Bad news from the mechanic - any insight greatly appreciated!

[GTA_G20]

FIRST STOP!!!!!!

Thank him for the diagnosis and get your work done elsewhere!!!!!!!!!!

Did nobody else read $200/hr labour? Ummmm no. Walk out. Dealer charges less

[Geof3]

Originally Posted by GTA_G20

FIRST STOP!!!!!!

Thank him for the diagnosis and get your work done elsewhere!!!!!!!!!!

Did nobody else read $200/hr labour? Ummmm no. Walk out. Dealer charges less

What he said, 100%.

While all of those things are maintenance items, they usually aren't an issue at your mileage. Struts might be tired, but probably serviceable.

Two other things, not even close to being mentioned, and VERY likely an issue with your shifting problem are the shifter itself and the motor mount. At your car's age I can almost 100% promise your motor mount is shot. I have an 02s with 58k, mine was toast. Very common. The shifter is an easy, relatively cheap fix that can literally transform your car. If your shifter feels sloppy, then it could use a swap as well.

[78F350]

I don't bring my cars to a shop often, so maybe I'm just a bit ignorant here, but I don't see a problem. As a new customer bringing a car in for the first time, the shops I have used did a comprehensive check of the car, much like a PPI. I was given a list of recommended items to bring the car back to a factory-fresh baseline. The shops took time to go over the list and discuss each item: significance, urgency, and options.

I don't see how this shop has done anything but help speedyspaghetti get a better understanding of the condition of the car. I think they would be remiss if they did not give him a full list of their findings and recommendations. The next step should be discussing what needs to be done by the shop, what can be deferred, and what the owner can DIY.

That $15K is probably going to put it at a zero baseline for all maintenance with the Porsche recommended parts at $200/hr. Some new owners want that and will gladly pay. Should the shop only present that option to 'certain' customers?

Labor cost varies by shop and region. Here in Oklahoma, $200/hr would be high, but I see that number frequently on the Audi forums for East and West coast. Here I've paid around $125.

[cas951]

Take it to Custom Alignment in Mountain View. I think they are well equipped to diagnose your issue. I went to a Tech session once that he hosted for LPR PCA. I was impressed with the things they do. Race shops takes their customer cars to them for custom alignments and other specialized suspension work.

[speedyspaghetti]

Originally Posted by cas951

Take it to Custom Alignment in Mountain View. I think they are well equipped to diagnose your issue. I went to a Tech session once that he hosted for LPR PCA. I was impressed with the things they do. Race shops takes their customer cars to them for custom alignments and other specialized suspension work.

This is the 2nd suggestion I've had for them - I got a little turned off when I read some Yelp reviews saying that management changed there - have you been there recently?

[cas951]

Originally Posted by speedyspaghetti

This is the 2nd suggestion I've had for them - I got a little turned off when I read some Yelp reviews saying that management changed there - have you been there recently?

The last time I was there was about 5 moths ago. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place and during their Tech session it showed why. They know their stuff.

[speedyspaghetti]

Originally Posted by Geof3

What he said, 100%.

While all of those things are maintenance items, they usually aren't an issue at your mileage. Struts might be tired, but probably serviceable.

Two other things, not even close to being mentioned, and VERY likely an issue with your shifting problem are the shifter itself and the motor mount. At your car's age I can almost 100% promise your motor mount is shot. I have an 02s with 58k, mine was toast. Very common. The shifter is an easy, relatively cheap fix that can literally transform your car. If your shifter feels sloppy, then it could use a swap as well.

What are the best options for shifters? I know some people upgrade to the 996 shifter, and there's also the Numeric Racing short throw... but that's $700.

The first place I took the car to said the mount looked fine, but I'm guessing he didn't actually take it off to look at it - probably just wiggled it around. Might be worth it to at least take it off and look at it. 987 upgrade is pretty popular, right?

[speedyspaghetti]

Originally Posted by GTA_G20

FIRST STOP!!!!!!

Thank him for the diagnosis and get your work done elsewhere!!!!!!!!!!

Did nobody else read $200/hr labour? Ummmm no. Walk out. Dealer charges less

Bay Area everything is expensive... but yeah my usual Porsche guy is $120/hr and has great reviews on Yelp. I just wanted someone who could actually diagnose my problem since it has been driving me crazy. Usual shop and another shop couldn't diagnose it, my dad drove the car and said it felt normal to him, but I drive it every day and could definitely feel something was off.