Warranty just expired: Help needed

[primate]

Hi all, I just stumbled upon this site and I think there is so much useful information here. This is my first post, and hope this is the right place to post my questions. This is kind of a long thread but I hope someone will have the patience to read through it.

So the warranty on my 2003 Boxster S (986S) had recently expired, and time is coming up for my next service about 48K miles.

I love my car and I have been dealer-servicing my vehicle from Day One. I just checked the with the dealer and the service will run me about $900 (as expected), but I am worried that since my warranty had expired, they might start finding lots of "minor issues" and make a lot of "suggestions" that would run up the bill. I know this is kind of paranoid thinking, but is this something I should be rightfully worried about?

But on top of that, I am really interested in trying to service the car myself (with the help of a local garage that I happen to know). I will have access to a commercial car lift, but I suspect the guy at the garage would not even want to touch my car fearing that something might go wrong and he will get blamed or what not.

I read through the Pelican tech article about changing the engine oil and filter, and it looks manageable to me, and the parts look readily avaiable to me (except perhaps for the hex wrench). I am an engineer by training, but I really don't have any experience with automotive servicing (except I just changed the parking light bulb in my litronic unit myself last week).

On another note, I replaced the front rotors and brakes at my last major service around 36K miles (dealer service, don'task), and now my rear brakes are getting really squeaky when I brake moderately hard (I always engine brake so I usually don't put too much pressure on the brakes). However, the brake light is not lit and braking response is still very good. It's just embarassing that such a nice car would emit a high-pitched squeaking sound.

Is this something I should be worried about? I looked at the Porsche brake setup using the Pelican Parts tool and they look pretty standard. Would a regular brake technician (friend of mine) be able to replace the rear brake pads without much incident?

Sorry for the long post, but I hope someone will have the patience to read through it and perhaps even reply?

Thanks in advance!
- KC

[Doug&Julie]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not a good wrench, but I've been reading of more and more of us "normal" folk being able to work on their Boxster w/o problems. I really don't think there's any magic to most of the Boxster, so (if I were mechanically inclined) I wouldn't hessitate to change oil, do a 30/60k service, change brake pads, etc. I think you'll need the dealerships when you start getting warning lights and electrical related issues, but basic maintenance shouldn't be a problem.

The Bentley manual is a good source for Boxster maintenance, FYI.

Good luck!

[JMatta]

As Doug said, basic maintenance, i.e. oil changes and brake pads/rotors are easy. Electrical issues and major mechanical issues best left to experts.

[primate]

Thank you both for the quick reply! I am not familiar with the Bentley manual, but I will try to locate one. Are they being sold online, and if so, does anyone happen to have a link to them?

Originally posted by Doug&Julie
Welcome to the forum!

I'm not a good wrench, but I've been reading of more and more of us "normal" folk being able to work on their Boxster w/o problems. I really don't think there's any magic to most of the Boxster, so (if I were mechanically inclined) I wouldn't hessitate to change oil, do a 30/60k service, change brake pads, etc. I think you'll need the dealerships when you start getting warning lights and electrical related issues, but basic maintenance shouldn't be a problem.

The Bentley manual is a good source for Boxster maintenance, FYI.

Good luck!

[primate]

OK, just found it on Amazon .... sounds like a pretty good deal for what it has to offer (and free shipping too!). The reviewers seem to be very pleased about their purchase as well. Though, it seems like the wait is 2-4 weeks even if I order now.

Curious: how much more does the $600 Official servicing manual offer over the Bentley Manuals? What does one get for the additional $500+?

Cheers,
- KC

[Doug&Julie]

Originally posted by primate
Curious: how much more does the $600 Official servicing manual offer over the Bentley Manuals? What does one get for the additional $500+?

Cheers,
- KC

Not sure, but if you've got mechanically minded friends, they're probably not worth it at this point. See how far the Bentley gets you and go from there.

[Bobboloo]

I've never seen a Boxster factory manual but if it's like a 911 manual then it will have complete specification. i.e. blue prints of the chassis with specs for the frame which are needed for collision repair on a chassis jig, wiring diagrams, all the specs on wear limits for the motor, error codes for the computer read out etc.

They are good for repair facilities but not ideal for a DIYer. They aren't particularly consructed in a methodical manner which a DIYer needs help with. The Bentley manual would be the right call for you.

Brake squeal is usually a brake pad issue. Switching the pad compound is usually the solution.

Also, engine braking is not really a good way to slow your car. It causes unecessary wear to your drivetrain. Engine and tranny components will wear out faster and are much more expensive to replace than brakes which are cheap in comparison.

[racer]

Boxsters are pretty DIY friendly, and what you don't know can be easily learned with all the bulletin boards and a good manual, like the Bentley one. Short of perhaps CEL issues (yes, there are lots of testers that can read codes, but only the PORSCHE one really works right, imho, so some dealer or quality independant shop trips will be necessary.

As for engine braking.. why? I know.. it sounds cool and all, but last I checked, new transmissions or motors cost several thousands of dollars.. new brake pads? may a few hundred $$.. Engine braking is not that useful on the street. The only reason racers used to engine brake was because BRAKE techology sucked. That's no longer the case.

[primate]

Originally posted by racer
As for engine braking.. why? I know.. it sounds cool and all, but last I checked, new transmissions or motors cost several thousands of dollars.. new brake pads? may a few hundred $$.. Engine braking is not that useful on the street. The only reason racers used to engine brake was because BRAKE techology sucked. That's no longer the case.

Thanks Bobboloo and racer for the replies. This discussion about engine braking reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend recently.

A few months ago I entered into a discussion with a friend in which my friend argued that even with modern synchronized gearboxes double-clutching (or declutching) were still beneficial for the well-being of the transmission. He still double-clutches when he downshifts. I argued otherwise and insisted that a simple heel-and-toe rev matching would suffice.

Being an engineer by trianing, I've always been interested in exactly how a transmission works (I understand the basics, but I never understood how the gear engagement worked when a gear is shifted). So I looked up how the synchromesh works and realized that my friend was, indeed, correct.

Apparently, the modern synchromesh (coincidentally invented by Porsche in 1952 for the 356) has a cone synchronizing clutch that matches the rotation speed of the shaft with the gear, and the synchro mechanism prevents the dog-collar from engaging until the shaft and gear are spinning at the same speed. As a result, the cone clutch bears the bulk of the strain when the speed difference between the shaft and the gear was significant (e.g downshifting from 3rd to 2nd at speed). It seems like there are only 2 ways to minimize/prevent wear of the cone clutch: double-clutching or use the brakes only to stop without downshifting.

Anyway, after I learned about this I tried to reduce my engine braking to a minimum, but to be honest it's been really difficult. But how can you blame me? The pedals were laid out so well in the Porsches it's effortless to engine brake (I personally think it's actually a lot of fun). Anyway, the damage is done already and I guess I'll deal with it.

However, I'm not so sure about the bit where people engine brake because the brakes sucked in the past. According to what I know, if done properly, engine braking can always result in better stopping power than just using the brakes alone. As for my personal experience, I used to take my car out to the mountains (and occasionally the track) and drive pretty hard. I could always stop in a shorter distance with engine braking. I also find it very convenient to keep the engine revving high in the correct gear so I can blast out of the corners with optimal power.

Oh well, sorry for the long-winded thread. Just wanted to share the slightly off-topic story.

Cheers,
- KC