stefang

Looked at an '05 today 16k miles. Owner said he had one service done at 5k, probably about 3 years ago. No oil changes since. Obviously not great, but how bad is it really? My fear is there's no way to know...
Also, he put a hard top on it after he baught it and left it on, so the top's been folded for 4 years - how bad is that???
Car's a good price, but I don't have warm fuzzy because of this things.

mborkow

keep looking...

tinman

I drive my 06 very little, due to time constraints, (overworked)...so what's the general rule 1 oil change a year, every 2 years???? (em-bare-***-ed to say only 4000 miles on my car...)

arenared

Agree. There are too many used cars out there that are NOT neglected.

These cars are pretty reliable except for an occasional intermediate shaft (IMS) failure which essentially grenades the engine and thus is an expensive fix. There are a couple of engine rebuild places that are fanatic about preaching good oil changes as one mitigating factor. Convertible tops are also a "consumable" and are not supposed to be left opened. Seems the previous owner neglected what would be some of my hot-buttons. Makes you wonder if they waxed it regularly, took care of the leather, ever changed the brake fluid, left it out in the snow/salt, and whatever else.

Trust your not-so-warm fuzzy feelings...

stefang

tinman -the low mileage interval on my E46 M3 was one per year and I'd be comfortable with that. Check your owner's manual, I'd guess Porsche has an opinion about that.

arenared - no, the guy did nothing to it. It was garaged and had some garage dings. Asking $24k, but yeah I think I'll pass.

So the IMS problem is still in the 987s? I guess I'll keep looking at '02 996s then too.

fast1

Porsche recommends that minor maintenance be performed every 20K miles or every two years for 2005 Boxsters, whichever comes first. So an '05 with 16K miles would be due for a major maintenance which is required every 40K miles or four years, whichever comes first. Of course Dealers would love to service your car every year, but it's not required unless you reach the suggested mileage intervals. So there's nothing wrong with the maintenance on the '05, but you will be required to do the major maintenance, and that ain't cheap. Find out what the Dealer nears you charges for a major four year maintenance, and subtract that amount from the asking price of the car.

useridchallenged

I'm religious about hydraulic fluid changes (brake, clutch) every two years no matter what. Brake/Clutch fluid is hygroscopic, which means it naturally attracts water whether the car is used or not. That water can cause problems for the master and slave cylinders and leave you with some very expensive repairs.

An engine that's been sitting idle for a long time is also a problem unless it's been prepared for long-term storage so that things remain lubricated. It may be tempting, but I would move on.

vrusso

stefang,
was he negotiable on the price at all? if he is, and if he is a knowledgable porsche guy, i like the idea of asking him to deduct the upcoming major service (must include brake fluid swap).

arenared

To me, there is more to it than just a major service cost at stake. As noted, a car does need to be prepped for storage--even over winter. Corrosion in components (especially brakes) is not something you're going to be able to test/figure out either way.

You'll have to check on the official oil change intervals. I believe I read somewhere that Porsche went back to 15K (not 20K) as 20K was just too ridiculously long. Keep in mind, long service intervals have little to do about the durability of the car and more to do with marketing and satisfying EPA/tree hugger ideals. I always change my oil annually which is about 5K, and the oil is black enough to make me think I'd never take it past 7.5K. A lot also depends on how the car is driven. If you are really ****, you could get oil analysis done. There is some really interesting reading out there regarding the trend towards thinner oils, API SM reduced wear protection, low-friction compression rings/springs/etc. all to raise efficiency/reduce operating costs at the expense of durability.

With the above said, wearing out Porsche engines is not the problem. It's that they fail. But, still, repairs on Porsches are expensive, and it doesn't take much to negate any "savings" on what I would consider a neglected car.

arenared

Yes, but to a lesser degree as the IMS bearing is larger/improved. I'm not sure what year that happened, though. Seems like 2006. This website has a good discussion on IMS http://www.lnengineering.com/ims.html and also some good info on oil.

fast1

I always change my oil annually which is about 5K, and the oil is black enough to make me think I'd never take it past 7.5K.

If you checked your oil after a couple of months, chances are that it would be quite dark. It's a mistake however to assume that a dark oil necessarily means that the oil has diminished lubricating properties. The way modern detergent motor oil works is that minute particles of soot are suspended in the oil. These minute particles pose no danger to your engine, but they cause the oil to darken. A non-detergent oil would stay clearer than a detergent oil because all the soot would be left on the internal engine parts and would create sludge.

As a teenager I use to work in a gasoline station not too far away from an Ocean resort. The owner of the station encouraged us to use the gimmick of showing a dirty oil stick to people who were getting fillups in order to freighten them into getting an oil change. Back then checking oil level during a fillup was a routine "service". I'd estimate that 99.9% of the oil I checked was very dark, and maybe half of them consented to having their oil changed. Fortunately these oil changes didn't hurt engines, and who knows maybe some of the cars needed an oil change.

I bought my first Porsche in 1970, and I have always follwed their maintenace recommendations. What does Porsche have to gain by recommending an oil change interval that is longer than what would be prudent? Even base Boxsters sticker in the mid $50Ks, and I can't believe that Porsche would lose any sales by recommending that oil be changed annually. Bottom line is that Porsche has far more knowledge on this subject than most any of us, so I abide by their direction.

RonCT

It may be an absolutely perfect car for you. Let's say it had 1 oil change 2.5 years ago, that would only put it at 6 months over due. The car may have been babied otherwise. Not having the top up and down may not be a bad thing - it may be just like having a brand new top.

Here's a solution. Let him know your concerns and suggest that for the right price you will buy it but that it needs to be checked out fully. Work it through the dealer he purchased from where the car goes through them to obtain CPO. That way the car has all of the inspection and service required and you'll then know if it's pristine or has problems. An added 2 years and 50k miles is a nice bonus. CPO should cost no more than $2k (I know, I just got my CPO 05 in January).

I've seen so many "bad" cars that did not check out. Abused, yet represented as taken care of. They all had service done when needed, but the PPI showed the engine was abused, parts needed replacing, etc. If this car proves out, you may have a real gem.

stefang

Truly diametrically opposed views, but hey that's why we're here. I didn't know that you could just go and get the car CPO'd. Interesting option. I truly believe they guy is straight with me, the car is not abused, a bit neglected, yes, but apparently not as much as I thought.

RonCT

I've been a car enthusiast / track junkie for many years. I take care of my cars religiously with an oil change every year, brake fluid change every year, etc. When I went to find a used 05 Boxster S for the family to use as a "fun car" and for my kids to DE with, I probably researched 20 cars. For the most part, the ones that were "properly serviced" were no better than those that were "lightly used" but may not have had that brake fluid or oil change that was needed 6-12 months ago. Again, it all depends on the car and if it checks out and is still covered under warranty. As to CPO, it's not a given that you can get it done, but rather an option that many of us have utilized due to knowledge of the process and willingness of the seller and seller's dealer to cooperate. So in the case of this car if the price is right and the car is pristine and it all checks out through a dealer inspection / CPO (extending your warranty another 2 years), then maybe this is a good option. Another thing you can do as part of the inspection process is have an oil sample sent to Blackstone Labs if you are that concerned about the oil. I think I spent maybe $75 for an expedited analysis on one car a year ago (a 964) that I wasn't so sure about - and the analysis came back poorly so I didn't buy the car.

hikejohn

in my opinion...if oil and filter not done once or twice a year...regardless of time....run and hide...find another one....there are lots out there...if the owner doesn't understand value of fluid changes....just imagine what else might go south....