SERVICE INTERVALS

[Mears]

Assuming that most 993's are probably now doing much less than the standard 12k miles pa, what are people doing re the standard 12/24/48k mile service intervals? Clearly the engine oil & filters are best changed annually but I have trouble believing that air/pollen filters or spark plugs degrade over time. On the other hand what about ATF and final drive oil; is more than 4 years stretching it there? And v-belts; I cannot even see them listed in the standard schedules but surely the rubber must age? I know we all love to indulge our Porsches but surely making the intervals 12/24/48 MONTHS is OTT, not to say environmentally unfriendly?! Opinions welcome please?

 

[Gordon Attar]

The advice I always give any one is that your car will lose more of its residual value than the cost of a service I pay £282 for 12k and £462 for 24k +£50 for brake fluid at Northways they also always check the belts.

Personally I dont like cars that get outside the 12k, 12k then 24k if its really low mileage like 2/3k pa then might let the car slip to one 24k in 4 inc brake fluid but that would depend on all invoices and MOT's being on file and other work being done i.e. the car is being looked after. You can also probably get away with stretching the 12 months to a few more as well.

If I buy a car and it hasnt had the beltsl fluids done in the last 3 years then I would get them done.

 

[Mears]

Thanks Gordon, that's a valuable point of view. Service Histories are very important at resale as you say and I'd also add that 'oil is cheaper than cogs' and a 3-4 year cycle of maintenance sounds right to me for a low miler assuming oil inspections are annual (although I still do brake fluid at 24 months regardless as it is for sure time-limited). Right now I'm debating the ageing of ATF and diff oil which are listed at 24k and 48k respectively. My Targa has an OPC history which I try and maintain; their classic labour rates are OK but the parts/fluids frankly are not, together amounting to 50% more than Ray charges. I also have some nagging doubts about their air-cooled knowledge these days; I had to persuade them that 993's needed an annual oil change!

 

[Gordon Attar]

ORIGINAL: Mears

Thanks Gordon, that's a valuable point of view. Service Histories are very important at resale as you say and I'd also add that 'oil is cheaper than cogs' and a 3-4 year cycle of maintenance sounds right to me for a low miler assuming oil inspections are annual (although I still do brake fluid at 24 months regardless as it is for sure time-limited). Right now I'm debating the ageing of ATF and diff oil which are listed at 24k and 48k respectively. My Targa has an OPC history which I try and maintain; their classic labour rates are OK but the parts/fluids frankly are not, together amounting to 50% more than Ray charges. I also have some nagging doubts about their air-cooled knowledge these days; I had to persuade them that 993's needed an annual oil change!

That's the problem with OPC histories you feel you have to maintain them, my concerns with using OPC's is whether they have the relavent experience and also the use of OW/40W and charging a £120+v. Personally I would rather see a Northway, Steve Bull, Tognola,JZ etc stamp for that reason. Anyway in your case stick with the bare minimum service with the OPC
and get any thing else done elsewhere.

 

[Mike M]

Personally I get my Indi to give it a 6k service every year at 12 month intervals (Oil and filters) as Ive been lucky if Ive done more than a few 1000 miles[] but after 2 x 6000 services it gets its relevant 12 or 24k!

 

[Gordon Attar]

Guys

12k service is only oil, air filter, oil filter, pollen filter and a host of checks
24k service kit is £134 and includes both oil filters and set of plugs
48k just add on gearbox oil and fuel filter

So if you do the 12k every year your pretty much covering everything, so the rest just needs doing when appropriate.

 

[Mears]

Interestingly I can now detect differences between the original 12/24/48k regime you quote Gordon (which matches the original service book) and what OPC now state using the VIN number. eg.They no longer list the 24k service at all and things like the Tiptronic ATF change and amazingly, sparkplugs are optional even at 48k! One hopes that this rationalisation is the result of factory Technical Bulletins rather than errors or forcing water-cooled regimes back onto 993's but I do wonder. What's worse you cannot really tell what items or lubes are used from earlier invoice history as they are all disguised within an OPC 'service pack' line item! One would hope that OPC's recommendations are the best for the car but I can feel myself succumbing to the more tailored approach of the good independent who really specialise in air-cooled and recommend what they feel is appropriate for each individual vehicle, many of which are now doing very low annual mileages. Tricky! []