Quote:
Originally Posted by rick3000
I have never been stranded in the middle of nowhere, but I like to be prepared. If you take care of these cars they are very reliable, so I am more focused on the being able to deal with a flat tire and basic survival stuff. I would rather call AAA than try to change a water pump on the side of the road.
Among many other things, I carry: lug wrench, crescent wrench, screwdriver, pliers, extra fuses, gloves, mini air compressor, tire gauge, jumper cables, first aid kit, swiss army knife, flares, a blanket, and snow chains in the winter.
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I never even contemplated changing a waterpump on the side of the road, but having one with me gives me the option of renting someone's lift for a few hours and changing it or paying him to do it while I watch. After all, it isn't rocket science.
Our travels are not not centered around big cities and we may do thousands of miles without getting close to one. Try finding a Porsche dealer in Colorado or western Kansas.
A case in point is last week we were traveling with another couple who have a boxster when the tiptronic went into emergency mode. It was a weekend and the closest Porsche dealer was over 3 hours away. We could have called AAA and had it towed to the dealership and rented a car for the 2 or 3 days. Instead, I have a duremetric pro and it took less than 15 minutes to hook it up, find the fault and clear it. Drove it a bit and rechecked it and all was fine. Last year on the fall tour another couple had the same thing happen and they called AAA had it towed to the dealership and guess what they did..... cleared the fault, charged them almost $200 and sent them on their way. And they missed an event they had paid for and were looking forward to.
In less than 30 minutes I can change a belt, relay, fuse. In an hour I can change the ignition switch or a headlight switch. And if I can get to any garage with a lift a waterpump and thermostat takes 2.5 hours. And that is why I try to carry emergency parts even though I rarely need them. I also have 3 Porsches and many parts fit at least 2 of them and some all 3 so I will eventually need those parts in the emergency kit for routine maintenance.