I love servicing my 987. But would you buy and service a 991 if you had to do this?

Deconstructing the Porsche 991: A Rare Look Inside - YouTube :crazy:

BTW, don't think it'll be any easier on the 981. A few of us (well versed in accessing the 986/987 engine bay) spent about 15min poking around the 981 to try and figure out engine access from the top. We put the top in various (what we thought would be) service positions... and we couldn't figure out how to 1) lift the back window up, or 2) remove the one-piece pre-formed carpet. Maybe after someone takes delivery, they can post some info up.

I got halfway through and bailed. These cars are just too complicated for their own good now.

That's CRAZY and should be shown to all 991 buyers. Bring your car in for an air filter change and we are going to take off your rear bumper. We'll "try" not to scratch up the paint and we'll "try" to get it aligned and back on just like it was... oh and no you can't go to a 3rd party shop anymore for an air filter change, that has to be done at Porsche and because of the work involved will cost you $500! This is just CRAZY. What was Porsche thinking???

Half those plastic tabs probably aren't going to make it to the 5-year mark...

I'm sure they were thinking "the guy that pays 110k for a car" doesn't care. And the problem is they're right in 90% of the instances. Unfortunately the premium brands have largely lost the enthusiast customer and are left with the "look at me I'm rich" customer. That guy gets off on $500 filter changes.

Thats a crazy amount of work just to get to the air filters. Impressive how every cubic inch of space is used inside the metal skin. But that will be very expensive after any kind of accident.

This just blew my mind. I do all the work on my cars. This is a non starter for me. Looks like my car will stay with me for a long time if this is the future of Porsche. Gotta find a low mileage gt3 quick.

Wow! That's just idiotic! I do my own work too and even have my own two-post lift, but that's just poor engineering.

I don't see what the big deal is? I mean it only took him 8:59 in the video to do it! LoL, seriously though, this is BS. I saw the oil change video, that looks really easy. I guess that means the air filter in my ( can't afford one anyway) 991 wouldn't be changed!

I know what i will do if I blow my engine. Fix it. I kind of liked the 991, I just became scared, very scared. :taunt::crazy: I hope the new 981 Cayman is nothing like that. Do you guys still think ist hard to change the air filter, and check power steering fluid in a 987 Cayman?:gossip::burnout:

I asked my mechanic about this. He laughed told me that it was no big deal, that removing the bumper caps was done all the time for several years now for a lot of stuff. Unless that was time stop video it didn't seem like it took THAT long. He also reminded me that I used to enjoy the "involvement" of adjusting the valves on my 911SC a couple of times a year at PCA tech sessions (and praying that they were just right after spending hours at it). It didn't have AC so everything was "right there". Right. How often do you think the filters behind the bumper cap have to be replaced?

Um, that sucks and anyone saying otherwise is lying. Now, you may choose to put up with that, but it still sucks.

No different than any other modern car. Probably 20-30k recommended. I typically go 15-20k as I don't live in an area with that great of air quality.

Fully agree. I am afraid to even ask what the filters cost, let alone the service charges. Kinda like getting to the top of buried engine on some mid engine cars. I have a friend with a Ferrari. He can at least SEE the engine they R&R to fully replace the fluids! He defends it this way: "its only 5K once year for service!!"

At 4:20 in the video I like how he just keeps yanking at the fender until it eventually comes off. Yikes! I know he's a master tech or whatever, and this is probably the right procedure, but if that were my car and I was watching that from the waiting area I'd be a little nervous. Also agree about the plastic tabs not lasting that long with repeated removal and reinstall. I can't imagine that everything will match up perfectly when he puts it back together. Maybe it will, but yikes. I was going to ask this as a separate thread but maybe I'll just ask here. Which car is more expensive to work on from a LABOUR COST only, the 987 or the 997? Wonder what it will be like with the 981/991? Which is easier?

Wow and I thought I was the only crazy one when I took off my front bumper to refill the washer fluid. That is the correct procedure right? It just seems to spray better when I do it this way. Don't ever get rear-ended in a 991 truly is the lesson to be learned. Btw I am no Boxter expert but I don't see how you can access the engine on the 981 unless you go from below or disassemble the trunk.

So... I was at my Indy today for a tech inspection and an oil change (yes, I got lazy ). We were shooting the breeze and this topic came up. I was saying what a PITA for DIYers at home. You don't have to change the filter all that often, but remove the bumper covers?? (BTW, I don't think you have to remove the actual bumper to change air filters) His response? "They don't want you to do it at home". Apparently, it's fairly common for people to break stuff at home, bring it to the dealer, then expect to have it fixed for free because it's still under warranty. When told there's out-of-pocket cost, they argue or give the "poor" routine (gimme a freakin' break.. ). Granted we don't know for sure if this is why Porsche designed it that way, and it's not like dealers and Indy's also haven't been known to break stuff, but food for thought. BTW, these are Porsche master techs who opened their own shop. They used to change out Porsche engines within a day when they were working at the dealer. Took me back a little after reading the weeks-in-the-shop stories.

Thanks for the information, but it sounds like total BS to me. It's amazing how easy it is to work on Subarus. I once replaced the in-dash CD Changer in 20 minutes while drinking a glass of wine (honestly). I just went out to look, but found it was so easy that I did it. I also replaced a starter motor in a parking lot while wearing a suit because it crapped out there, and there was a parts store across the street. (ok, I removed the jacket and tie and rolled up my sleeves). They certainly didn't make those things easy just for the DIYer. In my expereince, cars have been engineered to be so easy to work on just because it makes sense and they don't want their own mechanics screwing thigs up. Changing the tail light bulbs on my 335 didn't require any tools and took 1 minute. Changing the oil and air filter is slick and easy too. Sure I had to buy a special service-indicator-light reset tool. I'd guess a very small percentage of people work on their own cars, they wouldn't deliberately complicate a car to discourage such a small number and end up infuriating their own mechanics. It's really annoying spending a lot of time on something that should be very simple.

I agree. (BTW - I had a Sub, they are easy to work on)

Unbelievable! Don't thing I will be getting one of those.

Porsche engineers cars first and then comes up w/ a procedure to service what they engineer. The owner isn't part of the equation. What's probably worse is that the "field technicians" are often not anywhere close in ability to the Porsche in house techs. If it makes anyone feel better, boat builders are far far worse when it comes to engine access and servicing access to secondary systems. Typically the engines, running gear, and secondary systems are installed in the hull and then the deck in lowered onto the hull and bonded. It's possible to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars and not be able to reach a spark plug, fuel filter, or battery!

Well at least for me this would not be an issue, but actually a bit of fun as I love digging into any car I have owned learning about it and calling it a job well done. On my 928 I have replaced timing belts, waterpumps, engine mounts, torque tubes, etc. I took the time and effort to get certified in auto A/C repair and can fix anything on it, evac and recharge it all at home. It's all fun to me rather than a burden. I spend the money and buy the service manuals that in typical German fashion are pretty detailed and explain the procedure from beginning to end. Follow them and you are pretty much golden,....hack at it like many will do and you will pay dearly. Porsche has been like this for years. I will agree with DaveC though about many field technicians not being up to snuff and the way the typical dealer handles repairs, which is why I do most work myself. Just look at the video,....no protection on the rear bumper when he is leaning over to remove the engine fans, lays the airbox on the ground and scratches it around, stuff like that makes me cringe. I'll buy the car at the dealer, but stay far away when it's time for any normal service.

I agree. I am the same way. I saw this and my first thought was that looks fun. Since i was a kid, just about everything I lay my hands on ends up being taken apart and put back together, so a real reason to do so is great for me.