'03 150,000 Mile Service Completed Today

[Bill_SoCal]

I completed my 150,000 mile service today (oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter). Car runs like a champ (I still live my days between 5k and 7k on the tach from the time I start it until I turn it off after returning home at the end of my day). I still remember the day I drove it off the lot with 17 miles on the odometer in December 2002.

Engine/General Maintenance History of my car:

Engine Issues (1)

• AOS

• Not one other engine component replaced in 150,000 miles

The ONLY component every changed on my engine besides the maintenance items was a failed AOS at 146,000 miles. There has not been another component changed. I will say the AOS failure was such that I lost the engine…$400.00 later my dealer had me running strong.

Maintenance (Regular)

Oil, Oil Filter, cabin filter and Air Filter every 15K since new

• Amsoil 5w-40 with OEM filter since first oil change

Plugs at 60K and 120K

Brakes (Front) at 64K and front/rear at 120K

Drive Belt at 60K and 120K

Misc Maintenance Items (Misc)

• Window Regulators (3 left / 2 right)

• Ignition Switch

• Clutch Interlock Switch

• Battery (2)

• Tires (Replace 2 pairs rear to every 1 pair front) ~25K out of rear tires

• Plastic Shroud forward of engine (replace twice due to road debris)

The Boxster is my daily driver. This is the BEST car I have ever owned. I drive this car daily over the renowned Ortega Highway (check out the video of this Cayman running the Ortega: http://www.carvideosonline.com/porsche-vid...ugh-ortega.html

This stretch of road through the Cleveland National Forest is the hot spot for motorcyclists and performance vehicle owners. I look forward to my drive to the office everyday…and really look forward to my drive home.

My interior is still in excellent shape. The Boxster looks great…no one would ever guess I’ve logged 150K Southern California miles on the odometer.

I look for a reason to buy a new Porsche sports car (whether that be a Boxster or Carrera), but there’s just no point. At 150K, I have as much fun today as the day I brought it home. Prior to this Boxster I owned a 2001…it too was a great car. I traded it in so I could get the glass rear window.

I always read the litany of Porsche issues…I haven’t seen those issues. And yes, I do drive it like I stole it...every day!

All the best,

Bill :beer:

[uabchris]

WOW! I have an 00 w/171K and have had many, problems. I have basically rebuilt the car minus the tranny and rack, I dont even drive it that hard. Sounds like you have a keeper!

Chris

I completed my 150,000 mile service today (oil, oil filter, air filter, cabin filter). Car runs like a champ (I still live my days between 5k and 7k on the tach from the time I start it until I turn it off after returning home at the end of my day). I still remember the day I drove it off the lot with 17 miles on the odometer in December 2002.

Engine/General Maintenance History of my car:

Engine Issues (1)

• AOS

• Not one other engine component replaced in 150,000 miles

The ONLY component every changed on my engine besides the maintenance items was a failed AOS at 146,000 miles. There has not been another component changed. I will say the AOS failure was such that I lost the engine…$400.00 later my dealer had me running strong.

Maintenance (Regular)

Oil, Oil Filter, cabin filter and Air Filter every 15K since new

• Amsoil 5w-40 with OEM filter since first oil change

Plugs at 60K and 120K

Brakes (Front) at 64K and front/rear at 120K

Drive Belt at 60K and 120K

Misc Maintenance Items (Misc)

• Window Regulators (3 left / 2 right)

• Ignition Switch

• Clutch Interlock Switch

• Battery (2)

• Tires (Replace 2 pairs rear to every 1 pair front) ~25K out of rear tires

• Plastic Shroud forward of engine (replace twice due to road debris)

The Boxster is my daily driver. This is the BEST car I have ever owned. I drive this car daily over the renowned Ortega Highway (check out the video of this Cayman running the Ortega: http://www.carvideosonline.com/porsche-vid...ugh-ortega.html

This stretch of road through the Cleveland National Forest is the hot spot for motorcyclists and performance vehicle owners. I look forward to my drive to the office everyday…and really look forward to my drive home.

My interior is still in excellent shape. The Boxster looks great…no one would ever guess I’ve logged 150K Southern California miles on the odometer.

I look for a reason to buy a new Porsche sports car (whether that be a Boxster or Carrera), but there’s just no point. At 150K, I have as much fun today as the day I brought it home. Prior to this Boxster I owned a 2001…it too was a great car. I traded it in so I could get the glass rear window.

I always read the litany of Porsche issues…I haven’t seen those issues. And yes, I do drive it like I stole it...every day!

All the best,

Bill :beer:

[jmatta]

Bill, I think you are one of the lucky ones. I hope my car lasts a long time, since I will have two college tuition bills to pay for the next six or seven years (so much for the Raby 3.6 upgrade for the time being). Boxsters are a blast to drive and this coming from a 911 guy for the last 25 years (my 911 sits in the garage more than driven).

Lastly, I think you owe your engine longevity to the Amsoil 5W40 you've nurtured it with! :D

Edited August 9, 2009 by jmatta

[Bill_SoCal]

Bill, I think you are one of the lucky ones. I hope my car lasts a long time, since I will have two college tuition bills to pay for the next six or seven years (so much for the Raby 3.6 upgrade for the time being). Boxsters are a blast to drive and this coming from a 911 guy for the last 25 years (my 911 sits in the garage more than driven).

Lastly, I think you owe your engine longevity to the Amsoil 5W40 you've nurtured it with! :D

If just hit me after reading this that I won't be making any upgrades soon...I will start in on my second tuition this fall. Not really looking forward to the expense and it certainly puts the toys on hold. I'm just waiting for the clutch in Boxster replacement...that's $2K I don't want to spend. I guess with the history of the car, I really can't complain about maintenance items. Other than the AOS, all the maintenance work as been DIY.

My company sells exclusively Mobil1 and Amsoil for a number of diversified applications (automotive, truck, OTR, tractor, etc). Amsoil's not a Porsche approved oil, but I like I've sampled its performance against many others and choose to run it. I run it in all of our vehicles (daughter's BMW uses the 0W-30). There are many good oil products available. Amsoil brought the first synthetic to market in '72. Mobil followed in '76. Both are great products. Air Filter, Oil Filter, and Oil are all products I research extensively. All good stuff.

All the best,

Bill :beer:

[911 FAN]

Great stuff Bill. Im in the Inland Empire, where do you get your maintenance done at?

[Bill_SoCal]

Great stuff Bill. Im in the Inland Empire, where do you get your maintenance done at?

Great to hear from you. I’m sure we’ve crossed paths on the 15 or 91 at some point…

I deal with Craig at Walter’s for any service needs beyond regular maintenance stuff that I do. I purchased my first Boxster and my current ’03 Boxster from Walter’s. Craig is a great guy. You may work with him as well?

I’ve also used Pioneer Porsche in San Diego for service. That’s where we purchased both our Cayenne’s…we drifted from Walter’s for a while after that changed their service area and went to an appointment desk for MB and Porsche. I liked the days I could call Craig directly…it’s back to that now. That’s where I had my Boxster towed from Lake Forest when the AOS failed. Within a couple hours Craig called me to tell me not to worry about it. Part would be there in a couple of hours; they topped off the crankcase and it was ready to go early afternoon. Pioneer has excellent sales and after sales support. I deal with Matt Bang in sales there. Service department capabilities and ease of access to a service manager has always been more heavily weighted with me than the sales price.

We have our Cayenne’s serviced for any warranty issues at Walter’s now. Those too have been excellent vehicles for us. We had my Cayenne in for a headlight bulb not too long ago and my wife’s for a replacement seat buckle and high beam fault…other than that, just fun to drive. It’s my Boxster that I look forward to driving every day. I’m on the Ortega Highway to Antonio Parkway and from there to my office in Lake Forest…I really do enjoy the drive (but certainly not the hazards of the Ortega).

What are you driving? I’ll look for you on the road. I’m in a black Boxster and the top is seldom up…and I’m responsibly driving it like I stole it.

All the best,

Bill :beer:

[Bill_SoCal]

Adding the speedo rollover to 150,000 mile photos...first one is the way I enjoy driving the Boxster:

Off the throttle heading into a stoplight for a more legible picture...all within that one mile:

All good stuff...car is a blast.

Bill :beer:

[mptoledo]

First off, Kudos for hitting the 150k mile club.

What intrigues me is that you support the theory if you drive your Boxster aggresively you have less engine related problems. It has to do with Oil pressure and oil temp being high and hot are best for the Boxsters. While Chris doesn't drive his hard and has had numerous problems ( no offense Chris) :) It may be just coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidence. I seriously think the harder(to an extent) you drive your car the less problems you have!! Maintenence is also key.

Just a couple questions so I can hopefully get those kind of miles?

1.) what tires do you get 25k from?

2.) What brand oil do you use?

Keep up the great Success story!! ;)

Edited August 11, 2009 by mptoledo

[phillipj]

He states in his opening post he uses Amsoil.

By the way Bill congrats on the trouble free Porsche!!!!!! :jump: :beer: :clapping:

[atta]

First off, Kudos for hitting the 150k mile club.

What intrigues me is that you support the theory if you drive your Boxster aggresively you have less engine related problems. It has to do with Oil pressure and oil temp being high and hot are best for the Boxsters. While Chris doesn't drive his hard and has had numerous problems ( no offense Chris) :) It may be just coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidence. I seriously think the harder(to an extent) you drive your car the less problems you have!! Maintenence is also key.

Just a couple questions so I can hopefully get those kind of miles?

1.) what tires do you get 25k from?

2.) What brand oil do you use?

Keep up the great Success story!! ;)

The '03+ cars are probably more reliable than Chris' '00 as well.. ?

A.

[ekam]

Bravo! For every IMS car there has to be at least a dozen other cars that are trouble-free. I'll reference this post every time someone gets paranoid about driving their Box.

Edited August 11, 2009 by ekam

[drem914]

I’m on the Ortega Highway to Antonio Parkway and from there to my office in Lake Forest…I really do enjoy the drive (but certainly not the hazards of the Ortega).

What are you driving? I’ll look for you on the road. I’m in a black Boxster and the top is seldom up…and I’m responsibly driving it like I stole it.

All the best,

Bill :beer:

Bill, I'll have to look for you, too. I work in Foothill Ranch (Bake and Dimension), but live down near Antonio. I have a Seal Grey '01 986 with black top,

de-ambered rear lights, tinted windows and the rest of the turn signals and 3rd light are also grey.

[Bill_SoCal]

First off, Kudos for hitting the 150k mile club.

What intrigues me is that you support the theory if you drive your Boxster aggresively you have less engine related problems. It has to do with Oil pressure and oil temp being high and hot are best for the Boxsters. While Chris doesn't drive his hard and has had numerous problems ( no offense Chris) :) It may be just coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidence. I seriously think the harder(to an extent) you drive your car the less problems you have!! Maintenence is also key.

Just a couple questions so I can hopefully get those kind of miles?

1.) what tires do you get 25k from?

2.) What brand oil do you use?

Keep up the great Success story!! ;)

Thanks very much! Great to club to be in...although the vehicle doesn't feel or look the mileage.

1) BF Goodrich g-Force Sport - ~$130.00ea

2) Amsoil 5W-40 (not Porsche approved...I'm a long time fan and one of two main lubricants sold through my company (e.g., Amsoil, Mobil1).

I agree that driving the vehicle daily has definitely paid off. It gets a work out! I'm very punctual in regard to the regular maintenance as well...at Porsche recommended intervals.

All the best to you!

Bill :beer:

[Bill_SoCal]

He states in his opening post he uses Amsoil.

By the way Bill congrats on the trouble free Porsche!!!!!! :jump: :beer: :clapping:

Thank you!! :beer:

[Bill_SoCal]

I’m on the Ortega Highway to Antonio Parkway and from there to my office in Lake Forest…I really do enjoy the drive (but certainly not the hazards of the Ortega).

What are you driving? I’ll look for you on the road. I’m in a black Boxster and the top is seldom up…and I’m responsibly driving it like I stole it.

All the best,

Bill :beer:

Bill, I'll have to look for you, too. I work in Foothill Ranch (Bake and Dimension), but live down near Antonio. I have a Seal Grey '01 986 with black top,

de-ambered rear lights, tinted windows and the rest of the turn signals and 3rd light are also grey.

Great! My office is right off Bake. I take Antonio to the 241/Portola/Bake and down the hill...I certainly won't miss seeing your car. That sounds like an awesome looking Boxster! I'll definitely look for you.

All the best,

Bill :beer: