Dealer vs Jiffy Lube

[Brucelee]

The time is not the issue. If your Boxster is nice and warm, the oil will drain fairly quickly.

The issue with Jiffy Screw is that they are down there and you are not!

[Ronzi]

I can just imagine Judge Judy cackling hysterically when presented with a maintenance history filled out by the owner.
If I were presented with a Maintenance Manual with the service entries filled out by the owner, my response would be "Yeah, right." It would be, in my opinion, virtually worthless in terms of certifying a maintenance history. Maybe better than no history, but maybe not.
Is it better to be faced with buying a Porsche with no maintenance history, or is it better to buy one that has been maintained by a certifiably untrained amateur?
I don't mean to impugn anyone's integrity or abilities, I'm just pointing out that at some time in the future we are all going to pass our Boxster on to the next owner, and that next owner, if he has any brains in his head, will use the maintenance history as an important element in his decision to buy or not to buy.

[Adam]

I understand your point, but I have no intentions of ever selling my boxster so self-maintence when possible makes more sense for me.

[xavier405]

A couple years ago I took my Honda to a Jiffy Lube and a few days later I noticed some leak spots on the garage. Took it to the dealer and they saw that the drain plug was stripped and plugged back in crooked.

A friend recommended that I get changes at a 76 service station, he seemed to have some rationale for them being better qualified. Regardless, I'm doing delar oil changes from here on. (Also I live in a condo and shared garage so I can't work on it).

As for the Porsche recommended 15k mi oil change - whats wrong with that? Doesn't the manufacturer know their cars? It seems to me that this is a design specification that the engineering team worked to. Also this is a closed system with a dry sump. Also we are using synthetic (non-decomposing) oil. It makes sense to me. I don't mean to be argumentative, I am just wondering whats the rationale for these frequent changes.

Maybe changing every 7500 mi would give peace of mind, but I wonder if anyone has an engineering argument for more frequent changes. In terms of saving money, too, you can spare an expense if you don't change unneccessarily often.

[MCR429]

Ronzi, the Judge Judy comment was mint.

I've taken my Boxster to Newport Beach Porsche in California for its last two oil changes. While they were very good with the service, and after my insistence, did allow me to watch-- at $200 for an oil change, it no longer makes sense. I took it to them for the 60k mile service, but that is one of the most important services and I forked out the $1300 to make sure it was done right.
However, as a 22-yr-old army lieutenant, such service can put a hurt on my wallet- especially here in Germany where parts and pretty much everything else are ridiculously expensive. No need to dip into the buns fund when a simple afternoon can save me some cash. $200 is a weekend in eastern Europe. It's true an oil change isn't rocket science and I've seen sites that walk you through it if you need the know-how--this one is Boxster-specific-- http://www.986faq.com/7-0/default.asp#008

I take care of the simple stuff myself and leave the real work to the pros.

[Brucelee]

"As for the Porsche recommended 15k mi oil change - whats wrong with that? Doesn't the manufacturer know their cars? It seems to me that this is a design specification that the engineering team worked to. Also this is a closed system with a dry sump. Also we are using synthetic (non-decomposing) oil. It makes sense to me. I don't mean to be argumentative, I am just wondering whats the rationale for these frequent changes."

First of all, the rec is 15K or one year, whichever comes first. Many Boxes don't get this many miles in a year, so the drain interval in miles is usually less than 15K.

Secondly, Porsche recommends an oil filter every OTHER change, which is exactly opposite to what most oil engineers would tell you. In fact, where truck fleets use synthetic oil and change at 25K miles, many actually change the filter at 12.5K miles, as recomended by AMSOIL.

Lastly, keep in mind that Porsche is at cross purposes to some degree here. They get a lot of flack for service costs as it is and so scheduling them out to 15K gets them off the hook to a certain degree. So does the fact that if your motor craters after warranty, well, that is your problem, not theirs.

All in all, I tell my customers to go every 7500 miles with filter included. When you do the oil change the way I do, the cost is pretty cheap, esp as compared to say a $12K engine replacement.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by MCR429

I take care of the simple stuff myself and leave the real work to the pros.

I agree. As far as changing my oil every 5k miles, that is a full year worth of driving for me so I don't think that is excessive. When I can change the oil and filter for only $75 instead of 200 this seems like cheap insurance on ensuring engine longitivity. I think it would be absurd to change my oil only once every 3yrs.

[MCR429]

Adam, for your situation, what you say makes sense. I have only put 8k miles on my boxster in the last year, but that includes a roundtrip from CA to Okla. So I too don't put many miles on the car. Fortunately, I have a '91 BMW 520i that takes the brunt of my driving. Drove the damn thing from Bavaria through Poland, all the way to Ukraine and back in a weekend. Nevertheless, why pay a couple hundred dollars or even worse- euros, when that money's better spent on a hotel in Prague. I'm just saying everyone's situation is different, depending on how often you drive the car, how much $ you're willing to give away, and how mechanically inclined you are.

As for the guys that change the oil every 5k miles, I think it's absurd. It won't hurt your car, but it's unnecessary. Porsche gives its guidelines for a reason. As a corporation that has a reputation built on quality, the last thing they want is a bad rep for people's engines giving out, all in an elaborate marketing scheme because they're worried that people won't buy Porsches because of the maintenace cost. First off, new Porsche buyers spending $55,000 on a Boxster or $90,000 on a Carrera are not the type of people to fret the $200 every 15k miles. The only people that think about those things are guys like me who buy the used Porsche, from whom Porsche doesn't get a dime, because I bought the car from someone else. In that case it would be in Porsche's interest to actually say that the oil needs to be changed more frequently, because they would only be making money off of us used car guys in the maintenance and oil changes.

Porsche's not swindling us, they know their cars. The thing's solid. You get what you pay for.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

"

Secondly, Porsche recommends an oil filter every OTHER change, which is exactly opposite to what most oil engineers would tell you. In fact, where truck fleets use synthetic oil and change at 25K miles, many actually change the filter at 12.5K miles, as recomended by AMSOIL.

.

I know! I just read that last week or so. A filter change every 30k miles!! Crazy Germans have lost their minds. lol

[YellowJacket]

I agree with MCR. Besides, Porsche is not the only car that suggests 15k oil changes -- there are many others. And most of those don't take 9 quarts of oil -- the more oil the car has, the longer the oil itself will last.

If Ford or Chevy can engineer a car to go 7.5k between changes, who's to say that a Porsche that costs 3 times as much and uses twice as much oil can't go 15k between changes?

[Brucelee]

"As a corporation that has a reputation built on quality, the last thing they want is a bad rep for people's engines giving out, all in an elaborate marketing scheme because they're worried that people won't buy Porsches because of the maintenace cost. "

You would think that wouldn't you. Yet is has been acknowledged as true by BMW and the accusation has been lodged at Porsche for some time. The fact is that these companies ARE sensative to complaints of $900 service bills and have been stretching the oil change intervals as a response. This has been reported in Panorama and Rondell.

"First off, new Porsche buyers spending $55,000 on a Boxster or $90,000 on a Carrera are not the type of people to fret the $200 every 15k miles. "

Well, it is not $200 every 15 K but much more. When you are into a 911 the TOTAL bill can easily be $1200 for a 60K service. No everyone frets but enough folks do. If you don't believe me, stand around the cashier's area at check out time at Porsche. Grab some coffee and listen.





"The only people that think about those things are guys like me who buy the used Porsche, from whom Porsche doesn't get a dime, because I bought the car from someone else. In that case it would be in Porsche's interest to actually say that the oil needs to be changed more frequently, because they would only be making money off of us used car guys in the maintenance and oil changes."

Actually, Porsche has been trying for years to get us away from the Dieter's of the world and back into their service shops. It is not the oil change they want, but the other more expensive stuff.

Moreover, by specifiying 15K oil changes to go with the other services, they are more likely to keep us in the fold.

I am not making them wrong, simply saying that they have a maint. strategy and I simply do not agree with the way the oil change fits into that.

Not a really big issue anyway for as I have said, for many folks, the one year req. actually works out to 7500 miles anyway.



"Porsche's not swindling us, they know their cars. The thing's solid. You get what you pay for."

Porsche makes a fine car and that does not mean that they are always giving us what is totally best for us. They have to balance their interests with ours. Our interests are our job. I think trying to save $60 on an "extra" oil change when you are gambling with a $12K engine is a bit foolhardy but that is just how I see it.
:dance:

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

" I think trying to save $60 on an "extra" oil change when you are gambling with a $12K engine is a bit foolhardy but that is just how I see it.
:dance:

Well said.

[IwAnTaBoxster]

[QUOTE=Brucelee]"
Well, it is not $200 every 15 K but much more. When you are into a 911 the TOTAL bill can easily be $1200 for a 60K service. [QUOTE]

Although I am new here and dont own a boxster (yet), $1200 for a 60k service on a porsche sounds pretty decent to me. Right now i drive a '99 Impreza RS, and I paid $900 for my 60k service at subaru and my car is maybe 1/8 of the price of a 911. I had no idea the boxster's took 9 qts of oil.