Reality check on servicing costs
Discussion
Just dropped in from the TVR section.. need some advice on servicing costs for a 1998 Boxster S
A friend has just put it in for service at a independent 'Porsche expert' garage for a service, car has been well looked after and is currently on about 60k miles I think.
In addition to the normal service cost he has been presented with this list.
1. Air con £615 + vat
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
I understand that most of these items are the usual suspects to need attention, are the costs sensible though?
Thanks Andy
A friend has just put it in for service at a independent 'Porsche expert' garage for a service, car has been well looked after and is currently on about 60k miles I think.
In addition to the normal service cost he has been presented with this list.
1. Air con £615 + vat
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
I understand that most of these items are the usual suspects to need attention, are the costs sensible though?
Thanks Andy
They look like things that could well need doing and without detailed knowledge of what the individual items cost, they look very feasible.
The boxster S that I am buying has cost 4,500 over the last three annual services (so services and things needing fixing). So not cheap to run. But in good nick now. Although I am planning for similar costs going forward (av £1500 pa).
Bert
The boxster S that I am buying has cost 4,500 over the last three annual services (so services and things needing fixing). So not cheap to run. But in good nick now. Although I am planning for similar costs going forward (av £1500 pa).
Bert
lotusandy said:
Just dropped in from the TVR section.. need some advice on servicing costs for a 1998 Boxster S
A friend has just put it in for service at a independent 'Porsche expert' garage for a service, car has been well looked after and is currently on about 60k miles I think.
In addition to the normal service cost he has been presented with this list.
1. Air con £615 + vat
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
I understand that most of these items are the usual suspects to need attention, are the costs sensible though?
Thanks Andy
The costs look fine but I would question whether some of them are actually required. e.gA friend has just put it in for service at a independent 'Porsche expert' garage for a service, car has been well looked after and is currently on about 60k miles I think.
In addition to the normal service cost he has been presented with this list.
1. Air con £615 + vat
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
I understand that most of these items are the usual suspects to need attention, are the costs sensible though?
Thanks Andy
Coil packs - Has he had issues with missfires? Engine warning light coming on? If not then dont worry.
Aircon- I assume it needs total overhaul for that price and doesnt work at all? If it does work and blow cold I'd question if it's required
RMS/IMS - Again, this is very easy for a specialist to 'throw in', they know how to prey on porsche owners fears, I wouldnt do this without a 2nd opinion.
Hi,
When you say air-conditioning does that mean 2 condensers with re-gas ?
As a comparison we would charge:
1. Air con £615 + vat £420
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00) unknow what tyres
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat £1220 (if it needs a new bearing)
4. CV boots £391 + Vat if being done with job above it is 5 mins to remove shafts and 1.5 hours labour so £170
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat £492.00 we do dozens of these
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat if just the cover over the solenoid this is about right
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat right price including labour
ALL PLUS VAT @ 20%
Mike
When you say air-conditioning does that mean 2 condensers with re-gas ?
As a comparison we would charge:
1. Air con £615 + vat £420
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00) unknow what tyres
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat £1220 (if it needs a new bearing)
4. CV boots £391 + Vat if being done with job above it is 5 mins to remove shafts and 1.5 hours labour so £170
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat £492.00 we do dozens of these
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat if just the cover over the solenoid this is about right
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat right price including labour
ALL PLUS VAT @ 20%
Mike
lotusandy said:
1. Air con £615 + vat
2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
Please, someone correct me if I'm talking utter rubbish but;2. 2 front tyres plus tracking £346 + vat (front tracking only; tracking is £90.00)
3. Real main seal, plus Intermediate shaft bearing £1,360.00 +vat
4. CV boots £391 + Vat
5. Power steering return line £633.00 + vat
6. Variocam cover £58.00 + Vat
7. Ignition coil packs £236.00 + Vat
Is 3 preventative? I was under the impression that if the IMS collapsed it trashed your engine? Also, may well be worth doing the clutch at the same time...
I also think I heard somewhere that point 5 can be fixed with a jubilee clip...
pete.g said:
That's over £4000 of work.
How much is a 1998 Boxster worth?
This is the thing. Older performance cars can get very expensive to keep running in top condition. Many people faced with such advisories sell the car on with the usual "freshly serviced" line in the ad.How much is a 1998 Boxster worth?
If I was keeping the car I would prioritise the £4K list and only do the work immediately required. Basically spread the cost across several routine services. But the cost won't simply go away.
I believe so. The original sealed bearings have a habit of disintegrating and causing the catastrophic failure you often hear about. But it usually happens to low mileage cars. Once they get past say 60K miles the bearing seals become less tight and are more easily lubricated by the surrounding oil and the issue tends to go away. Speak to Hartech or read the info on their website if you want the full details. But basically a replacement bearing is a safeguard against this relatively common failure. In this particular case I'd want to know why they were advising to replace the bearing - probably a leaking seal.
At 14 years old - that's not really that bad! Just beacuse it's a Porsche doesn't mean it's bullet proof, and at that age surely you expect a few things to need attention.
Conversely my Dad's 12 year old Boxster had 4 attempts at it's RMS in the first 2 years (all under warranty) and since then hasn't dropped a drip of oil. OK so it's a "garage queen" that's only done 22,000 miles, but other than an exhaust clamp and a set of tyres, it's needed nothing other than regular servicing. I'm just waiting for it to need any or all of the items mentioned ....
Conversely my Dad's 12 year old Boxster had 4 attempts at it's RMS in the first 2 years (all under warranty) and since then hasn't dropped a drip of oil. OK so it's a "garage queen" that's only done 22,000 miles, but other than an exhaust clamp and a set of tyres, it's needed nothing other than regular servicing. I'm just waiting for it to need any or all of the items mentioned ....
How on earth can PAS lines be £600!! if they are failing at less than 10 years old I'd be getting some lines made up at the local hydraulic place for £100 that'd last way way longer. Or is it some massive job that takes days to do & requires complete removal of everthing under the car?
Think I might have to become a Porsche servicing garage in between the boat & the Bahamas....
Think I might have to become a Porsche servicing garage in between the boat & the Bahamas....
£391 + vat to do the c/v boots? My god are they laced with gold?
We have done numerous Boxster C.V boots at our place (non Porsche Specialist although VAG specialists) and its £150 or so I can't even begin to understand how they arrive at that figure! I'd go as far as saying the OPC will definitely be cheaper than that too.
We have done numerous Boxster C.V boots at our place (non Porsche Specialist although VAG specialists) and its £150 or so I can't even begin to understand how they arrive at that figure! I'd go as far as saying the OPC will definitely be cheaper than that too.
£391 + vat to do the c/v boots? My god are they laced with gold?
We have done numerous Boxster C.V boots at our place (non Porsche Specialist although VAG specialists) and its £150 or so I can't even begin to understand how they arrive at that figure! I'd go as far as saying the OPC will definitely be cheaper than that too.
We have done numerous Boxster C.V boots at our place (non Porsche Specialist although VAG specialists) and its £150 or so I can't even begin to understand how they arrive at that figure! I'd go as far as saying the OPC will definitely be cheaper than that too.
cptsideways said:
How on earth can PAS lines be £600!! if they are failing at less than 10 years old I'd be getting some lines made up at the local hydraulic place for £100 that'd last way way longer. Or is it some massive job that takes days to do & requires complete removal of everthing under the car?
The pipe is a complete unit - a correctly formed hard metal line with flexible pipes attached to either end. Consequently it's a rather time consuming job to strip everything out of the way, change the pipe and re-assemble everything. You might be able to get somewhere to replicate the part, but you'll need a new one to use as a pattern and I doubt anyone would do it for the same or less than the off the shelf price from Porsche, with a 2 year guarantee.Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff