First Dealer Service Test!

Just under 2000 miles on the clock and the car is booked into the dealer for tomorrow. Primerily it is going in for an oil and filter change. I just can't get my head around the fact that this car should be run it and driven for 20,000 miles before it's first change. So, a non-scheduled change is being done. Then there are the little niggles: 1) A metalic resonant vibration at 2200rpm when the engine is cold. It sounds like a heat shield vibrating against an engine/exhaust component, though don't know why it would go away when the engine is warm. 2) Rear hatch rattles and squeeks. These have been there since new, but have got worse. I cant decide whether it is all comming from the hatch, or from the rear speaker enclosures as well. lets just hope they find them. As I have never owned a Porsche before, I am interested to see how the level of service compares to the really really bad BMW service I have recieved in the past. I'll keep you all informed. Jack

<p class="MsoNormal">Jack, many thanks for the update. As I posted on another thread, squeaks and rattles really spoil a car for me (and turn me into a menace on the road as I search for them while driving!) [/quote], so please do keep us posted on the resolutions.

Thanks Jack! Fulltwist, you hit the nail on the head, I have almost killed myself looking for a squeaking sound while driving. Russ

Jack: I read somewhere about a similar rear hatch rattle/squeak. The issue was the rubber stops on the hatch. I believe it was solved by a dab of lubricant on the rubber. Good luck

Jack, Top tip when dealing with service department; get past the service desk person, go & find the senior service person, introduce yourself, have a good chat........most dealers issue a BMW as a customer car, we have ha the use of a Cayane & a 997 when our Boxster was in for work. I always book the car in for 8.00am & ask for it to be the first job, I have had fantastic service from Wilmslow, I hope it continues with Sutton Coldfield. cheers Rod

S-Line, yes I got a 525d sport (not too concerned as my wife is looking at a 535d touring sport to replace the 330i). I'll ask for the technician when I get there in the morning. Though whatever they do they cannot be worse than Bluebell Wilmslow BMW!! Thanks Jack

Hi Jack Can I ask what sort of mpg you're getting in the car now ? Thanks Tony

Tonser, around 21 mpg. That is what the OBC is showing, but real world I am getting 290-310 miles from a tank that shows 40-50 miles remaining on the red empty light. So to me, that is pretty good, and seems much higher than 21mpg, though I havent worked it out yet. Continued ragging/very hard driving (see red line in every gear at every available opportunity) and it starts to drop. On a motorway it will read 30+mpg at a 70mph cruise. And that is what I find suprising. The 525d Sp[ort I have as a loaner is only returning 25mpg on my commute! Now that is strange! So more info from speeking to the workshop foreman, a very nice guy called Colin at Stratstones Wilmslow. Reported all the rattles to him, and he seemed confidednt they can all be removed apart from a small one around the rear speaker housing. He says that rattle/squeek is there in pretty much all models and is to do with the stiffness of the housing. He will also look at the cold-start resonance at 2200rpm and for that reason he wanted to keep it 2 days to give them a few cold starts. Nice forward thinking. Oil Change. He says that most people don't bother with this anymore and just stick to the recommended service proceedure of first service at 20,000 miles. I asked what kind of condition the oil would be in now after 2K and he said to be honest it would look like new. They have zero machining contamination these days, so no metal parts floating around. But for peace of mind, he said he would do the same as it just sits better that if there was something in the system it would be removed at this oil change. As far as running in, he stated that the cylinder bores were polished and hard coated to such a high standard that there was zero wear on them. It was only a case of scrubbing in the rings and this, because of the liner finish, actually takes 6-7k miles. So there is basically no run-in of the cylinder/ring interface. So this just clarifies the position in the UK owners manual that there is no real need to limit revs once the engine is warm. Good to know. I'll post more info when I collect the car tonight. Jack

Oil change info is very interesting. When I picked mine up the dealer told me that first scheduled service @ 3,000 kilometers WOULD include an oil change. I've got 1,500K so far, not a single rattle from the tailgate but I have experiencedwhat you're describing as cold-start resonance.

thanks for the update Jack.............I was told no need to change the oil untill 20k, have heard no horror stories from 997/987 owners with this length of oil service.

Update: Cold start resonance is a known issue with Porsche and there is currently no fix. Report is filed with Porsche and I will be contacted upon solution being made publically available. Friedman, there is no 2,000km service in the UK. The first service, and oil change, is at 20,000miles in the UK and US. This oil change is off my own back for my own piece of mind. Jack

So the car is back in my hands and, contrary to whaty the service department told me about not being able to fix the resonance at 2200rpm, it has now actually completely gone. 3 cold starts and no vibration at all. Also all the squeeks and rattles have gone. So a good job all round. Price for oil change and filter change and labour = £248 Sound reasonable? Jack

$436 sounds expensive to me.

I was told $220 for an oil and filter service. No ther inspection. JHellow

for me is toomuch. Oil and filter cost about 100 £ so 146 for labour is too much... but it's a Porsche.....

First oil change in my 987 @ 3K miles (couldn't stand the thought of break in particles until 20K) was $160 USD.

Out of interest, what price is Modil 1 over there in the US? We pay over $18 per litre here in the UK And what is your price for the 20k first service. Prices are fixed across UK dealers now for the service, and it comes in at around £330 Jack

Jack, Last time I looked, I believe Mobil 1 was around $11 a Quart. Steve

A little bit expensive in Italy it's about 12€ a liter

Last time I checked Mobil 1 0-40W is available at WalMart and discount auto stores for around $5.50 a quart. $11 a quart must be a dealership price.

I think the $11 a Quart was a internet site. I don't know why I never checked WalMart or places like that. Thanks Steve

My service manager told me to use 15K miles or 1 year as a first service guide. I sure won't have 15K in one year, so it could be 1 year, but I think I will have them do a service sometime after 3k to 5K. Russ

For what it is worth, I was advised that the Mobil-1 oil used by Porsche is different than oil you can find on store shelves. The subliminal message must have been, let us change your oil.

Providing you have quality floorstands, are there any unusual P issues in the oil/filter change process? I'm sure many of us have done enough oil/filter changes in our lifetime.