neanicu

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd share with you 3 pricing quotes I've received when calling 3 different dealerships in my area for spark plugs service.
Please take this as an informative post,I am not complaining in any way,just thought it's funny.
First dealership-it's the one I've always been using and they know me,so they went easy :
5 hours labor at approximately 150$ an hour=750$ without spark plugs. Those are 30$ each!!!
They've never heard of the updated coil packs,not to mention that they have no idea about the 997TT coil packs.
Second dealership-first question was related to whether my car is a coupe or convertible,because the convertible takes more time,he says...can't argue there because I don't know for sure but sounds fishy to me...
Ok,coupe....so it'll be 8 hrs labor because the bumper has to come off,the intercoolers have to come off and the exhaust has to come off. I told him I thought that if you take the bumper and intercoolers off you don't need to take the exhaust off too,but he said that is Porsche's proper way.
Total damage : about 950$ at 159$ an hour not including spark plugs which are 30$ a piece.
Bringing your own is ok,but no warranty.
Third dealership-make a long story short : 10 hrs labor,about 1500$,spark plugs included! WOW! Nice!!!
I've just had a vision : D I Y

Please feel free to share your experiences.

deckman

Definitely DIY. It's easiest if you remove the intercoolers but not everyone does. I can't imagine paying someone to do this.

00Coupe

I did mine for the first time about a month ago...

I didn't even lift the car... I also changed oil without lifting it..

Bosch plugs are $4.12ea on rockauto.com

Just take your time, there's nothing difficult about it.

I personally didn't replace my coils. If I have issues with them I will take the bumper off again... Everything is fine for now with the original coils.

SSST

i paid $650 for plugs, coil packs, o2 sensors and labor. I didn't have time to do it myself, but looking at the diy threads, it doesn't look too bad. Might as well replace the coil packs while you are in there.

JG 996T

Same experience with dealers, can't remember exact numbers. Ended up doing a bunch of maintenance tune-up items at same time with an indy at a reasonable labor rate - I supplied all parts.

ECS Tuning

If you end up making it a DIY, we offer ignition service kits that include plugs and coils. For more information Click Here.

Nikon FM

With a lift and a couple friends it took 2.5 hours.
Remove:
the rear wheels
the rear fender well aft covers
the bumper
the intercoolers and top and bottom hoses
the foil like heat shields and fold them up out of the way
the heat shields covering the coil packs and plugs
replace plugs
and then reassemble in opposite order

One big suggestion: take care reinstalling the intercooler hoses to make sure they are in place and the clips are in the correct slots. If they leak the bumper may need to come off again.

I'll never pay over 4 hours labor for someone to do this work; it's systematic and easy and the parts fit back together quite easily.

"02996ttx50

lol. agreed. 2-3 MAX hours in my driveway. incl time off to open beer bottles. also, i don't think there ARE any more 996 coils. all 997 now.

"book time" is criminal! +1 also to these ecs "kits". what a cool idea.

Misplacedyankee

Mine was $650 at dealer including the plugs. Fine by me. Better than 2-3 hours of my time.

Nikon FM

I'd pay ~$650 but the usual quote is $1000 and 8 to 10 hours of labor. (8 to 10 hours of labor is simply not realistic but is used to book the cost) I would love to find someone in my area who would do the job and guarantee their work for something around that figure…………nice find, keep that dealership happy because they're awesome.

neanicu

Couldn't agree more!
Although I love to DIY,just for the thought of taking the bumper off and be very careful not scratching it I'd pay 650$ with parts included. That plus the 2 yrs warranty and records you get from the dealer sounds ok,but it's not happening in my area!

Carlo_Carrera

Yes, DIY, it is not that hard to do.

Carlo_Carrera

There is a good DIY guide over at RennTech.org

OCNYPORSCHE

I just changed mine this weekend and did an oil change. I have to say, it really does take a good amount of time. For over 25 years I have been working on cars, but this is most time intensive change I ever did.

Even just putting the car up on stands requires alot. I would say its probably beyond alot of DIYers, in my opinion. It took me about 6-7 hours, by myself, but taking my time. I also did an oil change in that time frame.

In my opinion, $650 is fair from a dealer.

32krazy!

for 500$ labor i would be glad to change your oil and plugs. bring me your car