thedude abides

So I am aware that Porsche recommends changing the plugs in a 981 at 4 years or 40,000 miles.

My 2013 Boxster S has 18,000 miles on it (I'm the third owner, car has very good maintenance records). Car runs great at idle and no hesitation or surging with acceleration.

Should my plugs be changed on time (7 years) alone? Just wondering what others have done.

Cheers.

venom51

Yes but not becasue they are worn and causing poor running conditions. Now it's about making sure they don't seize in the cylinder head.

thedude abides

Good to know! I definitely don't want that to happen.

Just so I understand, is this more apt to happen on Pcars than on other cars? Only reason I ask is because on most vehicles, 18,000 miles would be pretty early for plugs.

Also, how do old plugs cause the cylinder head to seize--by breaking off due to age? Thanks.

venom51

No..it can happen on anything with an aluminum cylinder head. However the average Ford pickup sees 100,000 miles before it's 5th birthday. Not the case with most Porsches.

thedude abides

Interesting, ok. Would it be wise to also change the coil packs along with the plugs or only change the packs if they are bad?

venom51

No need to change the coils unless there is a problem. Some folks do it as a feel good or a since I'm under it kind of thing.

thedude abides

Got it. Thanks, I’ll change out the plugs!

okie981

If you plan to track your car more than a couple of track days, change the coil packs and add the OEM heat shields from the 911. Suncoast Porsche has the heat shields listed in a kit on the 981 parts section for about $100.

thedude abides

I may or may not track it but this doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Thanks!

Kitc2246

I track my 2013 Boxster S and carry two coil packs with me as insurance. I took okie's suggestion and had the heat shields added to protect the coil packs from track heat.

toma nova

I just changed plugs and coils on my 2013 BS this weekend. Pretty straight-forward, look for posts here or Planet-9 for details. You'll need small hands to get the connectors off and all the extensions and u-joints you have for your socket set to reach the plugs. Take the wheels off and remove the front fender liners. Plugs were fine, couple were tough to break free but came out ok, old coils looked fine but new are cheap insurance. FCP Euro has a kit of plugs, coils, and dielectric grease.

thedude abides

Thanks for the tips. How many miles on your car before changing the plugs?

toma nova

Just turned 40k, that was my trigger.

thedude abides

Got it. Reason I ask is because my 2013 BS has 18k miles on it and I’m getting mixed advise on whether to change them now (due to the age of the car) or wait until 40k (based on mileage). So I’m a bit confused at this point. Some things I read indicate plugs are more of a “wear” item more than they are a “time” problem. Sounds like you waited based on mileage.

toma nova

I suggest you change them based on time. My 2013 is an early build, actually built in 2012, so the plugs were in 8 years. None were seized but two were a bit tougher than I would have liked.

It is cheap insurance to know that they’re good for another 6-8 years. You can do coils for the same reason since you’re in there.