Major Service - Page 1 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Changing the oil and making £650 profit.

Yes. IMHO, a car that age must have a FPSH for resale. They are the only people allowed to use the electronic error diagnostic equipment as well, I think. I wouldn't consider an independent until a car was at least 6/7 years old.

Let's hope that the owners can afford to keep them on the road until then! You saying we can't do the job properly Herman??

All i'm saying about FPSH and resale is that it's not going to be for sale for a very long time (15 years+). Does a Porsche service history recoup the extra that it costs in resale? THe Boxster is my father's car, and he's reluctant to take it anywhere except a porsche centre (despite being right royally fcucked about by the one's he's tried so far). My mother, however, fails to see how anyone (least of all a mechanic) can charge £700 a day for anything. I assume a major service icludes the usual oil cahnge, and i would expect: Plugs brake fluid brakes (if needed (which they'd better bloody not need)) PAS fluid coolant hood reproofing suspension geometry check (full) and for £700 i'd expect a full respray too does anyone have a list of what gets done for a third of a grand? >> Edited by agent006 on Wednesday 2nd April 14:31

Touchy ! Any more of that and I'll accuse you of advertising. The main reason for me saying a FPSH is essential for newer cars is, there are so many 996's and Boxsters available at any one time, joe public is always gonna go for the ones with a (admittedly over-priced) Porsche history. Those few of us in the know realise that you're just as likely to get as good a service from a GOOD independent. Happy now 9M ?

...actually, 9M, a question I have (as a 996 owner who would like to use independents in the future) is : do you have the diagnostic hardware/software to service (check error codes etc.) 996's? I had heard that the software especially wasn't being made available to non-OPC's by Porsche AG. JZ Machtech in a '911 & PW' article a few months back were complaining about this. >> Edited by argonaut on Thursday 3rd April 08:41

If your Dad's that worried about his OPC why doesn't he go the whole hog and get it serviced by the factory - combine it with a nice holiday and get a trip round the factory too. IMHO FPSH is essential on a car of that age, but there's no doubt that there are specialists out there miles better than the spotty youth changing your oil at your OPC - my local tech was service manager at our local OPC for yonks before setting up on his own...

I was told this by a Specalist WHO HAS GOT this equipment, he says 'cos of his long term relationship with Porsche UK.There are a couple of other specalists in the UK that are so equiped according to him,that is all. Steve

GT1 at Chertsey have this kit. 01932 569911/944 Melv

Autofarm in oxford claim to have the diagnostic kit too. The car'll probably be going to the OPC in bristol or swindon. Looks like he was given the price for the really major (48000mile) service the first time he asked, and it should be around £500 for the one we want, so only £100 more than the nearest specialist, and with a courtesy car thrown in.

Got the other half's 2yr "S" service down to £400 at an OPC with a bit of wheeling & dealing between centre's !!

That sounds pretty good...I was quoted £560 for a 24000 service on my 996. By AFN. Steve >> Edited by sb930turbo (moderator) on Thursday 3rd April 14:26

It is a mandatory world wide requirement that all new cars are equipped with a compatible and industry standard OBD2 socket (on board diagnostics) to be read by any make of OBD equipment. We have had compatible OBD2 equipment for 4 years. Unfortunately Porsche and every other manufacturer does not have to release all the other diagnostic functions, like ABS, alarm, transmission, whatever, so they all block access to these with special codes. This is why there is legislation from the EU for "block exemption", i.e. manufacturers MUST release info and equipement to independents. Porsche get around this by charging ridiculous prices for manuals and testers. One example of this is that I recently bought the entire 996 manual set direct from Germany for £400, whereas PCGB via an OPC quoted me £1400. The tester is available for £5000 ish, when I need one I will get one, but until then I work with the local OPC if we get any non-engine related diagnostic faults. And if you think that Porsche are bad, try dealing with BMW!

As for resale values, buy a used dealer car from a dealer for £40k, take it back a year later and you will be offered £30k as a trade in. Add in £1000 per year in servicing and you have a whacking depreciation level of £11k. Buy a car from an independent (we don't sell cars) and pay say £38k, service it similarly for £500 and he will offer you £33k ish in part ex next year. That's about half the depreciation. These figures are not fiction, I have customers who have quoted these from personnal experience. In my opinion any main dealer FPSH is worth far, far less that the dealers want the general public to believe. When they are out of warranty at 3 years old, owners go to independents in droves as they are so sick of paying big bills. Oh, and if anyone thinks £40-50 per hour is expensive, my Vet charges out at £70+VAT!

Aren't one of the specialists on Porsche's back about this at the moment? Seem to recall reading in 911&PW about this several months ago. Camtune rings a bell.

Agree that buying a used car from an OPC is too expensive and that the part ex offered after 1 year is insulting. Also agree that work other than a service should be carried out by a good independent, if you don't like paying OPC prices (who does ?). However, the cost of an OPC service for a modern Porsche is not that much more expensive than an independent. Why put off over half the people who might potentially want to buy your car because it hasn't got that "all important" (I'm being ironic here) stamp. All for the sake of saving £1-200 a year. I'd get the OPC service but would not authorise them to do any "extra" work they think needs doing.

That's the thing, after a while you save more on servicing than you gain on a Porsche history. If i was buying, so long as it had been serviced at the same specialist regularly i'd not be all that bothered. Cars that have been taken to avery man and his dog for servicing look a little suspicious.

If you're gonna keep the car, I agree it's not a problem and if you're a PHer then a full SH with an independent would not put you off the car. But, most modern Porsches are bought by middle-aged numpties, and they want to see the stamp. They buy a copy of Parkers or whatever and the first thing they read is that a Full Main Dealer service history is essential. We know it's b0ll0x, but you will be making the car more difficult to sell. IMHO, of course.

Without wishing to be over cynical, my guess is that the offer would be £33K if you came back next week, never mind next year.

What prices do all you Boxster owners pay for a major service. I'm currently looking for somewhere to service ours (2001 2.7, 15000 miles). It's its second annual service. I've been quoted £700 by nameless of bristol. Does anyone know of any decent specialists in the south west? Do prices vary between official deaelers? I'm assuming we'll save more by having a non porsche service history, than paying over the top for a main dealer one. And finally, just what are they doing to it, to charge £700 a day?