Dealer oil changes

[jvmcnair]

Re; 2013 Cayenne S. This car is coming up on 7,000 miles and will need it's 10k oil change soon. That is the only required maint. I see in the books. BTW; it has not used a quart of oil yet which I take as good news in light of some of the oil-consumption stories about the V-8. I would like to cultivate a decent relationship with the dealer service dept as it has just changed ownership. They charge $250 which --I hate to say-- does not sound to bad as BMW used to charge over $500 for what they claimed was 'more than just an oil change". I'm interested in the opinions of others on this forum who have any new Porsche regarding using the dealer vs DIY or some other place for oil changes. jvm

[porwolf]

I would check with an independent shop for pricing. When I bought my SC from a dealer in 1979 I never had any dealer service done on it. I already had an independent Porsche shop that did it for me at a much lower price and it was just as good. They put their stamps in my servicee book. And since I planned to keep the car a long time I did not care much about having a complete service record book. I cared about keeping the car in good shape.

[romad]

last oil change on my BMW 550 cost me 40 bucks and a half hour of my time. 500 -250 bucks for a oil change sorry, but thats literally stealing money.

[biosurfer1]

I will never, ever, ever ever take another car to any dealer even if it's free maintenance. I took my wife's highlander there for the first 2 years since it was free and the first oil change I did myself, I couldn't get the oil canister off. I tried everything, searched forums to make sure I wasn't missing a bolt, etc. Turns out they must have used an impact socket on the damn thing because I ended up having to pull with everything I had (I'm a big guy) with feet planted against the wall on my breaker bar to break the torque. I'm conservatively guessing it was on there at 200 ft/lbs when the book says 40. I've rarely been so mad but I was spitting fire that day.

[Scott Douglas]

First oil change I did on our new used Honda I found the crush washer extruded into the threads of the plug. Very difficult to remove and no, the car hasn't been back there since we bought it.

[RWebb]

Dealer cannot force you to get work done there under threat of losing warranty coverage - federal law prohibits that (Maguson-Moss Warranty Act if they give you any lip). But they CAN refuse extra goodwill if you don't play the game.

Do check with an ind. shop. Then go talk to the service mgr. and tell him the lower prices, and ask him for an itemized list of what they do beyond oil & filter. They probably have one with a bunch of BS on it ...

Next, tell them you want to watch them service the car. See how that grabs them. When they say ins. won't allow - ask why they do not have a window for customer's to watch their LUXURY cars get the high quality service the cars deserve. You can then complain on up the line, secure in the knowledge that you are performing a public service for all Porsche owners of new cars.

Next, leave a GPS device in the car maybe an iPhone set to also record video. This will tell you when they move it into the service bay and how long it stays there.

Finally, you can stake out their service lot with a video camera and then raise hell i the press, Yelp, etc.

This will make you real popular with the dealer.

[Bill Douglas]

If you really want to get it done by the dealer, ask them how much $$ for half an hours work then arrive with your own oil and filter, and say "Put this in it please."

[Sunroof]

Your model has been around for awhile and I would bet that Firestone, Goodyear, NTB, PepBoys shops, etc, etc, let alone Castrol, Valvoline and Jiffy Lube oil change facilities have changed the oil on a Cheyenne! What you can do to ease the guilt is buy the filter at the dealer so its genuine Porsche, ensure the oil used is high grade and save yourself, about $175.00 in the process which should be used for a wonderful sushi diner and a good bottle of saki.

Keep the receipt in the glovebox so you can prove your getting oil changes per manufacturer guidelines and feel better about the whole thing. Going to a dealership for an oil change is way too expensive in my opinion.

The Cheyenne probably sits up high enough that changing the oil in your garage thus saving you more $$$$$ would be an easier task.

[t951]

I have an 08 911S. The dealer charged me $640 for the oil change + a lot of inspections....(i.e. they looked at stuff).
When I got the bill I asked if it was magic oil. One and done for me. I have never been back and will never go back. I told them that when I was paying. I also how much for an oil change without that...they wouldn't do any less.
So for $640 they not only lost my service dollars forever, but I will also never purchase a car from them.

There are three highly rated indy's around me. My last oil change was $99 and that included resetting the car computer.

Don't waste your money.

In my opinion, Porsches are now just cars. There is no provenance that is required and good maintenace is more important than a stamp from a dealer. Books are nice, but we all would get PPIs.

[jvmcnair]

There are some wickedly good ideas here . Yeah, I have always been a DIY and most certainly with oil changes. Yes, I know of a couple trustworthy oil change places but "stuff" happens; witness my wife's frustration upon returning from "White Glove Hand Car Wash" and finding a scratch in the top of the hood. We are now using our own hands or going to a good place where the machines do a great job and are engineered to never scratch a car. It is best that the types that get the job of changing oil do Not get to move this car around; And yes, I realize there may well be one of these kids working in dealer service. I think the dealer will get to do this first oil change. $250 is bad but it is not $640. That will be my introduction and I will have several more months to decide whether to do them myself.

[Zeke]

I wouldn't let my local p-car dealer change the oil on my lawnmower.

You state, "I would like to cultivate a decent relationship with the dealer service dept...."


Good luck. It's not mutual. I understand the logic and I tried somewhat. They are sharks and all too well deserve the moniker, "stealership."

[RedBaron]

If you do go to the stealership, mark the oil filter so you can tell if they actually changed it.

[Scott R]

It's once a year on a Cayenne, $240 is no big deal. They also inspect the vehicle by the book from PCNA at the same time. Why risk having some shop mess up your car over $240?

[Rusty Heap]

So at a $100 flat labor rate, they "worked on and looked at your car" for XYZ number of hours?

$250, 500, $650?


laugh, I like the magic oil quote.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Scott R

It's once a year on a Cayenne, $240 is no big deal. They also inspect the vehicle by the book from PCNA at the same time. Why risk having some shop mess up your car over $240?

You think a Porsche dealer is any less likely to screw your car up than an indy wrench? Didn't all indy wrenches once work at dealers? $240 for an oil change is just unimagineable to me. My 993 runs me under $100 to DIY it with Mobil 1, one Mahle air and two oil filters.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

You think a Porsche dealer is any less likely to screw your car up than an indy wrench? Didn't all indy wrenches once work at dealers? $240 for an oil change is just unimagineable to me. My 993 runs me under $100 to DIY it with Mobil 1, one Mahle air and two oil filters.

Yes I do. My indy doesn't even have a computer system capable of reading all of the various computers in either of my p-cars. I doubt any do at this point.

For example, I posted the other day that my drivers seat would no longer recline. I called two indys here in Denver and neither had the equipment to read the seat control computers. It cost me 1k in the end for the dealer to strip the seat and replace the base assy. and motors. No one else could do this.

You pay a premium to own these cars, and in my part of the world the dealer is honest, and reliable, and often less costly.

[Por_sha911]

Yes you can save money by going to an indy shop but, if there is a problem down the road, Porsche may tell you the indy screwed it up. I also know of times where Porsche paid for out of warranty work because the car had all its work done at the dealer. Older car: DIY. New car: dealer.

[eastbay]

LOL, I have to ask: if you are going to push an oil change to 10,000 miles, why not go for 20 maybe 30,000 or more? That will save some real coin.

(like all the other new car HondaToyotaSubaruBMWMercedesPorsche California drivers do...)

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by eastbay

LOL, I have to ask: if you are going to push an oil change to 10,000 miles, why not go for 20 maybe 30,000 or more? That will save some real coin.

(like all the other new car HondaToyotaSubaruBMWMercedesPorsche California drivers do...)

That's the normal interval on the Cayenne.

[Embraer]

why isn't this covered under warranty? I couldn't imagine having a 2013 car, and then having to pay to have the oil changed at the dealer. crazy, I guess.