Dealer Service

[SPIRO]

I just received by mail a coupon from my dealer for 15% off my "upcoming 20,000 mile service".

It made me wonder, how much are dealers charging across the country for the 20K service?

[kbrandsma]

Not sure there is a 20K service. It is usually 15K or 30K

[White987S]

The 20,000 miles service on a 2005-2007 987 is also known as the "Minor Service". And, yes this is the correct interval. It is different for the 986, and the 987 after MY 2007.

I have seen prices all over the board. Middle ground is about $600.

[Orient Express]

The 20,000 miles service on a 2005-2007 987 is also known as the "Minor Service". And, yes this is the correct interval. It is different for the 986, and the 987 after MY 2007.

I have seen prices all over the board. Middle ground is about $600.

$600 for an oil change? Does that include getting the muffler bearing greased?

[SPIRO]

I've heard it includes changing the headlight fluid.

[White987S]

Spiro asked a legitimate question (I thought), and now Orient Express, and Spiro himself, are taking shots at me for awswering the qustion. Does not make sense to me. While I don't agree that the 20,000 mile service represents the "best value" for your hard earned cash, it's still what it is. And it is not just, "an oil change". Both of you are Contributing Members, and can view the actual checklist here on the Forum.

If you can do everything on this list, have at it and have fun. What is your time worth? How much do you "bill" per hour? Don't forget the very high value of your personal time too. To drive a Porsche for 20,000 miles and then have to go to the dealership for maintenance, and pay a few hundred dollars for service sounds like a pretty good deal to me. That's the cost of addmission. Would $300 be better. Sure! How about 'free'? Great! But that would not have been the correct answer to the question. Don't kill the messanger. I'm just passing along info.

The way some of us drive our cars, and do the things we ask them to do (with our right foot!) I'd want some very trained eyes looking the car over. Not just some weekend-driveway-warrior assuming everything is A-OK before heading out for another spirited drive.

If, and when, you decide to sell your car someday, this could be the difference maker in how fast and at what price you sell your car at. Just another consideration.

[White987S]

$600 for an oil change? Does that include getting the muffler bearing greased?

And you call yourself a "Moderator"? You know better than this. Your smarter than this response. Very disappointing. You owe the members here better. And have a larger responsibility.

Edited April 5, 2009 by White987S

[Orient Express]

And it is not just, "an oil change". Both of you are Contributing Members, and can view the actual checklist here on the Forum.

It is one thing to be able to read a checklist, and another to be able to understand what a checklist actually means and how to rank the things on the list.

As I said in my earlier post, the 15 or 20K maintenance is essentially an oil change, simple as that. The keywords to look for are "replace or adjust". All of the other things that start with "inspect, review or check" are just that, i.e, "is it low, dripping, squeaking, bent or is the light on?" Even with all of these "inspect, etc. the entire maintenance process takes less than an hour.

To my point about the cost of dealer provided maintenance, paying $600 for an oil change is an extremely bad value, and something that I encourage everyone to understand and look for cheaper alternatives, such as getting to know your car and developing the basic skills to maintain it. Now with that said, $600 for an oil change is an extremely good value for a automotive dealer or repair facility. The margin on this sort of service is close to 500% or more, and a couple of these jobs a week can make them a hefty profit. Now if your circumstance is such that contributing your hard earned wages to the dealers bottom line is acceptable, then have at it (but remember what Thomas Tusser said on the subject), but for myself, I would rather learn my car, pay myself that money, and use it for some self-gratuitous activity!

BTW, next time there is a "Work on Cars" event in your area, I highly recommend attending. This is a great place to learn how to do your own maintenance, with others that have mastered the task close by to answer questions.

My posts are all always in good fun, and not intended to insult anyone, but if you are embarrassed at your level of confidence in maintaining your car, then use the forum to learn, don't get mad, get smart! Be one with your car, learn it, know it. Knowledge is power, and knowledgeable people rarely if ever pay retail.

They also use self-lubricating (or urethane "racing") muffler bearings, and sealed-fluid headlights! :D

[SPIRO]

I didn't expect this topic to get so exciting. The humour (headlight fluid and muffler grease) is just that, good fun.

In all seriousness, my car has been dealer serviced so far, and I think I will continue to do so for some time. The dealer changed my oil at 10,000 miles at a cost of $169 plus I got to drive a Cayman courtesy car all day long. I did change my own air filter ( I really wanted to see the engine!). I think no one knows a Porsche like a Porsche technician who works on them all day long. Plus I think this builds a good relationship. In the future, I may do more of the maintenance myself as I have with my other vehicles.

I consider my Boxster very low maintenance and trouble free. $600 is comparable to what many dealerships charge for other brands of cars that are not driven as hard.

The actual point I was geting at, however, was since this is exactlty the same minor service wherever it is performed, what is being charged out there?. Are charges higher in the West vs East, Canada vs Europe? Or are prices uniform?

Edited April 5, 2009 by SPIRO

[PTEC]

Usually during the 20K service you're also getting an air filter, pollen filter and wiper blades as well. So saying you're only getting an oil change for $600 is just being cynical. Also on the newer cars the dealer will reset your service light so you don't have to see it flash at you every time you start the car. Good luck doing that in your garage. Servicing your car at the dealer is a great way to build a relationship that could potentially benefit you in the future. Say you stroll in and need an airbag light cleared. If you have a good relationship with the dealer and your service adviser, the car gets taken into the shop and cleared and you're good to go free of charge. Joe Blow Shadetree Mechanic strolls in and gets charged a half hour of labor for the same thing because nobody in the service department has ever seen the guy in their life. Also another huge benefit of servicing your car at the dealer is in case of a rainy day and you need Goodwill assistance when you're out of warranty. Full service history at the dealer is the difference between Porsche only paying for 25% of your new engine and paying for the whole thing.

[White987S]

The dealer changed my oil at 10,000 miles at a cost of $169 plus I got to drive a Cayman sourteasy car all day long.

Spiro, that's a pretty good price. In the Chicago area, oil changes, at the dealership, start at about $250.

[Orient Express]

Usually during the 20K service you're also getting an air filter, pollen filter and wiper blades as well.

All the more for outrage, as while a 20K service is replacing the 15K service from older cars, things like air filters are 40K items, and wiper blades may not need replacing for the life of the car.

Early change of filters and blades is the oldest trick in the book to boost an already bloated profit margin for service. And as the "John" in the transaction, what are you going to do? Argue with the cashier?

Having a good relationship with you dealer does not mean having to give them a payoff so you can trivial things addressed, especially if the car is under warranty.

If you car is out of warranty, then a better use of you money is to invest in diagnostic software to clear those lights and have a few basic tools so you can change your own oil, air and pollen filters, then to overpay inflated prices at a dealer.

One of the things that impresses me about modern (996 and later) Porsches, is how simple they are to service, and how infrequent the service requirements are. These cars are no more complicated and difficult to service than a Honda Civic. There is no reason why one should pay more to service a Porsche than a Honda.

[COBOXSTER-S]

Try checking cost on "minor" maintenance on say a Ferrari! But he is partly right If you see what they do and divide their time into it I would bet it is way higher than their usual "labor rate". That is how I would do it with them. I would see what the interval involves and just ask them to do them ala carte at their usual labor rate and see if it comes out cheaper.

If car is under warranty better to let the dealer do it. I aggre though I think the guys were just trying to be funny take it for what it is.

[SPIRO]

The 20,000 k service cost me $611, including taxes, at my closest dealer.

It consisted, of course, of an oil change, the usual checking, and , as everyone predicted, wiper blades and filters.

It seems the estimates some of you gave were right on!

[JeTexas]

I get a coupon like that from Porsche West Houston about once a month offering 15% of my next scheduled service. Then in the fine print at the bottom it says, "for services over $150."

Of course, the all-knowing techs at Porsche West Houston were the ones who were sure my hanging idle problem was the DME when it turned out to be tire size.

My car was out of warranty when I bought it, so I've never had it dealer serviced and never will.