60K service ??

I just had my 60k service. My earlier issue with the CEL seems to be a non- issue. Wheuuuu..... I don't know if it was that I was out of a car for two days, but my 02 C4S seems to feel a bit more responsive. It could be that I had to drive a Ford Focus (company errand car). Had it serviced at South Coast German Cars (Costa Mesa, CA) by Claudio and I am happy with the results. He said not to wait 10K miles for the oil service, said to do it at 4-5K miles if I was going to keep the car. Any input ???

Yep 5k for oil changes is a good plan Cars like being serviced, and they tell you that by performing better when you go pick them up... You should get the CEL codes any way, in case they come back (which they have a habit of doing)

When I picked her up today, I asked if everything was ok. He repsonded, there are no problems and that he used the OEM code reader (lost for words.....) said it cost him 40K for the tool. He showed me other bad CEL reads on another car he was working on, said my 4S had a clean bill of health. He said there was nothing wrong with mine. Was my temoray CEL an anomoly?? Did I do a disservice to my car by disconnecting the battery earlier this week?? BTW, I also replaced my MAF and brake pads on all four corners

My independent shop in Huntington beach told me 7500 miles between oil changes.....is it better to do 5K ??? I thought it didn't matter that much because of the synthetic oil that doesn't lose it's viscocity any input in this?

It is not the viscocity that becomes a problem it is the additive package that burns off or gets diluted by condensation in the oil. More oil changes = a better protected engine

OIL??? Did someone mention OIL???? Damn, time to warm up the popcorn machine.... AGAIN!

Yup, I guess Porsche doesn't know what they're talking about when they say 15K... what a bunch of German amateurs.

Hey, 5k oil changes are peace of mind for me - oil is cheaper than a new engine! If you feel handy, it's a real easy DIY task, and makes it even cheaper. As for resetting the codes by disconnecting the battery - well that does wipe out any chance of seeing what was wrong - until it comes back Next time, get the codes read before resetting and you'll be in a better position.

how much did they charge for the 60k service? Did they replace any other wear and tear items? Why did you have them replace the MAF? Thanks for the info because I'm about to have mine done

True, you are exactly right. In my SUV I change the oil very 5000 miles instead of the 3000 that they try to tell you to do, because 3K oil changes are a rip-off - getting you to change your oil when in the vast majority of cases it is not needed. In the case of the Porsche I do around 10K, depending upon timing. Having worked with scientists in the oil additives business I've been lucky enough that the shared insight into the condition of oil after it having a good workout in an engine. In most cases regular oil is good for 5-7.5K (without any sign of degradation). Depending on your driving conditions. In the case of synthetics, these oils are even more stable. I do not have direct experience with their analysis, but the claims of a 15K oil change do not surprise me and seem rational. Afterall, both Porsche and Mercedes are now on a routine 15K oil change cycle and you can bet that they built some slack into that recommendation knowing that some will exceed it and go a lot longer. If you car sits idle for a long period of time, then your rational is a good one. For me 15K would mean changing the oil every 3-4 years, so I'm happy to change it sooner, although probably not every 5K miles.

Paid $1,800 For the 60K service that included Brakes at all corners, MAF, Belt, All Fluids and filters replaced. Replaced the MAF because sooner or later it is going to go, Just peace of mind. I could have done the brakes myself, just getting lazy I guess.

And also be sure to place a small pile of hundred dollar bills on the floor in front of your Porsche and set fire to them! sheech! This 3K change advice was valid in the last century, but modern synthetic oils will last just fine for 15,000 or more miles. I change the oil on my 996 at 15K intervals and have it analyzed as well. The test results always come back that the 15K oil is still as good as 0 mile oil, so 15K or 1 year is what I have been doing for quite a while. Even mineral based oils are good for 10K intervals these days. BTW, cleaning a MAF at 60K with a fuel injection cleaner is just as good as replacing a MAF in the majority of cases. It is unfortunate that the Porsche/Bosch MAF is so expensive. If the idea is preventive maintenance in messing around with the MAF, then clean it first to get the most out of it.

Nice to hear someone else say the oil thing is excessive. As for the brakes and MAF, why would you do that?!?! Did the brakes need doing? What a waste. i think you just got taken, as that shouldn't be part of the 60K service. So, what was the cost without the brake and MAF service?

Brakes had about 7-10K left on them. My C4S is a daily driver. The older I get the less DIY left in me. The MAF was $378.00, Labor for the 60K service was $365. The pads were $440 with the sensors Labor for the pads was $220. I don't mind paying for the brakes, but knowing I could of cleaned the MAF makes me a bit angry. The local P dealership quoted $1700 for the 60K service, now I know that was over the top, but I justified the $1800 I spent because of the brakes and MAF... Remember all.... I am not a DIY guy so I have to pay to play....... do you hear the crackling of the money burning a hole in my pocket......

I suppose the only thing this hurts is your wallet, but the oil change intervals on the 997 are up to 20K. The manufacturer warrants them for quite a while and will CPO as well. 15K with a synthetic just does not seem to be too risky.

Okay, that sounds better $365 for the service is closer to the ballpark I was expecting. The MAF change was a rip off. I've been bitten by tht one before also.... sadly it was 2 weeks after I bought my car, so I didn't know any better. Yeah, you're right. 15K on Mobil one is a no-brainer.

Crazy Yesterday I replaced all 4 brake pads and sensors that I broke and did the drive belt for $230 including tax. I'm really glad I did the belt as it was in bad shape after getting a good look at it. Belt was only 27 bucks. Worth the peace of mind. 53000 miles and counting The brakes had never been changed on the car before and they were at the end of there life. Never had the brake wear light come on, and my braking sucked until I replaced the brakes. It only took 2 1/2 hours to do and that was with some beer brakes Last month did the MAF cleaning and that was a 5 min deal. RENNLIST and RENNTECH have saved me thousands of dollars....

Well, a least you have a good attitude about the whole thing! Brake pad replacement at 60-80K is reasonable. I have 54K on the original pads on my 996, and I expect them to last to about 70K. Here is another piece of trivia on the 996 brake pads that will probably get you steamed. If the pad wear sensors have not been in contact with the rotor, they can simply be popped out of the old pads and put into the new ones no problem at all. But if your mechanic did that, he would not be able to charge you for new ones.....

I agree with that... But for me I broke 3 out of 4 sensors when I removed them. The little clips (Little Tab piece) that hold them in broke off and would not stay in place. Hope that makes you feel better

After the old pads are removed, soak them in degreaser, and then take a potato brush to the pads to clean out all of the built-up dust and gunk from around the sensor. Then gently push the sensor out from the bottom with a jewelers screwdriver. Take your time, and they will come out.

Thanks for the tip

Thanks for the input Gentlemen..... Peace of Mind is Priceless..... don't go to the mastercard commerical, please...... Had a great day today, No worries with the car, Sunny Southern California, Windows down, sun roof open, 0630 drive down the 5 freeway, third gear at 80 shift to fourth, what a nice sound. go Colt's............Well at least the AFC

Just had my 60K service done @ Ray Catena Porsche here in Central NJ. The service alone was $850, plus other odds and ends that were messed up with my car...bill shot up to $1800 in no time. Still amazed @ getting billed $125/hr...wish i spent more time learning how to work on cars instead of playing video games.

Hi, I'm in NJ and considering using that same dealership. What did they do for $1800? Don't want to hijack the thread..so please email/pm me [email removed] . thanks, Amir

Just a warning. My car was originally purchased from them and examination of the service records tends to suggest that the previous owner got fleeced by them on several occasions.

here's the bill: 60k service: $922 Replace belt rollers & tensioners: $306 Reverse light switch relay replacement: $127 Replace spark plug tube seals: $280 Oil: $60 Could I have gotten service done elsewhere for much cheaper? Absolutely. Brought it in before for RMS repair. They're courteous and professional. The facility is immaculate and they offer free breakfast and drinks...one hell of an expensive bagel and fruit cup! Hope this helps.

I just checked with Inskip in RI and for $1365, this is what get's done: My car is a 2000 C2 with 54K miles. New spark plugs. New filters (all of them). ECU readout for codes. Oil change. Radiator inlets cleaned. Brakes inspected. Full undercarriage inspection. Axles inspected. Belt inspected. Fluids checked. Shifter inspected. Suspension inspected. Sounds over the top if you ask me. When looking for my Pcar, I had one mechanically inspected in NJ for $150 at the local dealer. Maybe I should take my car there.

No new plugs?

No new Belts?

The belts and the plugs had better be part of the $922 60K service line item.

I used to have this experience with my Bimmer all the time. The reason was that the engine computer thingie got reset and went back to its factory default mapping when they read the codes. I'd heard that it was a favourite autocrosser's trick, too. They'd disconnect the battery for fifteen minutes and things would reset when it was reconnected. I have to confess, I got more noticeable difference in responsiveness and the feeling of power by thrashing the car for an hour or two at speed than I did by doing the Dinan Stage 1 software upgrade. Proving two things: I am an idiot, and the adaptive ECU thing really works. I assume but don't know for a fact that a Porsche would be the same.

Called another dealer (Herb Chambers) only to get a price of $1800. Inskip was $1365. Holy crap! I inquired on the expense and the advisor said that it required new plugs at 60K which really drives up the price. I called PCNA to see if they had a standard list of work that was done at 60K. No such item other than the owners manual and OBTW, prices are set by each individual dealer with no input from PCNA. Let's see. 20 minutes for an oil/filter change. 20 minutes for the air filter. 10 minutes for wipers. 1 hour for plugs. Let's be generous, 3 hours inspecting under the car, suspension, brakes and lubing door hinges and seals. Round it out to 5 hours of labor at $125 per. Parts... oil/filters/wipers/plugs... really good stuff.... $200. The closest I get is about $825 total. What a frigging rip-off on the esitmates I'm getting. Is it necessary to have this done to maintain your CPO warranty?

Buy yourself the OEM plugs from Pelican or Suncoast, and take them with you to the dealer for service Also buy your own Mobil1 and provide that as well. While you're at it - do your own wiper - buy them from Suncoast or Pelican or WalMart That should cut the cr@p, I mean unnecessary expense.

Either quit complaining and DIY, or get yourself a tube of lube, bend over and let the dealer work his $1800 magic on you.

I have no problem on the DIY feed-back, but do I risk anything with my CPO warranty? I have the plugs, new coils, filters, oil, blah, blah, blah but there's one problem. It's frigging cold where I am. Oh and as far as the bend-over lube job, I got that when I bought the car.

Like I said earlier, I decided that I am not a DYI guy, so I pay to play, but I don't like getting screwed either. Stay away from the dealerships if you can then find a good independent service guy

Sounds like you have all the parts I think the suggestion of finding a good indy shop is the way to go. You get a warranty proof service, you supply your own basic service parts, you save money over the stealerships. You have a good indy in your area?

Your warranty will always remain in tact if you do the required service as per the maintenance schedule. Just keep your receipts. This applies to DIY or Indpendent. And even if you don't follow the maintenance schedule, you can only be denied warranty service if your failure to maintain is directly related to the warranty claim. For example, failure to change spark plugs would not be a reason to deny a warranty claim on a leaking rear main seal.