adcampo

It's time to get my first oil change. I'm not a DIY'er.

So I have two reputable Porsche specialist and the dealer with three different prices. Obviously, the dealer is most expensive at $299. Specialist #1 $285 #2 $120. All using synthetics.

Big difference. I like the $120 price, but don't want to sacrifice quality. Seems to low.

Should I ask what brands they use? Thought.

extanker

you havent tried jiffy lube yet ?

Ahsai

Your indy is fair and your dealer's quote is too high (but normal for dealers). Definitely ask the shop what brand and weight or oil they use. More importantly, ask the shop if they will inspect the filter element for debris.

adcampo

Good idea. I'll ask the Jiffy Lube tech.

KoB

Best price I've seen on a Porsche approved oil is Mobil 1 at Walmart ... About $47 for two 5 quart jugs. Last I looked, filters were ~11 bucks on Amazon. So it sounds like your indy is giving you the oil and filter at a good price and not gouging you on the labor.

FWIW, if I'm taking my car in for service I'll usually look up prices of parts and supplies online -- makes it a lot easier to judge what a job ought to cost, or at least to figure out if the labor cost sounds out of line.

+1 on finding out what weight/brand of oil and filter they're using, and definitely have them save the filter and cut it open for analysis.

Ahsai

I think he was kidding...or maybe not. I can't really tell. I would not recommend Jiffy Lube for sure.

Dennis C

My independent mechanic charges me abou $185 for an oil change.

I don't want to get into an oil thread - we have plenty of those. FWIW, I used Schaeffer Supreme 9000 oil.

extanker

time to embrace the horror....take it to the dealer for its first one by your ownership. just tell them not to go crazy.

adcampo

Yes, kidding. I may be a P-car newbie, but I haven't been to a jiffy lube since 1985 with my mom.

sjfehr

Never too late to learn to do it yourself; these cars have a reputation for being hard to maintain, but the truth is that the basic maintenance stuff is super easy to do. Just make sure you get a big oil catch pan, cos there's a lot of oil in there and it comes out FAST


#2 sounds realistic; DIY is about $60-70 worth in material and maybe an hour of labor if we're generous about it. Definitely ask them what oil and filter they're using and check it against Porsche's approved list. But, you've gotta figure $120 is still $105 more than Jiffy Lube charges; he's not losing money on you. The dealer just rapes you because they know most customers will just fork over fistfuls of cash and keep coming back regardless- queue $150/hr labor, massive markups on already overpriced material, and other absurdities.

Dream911

Definitely stay away from the dealer.

adcampo

Called the shop. They use "Porsche approved oil weight" Mobile 1 or Valvoline. Tech would inspect filter. The guy seemed a bit unsure, as he was not the tech. I guess I can go in and check it out. They've done work on my BMW's in the past and they own 3 Porsche race cars. I have to imagine they know what they're doing.... I bet they guy in the phone is wrong.

5CHN3LL

You should ask what products are being used regardless of how much the oil change costs.

Avoiding the least expensive option for no other reason than it seems too cheap is questionable logic.

*edit* What's the guy on the phone wrong about?

adcampo

Yep.

Shop #1 uses Motul 5w-40 and charges $119 labor.

kromdom

Highly recommend a DIY. You know exactly how much you'll spend and use the oil you want.
P.S. Consider sending your used oil for a UOA (I like Blackstone Labs)

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/P...oved_Oils.html