$101.50 labor to replace the battery?? What did that take, 5 minutes tops?? $1200/hr! Great work if you can find it!

I learned to avoid stealerships if possible after working on my alternator. Had only had the car a few months and didn't know a lot about it, but I followed the DIY tutorials and everything went fine, except I opted to remove the passenger seat instead of just pushing it as far forward as possible. Removing it entailed disconnecting the harness under the seat which triggered the CEL. Went to the local Porsche shop where I was charged over $100 to "check" the airbags. The airbags were, of course, fine---I just wanted the damn CEL reset.

That was more than the old, old automotive electric service shop I had rebuild the alternator charged me to do some actual work.

That is the key, good for you. Enjoy your Boxster.

Even if I had an extra $4 or $5 k laying around I don't think I'd pay a group of ass clowns to kick me in the junk.

I mean, assuming... you know, getting kicked in the junk wasn't my "thing"

If it was my thing, then yeah... that might be worth a few bucks.

Had, alot of money! I assume the personal lube job was included! :eek:

What a joke. They even have the audacity to charge you for shop towels? A reputable and ethical shop shouldn't charge for basic supplies. Oh man this is painful.

I am the same but I still do my own maintanence and most of the repairs, not so much to save money but because I enjoy doing the work.

DIY Oil Change: Save $100

DIY Major Service: Save $400

A half-day alone in the garage working on the Porsche with no one bugging me: Priceless.

:D well said.

There are a couple good write-ups for wheel bearings. It requires a couple specialized tools but if you've done some wrenching before, you can probably manage it.

I just posted part one of a tutorial that fills the gaps Pelican left out. It's in performance and tech.

A scissor lift is on my list of must buys. Which one did you purchase?

I get having a lot of money, not a lot of time (props!), but for me it's more about peace of mind knowing I did the work and it was done right, and not feeling like I got bent over at the end of the day.

Did they check your muffler bearings? :)

I just went through this, the 2 most popular choices are BendPak and Atlas. To take it to the next level you will want to recess the lift into the floor (which I just finished doing).

Before doing anything regarding a lift, here is a GREAT website to peruse regarding anything garage related: The Garage Journal Board - Powered by vBulletin

You also may want to contact Jack Olsen from the above forum, he's one of the moderators. Very good guy and helpful with any questions I had for him, a video that will inspire featuring him, his car and a beautiful garage:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gC5-MoDUuRg?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I like to wrench but would rather take a high speed run to Sedona on my days off than wrench on my car. When I retire that might change. I feel the dealer did a great job. The car runs fantastic and they let me drive a cayman loaner for 8 days. They actually did other work for free that I did not list.

Would have never paid as much 10 years ago. And won't 10 years from now. But today it is best for me. I merely listed the labor and parts prices as a current point of reference for others contemplating dealer or indie service.

:ah:

People with money know how to keep their money.
Say what ever you like, you got raped by the dealer.
There are tons of independent shops that can easily do the same job for half the price.
Just saying mister RICH guy.

If I was going to spend four or five thousand, I'd get a newer model car.
I have a good place to go. I got a new clutch, dual mass fly wheel, serp belt, 100K tune up (only had 77K on car but it needed it) break pads all around and a few minor electric issues dealt with ...3800.00.

Hey, why don't we (you) back off a bit here, guys. Few of us on this board are in the poor house (though many of us---me included---are far from being "RICH guys"). That being the case, by and large we have the option of wrenching our own cars or having someone else do it. I had done NO wrenching when I got my Box (7 years back), but with all the DIY stuff online I decided I'd defray costs as much as I could by learning to work on as many things as I could. I've done oil changes, an alternator, water pump/thermostat, front motor mount, brakes, a wheel bearing, and a few other less involved items.

But when I discovered torn axle boots a couple years ago, I made the decision to have the folks at a trusted shop work on it instead of doing it myself. (I had previously made the mistake M1Ark made, getting screwed by a dealorship with their ridiculously inflated rates. I'd bet many if not most people here have as well! Live and learn.) Could I have done this job at home? Yeah, given enough time I'm sure I probably could have, despite my limited experience. But, at the time I made the decision that my time was better spent elsewhere and, yes, though not a "RICH guy" I could afford to pay someone else to do this. Most of us have this option with most projects that need to be done on our cars. Just because someone makes the decision to go this route shouldn't make him a target here. Lighten up...

You paid for battery installation? And you paid $100+ in labor for that 3 minute job? Most shops install the battery for free and you just have to pay the typical $80 charge for the cost of an interstate battery and you get $10 back in core charge. And you paid them to drive your car. Wow! You even paid for wiper installation, which is an easy 30 second job.

Even the multi-billionairs I have worked for have never said "LOL, I have a lot of money" when justifying or explaining a multi-million dollar home they will stay in a few days every few years....or their Leer jet....let alone an early 2000's Boxster with 100K. If being able to afford $5K or less in dealer repairs and driving an older, high-milage, lower-value Porsche means "a lot of money" I guess that term has indeed been redefined to include me. I would say buying a 2013 for cash is "a lot of money" but not some dealer service. Hell, we have spent that much on our dog that was hit by a car, then snapped it's leg, and now is in heart failure.

The comment was a bit pretentious, as I would never say anything like that, but I totally understand his view. For me, I have re-found the joy of maintaining my '00 Ranger work truck, my '04 Boxster, and my wife's '08 Touareg. Yes, major cash savings, but it's very rewarding to me.

Pretentious or, perhaps (even likely?), fired off without a lot of thought as to how it might be perceived. It happens fairly often on this and other boards. A "lot of money" is indeed a relative concept. In any case, here I chose to view it as merely his way of saying that, in this case, his time was worth more than the cost of having his car worked on by the dealer.

Regardless of how much money he does or doesn't have, I'll bet he'll reconsider where he takes his car next time---especially after the lambasting he's had here! :rolleyes:

Sop towels!!!!! LMAO. Surprised they didn't charge you for the KY when they bent you over!