New Boxster owner - my story, lessons learned. - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

ccarlisl · 03-25-2008, 09:50 AM

Hi there everyone, first time poster. I hope this is the right subforum. I found this site a few months ago when I was shopping around for a new car. Browsing around, I noticed there are a few common problems with the Boxster but that's really no different than any other car. And after looking at a bunch of photos and performance data, I was very interested. I've owned several RX-7's and I really love those cars but I was ready for something a little newer. The '00 - '02 Boxster S seemed to fit the bill and was in my price range.

I went to see a 2000 S with 56k on it at an exotic car dealership in Greensboro, NC that specializes in Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and Porsche. All I can say is wow! Not only did it feel great in terms of performance, it was just nice all around. I loved how quiet it was inside and how solid it felt. 56,000 miles was a lot but I was intoxicated by the atmosphere at the dealership and the car was exactly what I was looking for otherwise. It was the right color combination and had zero options (I like that) other than the upgraded 18" wheels. It was super clean and felt very good on the test drive. No wierd noises, good power, handling was tight, etc. It had brand new tires too. It seemed like a winner and I was getting excited.

After the drive, the sales consultant and I went back to his office to talk. Even though there were six figure cars outside, he still took his time and treated me with a lot of respect. We started to look through all of the paperwork and I was very disappointed when I found out the car had no service records whatsoever. They told me when it was traded in, they changed the oil but it didn't need anything else. They also showed me a clean carfax report but we all know how much stock we can put into those. I had read about PPI's but I didn't know anything about the area I was in and it was getting late. I was nervous and thought about walking but I was too caught up in the situation and just didn't have the will power to leave the car. I thought about how good it felt on the test drive and decided to gamble.

I drove the car for a few weeks and all was well. I thought I heard some strange noises coming from the engine area that I hadn't heard before, especially at idle, but I thought I was being paranoid so I dismissed them as normal. After spending more time with the vehicle, I also started to hear something coming from the drivetrain. At 57k, I decided to take the car in early for the 60k mile service at a reputable Porsche dealership near where I live. The next day I get a call from the service manager. He tells me that they found an RMS leak, another leak around the spark plugs(?), they wanted to replace the clutch and the front brakes because they only had about 1000 miles left. With the 60k mile service, I was looking at around $4500! Yikes...

Get a PPI!!

With that said, would I have still purchased the car even if I had gotten a PPI? Probably. Yes. Even after all this, I still feel like it was a good buy and I'm extremely happy with it. But I probably could have used the information from the PPI during the negotiation. Now I'm just looking forward to getting the car back and having the piece of mind knowing that everything is good to go. Happy Motoring everyone.

Cheers

three1seventy · 03-25-2008, 10:33 AM

happy b-day to me...it is my 38th ...i have a question for you...did you have any leaking from the car..or was the noise very pronounced and getting worse before the 60k checkup??? mine is tip top no leaks...and quiet as a mouse when in idle...the check engine light came on once...a week after purchase..and scared the hell out of me...the next day it was gone and has not returned..the car drives perfect...i have my 60k tune up the first week of april 08...i have 59311 on the odometer...should i be worried...im not a mechanic but i attribute the check engine light coming on breifly..to the fact that the car sat from oct07 at the dealership until 3-1-08 my bday and probably had some fouling in one of the plugs that needed to be cleared out..let me know if that sounds crazy...but it run like brand new...thanks for your insight.

collin

three1seventy · 03-25-2008, 10:34 AM

p.s....not to sound ignorant..but what is a ppi???

CJ_Boxster · 03-25-2008, 11:13 AM

A PPI is short for Point of Purchase Inspection.., Cost about $250 at any porsche dealer and is usually good to have done before purchasing any porsche... Usually you have a different porsche Dealer perform the PPI than the one your purchasing the car from.

They inspect the condition of the engine, transmission suspension and brake system... also they check the interior and exterior electrical and let you know of any obvious cosmetic or convertible top issues that may slip by the untrained eye.

three1seventy · 03-25-2008, 12:17 PM

thanks for the speedy reply..any insights you can give me into my car...things to watch and listen for??

blue2000s · 03-25-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccarlisl

Hi there everyone, first time poster. I hope this is the right subforum. I found this site a few months ago when I was shopping around for a new car. Browsing around, I noticed there are a few common problems with the Boxster but that's really no different than any other car. And after looking at a bunch of photos and performance data, I was very interested. I've owned several RX-7's and I really love those cars but I was ready for something a little newer. The '00 - '02 Boxster S seemed to fit the bill and was in my price range.

I went to see a 2000 S with 56k on it at an exotic car dealership in Greensboro, NC that specializes in Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati and Porsche. All I can say is wow! Not only did it feel great in terms of performance, it was just nice all around. I loved how quiet it was inside and how solid it felt. 56,000 miles was a lot but I was intoxicated by the atmosphere at the dealership and the car was exactly what I was looking for otherwise. It was the right color combination and had zero options (I like that) other than the upgraded 18" wheels. It was super clean and felt very good on the test drive. No wierd noises, good power, handling was tight, etc. It had brand new tires too. It seemed like a winner and I was getting excited.

After the drive, the sales consultant and I went back to his office to talk. Even though there were six figure cars outside, he still took his time and treated me with a lot of respect. We started to look through all of the paperwork and I was very disappointed when I found out the car had no service records whatsoever. They told me when it was traded in, they changed the oil but it didn't need anything else. They also showed me a clean carfax report but we all know how much stock we can put into those. I had read about PPI's but I didn't know anything about the area I was in and it was getting late. I was nervous and thought about walking but I was too caught up in the situation and just didn't have the will power to leave the car. I thought about how good it felt on the test drive and decided to gamble.

I drove the car for a few weeks and all was well. I thought I heard some strange noises coming from the engine area that I hadn't heard before, especially at idle, but I thought I was being paranoid so I dismissed them as normal. After spending more time with the vehicle, I also started to hear something coming from the drivetrain. At 57k, I decided to take the car in early for the 60k mile service at a reputable Porsche dealership near where I live. The next day I get a call from the service manager. He tells me that they found an RMS leak, another leak around the spark plugs(?), they wanted to replace the clutch and the front brakes because they only had about 1000 miles left. With the 60k mile service, I was looking at around $4500! Yikes...

Get a PPI!!

With that said, would I have still purchased the car even if I had gotten a PPI? Probably. Yes. Even after all this, I still feel like it was a good buy and I'm extremely happy with it. But I probably could have used the information from the PPI during the negotiation. Now I'm just looking forward to getting the car back and having the piece of mind knowing that everything is good to go. Happy Motoring everyone.

Cheers

$4500 seems quite pricey. How much of that is the RMS and clutch?

tracke30m3 · 03-25-2008, 01:03 PM

The brakes are an easy DIY job.

As for the clutch and RMS, $1500 should cover parts and labor for the clutch at independent Porsche shops. They can easily change the RMS while they are in there replacing the clutch. Oil leaks from the spark plugs can be solved by replacing the plug tubes and O-rings, another DIY job with parts costing less than $100.

I think you should be able to find an independent shop that will tackle the brakes, RMS, clutch, sparkplug tubes for about $2000.

ccarlisl · 03-26-2008, 06:48 AM

Hello again,

Quote:

Originally Posted by three1seventy

happy b-day to me...it is my 38th ...i have a question for you...did you have any leaking from the car..or was the noise very pronounced and getting worse before the 60k checkup??? mine is tip top no leaks...and quiet as a mouse when in idle...the check engine light came on once...a week after purchase..and scared the hell out of me...the next day it was gone and has not returned..the car drives perfect...i have my 60k tune up the first week of april 08...i have 59311 on the odometer...should i be worried...im not a mechanic but i attribute the check engine light coming on breifly..to the fact that the car sat from oct07 at the dealership until 3-1-08 my bday and probably had some fouling in one of the plugs that needed to be cleared out..let me know if that sounds crazy...but it run like brand new...thanks for your insight.

collin

I didn't notice any bad leaks. There certainly wasn't a puddle under the car but I swear I saw a drop of oil gathering on the underside of the car one day. Next day, after a drive it was gone and never came back. The drivetrain noise I heard was the throw out bearing I think. I only heard it when the clutch was in. It was pretty loud but never got any worse. Never got a service engine light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

$4500 seems quite pricey. How much of that is the RMS and clutch?

They still have the car so I'm not sure yet. Very interested as well though. They did tell me that they are replacing the RMS with a new one they use on 911's as well that is bulletproof. Not sure how accurate that is..

Quote:

Originally Posted by tracke30m3

The brakes are an easy DIY job.

As for the clutch and RMS, $1500 should cover parts and labor for the clutch at independent Porsche shops. They can easily change the RMS while they are in there replacing the clutch. Oil leaks from the spark plugs can be solved by replacing the plug tubes and O-rings, another DIY job with parts costing less than $100.

I think you should be able to find an independent shop that will tackle the brakes, RMS, clutch, sparkplug tubes for about $2000.

You're absolutely right. I know it's the dealership and I'm probably getting reamed but I just needed to get it done. I'm moving this weekend and unfortunately don't have time to do any of this myself or find a good independent shop. I used to enjoy doing basic work like brakes on my RX-7's but I told myself after I got this car that I'm letting the professionals service it.

On another note, I'd like to take this time to inform everyone in the Upstate SC area about the level of service at Porsche of Greenville in Greenville, SC. Like I said, I heard from a friend that they were a reputable shop but I'm starting to disagree.

I took the car in last week on Tuesday around 5:00pm. They called me on Wednesday morning with their findings and the bad news and told me it would be ready Friday afternoon (that week). Friday rolls around and I haven't heard anything. At 5:30 I decide to call for an update. They told me that had to order some parts so it probably wouldn't be ready until "the beginning of the week". I don't know what their definition of "the beginning of the week" is but it's Wednesday and I still haven't heard anything. I'm afraid to call back; I don't want to sound like an a-hole but this is getting ridiculous. I understand they have a lot of work to do but don't tell me it'll be ready on Friday if it's not gonna be ready. And now it's been over a week and I haven't heard squat. I mean, calling me with an update every now and then is just common courtesy. If their customer service is this bad, I'm a little worried about what they're doing to my car. And you think with the kind a business I'm giving them, they might try a little harder. In my experience, I would steer clear of this dealership.

ccarlisl · 03-26-2008, 12:16 PM

final bill.. $5884.31...

No one said owning a Porsche was cheap. They ended up replacing the flywheel and CV boots too.

Well the good news is that the car feels frickin' terrific! Way better than before. There was something definately wrong with my clutch; it was so stiff. Now, it feels nice and smooth. And she pulls so much better now.. prolly due to the tune up.

I'm one happy (but broke) camper!

blue2000s · 03-26-2008, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccarlisl

final bill.. $5884.31...

No one said owning a Porsche was cheap. They ended up replacing the flywheel and CV boots too.

Well the good news is that the car feels frickin' terrific! Way better than before. There was something definately wrong with my clutch; it was so stiff. Now, it feels nice and smooth. And she pulls so much better now.. prolly due to the tune up.

I'm one happy (but broke) camper!

Congrats. There was another recent post from someone with a Pettit modified FD asking if moving to a Boxster would be cheaper. I warned him that moving to a Porsche is not going to save him any money in repairs/maintainence.

Brucelee · 03-26-2008, 04:16 PM

I am pretty sure there is no German work for inexpensive!

turbo23dog · 03-26-2008, 04:29 PM

I can see why you fell for the car hook, line and sinker. Red over tan does that to many of us.

Nice car.

ccarlisl · 03-27-2008, 10:05 AM

Thank you. I'm lovin it

LoveBunny · 03-27-2008, 12:55 PM

Your car is beautiful! Sorry you had to spend so much to get everything working right, but at least now you can just focus on enjoying it.

dcporsche99 · 03-27-2008, 04:45 PM

Congrats and welcome to the forum! Glad to hear it's all taken care of.

ccarlisl · 04-07-2008, 07:58 AM

you guys aren't going to believe this... I must have the worst luck.

Yesterday I was on the highway and noticed the temp needle starting to rise so I pulled off. As I was slowing to a stop, I heard some awful noises coming from the engine bay area. It sounded sort of like metal on metal whirring or clanking or tapping. I shut down the engine and noticed the needle on the temp gauge had gotten to about the 3rd hash mark. Then I saw smoke coming from the passenger side vent. It smelled like coolant and looking underneath the car, I saw that and OIL spewing everywhere! What the hell happened? The car was running great and then all of the sudden... kablooey?

I'm just not sure what to do. I called the dealer and they said they would go pick it up and tow it in but I don't think this is related to the work they did and I have no warranty. Man, what a nightmare.. I just got this car, spent almost $6000 getting everything worked out and now this happens. Could it be the IMS failure I've read about? If it is, does Porsche do anything about it?

Brucelee · 04-07-2008, 08:45 AM

This sounds exacly like the dreaded IMS engine implosion. I hope I am wrong.

Keep you cool and go back to the bird who sold you this lemon.

LoveBunny · 04-07-2008, 05:32 PM

Do you know anything about the lemon laws where you live? I'd hope somehow you can get the dealer to help out with this.

super66 · 04-07-2008, 05:41 PM

wow...sucks....I would definitely see if ou can get some form of recourse....altho I get a feeling there is going to be a buyer beware attitude coming from the dealer...

if it makes you feel better, my porsche dealer sucks at doing warranty work....

LoveBunny · 04-07-2008, 06:14 PM

I'd check on the lemon law itself, not just ask the dealer. My only experience with this is limited, but years ago I bought a used Miata from a dealer and discovered shortly after I bought it there was some undercarriage work that needed to be done. An attorney told me it was a hidden defect and that if the dealer wouldn't repair it I should take the car back and lock the keys in it on their lot. However, this is Louisiana and it's over ten years ago. But definitely worth checking into.