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YOUR RESEARCHPrice for oil change.
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Use schaeffer supreme 9000 oil
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No cut open then they really didn't "check" the filter did they
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Suggestion · Original poster
They did check the filter, but didn't cut it open.
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It's time to get my first oil change. I'm not a DIY'er.
So I have two reputable Porsche specialist and the dealer with three different prices. Obviously, the dealer is most expensive at $299. Specialist #1 $285 #2 $120. All using synthetics.
Big difference. I like the $120 price, but don't want to sacrifice quality. Seems to low.
Should I ask what brands they use? Thought.
Your indy is fair and your dealer's quote is too high (but normal for dealers). Definitely ask the shop what brand and weight or oil they use. More importantly, ask the shop if they will inspect the filter element for debris.
Best price I've seen on a Porsche approved oil is Mobil 1 at Walmart ... About $47 for two 5 quart jugs. Last I looked, filters were ~11 bucks on Amazon. So it sounds like your indy is giving you the oil and filter at a good price and not gouging you on the labor.
FWIW, if I'm taking my car in for service I'll usually look up prices of parts and supplies online -- makes it a lot easier to judge what a job ought to cost, or at least to figure out if the labor cost sounds out of line.
+1 on finding out what weight/brand of oil and filter they're using, and definitely have them save the filter and cut it open for analysis.
My independent mechanic charges me abou $185 for an oil change.
I don't want to get into an oil thread - we have plenty of those. FWIW, I used Schaeffer Supreme 9000 oil.
Never too late to learn to do it yourself; these cars have a reputation for being hard to maintain, but the truth is that the basic maintenance stuff is super easy to do. Just make sure you get a big oil catch pan, cos there's a lot of oil in there and it comes out FAST
#2 sounds realistic; DIY is about $60-70 worth in material and maybe an hour of labor if we're generous about it. Definitely ask them what oil and filter they're using and check it against Porsche's approved list. But, you've gotta figure $120 is still $105 more than Jiffy Lube charges; he's not losing money on you. The dealer just rapes you because they know most customers will just fork over fistfuls of cash and keep coming back regardless- queue $150/hr labor, massive markups on already overpriced material, and other absurdities.
Called the shop. They use "Porsche approved oil weight" Mobile 1 or Valvoline. Tech would inspect filter. The guy seemed a bit unsure, as he was not the tech. I guess I can go in and check it out. They've done work on my BMW's in the past and they own 3 Porsche race cars. I have to imagine they know what they're doing.... I bet they guy in the phone is wrong.
You should ask what products are being used regardless of how much the oil change costs.
Avoiding the least expensive option for no other reason than it seems too cheap is questionable logic.
*edit* What's the guy on the phone wrong about?
Highly recommend a DIY. You know exactly how much you'll spend and use the oil you want.
P.S. Consider sending your used oil for a UOA (I like Blackstone Labs)
http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/P...oved_Oils.html
DIY - changing oil on a Porsche 996 - YouTube
$119 labor for an oil change. Wow. I understand the need for profit, but considering how much "labor" is actually involved with a 996 oil change, especially if a lift is involved...
Thanks kromdom. Funny, I just watched this DIY video this morning.
Maybe I'll take it in myself. It's been 27 years since I last change my oil myself, 1984 VW GTI. I'll need to make a small investment in the filter tool and catch pan. I can borrow a jack and stands. Could be fun...
Definitely +1.
I am not a DIYer not either but did the oil change a week after taking the ownership.
The Youtube video is very good. Also check out this site.
http://p-car.com/996/diy/oilchange/
You do not need to jack the car at all. You can reach filter housing and drain plug with it sitting on the ground.
Since I am not a DIYer, I had to get all the tools. Following cost me around $50 total.
Torque wrench
8mm hex
filter socket (from AutoZone, I think type B but not a perfect fit. Still worked.)
oil pan (need a big one)
oil transfer pump (moving drained oil from pan to city supplied plastic container)
funnel
Plus the cost of filter and oil will add $70 or so.
My indy quoted $150. I spent $120 and got to keep tools
The 996 oil change is super easy. I don't even use jack stands. I just back the car partially out of my garage so that the engine is over the driveway, with the tires up on the garage floor. My driveway slopes away from my garage, so this gives me enough room to get under the car for the oil change. The drain plug and the filter are easily accessed this way.
The toughest part of the whole thing is the volume of oil in the pan and the rate at which it flows out of the pan. Make sure you've got a big catch pan, and make sure to put some newspaper down around it to catch any overflow or splatter.
It doesn't hurt to have the wife see you do something manly. The "grease monkey effect" has been known to afflict a significant percentage of the female population. It affects 100% of the women in my household.
Motul 8100 x-cess 5w-40 is usually on sale via amazon.com The 4, 5 liter jugs are the best deal and usually come with amazon free shipping. And it's the best oil there is! : )
I also use Blackstone... let's you build a nice history that way.
If (WAY DOWN THE ROAD) you decide to sell, this is a neat way to show the health of the engine, or at least offer it as a data point.
I buy my favorite flavor of oil and a filter and take it to the quick change place a mile away. They drain and dispose of the old oil, give me my filter back for later inspection, hand me my magnetic drain plug for inspection, install the new filter and put in my new oil for $17. Not worth messing around at home. Plus they are all slack jawed when I drive up.
2003 Carrera 4S Speed Yellow / 1955 356 Continental 1500 Rust Red
45 minutes. Only takes a few minutes to get the filter and plug out but give it a good 20 min with the car level to get all the oil out.
I can not stress how easy it is to change the oil in this car.
The hardest part in figuring out how much oil to put back in.
Due to time and weather, I chose to have shop #2 do the oil change - $169. Not bad. They did check the filter, but didn't cut it open. They did save it for me. So I'll be dissecting it tonight.
About the only DIY I still do. Mobil 1 0W-40 in 5 quart jugs available at Wal Mart for about $25 ea. Cartridge filter $15. So I'm out about $65. Drain plug and filter are extremely easy to access.
Maybe I need to turn in my Man card for a while... Regardless, I did just cut the filter apart and I'm happy to report it was spotless. I was surprised how clean the oil seemed. It has been about 6k miles since the last change. I was also surprised by the fumes. Almost like fuel.
I asked the guy about my brake fluid being a bit low in the reservoir. They said since it's a sealed systems it shouldn't be topped off "it should only go down from a brake pad wear or a leak". Is this correct? Should it be topped off?
If you let shops work on your car, don't top it off because they are trained to look at your fluid level as a cheap way to indicate your brake pad wear. Also, they're not used to remove excess brake fluid before they put new pads. If you top off and they didn't notice, it will overflow when they put in new pads. Basically you will confuse them.
If you DIY, I prefer topping off because in all cases I'd rather have full level as opposed to low level.
Just my 2 cents.
AMSOIL 20-50 HPerf. 145.00 for 4 Gal.( I buy from the rep. in the area) rec. for HOT Florida by my Ind.
so far my 2nd change with this oil. 1st by me, have had the C4 since July last. I put 9.5 and the electric gauge shows full other than the last space. dip stick shows ok.
Local Porsche dealership (Hendrick Porsche in Charlotte NC) quoted me $320. Filter from them was $25, Mobil 1 from Walmart was $50 total. Just saved myself $245. Plan on changing it later this week
