Peter 642

Curious if the "general consensus" for the non-DIY'er is "avoid the Dealer's Shop like the Black Plague;" more of a, "depends on your dealer/shop/mechanic;" or, "what's a non-DIY'er?"

The obvious answer is, "depends," so I'm curious after seeing the post on oil changes in Texas, if there are those who routinely go to the dealer to service their car, if they're not doing it themselves? I ask because I have a non-CPO warranty and as a result my bought-at-the-dealer car "wants" to go back to the dealer for service (although I'm not sure that's mandatory).

redridge

Non warranty/CPO.... generally your local trusted Porsche indie is cheaper and are just as or more capable than your a dealer. Most here will deal with a reputable indie.

rpm's S2

Dealers are a mixed bag. It really comes down to the quality of the service department and their familiarity with a platform that is now at least seven years old. Personnel turnover is usually higher at dealer shops than smaller independents. Hourly rate is usually not that different from a good independent, but some dealers will absolutely hose you on parts prices.

Best advice: get specific recommendations from the local PCA guys about your local dealer.

TRT41

John Gladwill at Boardwalk Porsche in Dallas is the best of the best. Great guy, one of the best racers in the country, as has saved many from wasting money on needless repairs and mods.

DaveSpeed

I used an local Indy last year, but his prices were the same or higher than the dealer and the actual dealer is closer to my house, better hours, and the dealer has been fair in the past.

Depends on what your having done also, but the local dealer is doing my IMS upgrade tomorrow.

It seems to me most of the indy's like to work on air cooled cars.

DaveSpeed

BTW the indy I want to last year I believe is at a higher level than the dealer. He knew the car inside and out and if I had a problem I'm sure he could figure it out. The problem is not his ability as much as location, hours of operation and cost = or > than the dealer.

chsu74

Define prices. Prices per hour? If so, do they charge the same number of hours for the same job. I find Indys charge lower hours for the work. Net may still be cheaper for the job so you need to do your homework. Indys also give cash discounts so that saves you money.

fpena944

I thought dealers would only install genuine Porsche parts or parts directly offered from Porsche?

Macster

Not my consenous.

I prefer using my local dealer or sometimes when convenient a more distant dealer (several in fact).

I tried a highly recommended indy but he was not not much cheaper than the dealer and insisted on using the wrong and the same oil for every car (cause he buys it in bulk). When I protested and wanted him to use the right oil and offered to supply it he said 'no', he said he needed the profit from the oil and other fluids and tires, etc. (He refused to let me drop ship tires to his shop for installation.)

I'm sure he pays his mechanics the ungodly high hourly rate he charged me for their time and lives off the profits he makes from the fluids and tires he sells.

Another indy came recommended to me. I never used it but was in a business that deals in a large volume of parts salvaged from Porsches. I got to talking to the counter guy about things and somehow the subject of this indy shop came up. The counter guy said he used to sell alot of used/salvaged parts to this shop but sales to this shop had dropped off quite a bit. My impression was the shop used used/salvaged parts instead of new parts but I admit I never bothered to use this shop to find out though.

My local dealer -- and the more distant dealers I use -- give me good service, use the right parts, and the techs follow the proper repair steps. In some cases the service manager will give me a discount the labor charge (and I get a discount on parts) on some work as an expression of goodwill. I trust the mechanics and almost always follow their advice. They are not above taking the time to go over things with me until I am comfortable with their thinking.

The one dealer I use most often is near where I live (a mile or so away) and provides me with good shuttle service so I can get home and get in my other car and not lose any time out of my busy schedule. I work a bit over 30 miles away from where I live.

Or if I want to wait -- though I seldom do wait last time was last year in Sacramento when I waited for new tires to be installed -- the dealer has very comfortable waiting area with coffee/refreshments, WIFI and clean bathrooms. Some of the other places...ugh.

But to each his own. If you have an indy with which you are happy with stay with him.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Peter 642

Macster, that's it right there. My dealer will provide me with a "loaner" during the time it's in service. Hourly rate is likely to be a few bucks higher, and I don't yet have a mechanic, which is why I ask. I'm told that the chief mechanic there, a lifer, is good. In fact, there's a 356 Speedster that's serviced there, apparently, so he's likely very good. No reason to doubt the dealer, except, well, that seems to be the default.

Good to hear there are other opinions and that as always, "it depends."

mglobe

Plus a bazillion on John.

Dealers vary. I would never say avoid all dealers. The good ones have highly trained and experienced technicians who have access to tools that few indies have, and who while not cheap, are fair and honest. The bad ones, well you know.

Peter 642

I should add that my sense is that parts are going to be marked up higher at the dealer. I did my pumpkin delete (one and only mod, so far) at purchase, and paid dealer price. Interestingly, there were two sets of lights: one at $50 and one at $150. You can guess which one I "bought" although the salesperson tried his hardest, to his credit, to both get me the $50 version, and a strong discount, only to be told by parts, "nope, it's the expensive ones that fit." I've been given "permission" by service to buy and bring my own parts, then pay labor/repair.

DIY still beats anything. I need to get over the worry that I'm going to break something if I try to change the car. Also unsure how much I can tinker if my non-Porsche warranty is still good.