Maintenance priorities for x country trip
 

Hi everyone

I've had my 98 Boxster with 85k miles for almost two years.

I went from being a total mechanical nube to, well, I'm still a nube but I have done the following things to it all myself (except as noted):

Replaced all fluids and filters (except fuel filter)
Replaced drive belt
New water pump
New thermostat
Replaced rear coolant hoses
Short shift kit
Replaced windshield wiper motor
New radio (with cassette!)
New tires, shocks and springs and motor mount (I had a mechanic do this)
Replaced brake rotors and pads
Stainless steel brake lines
Replaced trunk/frunk lid shocks and installed lid protector

I'm writing to ask your advice about prioritizing maintenance tasks in preparation for a cross country trip this summer (from NC to either San Diego or Aspen, haven't decided yet). I'd like the car to be as reliable for this trip as possible.

I've decided that the IMS/RMS is not a problem in this car (likely has the double row bearings) so I want to fend off that argument right off the bat.

The top is mostly water proof and I feel comfortable with leaving that as is for now.

My coolant tank just went so I will need to do that first and I need to sort out the A/C as it is not working.

Aside from those two immediate needs, I welcome your advice on how to prioritize the following tasks. And please include any that I have missed. My budget for the parts is about $1000.

Spark plugs/tubes
Coils
Fuel injectors
AOS
Battery
Alternator
Starter
Ignition switch
Engine sensors (O2, coolant temp, ambient air, oil level/temp, flywheel, camshaft, oil pressure, mass air flow)

Thank you in advance for your help!

As to your list.
Spark plugs you could replace.
Do a visual of the tubes and coils at that time. If they are good then leave them alone.

Fuel injectors: Run Techron or a good quality fuel system cleaner as a regular part of maintenance.

All you engine sensors:
If they are performing within spec. leave them alone.

You could test you AOS with a "PROPER" vacuum gauge.
If it is within spec. leave it alone.

Check all your hoses and belts for wear.

Everything else:
If it isn't broke don't fix it.

People cause more problems by fixing things that are not broken then if they would have left them alone in the first place.

with my limited knowledge, I would do plugs, take a spare Alt, a couple of coils..Ign.switch,.a few sensors would never hurt , special fuses and relay's as well, starter, well if it goes you could push start, maybe clutch switch, I would have a shop run a Diagnostic ( if you don't have the tool ).To check all the Vitals,also belts and a tensioner or belt rollers, remember if you have it you wont need it..Lol ..and have a blast !

If it hasn't given you trouble, I'd just drive it.

Get AAA. Get the gold or whatever they are calling it now instead of the basic. Worth it for a long haul. The hotel discounts along the way will pay for itself. The basic doesn't give you that much of a tow...basically to the nearest shop, which might not always be the better option.

Dont think you need any spare parts cause worse case...Overnight anything.

If they're all original, I would do the plugs, tube, and coils before the trip. All of them can be done at the same time and the entire bill will be around $200 for parts. I recently changes plugs and coils, leaving the tubes alone, and a week later started leaking oil from the tubes. Doh.

Injectors are stupid expensive (unless you upgrade to the 986.2 injectors) and a pain to do with the sai in place. Run techron or seafoam unless you think you have one leaking (oil case will real of gasoline).

Clean your MAF (with MAF fluid!). Replace the fuel filter.

Checking the vacuum on the oil case is good indicator of AOS health (5in H20 or less). Lots of people have had new AOS fail in short order, so I wouldn't prophylacticly replace that.

The rest of the stuff, just let it be.

Just my 2c.

AAA is never a bad idea before a trip...

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This!

Why spend money on parts if the car is not giving you any problems. Besides regular scheduled maintenance, like oil changes, coolant flush, brake flush, spark plugs, air filters, etc., etc., I only replace parts when they fail, or if I want to upgrade a part. A lot of people replace parts for no reason at all, but it`s their money, to each their own. This old saying goes a long way, "if it ain`t broken don`t fix it", or something like that. :cheers:

Whatever you do, dont just replace things, change the oil, etc and then days later go on a trip. Give yourself 2 weeks and drive the car a good couple hundred miles before doing a long trip like that.

About the only thing I would exclude from the above is new tires & alignment, anything else make sure the car is running good before that long of a trip.

for me a few spares cant hurt,.why get stranded for a relay if you have one in the tool bag...cant take everything,But its nice to have a part if needed,..Or yes AAA and a CC is the advise of most people..sounds like major fun to me !

Yes having spare fuses and a relay or two is wise.
When you start talking about spare starter, alt. ignition switch, coils and on and on, you may as well tow a spare car.

These are modern day cars not something out of the 1800's.
Any modern day car that has had reasonable care and maintenance should be able to make a 3-5000 mile trip at the drop of a hat.
The Boxster is no exception.

AAA would be good backup.

For that long of a trip, why can't you do both Aspen & SD? Head to CO, then over to CA through Donner's Pass, then the PCH south (take a little bit of a detour north through the trees), then back east. Stop off at Cero Gourdo, Vegas, etc. Find a place halfway to do an oil change (hit up members for to do a meet & greet and change oil in their garage).

Will be at least a 5000 mile trip but still pretty epic.

FWIW, My point in suggesting the replacents is not necessarily to avoid a breakdown, but to optimize the car before putting 2000 miles on it. It's the stuff that despite only having 40k miles on it has built up a lot of crap over its 20 years of life.

The rest of the guys are correct though. You really don't need to do anything except for making sure that all the regular maintenance is good and there haven't been any "mm what was that" moments in the past few weeks and you'll be good to go.

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LOL..I know blue62 can you tell I have had my share of beside the road adventure's in my younger days,..I absolutely hate car problem's , But that would'nt stop me from going on a trip like this one though !

I agree with Blue62 as well.

If you maintain the car, it should be no problem to jump in and go for this drive.

Fresh air, good scenery, good company...all you got to do is enjoy.

I have CAA (AAA) for my cars as well...good for "just in case"...never know, you may run over a nail or something and need a tow.

Have fun! :cheers:

+1 on AAA.CAA here in Canada. One towing job will convince you of its value.

Check your CV Boots, and grease in CV's, and torque CV Bolts to spec.

Having driven to more than a dozen Porsche parades and many other long distance events, the most often issue has been rear tire wear. Nice that you have new tires.

I hear you.
I am probably older then you:D and have had my share of roadside issues in the old days..
But these are modern day cars.
No points to fry or need dressing.
No distributor advance springs to break.
No carbs to need adjusting.
Maintenance on today's cars (including the Porsche) is pretty simple.
There is not even any grease zert's to deal with.
So if regular maintenance is done on a modern day car, you should be able to go 20-30 thou. miles with nothing more that an oil change with no issues.

I have 170000 miles on my Honda CRV from new.
Things I have replaced.
1 battery
tires
oil
windshield wipers.
1 set of spark plugs
Brakes at 150000
Struts.
occasional light bulb.
That's it.
All maintenance items.

Just because a car says "Porsche" on it, it shouldn't be much different.;)

I never really gave the modern auto a chance ,..and it's hard to argue with logic !! and 63 for the record, now I wont even worry about a 5-8 hr cruise.. Thanks's Blue 62,..I honestly never really thought about that !! Frank

71 here :eek::eek::eek::D
you gotta roll with the times
or they roll over you;)

Good tires and brakes, a less-than-5-yr-old battery, reasonably fresh fluids. Drive it!

For reference:

We just completed a 15,000 mile, 30 state USA tour in a MB Sprinter based RV. MB is not well known for long term reliability but this rig was nearly flawless for 5 months. We did develop a slight exhaust leak on the home stretch but it looks like it will get covered under an emissions recall at no cost. I brought a lot of tools and spares just in case but they mostly were unnecessary.

Cheers! :cheers:

Would be really cool if you could share your adventure in a separate thread, perhaps in the Off Topic forum.

Would love to learn more about your experience as I am looking to do a cross country trip when it's safe to do so, a combination of mixed driving through Canada and the US. Thanks in advance!

All great suggestions above. One more: If you haven't already done so in the past year or two, clean the radiators. You'll need to remove the front bumper cover and the radiator shrouds to remove all of the decaying leaves and other crud. You'll get better cooling and help prevent corrosion down the road. It's a half-day job that's perfect for the DIY mechanic, and there are plenty of helpful videos around.

Have fun!

Have you used any soap to clean the radiators after exposing those from behind the A/C condensers? I'd like to get all the dirt out from those without damaging the actual radiators... All loose particles I already vacuumed last summer.