Spring Maintenance - Guidance Needed
 

Hello all,

I have a 2002 Boxster “S” with 5500 miles. The mileage is incredibly due to my father’s choice not to drive the car unless it was exactly the right Sunday. Recently, I have acquired the car and need to make a decision of what/when to service it.

The car has been to the local Porsche dealership for the past two springs with an oil change and seasonal check, but I feel as if this is almost over kill for a car with that little use. Does anyone have a recommendation as to when I should get the car serviced and what services to have performed?

Also, a friend mentioned that the probability of seals going bad with an engine with low miles is much higher then an every day driver. Is this true? Can I put anything in the engine to prevent such a headache?

Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated and I look forward to the insight everyone on this board provides.

Best,

Dan

Hi,

Well, you don't state if the car is stored in the Winter. If so, the Oil s/b changed in the Fall, then you're good to go until the next Fall when you change it prior to storage again. You don't want all the accumulated Moisture, Fuel, Acids attacking the Internals over the Winter.

Unknown to most people, many parts have both a Time and Mileage Service Interval - whichever comes first. You're past due on several of these and coming up on others. The PolyRib Belt is 30k mi. or 5 yrs. Coolant - 5yrs./150k mi. Spark Plugs - every other year or 60k mi. Brake/Clutch Fluid Flush & Fill - every 2 yrs. Tires - 4 or 5 yrs.

It's an old addage that seals dry out from a low mileage car. It used to be true when Gaskets were made of leather and/or paper. With today's broad use of synthetics such as Butyl Rubber and Neoprene, this is much less a factor.

What low mileage does do to parts is increase their potential for pitting, corroding, corroding of electrical connectors, loss of elastic memory for Springs, increased corrosion to Hydraulic Lines and Parts and such.

You don't reduce the Maintenance costs on a Car seldom driven, in fact in many cases, you accelerate them.

Of course, all this assumes you want to properly care for the car. You can go on storing it, driving it seldom and only replacing when a part breaks or wears out, but in the long run, you'll end up with a car in less good shape than you would expect given it's low Odo reading. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I have an 03 with 4900 miles. I'm sorta like your dad was with your Boxster. I changed the plugs myself (I also change the oil yearly), and will be taking it in this spring to get the brake fluid changed.

I'm also considering one of these crazy things for the next storage this fall/winter:

http://www.carcapsule.com/

Personally, I wouldn't keep a car that gets driven only 1k miles/yr, unless it's a collector item. My "keep it" threshold would definitely be above 3k miles/yr. Of course this would depend on factors like maintenance (cost + hassle), available garage space (a 15-car barn would change things a bit :) ), how much I like the car, etc.
Z.

In a situation like this...
 

I'd just do (or get done) a 60k service. That takes care of the mileage, the time, etc. And I'd look hard at those tires and figure out when to replace them and it wouldn't be based on mileage but by elapsed time since the manufactured date.

That would also put me at a known position in terms of maintenance history going forward.

The Boxster isn't a collector car, its a driver IMHO. Too many produced, not unique enough, not expensive enough.

Hi,

I think the Car Capsules are great. I don't know if they're much better than a good cover unless you're in a very humid climate and most winter climes tend to be dry, despite all the moisture on the ground.

It doesn't eliminate proper storage techniques either. But, it does offer protection from bumps and dings and critters...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Future Plans
 

I agree with the lack of a collector car status. I plan to put about 12,000 miles a year from this point forward, but was interested in what problems I may encounter due to the lack of milage put on the vehicle.

As for the car capsule, this car has been in one for the past two winters and will be taken out next week. I highly recomment the thing.

Best,

Dan

I say, go buy a Ferrari Enzo and drain all the fluids (brake, transmission, oil, coolant, AC, windshield wiper fluid, everything) and put it in a giant "space bag". In about 70 years it will be worth like a billion dollars, lol. A mint Porsche boxster in 70 years, maybe 100 grand. If we still have highways by then :p

I just changed the plugs in my 2001 for the first time (57,000 miles), all it took was a 1/4 turn with the socket, then they screwed right out with just my fingers twisting the extension. BTW they were BERU plugs. They appeared to have some type of anti seize paste on them. I am the original owner so I know they have not been touched since the car left Finland.

I also replaced the drive belt for the first time, it was in very good visual shape with few signs of wear other than the color had faded to a gray. I put it in the pouch of the spare tire for use as an emergency spare.

How much would a car capsule be for a Boxster?

$379 at Performance Products minus 20% if you give them your PCA membership number.

Hi,

That's why I wouldn't go 60k mi. on my plugs. If they turned that easy for you, they certainly couldn't have been sealing all that well. Interesting about the Anti-sieze - Porsche does not recommend it and if you use a 2 yr. change interval, you won't need it. Plugs are about the easiest and cheapest maintenance you can do on a Boxster, even cheaper than the Cabin Filter in some instances. It's silly not to change them semi-regularly, if nothing else than to inspect the Spark Plug Tube 'O' rings.

I say interesting because my Car had the original plugs (Beru), Uusikaupunki built, changed at 20k mi. for the 1st time, untouched since assembly - No Anti-sieze. And, they were properly torqued as well.

So far as the Polyrib Belt, visual inspection means nothing as the belt relies on internal cording for strength and integrity. A belt which looked new could actually be ready to go at the next revolution if the cording was damaged. Still, I'd also keep it as an emergency spare, but in the Trunk where I could use it if mine broke on the road. It will degrade further being stored, so only plan on short use if you ever use it...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Thanks, Paul. I may do that for the next winter hibernation. As a side note, I plan to come up your way this year for a good drive in the cheese-land twisties. Maybe I can get a few of the Chicago gang to join me! Where would be a good meeting place? Menomonee Falls?

I'd be glad to show you the roads around the West Bend area and of course you guys are always invited to the Milwaukee PCA events which of course includes the Spring and Fall tours.

www.porschepark.org

Here's the Spring tour info...

http://www.porschepark.org/journal.php?id=38

The spark plug boots showed no sign of leakage plus they were tightly sealed and offered some resistance when they were removed. It took a pretty good pull to break the plugs loose, but once loose they screwed right out.

However, you may be correct about the plugs being loose since the "anti seize" may have been carbon since when wiped off the plugs it looked like a black paste. There was no oil anywhere on the plugs, in the tubes, or on the boots.