Service 3 and 6 year worth it?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 6,215
Likes: 3,542
From: New Orleans, LA (NOLA)
To the OP: Just because your car is running fine doesn't mean that everything is ok. This is preventative maintenance. Emphasis on "preventative".
It appears that your car has not been maintained properly in accordance with the maintenance schedule. I would do a complete audit and do ALL the recommended maintenance.
It appears that your car has not been maintained properly in accordance with the maintenance schedule. I would do a complete audit and do ALL the recommended maintenance.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 308
From: Northern NJ
There will always be arguments to be made here but Porsche's time based model is somewhat driven by revenue as well as they are figuring for worst case conditions.
If your car is driven a couple thousand miles a year, never sees bad weather, and is stored in a dehumidified heated garage, the lifespan of fluids and consumables will be different.
It would be impossible for Porsche as an enterprise to make those decisions on a case by case basis. An independent shop however can make those recommendations.
On one hand, extra service is not a bad thing. On the other hand, taking a car apart for needless service can cause wear and tear etc. Dealer techs are not always gentle and break clips, fasteners, etc.
One example. Our Porsche 944 originally wanted the timing and balance shaft belts replaced every 30K miles or 4 years. This guidance has been changed a bunch of times especially as belt technology has improved. My 944 has 38K miles and is 38 years old (original owner car). Do you think we have replaced the belts 9 times? They are checked regularly etc and have been replaced 3 or 4 times over years. Half of those times have been because other work was being performed.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,450
Likes: 726
From: arizona
the plugs had little bits of rust on the washers. this is in the arizona desert.
here are the pics from when we did it in 2019. going to have to do a major service again in a year or two.
Last edited by jfischet; Jul 5, 2023 at 03:25 PM.
Race Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,079
Likes: 262
From: SF, CA
Brought my '17 with 10K miles on it in for the annual oil change recently. Dealer quoted me $5,400 for the 6-year service (minus a few bucks since I flushed the brake fluid last year). I laughed in his face. I'll likely get it done next year by an indy for substantially less.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,102
Likes: 1,969
From: Pasadena, CA
On one hand, if it is an oil change, the Porsche engineers have no clue what they’re telling you, don’t wait 10k miles to change oil, change it every 3k miles! On the other hand, they also don’t know about spark plugs, because my Camry goes 120k miles between plug changes, must be the same for my Porsche! Please, will someone agree and validate my world view, I’ll be ignoring all other comments as obviously I already ignore the experts who build the thing.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 585
Likes: 236
From: AR USA.
This late, if possible find a good independent. And if you’re going to use the dealer join PCA and get 10% off (at least at the dealers I’ve been to).
Yes, to as mentioned, to the OP, RTFM
Yes, to as mentioned, to the OP, RTFM
Last edited by regajohn; Jul 5, 2023 at 10:39 PM.
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,708
Likes: 628
I have a theory that the PDCC bottle filter causes the mount failures because the filter is actually built into the bottle. I would change ti every 6 years in line with the maintenance schedule. Plugs and coils I would also do every 6 years.
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1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Amazing that over 900K Ford F150's are sold each year, 350K Tundras, ???? Silverados and they require 100K mile plug change, yet Porsche requires plugs every 3 years. What am I missing?? Why don't other plugs seize? At best you have a 75% chance of the dealer doing all the work you paid for, at worst they screw something up doing the "maintenance". Does anyone know of another vehicle on the planet that requires 3 year plug changes. I have witnessed one serpentine belt fail in my lifetime. it was a 2008 Suburban with 195K miles and was 13 years old. Yet Porsche last 6 years or 60K miles??? Either Porsche isn't staying current with technology or they found a honey hole to get $$$$$. At worst please take to Indy shop, patronizing Porshe with these ridiculously low maintenance intervals just encourages Porsche to continue.
What kind of seat track maintenance does Porsche require. Obviously missed on mine as it has slop. It's irrelevant if the car is 100K, 500K, belt, oil, spark plugs don't know what anything cost or what. they are going into. Insanity
What kind of seat track maintenance does Porsche require. Obviously missed on mine as it has slop. It's irrelevant if the car is 100K, 500K, belt, oil, spark plugs don't know what anything cost or what. they are going into. Insanity
May want to read up on plugs in ford trucks they either come out on thier own while driving or in pieces with special tools!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 764
Likes: 311
From: Zzz
A mechanic at a local indy shop here in LV that is very well reputed on this forum and elsewhere says the 4 year spark plug change is not strictly necessary and likely a money grab for Porsche dealers. He said the fluid frequency is overkill as well. I had my transmission fluid and coolant changed at 10 years and he told me it really wasn't necessary. I did it anyway as I didn't like the thought of old fluids circulating in my car.. He did recommend leaving my plugs alone after 4 years (car had done less than 10k miles), saying that every time they are changed there is risk of damage to the head and coil packs...plus the car had no misfires. He did recommend belt changes as rubber doesn't last long in NV.
N
N
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 4,196
Likes: 1,044
From: Dickson, TN
I made some slight updates and corrected some errors.
- (10K/1YR) Oil and Filter Change - (I do 5K)
- (20K) HVAC Filters - Pre-Filter and Particle Filter (I do this yearly after the pollen season)
- (2YR) Brake Fluid Change
- (40K/4YR) Spark Plugs (991.1)
- (30K/4YR) Spark Plugs (991.2)
- (40K) Air Filter
- (60K/6YR) All-Wheel Drive Controller Oil Change
- (60K/6YR) Drive Belt Replacement
- (60K/6YR) PDCC Bottle Replacement
- (120K/12YR) All-wheel Final Drive Oil Change
- (120K/12YR) PDK Transmission Change Clutch Oil
- (120K/12YR) PDK Transmission Change Oil
Last edited by CSK 911 C4S; Apr 22, 2025 at 08:40 AM.
AutoX
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 12
Likes: 2
From: Arizona
Have a 2017 991.2 C2 manual. It's mint with about 28K miles.
Back when I bought it a couple of years ago it had about 16k miles on it. Dealer told me it needed 3-year service, change plugs, etc. for $2200 (9 hours of labor).
Independent shop said no way just change the oil That's what I done.
Now that's it's closer to 30k miles I'm thinking get the big service done.
However the 3-year service is $2400 now and they also say I should get 6-year service which mainly is a couple more filters and changing the v-belt which I guess is the timing belt. Also 6-year includes all the 3-year service items.
Total for 6-year service is just over $3k (11 hours of labor).
It seems to run perfect. Sure I could just get the independent to look it over and change oil again.
Thoughts? Dealer is good overall, Leith in Raleigh NC. Never sold cars for over msrp which I give them a lot of credit for.
best, David
Back when I bought it a couple of years ago it had about 16k miles on it. Dealer told me it needed 3-year service, change plugs, etc. for $2200 (9 hours of labor).
Independent shop said no way just change the oil That's what I done.
Now that's it's closer to 30k miles I'm thinking get the big service done.
However the 3-year service is $2400 now and they also say I should get 6-year service which mainly is a couple more filters and changing the v-belt which I guess is the timing belt. Also 6-year includes all the 3-year service items.
Total for 6-year service is just over $3k (11 hours of labor).
It seems to run perfect. Sure I could just get the independent to look it over and change oil again.
Thoughts? Dealer is good overall, Leith in Raleigh NC. Never sold cars for over msrp which I give them a lot of credit for.
best, David