60k mile maintenance - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

i'm in the market for a used boxster for the wife and so far most boxster that i've found are mover 60k miles. i keep reading about the 60k service. what does this service consist of? is it a major maintenance interval? any info would be great, thanks.

nobody has had the 60k interval service done

This may be helpful: http://mysite.verizon.net/resqir1s/PorscheMaintenance.pdf

60K wasn't along ago for me. I'm at 69K now with a 2000 S. I had a lot of work done. clutch/flywheel (stock) Intermediate Shaft (IMS) upgrade (should be done with cluthch-- if not before IMO) Rear Main Seal (RMS) upgrade (I believe Cayenne seal was used) axle boots (both were torn) coolant flush ($350 not as cheap as I thought intially) brake flush (every two years) 02 sensors (did one previously, decided to do the 3 remaining --not cheap) oil change (mechanic used Amsoil but I usually use Castrol Syntec these days, oil change needs to be done when doing IMS upgrade) air filter (DIY) cabin filter (DIY) I want to say roughly $4,000. also, my starter and altenator both failed or were about to. You have to budget those sorts of things too. That was about another $700 in parts and labor. Prior to this the only other unscheduled fixes were throttle body replacement ($300). I change the oil every six months. I'm still on my original rotors and shocks/springs. Replacing those should run about $2,500 at least. Nearly all work has been done by an independent Porsche specialist as the dealer would have easily cost me double.

Here is basically the owners manual list of maintenance items: http://www.986faq.com/7-0/schedule.asp For 60K you'd do all the 15K, 30K and the additional 60K items.

OIL CHANGE $100 AIR & CABINET FILTER $35 FUEL FILTER $40 SPARK PLUGS $15 EACH X 6=$90 SERPENTINE BELT $40 Just did mine and this is about what I paid for the parts and you can do it...just not that hard. Dearler charges about $1200.00

If you're concerned about the cost of the 60k service, which doesn't really require much skill to do yourself, you really should think twice about buying a Boxster. This service, assuming you DIY, is chump change compared to all the other repair & maintenance costs. This is a great place to start your education: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages

Difference between you and me is simple...I enjoy maintaining my Porsche and that comes from working in my fathers Auto Machine Shop where I built cars from the ground up. Porsche is no different from any other auto...it has engine that runs on gas. Trouble shooting any auto is usually the hardest part of a fix. There is no excuse for being ignorant. Mike has a good info site and sometimes people get really scared at all the hype of maintenance and the IMS bearing. I just don't worry about it, period.

My point was simply that a prospective owner should do his/her homework regarding overall ownership costs and go in with their eyes wide open. We're not talking about Honda money. There's lots of great info on this site and elsewhere - all free. Invest the time and soak it all up. I've seen too many people get a "great deal" on a Porsche only to find out when the first major repair comes along that it causes financial hardship or they simply can't afford it, even if they're willing to DIY. Then they sell the car and take an even bigger hit. And I've seen people buy a car and hardly ever drive it because they're worried about repair and maintenance costs. Such situations are a real shame. I enjoy doing all my own basic maintenance and have the skills, confidence and time to dig into some slightly more complex projects, but anything really involved (i.e. clutch, IMS bearing retrofit) I leave to the pros and am more than happy to pay for it. If you really can afford ownership costs, then I agree there's not much to worry about. Drive and enjoy! If the thought of an expensive repair bill keeps you up at night worrying and/or prevents you from fully enjoying the car, then maybe a Boxster isn't the best choice.

I agree...research owning a pre-owned with more than 30K on the clock for sure. When I bought mine with 62K on it, I looked at how the car looked inside and out. Then, if all that past my specifications, I seriously look at the maintenance history and climb under the car and take a super hard look, then test drive. I knew that I would spend at least $2K on it, which included all new rotors, pads, removing calipers and refinishing them, brake flush, 60K maintenance and new tires. All those repairs made my car so much nicer. It was a one owner belonging to an military officer from Virginia. Average mileage per year was about 6500 before I bought it. Just a well taken care of Porsche. He also was a PCA member which to me, added a little more to the owners creditability.

When people buy these cars they should be aware of the difference between regular maintenance and major maintenance. A few big ticket items on a car with mileage north of 50K can easily add up to a third or half the car's purchase price.

thank you for the replies everyone. i like to do all the maintenance myself so that's not a problem. i've found an '04 boxster S with 66k miles and was just wondering what the 60k service consisted of. my wife is finally ready to get rid of the ugly camry for something more appealing .

Haha, I guess you could say that the Boxster is a lil more appealing than the camry..just a lil bit

fortunately, i was able to convince her that we should to get the S model instead of a base model. however, she can't drive a manual so a tip will have to do.

I would seriously consider hanging on to the Camry as a back-up. Absolutely if you are a 1 car family. Or if both of you need your own car. I am a single guy and I love my Boxster. It goes, I get another. But my mechanically sound 1993, well maintained Camry has been invaluable. If it goes, it gets replaced also.

thank you for the advice. she actually commutes on public transportation to and from work so the boxster will only see about 30-50 miles a week. i also have 2 other cars, plus we do not have any kids at the moment to worry about .

what fuel filter? :chicken:

This one: http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/986M/POR_986M_BASflt_pg2.htm#item6

lol, what i meant was 02+ doesn't have a nornal replacement one....