cvazquez

I did a search and could not find squat…

Will using a reputable independent Porsche mechanic to perform (Manufacturer Recommended Scheduled 15K, 20K, etc., Maintenance) void our warranty?


I plan to comply with the maintenance guidelines as indicated by the Owner’s Manual and Warranty – and avoid potential out-of-pocket repair costs that could result from missing an important scheduled service.

However, if an independent does the Recommended Schedule Maintenance, could the Porsche Dealership refuse to perform warrantable work if required?

I just like knowing my legal options…

Tone

Doesn't have to be Porsche dealer or even "independent Porsche mechanic".
You can do all services yourself as long as you complete the recommended items and schedules.
SAVE ALL DOCS AND RECEIPTS and Porsche will have to honor its warranty unless they can prove service was not done or done improperly.

JW911

Ditto. There are many who believe that they must pay silly dollars to the dealer for service. Absolutely not true. I changed my brake fluid and my oil myself. Saved hundreds of dollars. But most importantly enjoyed my hobby which is taking care of my Porsche.

Rolf Stumberger

Having gone thru an engine failure in my wifes Audi at ~ 64 k miles, 14 k past warranty ( due to oil sludge ) ,
I would like to offer some advice here:

Doing your own oil change is NOT legal proof that an oil change was done.
Regardless of what receipts you have (just because you bought some oil, does not PROVE you actually did the work )

The only thing which is accepted as PROOF is if you have a receipt from a shop regularly engaged in performing this work.
The receipt must clearly show the name of the shop, date, car, milage and type of service performed .

It does NOT have to be done by the Dealer ( Jiffy Lube is OK ) Lol

I change the oil in my Porsche every ~ 5 k miles myself.
But I will have the dealer change all the fluids when required by the manufacturer .
That way, there can be no question , should something ever happen.
For the additional $200 every other year , that's cheap insurance.

carlo$

all you need is oil change. i would def find a reputable local mech.

Tone

OK - then write your own receipt when you change the oil and note mileage, etc. Have you're wife/friend etc...be a witness that you did indeed change the oil and not just buy oil but not change it. Porsche will then need to prove you DIDN'T change the oil, which will be impossible.

The point here is you're in your own right to service your car via independant mechanic or on your own and maintain warranty coverage. You won't find any language in Porsche's warranty disqualifying this.

Regarding the Audi - sounds like it was out of warranty, by a fair amount...so not sure how this applies.
cheers

GR997S

These are $100,000 cars and we are too cheap to spend .50 cents a day to have the dealer do an oil change? What am I missing?........

MrBonus

That an oil change is a largely menial task that can be performed as easily by a $40/hour Jiffy Lube tech as a $150/hour Porsche trained mechanic.

carlo$

dont go to franchise places. find a good local ind mech. that is all you need. forget the dealers. unless is warranty work & you dont have to pay for it.

Chuck Jones

Actually, Rolf raises a good point. A receipt is nothing more than proof that you bought oil...it is not proof that you actually INSTALLED it or changed out the old oil. Although it may be reasonable to assume that Porsche or a dealership would honor a folder with a collection of receipts....the fact remains that it all comes down to proof. I agree with the posters who say that with the money we've paid for the cars, having an indy who doesn't charge $150 for an oil change is a good practice. I have a mechanic who really doesn't work on Porsches....but I always give him the Mobil 0-40 and pay him his half hour rate for the oil change and get the computer generated receipt that says "owner provided Mobil 0-40". My guy really only charges me $25...which is really under his hourly rate. Additionally, I don't have the issue of finding someplace to take the old oil. It's also a good time for me to meander under the car while it's on the lift and take a look around for oil leaks, rubber fittings, hoses etc.

mulepacker

These are $100,000 cars and we are too cheap to spend .50 cents a day to have the dealer do an oil change? What am I missing?........


Some of us remember owning a Porsche as a teenager when you needed to have mechanical skills just to keep it running.

At the time, owning a Porche was a hobby and some of use still enjoye the mechanical aspect of maintaining the vehicle.

GR997S

No issue at all. In fact I do mine still to this day. My point was inorder to keep the warranty in place, .50 cents a day (at least to me) is well worth it to bring it in to the dealer once a year...GR

Tone

I think my point is being misunderstood.
I'm pointing out that we have the OPTION to do our own service or use an indi mech and not confied to Porsche dealer. If you enjoy cars and doing the service why should you have to go to Porshce? -- Answer is, you don't & your warranty will be in tact as long as you show proof of service.

This is a principal issue - not money.
I'm assuming all who own a 997 can afford the service.

fwiw: I don't service my own cars - I go to the dealer since I like the one in my area.

cvazquez

I admit that performing mechanic work on my Porsche is very therapeutic for my son’s and me. We replaced the oil and break fluid with no issues whatsoever. Additionally, added the PSE, Short Shifter, Air-intake, and perform basic maintenance work saving us a couple of hundred dollars I much rather spend elsewhere (dinner, college fund, etc.) you get the point.

My mechanic is FANTASTIC and charges a reasonable rate for his talent. In addition, he treats my car with utmost care. For the 15K mile schedule maintenance the dealership is asking me to fork over $450.00 plus tax and supply fees $475.00. The same service by my Independent Master Porsche Mechanic is $180.00 the price already includes tax and supply fees. Okay, so lets do the math at a cost savings of let’s just say $295.00. My Independent documents ALL service performed, so I have records from a certified Porsche mech.

If I take a good screw, it’s because I am in the mood.

ChipAZ

For a lot of people working on their Porsche is just as much a satisfying experience as driving them. Look at the pictures on this board of the individual shops with lifts. I don't go through owning these cars expecting catastrophic engine failure and then having the dealer renege on the warranty. If that happens I will deal with it then. I just enjoy my car,