kwoodwo

I just purchased a 2002 slate gray 996 turbo with 28,000 miles. I dreamed about a 911 turbo since I was 4 years old and finally took the plunge into the porsche world. So far I have been nothing but impressed.

I bought the car from a Lexus dealership in Dallas that did not provide any records or the past owner so I have no way of knowing maintenance history. Normally this is a huge no no for me but after the PPI at RAC in Dallas came back clean I decided it was worth the risk.

I knew about the 30k maintenance before I purchased the car and figured that the previous owner probably traded it in before doing the service. With that said, the clutch just went out on my e36 m3 and would prefer to avoid spending several thousand all at the same time unless its unavoidable. Is there a way to know if this service has already been done before I go and spend $1300 doing a job that may have just been done a couple of months ago? If not then I will go ahead and do it because I would rather be on top of everything.

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

rmc1148

I would say no way of knowing but you can do the work yourself and save big time. Do search for diy here and 6spd. If you can get the name/address of pervious owner give him a call or write a short note asking about maintenance.

rmc1148

Wanted to add have the vin ran at Porsche dealer they may find some service records and also carfax sometimes shows services.

kwoodwo

Thanks for your response. Ive already called the porsche dealership that was listed on CarFax but the last time it was serviced there was several years ago. So I am assuming the guy used an indy shop.

Unfortunately I do not have the space to do a DIY job at this time. I am in a rental due to a move that is about to come up.


I think a better question may be: is there a way to track down the previous owner?

"02996ttx50

absent service records i suppose you'd have to look at em. they should be beru 5's. if they're not or one step colder ( 6's ) then they've been swapped. i would change them for sure but empathize with anyone that has to go to a dealer or whomever to do simple maintenance on the car. i just changed my plugs and oil in my driveway for a cpl hundred bucks and some beer.

but if i were you and had just purchased a new to you but 12 yr old car? ( yes, welcome to the *early* 21st century lol ) i would swap out all fluids/filters and easily and inexpensively replaced maintenance items. for both peace of mind, as well as establishing a baseline for you and the car. you don't know if that trans oil has been sitting for 12 years. yuck. i would do the full 90k on 'er. but thats just me. it ( the 90k service protocol ) isn't mileage dependent so much as it is; after 12 years of who knows what kind of driving/sitting, the fluids need refreshing. do all that, and it'll serve you well. but you already owe it this lol

enjoy the car... and keep a war chest

PAULUNM

^^ I agree. When in doubt- swap them out. Search my posts for 30k maint items I did a couple of years ago. Did coils, plugs, some coolant hoses, diverter valves, 710N valves, trans/diff fluid, cam actuator brackets, a few other items.

Congrats on the purchase- slate grey is stunning.

kwoodwo

thanks guys. I will just get them done. I agree that it's a wise idea to catch up on the unknown service history. I had the oil changed the same day I bought it and did a brake flush. I will check out your posts that you mentioned and get on top of those as well.

I have owned several high performance cars in the past and done minor maintenance myself but this is my first porsche so I am a bit hesitant to just dive in. Considering that and the limited space, I am going to let an indy shop here in town handle this one.

Thanks for the compliment regarding the slate gray. I knew immediately when I saw it that this was the car for me.

rmc1148

I would assume the dealer would not give you the previous owners info so other then maybe past tag renewal records not sure how. Post more info pictures here and on 6spd someone may recognize car.

stilov

Any chance you live in the Dfw area?

kwoodwo

pictures below.

kwoodwo

I'd say it matches my truck pretty well! Very close to the same color. I mentioned it was purchased in Dallas. The salesman said it was a local trade in so the PO is from the DFW area. If anyone can help in this search I would appreciate it greatly. I was able to track down the PO of the m3 and obtained every service record down to tire rotations from 1995 to recent. Hopefully I can do the same with the turbo.

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stilov

I was asking if you live near me and I could possibly help you out changing plugs


I don't know many of the local guys.

kwoodwo

Stilov, thanks for the offer. I actually live in Houston but I bought it in Dallas. Thanks again.

stilov

I see. You need to friend 4080, whereitsat, blackhorse and Paulie over on 6speed. They all get together and drive/work their cars.

Houston scene is big.

neanicu

Change oil/oil filter,air filter and cabin filter. Check condition of the drive belt while the air box is out to change the air filter. Make sure no cracks,rubbing etc.
Don't bother with the plugs at 28K. I've changed mine at 24K,a total waste of time,they were brand new. Luckily I did it myself so I didn't pay labor,just parts. If your car lived in a dry,warm climate,there's no chance of plugs seizing inside the block either-a total fairy tale the Porsche dealership uses to get you to do a so called " major service " at 30K.
I believe the original plugs can last 100K if certain conditions are met.