Thought this was an interesting take on how Porsche engineers their vehicles for surprisingly easy access if you have the know how.
Porsche design philosophy on service
- Thread starter FlyPenFly
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It is their most affordable sports car model, so they can’t go crazy with maintenance and service expenses.
But it does prove that it can be done, manufacturers are simply being lazy and cheap.
But it does prove that it can be done, manufacturers are simply being lazy and cheap.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
I don’t think that matters. It is still Porsche. But Porsche always made sure their vehicles are real sports cars like Ferrari, but ones you can take and grocery shop or ski. I think maintenance is part of that philosophy.
Have you ever had one serviced? I have a 2021 Cayman S. Oil change is 500-700 in NJ. 2year maintanence which is oil change, cabin filter, air filter and bleed brakes was quoted about 1k in 2022 when I asked. It's probably more 2 years later. Call me cheap but I think those prices are crazy. I do maintenance on both my Porches. I can change oil on my Cayman for about $100 using Motul C40 spec which unfortunately a C40 spec isn't sold at Walmart. The filters are another $75.00.
My 911 is the easiest oil change I have done in ages and they get $700 for it. I can do it for $65 since A40 spec sold at Walmart.
I do like the brand but to be honest some of their service prices are absurd. Just because it might be easy to maintain don't think a Porsche dealer will give you a break
The service prices are high because their dealer margins are enormous and their techs are very well compensated. It's a dream job for a tech to be a Porsche mechanic.
Now Ferrari service rates... wow.
Now Ferrari service rates... wow.
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When I reflect back on my life it's pretty ridiculous. So, I did buy a Porsche brand new, long ago. It was a 951.
One day, I dropped the car off as it needed a new thermostat. When I went to pick it up, they said not covered and it will be, converted to 2024 dollars, $1,700.
I said ok, give me a call back when it's covered under warranty, because I'm not paying that.
The snot nosed SA said well then you don't get your car back. Yeah, of course I wanted to leave with my guards red baby, but it was the principle of it all.
3 days later, they said your car is ready to be picked up, it's covered under factory warranty.
When I picked it up, the SA said you don't know what I did for you, Porsche/Audi.....I cut him off, and said kindly give me the keys, please. And I never went back. I went back to the even worse dealer that my bro takes his wife's A4 to today. Terrible.
I doubt service is totally like that today. But that's how it was on a brand new 951, in CT.
One day, I dropped the car off as it needed a new thermostat. When I went to pick it up, they said not covered and it will be, converted to 2024 dollars, $1,700.
I said ok, give me a call back when it's covered under warranty, because I'm not paying that.
The snot nosed SA said well then you don't get your car back. Yeah, of course I wanted to leave with my guards red baby, but it was the principle of it all.
3 days later, they said your car is ready to be picked up, it's covered under factory warranty.
When I picked it up, the SA said you don't know what I did for you, Porsche/Audi.....I cut him off, and said kindly give me the keys, please. And I never went back. I went back to the even worse dealer that my bro takes his wife's A4 to today. Terrible.
I doubt service is totally like that today. But that's how it was on a brand new 951, in CT.
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yeah what you say is apparent when you see the Porsche indie near us. He can't even fit all the cars onto the lot, and license plates from as far as VA (Phila suburbs). Every model you can imagine going back to the 80s. Me? I love the 928s, makes me think of Risky Business
I hate to ask, but how old was the car when you brought it in for that thermostat issue?
Was the car under warranty?
Same here, feel like with the way inflation is going, especially at dealerships, people are seeking out indies far more.
I’ve been going to a particular indie in San Diego called Select German for the last eight years. It was great seeing his shop blow up and eventually have to move to a bigger location but at the same time, peeved I have to schedule so far ahead!
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The car was less than 2 years old and I think the warranty was 3/36, which was still in effect. They said thermostats are excluded for some reason, as if issue caused by the driver but I really can’t remember why. Sad to say this is going back 37 years…
The newer Cayenne is terrible to work on..I dread them. Changing spark plugs require much smaller hands than I have.
Ferrari really changed their tune after the Acura nsx came out. That was the wakeup call that something can be fast, sporty and be reliable.
NSX is gorgeous...
...fast, well handling and reliable. What's not to like? Just saw a nice early one fueling off the Almaden Expressway.
I would lose the Acura badges in favor of RoW Honda badging though.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Yes, the 348 was pretty bad in many respects...and Honda had a great one right out of the box, Ferrari's response was the 355. Ferrari got the fast and sporty part figured out. The "reliable" wasn't really addressed until the 360 and really good with the F430 and on...
But the noise, Ferrari aways has the noise and sensations down pat.
The 348 had some suspension issues that made them a handle at the limit. Something about snap oversteer. The early 360's had suspension geometry issues that caused problems in the wet but was fixed later on. The 348, and 355 were supposedly according to a couple of Ferrari techs the last of the "home mechanic " that could do alot of repairs without a ton of specialty tools.
I bought a really nice 944 with a bad clutch in the mid 90's for just over 2K. It was a beautiful dark maroon with tan leather interior. I pulled the clutch and ordered the parts and jacked it up in the air on 4 jack stands. I had to pull the rear transmission and shift assembly and torque tube and sensor on the flywheel and finally I got to the bell housing. beautiful engineering on everything. Pulled the starter too. I was trying every angle to get the bell housing out and had just given up working for the day when I crawled out. I had just gotten out and picked up my coffee cup when I heard a loud noise. The bell housing had fallen out on the garage floor by itself. Wife wondered why I was mad cause I explained to her that now I didn't see how it needed to go back. I bought this car cheap because the Porsche garage in Nashville quoted him an awful price to fix it. His response was to just dump it. I got it all repaired and had to replace front struts and motor mounts and tires. It drove wonderfully and even got the AC working again. Drove it for a couple years and sold it to another guy for more than double what I paid but he got a good reliable car. The original clutch had a hard rubber center and that had fallen apart due to age and maybe some abuse.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
348 was corrected by widening the track for the rear wheel offsets on the final year or two of production (more understeer). I was speaking of 348 issues with the HVAC and internal timing chain (it also has an external timing belt) Never heard of any problems or updates to the 360 suspension.
As far as diy, it really depends on how far you want to dig in, and what your skill level is. Doing a major service on a 355 requires a lift, and trying to time the engine (need a degree wheel) and synchronize all 8 throttle bodies on the intake manifolds requires a manometer. Even on a 360 or 430 the tools, both for reading the computers and technical tools are readily available to even the DIYer, if you possess the skills. I'm a hack and can do simple parts swaps, but I have friends that do tons of work on their 430s, F12, etc. Complete suspension changes, complete brake upgrades, clutch chanages...exhaust manifold upgrades.
Below are pictures of timing a 355 after changing the timing belts and tensioners, with degree on the crank. Then synchronizing the throttle bodies after engine is back in the car a couple days later. You can see the manometer next to the car.
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I was at the launch of the 991, the event at our local dealership. We got a tour of the service area and it was so clean one could eat off of the floor. Also interesting was that there were several 997's with the engines removed. Kinda hinted to me why at the indie garage that I took my Maxima to, there were cars generationally as new as 997's being serviced there (9 years ago). I remember my kid was little and the owner didn't appreciate him in the shop.
Who knows, maybe Porsche in 2024, is similar to my experience on the 951, where even though it has a full warranty, they somehow exclude things. Why would anyone bring a car under warranty to an indie garage is what I'm thinking. On my car I f'd up a front caliper (genius 19 y.o. used a screwdriver to push the pistons back in) and back then, it was $800 for me to get the part and DIY the replacement. That has to be less today. Because that's $2,200 in 2024 dollars. wth let's check
It is considerably cheaper in 2024. A front brake caliper is $1226 list, and sold all over the web for $929. One could argue in the old days, one had to be wealthy to own a Porsche. There wasn't financing like there is today. Heck even a BMW owner was likely well to do in the old days.
Converted to 2024 dollars, my car was $91,800, and I paid cash. What a strange life I've lead when I look back.
last thing I noticed just now, FCP is considerably more expensive than everyone else on this caliper, it illustrates the "lifetime" warranty isn't free. What are the chances that one installs a brand new OE caliper, and is ever going to need another?
Who knows, maybe Porsche in 2024, is similar to my experience on the 951, where even though it has a full warranty, they somehow exclude things. Why would anyone bring a car under warranty to an indie garage is what I'm thinking. On my car I f'd up a front caliper (genius 19 y.o. used a screwdriver to push the pistons back in) and back then, it was $800 for me to get the part and DIY the replacement. That has to be less today. Because that's $2,200 in 2024 dollars. wth let's check
It is considerably cheaper in 2024. A front brake caliper is $1226 list, and sold all over the web for $929. One could argue in the old days, one had to be wealthy to own a Porsche. There wasn't financing like there is today. Heck even a BMW owner was likely well to do in the old days.
Converted to 2024 dollars, my car was $91,800, and I paid cash. What a strange life I've lead when I look back.
last thing I noticed just now, FCP is considerably more expensive than everyone else on this caliper, it illustrates the "lifetime" warranty isn't free. What are the chances that one installs a brand new OE caliper, and is ever going to need another?
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