Yummybud924

Hi, I bought a 85.5 944 which the guy says that the timing belt was done but I did not see any receipts so I'm going to have it replaced to be safe. I want the full front engine service done so I don't have to worry for a long time, water pump, timing belt,all belts, rollers, all front engine oil seals.

I know about weissach in vancouver I'm sure they'll do a really good job but I'm afraid they'll charge way to much.

What other choices do I have, someone told me that Scan auto is bad and I shouldn't use them.

also for the full front engine service what will this cost? shouldn't cost more than 2000 cdn right? I'm not sure how many hours labour it would be.

Also those timing belt kits for 190 bucks on ebay, belts/ rollers excluding Ac belt / alternator / powersteering belt. 80 bucks for oil seals. and about 250 bucks I think on paragon for a new water pump so in total it will be 600-700 cdn in pats including shipping. I though I should buy the parts and have a shop do the installation (if the shop allows you to bring your own parts).

Yummybud924

I live in Richmond BC if anyone knows of any good shop in my city (I doubt there is a porsche shop that would be nice.

Other than that, I'm basicly looking for the cheapest price but I want it done properly

I have a card from Edelweiss Auto Repairs, in Surrey BC, says they do repairs on VW, Porsche, audi, mercedes, they have a pic of a 924 turbo on their card.

theedge

Scan Auto is great. Havent heard a bad thing about them and theyre always busy (so that could be a knock against them, but shops that are busy are usually busy for a reason). Call them up and talk to James (the parts/counter guy). Theyre all straight shooters and great to deal with. I highly recommend Scan.

Yummybud924

this guy told me that they set his engine on fire by forgetting to tighten his fuel lines or something (porsche 928) and then lied about it happening. He told me to stay away from Scan. Maybe it's just one bad experience.

do they have the proper porsche tensioning tool. do you know how much they charge for the full front engine service?

thanks.

theedge

Never heard of that happening. Yes they have the 9201. Cant remember the prices, $1800-2k rings a bell but dont quote me.

Yummybud924

I guess I'll go get a quote from weissach and scan, I don't think weissach would cost more than 1800-2000 and it's closer.

thanks.

theedge

Weissach is typically more expensive. Thats one of the reasons that Scan is busy.

Friendan

Welcome to Rennlist.

I had the exact same service done at Scan on my car about 3 years ago, and the operation was about $1600 if I recall correctly. I don't know who told you Scan was bad, I've taken both of my 944's there over the years and they've been great. Very knowledgeable and good guys. You should consider them.

But I warn you, 944 ownership can be expensive, and you should expect bills of that size from time to time.

Yummybud924

I know it's expensive. Just hope my headgasket doesn't go after the front engine service. I bought a 85.5 944 with 241,000 kms on it guy claims the clutch was done one year ago, no receipts , and says that the belt was also changed.

should I be concerned about the headgasket with this milliage? I did not get a ppi before buying my 944, paid $4100 for it which is cheap here but it looks like it is in very good condition and it is getting repainted right now, the guy says that it was keyed and insurance is repainting it. I was suspicious that it might have been crashed, the hood on one side is sticking out a tiny bit, he says needs allignment. I did a carfax on the car but it didn't show up any accidents that were reported.

other than that the car looks really clean and nice. hopefully the clutch was changed like he says because with that milliage the orignal clutch won't last much longer.


$ 1600 sounds like a good price, I guess I'll give Scan a try.

jcb928

Scan is GREAT for service but they will not let you supply your own parts, That is the only negative about them.

Rich Sandor

Take it to SCAN (North Van) or Euro Otto Sport (Burnaby). Weissach IS closer, but you will pay more for the same service. I live a few blocks from Weissach, so I use them a lot. If I lived in North Van, I would use SCAN exclusively. (Scan is also our local PCA AutoX sponsor!) Otto is also very experienced with 944's and VW's so feel free to check him out too.

All these guys are Porsche experts with lots of 944 experience. They will now how to fix any problem before you even finish telling them what the problem is. I would happily recommend any of them. If you go to a shop that rarely sees 944s, they might not know the right way to fix things, and they won't be familiar with the common problems that our cars have.

It doesn't matter what shop you take your car to - all mechanics are human and make mistakes. I've heard stories from pissed off customers from EVERY SINGLE Porsche shop in Vancouver.

todzilla

Rich (above) is crazy - pay no attention to him...he speaks the untruth.....




Otto Eurosport is in Port Coquitlam, not Burnaby

Seriously, I've had my 944 (3rd in 5 years) and have used both Otto and Scan for service and both shops are straight shooters and very knowledgable when it comes to servicing 944s...or any Porsche. Otto's a little cheaper per hour but quite a drive from Richmond. He's very personable and easy to deal with.

Scan (James) is a little more 'professional' and sorta splits the middle between Otto and Weissach but there work has yet to let me down. Their rate is slightly higher but less than Weissach at $110 per hour!

Either shop will serve you well, and - as Rich said - there are always gonna be horror stories when it comes to auto service. Good luck and enjoy your car (you will!!)

Todd

Yummybud924

thanks, this is my first 944 I'm planning on making it my daily driver so hopefully it will be failry reliable. I will be using the car to go to school (SFU) in the winter so hopefully it won't screw me over (this will be my only car). I've wanted a 944 for like 3 years now so I'm pretty excited.

All this timing belt talk is making me really worried. I'm wondering without a receipt of the timing belt being done and not knowing if it was tensioned properly, do you think it would be a good idea for me to drive the car from Richmond to North Van or should I get it towed...

I'm actually receiving the car this week after it get's finished with the painting. After reading all the timing belt horror stories for so long I'm going to be too scared to start the car. The guy says that the timing belt and rollers were changed by some shop but he did not provide me with any receipts.

Friendan

If you have any doubts in your mind, you should have the belts done. That guy is a dumbass for not having receipts, because all you have to go on is his word. Just think of the peace of mind you'll have once it's done. You should be able to tell more or less how the clutch is, if you haven't had any issues with it, like slipping when putting it to gears at high revs, then it should be fine.

It's true, I was disappointed when I tried to bring my own parts to Scan and they wouldn't use them, which would obviously save money, but they have a point when you think about it: not only do they make a bit more money selling you parts, but more importantly, they can truely guarantee their work if they know where the parts come from. They need to cover their ***. Sure you can find cheap timing belt kits on ebay, but who knows how long they've been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse.

My mother lives in Richmond and still takes her Audi to Scan because she knows I trust them, and they know German cars very well. I live in West Van so Scan is also the obvious choice for me.

Yummybud924

so do you think I should just drive it there or should I get it towed. I've heard of peoples belts breaking or skipping while idling so I'm getting scared.

yes, exactly without receipts to prove it, I can't rely on his word, not like he'll care what happens to the car after I buy it.

He says he has some receipts. When I asked him if he has receipts for the belts he told me "why don't you believe me?". haha I didn't want to say anything to **** him off. I believe him about the belts because when I phoned to ask about the car he told me himself that the belts and rollers were done, didn't mention the water pump.

I'll ask him to try and find his receipts when he brings me the car after the paintjob....