Lusting but nervous

[NVR2LA8]

I am a long time Porsche owner and PCA member. I am used to doing my own work and have done 90% on my two 73 914's, my 72 911 T and my 83 911 SC. I recently purchased a 2000 911 Carrera 2 which has required zero work. My mechanic friend is dope slapping me for buying a 996 an for showing interest in the 986. His reasons are a) "high" engine failure rate and B) required special tools make working on these engines impractical for even him. I loved the neutral handling of the 914 and my teenage daughters are showing interest in autocross. I'm thnking of buying a 986 to set up for them as I feel the 911 is a bit of a handful for new drivers and 914's just aren't practical today. I want to be able to maintain the car primarily myself. So is my mechanic right? Should I go buy a "reliabile" BMW 3 series rather than a Boxster like he advises?

[txhokie4life]

If you are not a confident dyier

And your mechanic won't touch it

You should have some concern

However just about anything short

Of engine issues

There isn't anything your mechanic should need special tools for

[rogerjohnsen]

I'm pushing 85K on my '03 Boxster S - never had an issue with it other than the headlamp switch; which I replaced on my own before I knew the forum was here with easy to follow instructions. Mine is a tiptronic and I appreciate that now that I've added a 6-speed TT to the fleet. My mechanic told me he doesn't do oil changes on the Boxster because they're just too hard. Found another mechanic to take care of that car.

Off topic - I see you're from Midland MI - I played lot's of hockey there several years ago...

Edited December 22, 2010 by rogerjohnsen

[JFP in PA]

Mike has a point, for general maintenance purposes (oil changes, etc.) nothing really fancy is needed in the tool department. Once you get into things like the RMS or cam timing tooling and the like, and the tool bill starts to mount pretty quickly. On the other hand, M3's are no gems in that respect either and some model years have had their share of engine problems as well. I would, however, be willing to speculate, just from you comments alone, that your wrench probably has more BMW tools than Porsche in his/her shop............

[mikefocke]

Nothing is going to be as simple and light today as that 914 was (previously owned a '70 914-4). But when I compare the quality of my Boxsters with the 914, the Boxsters win by a huge huge margin. Now if I could buy a 914 with the safety, reliability and build quality (not to mention rust-proofing) of the Boxster....

I've owned my current Boxster for 5 years and had nothing on it that I needed to do that required any special expensive tools (oil filter wrench and security torque bits at under $40 total). Your 996 is generally the same as a Boxster from the front bumper to the cabin..and the engine little different, just turned around. So any work you learn to do on one will translate.

Perfect? No car is. Problems well known? yep. Fixes available? yep. Some of them expensive? Yep. It isn't 1970 and this isn't a $3,700 car new.

[NVR2LA8]

Thanks for the responses. All makes sense. The 914 was a lesson in simplicity due to its VW heritage. I had the engine on the ground in 45 minutes and down to the crank in 2 hours. Refreshes were a few hundred bucks. And it was a blast to autocross. Embarasing Corvette owners is great fun. However, rust, cave man era ventilation and heat, and did I mention rust were major drawbacks.

My mechanic friend has two Boxsters on his lot needing new engines, so I got a little spooked by that. However I've never been stranded by a Porsche and rarely has something I couldn't fix myself. So you have reconfirmed my faith in my favorite marque. I'll keep shopping for a 60 - 80k Boxster with good records and prepare myself to learn a few new tricks.

Thanks

[NVR2LA8]

I'm pushing 85K on my '03 Boxster S - never had an issue with it other than the headlamp switch; which I replaced on my own before I knew the forum was here with easy to follow instructions. Mine is a tiptronic and I appreciate that now that I've added a 6-speed TT to the fleet. My mechanic told me he doesn't do oil changes on the Boxster because they're just too hard. Found another mechanic to take care of that car.

Off topic - I see you're from Midland MI - I played lot's of hockey there several years ago...

Still lots of hockey here. In fact, just built a new arena last year. The boys in my youngest daughters age group (94) were national champions last year. (Midland Northstars)

[por986]

So being redundant as I have stated this on multiple posts now, I just want to say that I have NEVER worked on a vehicle in my life and I didn't even know details of how a clutch worked, what an IMS was and how it related to anything, etc. BUT having said that, I just finished replacing the RMS, clutch, and upgrading the IMS on my 01S in my little garage on jack stands (with limited tools), and it was easy in retrospect. Sure, I was irritated many times and swore constantly that I wouldn't do it again, but that was really due to my frustration with the lack of support from LN engineering and what I considered inadequate instructions for a DYIer. Having completed it and knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

It sounds to me like you have solid background and shouldn't have any problems with working on a Boxster if you are willing to. Also, there are many good members out here willing to help!

[dghii]

A mechanic said oil changes on Boxsters are "Just too hard"??? I'll make sure to tell my son that, as he changed the oil and filter in my Boxster...at 15 years old! This car is the easiest car I've had to change oil and filter on. Any mechanic telling you its too hard should be your former mechanic.

[por986]

A mechanic said oil changes on Boxsters are "Just too hard"??? I'll make sure to tell my son that, as he changed the oil and filter in my Boxster...at 15 years old! This car is the easiest car I've had to change oil and filter on. Any mechanic telling you its too hard should be your former mechanic.

Isn't that the truth.. The hardest thing is waiting for 9+quarts to drain.

[Steve Tinker]

NVR2LA8,

i would seriously consider buying the Bentley Boxster Service Manual when (if) you finally decide to buy the car - at less than $85 its worth every penny and saved me literally $thousands over the last few years.....

Assuming you have a quality torque wrench, 4 jackstands and a decent set of sockets you are ready to go. The only other item I found invaluable is the Durametric diagnostic tool - I think it was sent to me here in Australia for less than $300 - a really helpfull piece of gear and Durametric were great to deal with too.

[sikest]

A mechanic said oil changes on Boxsters are "Just too hard"??? I'll make sure to tell my son that, as he changed the oil and filter in my Boxster...at 15 years old! This car is the easiest car I've had to change oil and filter on. Any mechanic telling you its too hard should be your former mechanic.

I am going to have to chime in on this one as well. The Boxster IS the easiest car to change the oil on that I have owned. The filter cartridge hangs down to the side of the pan and an allen wrench is all it takes to remove the plug.

My wife has always commented that she would like to change the oil on a car once in her life so...... with Zero mechanical experience she changed the Boxster oil the last time.

Makes me wonder if your mechanic has ever even been under a Boxster.

T.

[rogerjohnsen]

Ha ha ha - that's too funny! I've changed the oil on many vehicles in my life time but find I have less time so haven't done it in a while. I was actually a little "scared" to even touch it after the conversation since I thought it would be too much for me. Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this - maybe I'll get my 10 year old to help me at the next oil change.

I just have to re-iterate how impressed I've been with the Boxster in terms of reliability and overall quality. This car has been THE most bulletproof of any car I've had. (I still have the original battery and have had the car since late '02!!!) It's still one of my favorite cars to drive too; only taking a close second place to the newest addition 911TT...

[N41EF]

Actually there is an important tool you'll need. I found out my oil drain pan only held 8 quarts, not the 9 plus the boxster hold. You need a BIG drain pan, I bought the bright green 5 ish gallon pan that Advance sells. Also about the right size for coolant drains too.

Buy a Boxster, it'll pit a smile on your face so big a speeding ticket won't take it off.

[garryw]

I found the first part of this article very interesting, not to mention comforting as a Boxster owner, hope it helps you with your decision to purchase one.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1638/cars-that-will-make-it-past-200000-miles/

[thstone]

I'll jump in here...

I already own a BMW 325i and while its a nice car, its not a real sports car. I also own a 2003 Mazda Miata and while its a real sports car, its not a Porsche! I bought my '99 Boxster in Nov, 2010 I've never had as much fun driving since I had my '71 Triumph TR-6 in 1988!

My thinking about engine failures is that they do happen, but they are rare compared to the number of cars that were built. So you have very good odds of never having a premature engine failure. My car has 86K miles and runs fine. I met another Boxster owner last weekend who had 208,000 miles with no engine problems.

And the Boxster is very easy to work on - I've replaced my oil, brake pads, top microswitch, fuel filter, air filters, and added an aux audio input and rear speaker kit for the stereo.

If you want a Boxster, get one. You won't regret it.

Edited January 9, 2011 by thstone

[mrmetts]

I am a long time Porsche owner and PCA member. I am used to doing my own work and have done 90% on my two 73 914's, my 72 911 T and my 83 911 SC. I recently purchased a 2000 911 Carrera 2 which has required zero work. My mechanic friend is dope slapping me for buying a 996 an for showing interest in the 986. His reasons are a) "high" engine failure rate and B) required special tools make working on these engines impractical for even him. I loved the neutral handling of the 914 and my teenage daughters are showing interest in autocross. I'm thnking of buying a 986 to set up for them as I feel the 911 is a bit of a handful for new drivers and 914's just aren't practical today. I want to be able to maintain the car primarily myself. So is my mechanic right? Should I go buy a "reliabile" BMW 3 series rather than a Boxster like he advises?

Two years ago, I bought a 2000 Boxster with 42,000 miles on it. I drive it 30 miles each way to work every day. It now has 73,000 miles. Several things have gone wrong, but each time I've been able to find help on the internet and fix it myself.

1. The electrical switch that tells the car the handbrake is up failed. When that happens the convertible top won't go up or down. 1 hour, $5.00 fix.

2. The Mass Air Flow Sensor failed. 30 Minutes, $200.00 parts + $100 to Dealer to reprogram the computer for upgraded part.

3. The air/oil separator failed. 12 hours, $200.

4. The Ignition Switch/Steering Interlock failed. 6 hours, $200.

It's not as trouble-free as my Hondas, but the more I drive it, the better I like it. I'd buy another.

mrmetts

[mikefocke]

OTOH, I've had 2 Boxsters and they have been more trouble free than my Honda and Acura of around the same vintage and mileage. For the Boxsters I was the third owner of each, the Honda/Acura were both bought new.

Any tools you buy for the 996 are liable to be useful on the 986. At the 2000 point they were awfully similar. There are about 8 forums where people can help you if you do have problems. There are factory manuals available. There are third party manuals available. There are third party parts available for both cars. There are diagnostic computers available...etc.

As for the oil change, there are online pictorials that would show you how trivial it is...only hard part is having the 3 needed parts (filter, o-ring and crush ring) on hand as JiffyLube doesn't carry them (though mine will do the oil change just as my muffler shop will change the O2 sensor and for no more cost than on my Honda...oh and the part was cheaper). And the amount of the right oil. Do on your 996 and 986 change the oil much more frequently than the owner's manual calls for (this based on used oil analysis from hundreds of samples). And a special sized filter removal tool is needed as well as a big oil pan.

YMMV.

[spg356]

I understand the stress; I went through the same thing before buying mine.

A fellow emailed me and said this: "let's say that the failure rate is 10% (which it isn't, that's too high), then you have a 90% chance of nothing ever happening. Go buy one and enjoy it!"

I took that advice and never looked back.