dcbailey

Save some money on the basic stuff by doing it yourself. Oil, filters, brakes are easy. I started off 10 years ago with little automotive knowledge, but learned to do it for practical and economic reasons. Now I'm considering rebuilding the engine on my 964 (father and son thing). As far as the TT, for me it wasn't an analytical exercise, it was a raw power thing and a good opportunity to pick up a car with very low mileage. You certainly want to avoid a car with issues, but these cars are not that cheap to own in any case. If you think too much about the cost of maintenance, perhaps you are not ready. My 2 cents.

Dock

^This.

rmc1148

^Agree costs of upkeep vary and there isn't really any way of knowing what may go wrong on a car this complicated. If he wants to know specific costs look at factory maintenance schedule and call around for prices in his area.

Pel

I think the OP's heart is in right place, maintenance is subjective to many things, I think Macster gave a pretty good run down, everyone here could give their own lists, many lists will look similar, but at different intervals, mileage and also their time owning the car. Basically the data you end up collecting will probably not give an accurate ownership picture.

Speaking to the mechanic you intend to have look after your car could give a good perspective, if you have your eye on a specific 996tt have him check it out, you will then get items for immediate attention (possibly), non urgent/wishlist items (coolant pipes), and an idea of scheduled maintenance.

Not meaning to sound condescending or shoot your idea down, everyone is using their gear differently.

Good luck

Olemiss540

OP,

In the short time I have owned the 996tt, I have started to realize that these cars are treated differently by their owners than most others. Having come from (and still owning) the BMW world, this question would most certainly get a multitude of responses and spreadsheets detailing out individual maintenance issues that are widely spread throughout all year models.

The answers you are getting are in part due to the reliability of the 996tt, IMO. One person has an oil leak, one may have a coolant expansion tank blow, and another might replace the clutch accumulator, but almost none do this work as preventative maintenance. The dealers act as though you are being disrespectful to the brand if you ask about a maintenance schedule of items prone to failure. "Prone to failure? This is a Porsche! Now get out of my dealership". Go into a BMW dealer and ask the same questions: "Entire coolant system should be replaced at 60K mile intervals, 80K mile intervals for all suspension bushings/mounts/shocks, valve cover gaskets at 60k, oil filter housing gaskets at 60k, etc, etc."

It also might stem from the fact that preventative maintenance is a bit tougher due to the location of the engine, whereas a coolant expansion tank on my e36 m3 is a 20 min job!

Macster

Agree.

One can estimate the number of miles he believes he'll drive the car per year and from this make a reasonable estimate of scheduled services like oil/filter, plugs, tires, etc., but one can't know what other things will need attention.

Maybe nothing. But maybe any number of items.

All one can do is find a good car and avoid overpaying for it then drive it, service it when services are due on time or miles and be prepared to deal with any issues as they come up. If they don't come up? Bonus!

khiroshima

Gotta agree with this, as well as suggesting a step back. Maybe the question to ask is if a $4k clutch job makes you queesy . . . Do I want to pay that much? Nope. When it needed a clutch, did I do it without blinking? Yep.

I do appreciate someone trying to understand what they are getting into (ie an F-car), but the search button is remarkably helpful for this research as well. A turbo is not for the faint of heart, but that being said, I find it amazingly reliable and satisfying, I don't think about the cost of maintenance at all. I just know it's going to be more than any of my Japanese cars. She pays back though . . . BIG time-- KH

khiroshima

I like this post . . . The reality is that except for a few models, BMWs are meant to be driven every day and the idea of maintenance is well understood. When we are (I have a 2002) 13 years after a car's birth and it is not at all unusual to find a 996 TT with

khiroshima

Tried multiple times, not sure why my post is being truncated . . .

I like this post . . . The reality is that except for a few models, BMWs are meant to be driven every day and the idea of maintenance is well understood. When we are (I have a 2002) 13 years after a car's birth, it is not at all unusual to find a 996 TT with

Turbodan

brakes and oil are cheap and easily diy items. coil packs and plugs run around 500 and can be diy and coils fail often. maf also sometimes fails approx 200 from amazon.
most other things are between 1-2k.
clutch accumulator and slave are common failures
coolant pipe failure happens (don;t know the frequency)
be sure to get a ppi to identify any issues before you buy.
the engines and transmissions are expensive to repair on these cars.
I think clutch is less than 4k (unless done at the dealer).
buy one that has been taken care of. enjoy.

pnamueller

I have a 2001 TT with 47k on it. I have owned it for going on 4 years now. It had 24k when I bought it. I had owned a 944 turbo in my much younger past and completely ran it into the ground because I didn't understand what maintenance was. I'm not talking just oil changes but also not being proactive on the cooling system and belts. When I sold it it was not running anymore because of my ignorance. I told myself when I buy my next hi-po car I would have a budget for proactive maintenance and not skimp on anything.

On my 996 I do 5k miles or less oil changes. I order filters rings and gaskets from Pelican and get my M1 TDT oil from Walmart. Cost about $100 for parts and I do it myself. I had the clutch/slave accumulator fixed last year from a local shop for $1200. I heard that it usuAlly lasts about 4 years so we will see. I also changed the front rotors and pads myself. Stock pads and rotors ran about $600 for the fronts and I did it myself. Really easy job. Just don't cross thread the caliper bolts or it will be expensive. The last 3 years I have put new pads on roughly every 10k miles because I did around 5 DE a year. Pads are a quick swap out. I also go through a set of rear tires every 12k miles. Sounds crazy but there are 5 or so DE on those tires so all in all not bad wear. I find that I am changing the rears twice for every front tire. I also changed my coolant, brake fluid, and trans fluid every year whether it needed it or not. I was more vigilant on those because of the DE I was doing.

My rule of thumb is I have $5k tucked around somewhere for wearable items and be proactive on fluid changes like coolant and brake fluid. I think Macster got 20k miles on his rears because he does a lot of highway driving. I tend to do more mountain pass and twisty road driving.

It makes me laugh when people worry about the little things like the gas mileage, gas prices, and cost of maintenance. You are buying one of the best performance cars of its time. Maintain it to a high standard and it will give you lots of quality miles. Just ask T2. I think he is over 500k miles or something like that.

"02996ttx50

i agree with and follow a similarly proactive course of maintenance, but serious comparison shopping on parts ( its like a sport to me ) since i also perform the bulk of my week in week out maintenance ( which is probably responsible for how perfectly fast and reliable my car @130k miles is ) at home or on a borrowed lift when possible ( i avoid SHOPS like the plague if possible! ) so i wanted to point out that while i agree with your maint schedule and agree that t2's car is the benchmark for many of us! as i plan on having mine hit 500k also, but back on brakes! i paid 600(?) for all four corners rotors and pads!

(2) ate coated rotors ( same as oem ) @ 80 per and textar pads @ 87 per set l/r. $245 total plus i often get free shipping from pelican! but i am certain i did front and rears for 600 tops incl tax! while is great to be able to diy and saves a fortune rather than being at the mercy of shop ( who mark up EVERYthing minimum 10%! let alone a DEALERSHIP who engage in some twisted combo of robbery/buggery, but that said..

you're right again! keep a war chest aside no matter how you get stuff done. these ten+ year old cars will eat up a "regular" maintenance budget regularly!