2 sensors in the early Boxsters. Also, how is the combustion event in a water cooled motor different then the combustion event in an air cooled motor?

[Frodo]

Uh...do you think we're ever going to hear from FloridaBill again?? Or is he gonna be a one-post-and-done kinda guy?

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by shadrach74

Could you elaborate on this a bit. I'm new to Porsches but have a lot of experience with many types of machines, cars, motorcycles etc... I'm curious about the improvements to the FI and the failure mode of the plugs and O2 sensors in the early Boxsters. Also, how is the combustion event in a water cooled motor different then the combustion event in an air cooled motor?

In 2002 Boxsters went from single hole injectors to 4 hole, O2 sensors changed to the improved Bosch LSF, also non-return fuel supply. All this led to more accurate air/fuel ratio which makes plugs last longer. I was refering to how the air-cooled engines are a completely different design from the M96 engines requiring different service procedures.

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

In 2002 Boxsters went from single hole injectors to 4 hole, O2 sensors changed to the improved Bosch LSF, also non-return fuel supply. All this led to more accurate air/fuel ratio which makes plugs last longer. I was refering to how the air-cooled engines are a completely different design from the M96 engines requiring different service procedures.

The injector improvements you mention likely lead to better distribution through improved atomization of the fuel in the combustion chamber. Regarding spark plug life, the effects of these improvements are probably so small as to likely be irrelevant. The correct heat range and electrode material have a much larger effect on plug life.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by shadrach74

The injector improvements you mention likely lead to better distribution through improved atomization of the fuel in the combustion chamber. Regarding spark plug life, the effects of these improvements are probably so small as to likely be irrelevant. The correct heat range and electrode material have a much larger effect on plug life.

Sparkplugs did not change, sparkplug life changed, so Porsche extended the recommended change interval. Keep in mind sparkplugs are cheap, gasoline is not, & neither is Porsche labor, but once the sparkplug is removed for inspection there is no abitional charge to reinstall new plugs. Also late model Porsches do not have magnetos