Yearly Service - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

keysguy · 02-12-2013, 04:44 PM

I took my Boxster in to the dealer for it's yearly service this past week. It's a 5 hour drive to the dealer I use for service. The yearly service was $400 and did not include new wipers. I swear in the past it did. I know alot of you do your own maintenance but it gives me a bit of comfort taking it into the dealer plus it's an excuse to wander around the lot for a few hours drooling. Has anyone else taken their cars in for the yearly low mileage service and if so what was included.

Thanks,
Keysguy

Flavor 987S · 02-13-2013, 05:44 AM

Your dealership loves you!

Every year you should do an oil & filter change, regardless of (low) mileage. But, there's no such thing as "yearly low mileage service". Your dealership is ripping you. But, as long as you enjoy the 5 hour drive, and the stroll around the lot, that might be the best (most enjoyable) $400 you spend all year.

What was included on your $400 invoice?

Your current mileage?

Past maintenance history (things like plugs, serpt. belt, water pump)?

Perfectlap · 02-13-2013, 06:27 AM

yes. I would like to see this invoice also.,,

First I presume you're driving 5 hours roundtrip? In a sports car hot bed like South Florida there must be closer options. As far as the yearly service.... I'm guessing the stealership charged $200 for the oil change. Probably $100 for the Mobil 1 oil ($9'ish per quart) which I wouldn't take for free -- just my opinion. $40 for the Porsche oil filter and $60? for the actual labor to change the oil? Then another $70 for the Porsche air filter. $40 for the cabin filter. $50 to change both -- If its any more than that I would call the police... Tax is probably $20-$30. So that gets you to about $390. FYI -- On the topic of the oil, being that you are in a hot weather climate, a recent letter to the editor of Excellence magazine from an Arizona Boxster owner complaining of high outdoor temperatures received a recommendation from the magazine to get off Mobil 1 0-40 and switch to 5W-40 from at least Castrol Syntec (the owner's brand suggestion) or Motul 8100 X-MAX (the Magazine's brand suggestion) since according to the engine experts you should be using an oil with at least 1,250- 1,350 PPM of ZDDP. The stuff they're using at the dealership doens't pass that test -- according to them. And by the way, that author reiterated the same advice in another thread on this forum on a recent IMS topic.

The best thing for you to do is to find an independent Porsche specialist who is probably not far from your nearest dealer. Pay him $200 for everything the dealer did for you. Help the little guy in the process and pocket the $200. And then drive over to the Porsche dealership and kick the tires on the showroom which they let you do for free (for now), take some complimentary brochures to look at during lunch and leave the waitress big tip because you saved $200.

p.s.
I hope they washed your car for $400. The big Porsche dealer here in NJ does that in their service dept along with a full sandwich buffett, free sodas, dounuts, internet kiosks, a room with a big plasma TV, shoes shine and at one point a pool table.... nice of them to share the wealth of their exorbitant pricing. Other dealers just have a coffee machine and water cooler...but then again they don't sell Aston Martin, Maybach, Mercedes.

Flavor 987S · 02-13-2013, 06:43 AM

My guess is that they are charging you about $150/hour. So I fugure:

$150 labor for oil change
$150 for an hours of "inspection time" as part of their "yearly maintenance" BS
$56 for oil ($7 x 8 quarts)
$42 oil filter and crush ring
$2 environmenatal fees

PLEASE tell me that you DON'T let them wash your car, too.

rp17 · 02-13-2013, 07:12 AM

400.00 might be a cheap and I doubt that covers the wipers. I will check the dealers here but I remember it being
Higher that.

mountainman · 02-13-2013, 08:11 AM

I do the same thing using the same parts gathered up at bargains ahead of time including wipers, all fluids and filters, etc in about an hour and a half for about $125 and I know it is done right. But if you have a job making $200 an hour maybe it is economical for you to have the dealer do it.

Meir · 02-13-2013, 08:28 AM

next time, you are more then welcome to drop by.
you might even enjoy the process of working on your car, and labor is free

Porsche Chick · 02-13-2013, 03:38 PM

I am going to keep poking around on this forum until I figure out how to do this maintenance nonsense myself . . .

rp17 · 02-13-2013, 05:45 PM

Take your car to Meir!!!! Keysguy.. 400.00 for a annual service sounds right. Dealerships all cost more around here. If you can take the time, DIY and enjoy your car. Are you under warranty? If not and you have the time have fun.

cas951 · 02-13-2013, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flavor 987S

PLEASE tell me that you DON'T let them wash your car, too.

Funny you mentioned this. My wife took the car in one for a Warranty repair. As she was about to pickup the car the Service Manager said they are about to take the car for a wash. Luckily my wife was on the phone with me. I said "Do not let them wash the car".

For me I enjoy tinkering around with my cars and I would rather do most of the repairs. For Oil changes I really do not trust anyone unless i'm there watching.

keysguy · 02-13-2013, 06:58 PM

It is a 5 hour drive one way to the Naples Fl Porsche dealer. Its about 3.5 hours to the dealer in Miami. I make a weekend trip of it. One of the drawbacks to living closer to Havana than Miami is nothing is close.

I looked at my invoice it was $375 for the service. I paid another $300 for a new key because the alarm button stopped working. I really don't want to get into a debate about weather I should take it to a dealer or not, It gives me peace of mind to take it there and to me that is worth it. I was quoted an extra $60 to install new wiper blades. I turned them down, as I believed that it was included in all my past services. Now that I've looked at all my records it was in some and not in others. In hindsight after looking at Pelican parts for Porsche wipers I should have had them do it. Anyway thanks to everyone for responding.

Keysguy

PS They did wash and vacuum the car for me.

Perfectlap · 02-14-2013, 07:09 AM

I was actually reading up on local independent mechanics in South Florida as I'm considering parking another Porsche down there at some point. It seems like there are shockingly few good independents until you get up further north to central FL.

And I can see the value in having the dealer give it a once over. Before I began major maintenance at around 70K miles I made a stop at my big dealer up here for a full diagnostic which wasn't very expensive at all. Their quoted fee for the needed repairs was of course somewhere between astronomical and heroic...easily exceed the value of a 70K mile car. But the point was that if any little thing was wrong they'd find it. I had my local indepdendent do all the work at 1/3 the cost.

The one issue, particluarly with the way the IMSB has been handled by dealers and Porsche, is that they don't alert you all of your options on preventative maintenace (which would imply/admit engine design weakness I guess) nor any advice that I should run the car frequently to keep internals well lubed, change the oil at 3-4K miles, should shift above 3K RPM, etc. And of course they certainly aren't going to tell you when Mobil 1 reformulates their oil to offer less of the protective additives found in other brands they aren't doing business with. Kind of crucial information to have if they aren't going to adjust their 15K mile oil change recommendation accordingly. Point is you can only place so much trust in the dealer who take orders from Porsche.