Da Hapa

I agree that $300 is silly but using your analysis... isn't $100 - $150 reasonable?

Your analysis says $65 in parts and half an hour of labor. Well I value, and I'm sure most of you do the same, my time quite highly. Certainly at more than $100/hour. And if I can drop it off at the dealership, have it done properly, have the little feelgood stamp in the owners manual, not have to worry about disposing of the old oil, etc.... $150 is well worth it.

Dariof

Yes. $100 or so is reasonable. But we weren't talking about $100 (or so). We were talking $300.00. That is consensual theft.

As far as your analysis and time being money, well it depends. Where I live, by the time I drive to the dealership, wait for the service advisor, get the paperwork filled out, I would be done with my oil change if I had done it myself.

Now, factor in waiting time for the dealer to perform the oil change, waiting for the completed paperwork, paying the cashier and driving home, well, I am out a lot more time having them do it....and I too will do it properly.

But, I do not get the "feel good" stamp, and that is worth something.

At $100.00, to me, it's a toss-up. At $300.00, I become a sucker.

I'm in the same boat with my Mercedes Diesel. The local dealer wants $300.00. So. Ca dealers want $200.00. So, I will do it myself. Again, by the time I drive to the dealership, I would have had my oil changed at 1/4 of the price point.

wilfred

+1 It must be a California thing, we are so used to paying more for everything Btw, I normally pay around $250. The way I see it is $100 for parts, $50 for labor, $50 for rent, $50 for profit... Not cheap but this is not a cheap car...

flankenspeil

try autoengineering in boston.$99.00 oil change!! this place is great

Dariof

...and that price is a fair and reasonable one.

Carrera GT

Can't imagine paying more than a half hour labor, say $75, plus materials (say $50-70) so call it $150. The local dealer, Carlsen, sends out a discount voucher or two every few months, so it's just a matter of timing the service and keeping the vouchers (or at least referencing them if you lose them as I tend to do) and you get the same discount. $150 to get just about anything to happen in California is a minimum, that's just the way it goes.

JohnnyBahamas

Carlsen has a fantastic bodyshop, too. The ONLY shop that I let touch my cars. I drive 500+ miles when needed to use Carlsen. You're fortunate that they're your local.

To the original topic, changing the oil on a 997 is SO EASY. Really, nobody with both hands attached should pay for a 997 oil change. Once you have a MANN filter canister wrench, a 8mm allen, and a decent torque wrench, you can literally just lay on your back, slide under the back, and do the whole dance in 20 minutes... if the oil is cold.

I'll do it in barter for a short test drive of any 997. Bring the filter, o ring, new aluminum washer for the plug, the Mobile 1 and two Sam Adams Light beers.

I've owned two. So, I have all the tools.

Offer stands.

Targa Tim

I'm a bit surprise that the $300 oil change can be a discussion topic these days. Do you guys know how much Porsche made when we buy a car from them?
For people that change oil themselves and do car repairs themselves, I always admire the skills that they have, which I don't have. But since I can easily make $300 in my business, I wouldn't care about going to the dealer for service rather than get my hands dirty or even call around for price check.
As far as I'm concern, garages and dealers are free to charge whatever fees that they want to, it is their business and they can decide what to charge. You have a choice to go or not.
Try going to a high end restaurant for a burger and ask them to match their price with McDonalds.

JohnnyBahamas

Tim, I volunteer to change the oil on that Club Coupe for free. I'll even cover the parts and oil. Just let me drive it to the summit of Kingsbury and back down.

ps - Latex gloves. They keep your hands clean. Sold at parts stores now. You can do it... try it, you might like it.

flankenspeil

Autoengineering, a porsche speciality shop near Boston does oil changes for $99. And there facility is alot nicer than any dealership i have ever seen.

abe

I laugh at all of those who think there time is so valuable that $300 is a bargain for an oil change. It takes no more skill nor cost to change the oil on a Toyota than a Porsche...yet some people here are willing to dish out the bucks on the Porsche. I do the easy services myself...and my time is also worth $$$. But when your sitting at home on a day that you are not working, nor recreating and only writing stupid things like I am doing now...what is my time worth? It is times like this that I rather save myself the $300!.
abe

Targa Tim

Hi abe,

as I said earlier, good for you and others that are doing the job yourself.

To me, cleaning the house, doing laundry is also very easy, but I prefer to pay a nanny to do it. People spend money to pay for services that they don't want to do, but that doesn't mean they can't do them. Do you get it now?

Targa Tim

Hey Johnny,

Thanks for the generous offer! If you ever come to Vancouver, you can drive my club coupe any day.

As for latex gloves, I found out in my surgical rotations that I'm allergic to them. I have to stay with non-latex...good thing I found out the allergy in gloves but not condoms...

Phil G.

Before. The dealer averages things out. They figure they'll butter me up with a reasonable price on the oil change, then slam me on the cost of the OEM battery! But, that included a thorough cleaning out of the battery tray with bicarb when the acid seeped out.

Phil G.

Yes, the same. He and his family started the dealership. Very old and historic dealership. I didn't buy my car there, but have it regularly serviced there. It was truly a horrible tragedy when Al died in a plane crash in 1988.