Dealer wants $2200 to change out the spark plugs!

I just got a quote from a Porsche dealership for $2,200 to replace the spark plug wires on my 1987 911 Cab. Can this be? Is it that much work? Also using strict Porsche OEM wires from Germany cost almost $700. They are insured proper fit and are warranteed for 2 years. Worth it? The car is misfiring and it needs to be done, but curious of cost. Any help?

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This post was auto-generated based upon a question asked on our tech article page here: Pelican Technical Article: 911 Spark Plug Replacement

[Wayne 962]

The wires can be expensive, but I believe our OEM German wires cost about $400 or so, not $700. Probably not worth the Genuine Porsche ones. Also, 2200 is highway robbery - you can do it yourself in an afternoon with about $50 worth of tools from Sears.

- Wayne

[vulcan300]

Changing out your plugs and wires is about as dead simple as it gets. The dealer is attempting to rob you. If you don't want to do the work yourself get at least a couple of quotes from other shops. If you do want to do the work you'll finish the job with a car that runs much better and the satisfaction of having done the job yourself.

[DRACO A5OG]

He needs to pay his mortgage. 1000% Porsche tax.

[jwetering]

I'll do it for $1,000,000.

[stlrj]

Originally Posted by Cabman (guest)

I just got a quote from a Porsche dealership for $2,200 to replace the spark plug wires on my 1987 911 Cab. Can this be? Is it that much work? Also using strict Porsche OEM wires from Germany cost almost $700. They are insured proper fit and are warranteed for 2 years. Worth it? The car is misfiring and it needs to be done, but curious of cost. Any help?

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This post was auto-generated based upon a question asked on our tech article page here: Pelican Technical Article: 911 Spark Plug Replacement

Stealership pricing.

[doug_porsche]

I will bid at $999,999.99, sorry jasper but its a cut throat world out there.

[sc_rufctr]

Just to clarify... Are they also changing the spark plugs, rotor and cap?
I would expect a dealership to do all of that rather than just the leads.

If they were doing all of this work then I would think $2,200 ain't so bad.

[michael lang]

I'm sure there are other related repairs to the misfire that was described and replacing the spark plug wires is the item that stood out OR there are additional items that the tech found. I find it hard to believe, having first hand knowledge of how car dealerships and the car business are today, that a Porsche dealership would run the risk of loosing work by pricing themselves out of their market for a seemingly maintenance related item. This scenario makes me wonder what else the service advisor recommended for this car.

[herr_oberst]

Maybe that dealer doesn't like working on early cars so he raised the bid to the heavens hoping you'd go away.

This is an easy do it yourself even with cap and rotor.

[wildcat077]

First of all,i would become a Pelican member then post your location and hope you have another member that lives nearby and willing to help you install your wires

It's not that bad of a job but might look intimidating at first if you're not too mechanically inclined.
Don't feel bad,the PO of my car would bring it to the dealer to change the battery ... lol
I have a large folder full of "excessive" dealer repair invoices !

Cheers !
Phil

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by Cabman (guest)

I just got a quote from a Porsche dealership for $2,200 to replace the spark plug wires on my 1987 911 Cab. Can this be?

You are totally being soaked/ripped off if you go through with it.

Originally Posted by Cabman (guest)

Is it that much work?

No and certainly no more difficult than the 12 ignition wires I will be replacing on my car.

You might consider learning how to do things yourself.

[bklyn]

Clewett wires from our host, around $100.00 and 45 min. to install!

[kramer747]

A dealership has to make money. We do HVAC and plumbing and a flapper is like $45 plus a service call. Customer says I can go to the hardware store and get it and do it myself. We say go ahead! I'm not stopping you!

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by Cabman (guest)

1987 911

Probably the issue more than anything..... they don't want your business.
About a month after I bought my 1978 911 (in 2005) the clutch went out. The local Porsche dealership quoted me right at $10k for the job, parts included.

Not a typo. They wanted $10,000 to change out the clutch. In a properly set-up shop, the labor should be no more than 15 hours. At $100/hour, that would be $1500. Add in the parts, which a "complete clutch package" from our host is only $1061. So, the job should have been priced around $3000 once the misc stuff gets tacked on. But the reason for the high price was that the dealership works on water pumpers - not air cooled relics.

You and I are not their customer base, and they don't want us to be.

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by kramer747

A dealership has to make money.

Yes, stealerships do!

I'd like to see a breakdown of that $2200 charge, just for amusement purposes.

I needed a new ignition module for my furnace....you know those Honeywell units that fail; I found enough on the net to confirm that.

I couldn't buy it up here and if I could, it was $403 plus the service call. They also mentioned I needed to be licenced to work with gas...what BS...I'm working with electronics...the damn relay in the unit was soaking up voltage across the contacts and the main valve voltage was dropping out after 15 seconds. Anyway...middle finger extended to these clowns.

I bought the part in the US for $129 shipped. I repaired the old unit with 2 new identical relays for $5 and I now have a spare.

I think you can tell my opinion of most service industries is quite low.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Probably the issue more than anything..... they don't want your business.
About a month after I bought my 1978 911 (in 2005) the clutch went out. The local Porsche dealership quoted me right at $10k for the job, parts included.

Not a typo. They wanted $10,000 to change out the clutch. In a properly set-up shop, the labor should be no more than 15 hours. At $100/hour, that would be $1500. Add in the parts, which a "complete clutch package" from our host is only $1061. So, the job should have been priced around $3000 once the misc stuff gets tacked on. But the reason for the high price was that the dealership works on water pumpers - not air cooled relics.

You and I are not their customer base, and they don't want us to be.

I've experienced some of this this locally but not at your level.
I went there and asked if I could see a particular Porsche tool and the service manager made it very clear to me he wasn't interested in helping me.
So I left. I wrote a letter to the owner of the dealership but never heard anything back.

All good. I can order from Pelican if they don't want the hassle of dealing with me.

[Jerome74911S]

A big local Porsche shop here (not a dealership) refuses air-cooled cars. We work on "computer-controlled Porsches" only, they said. They could have said, "mortgage your house and we'll change the clutch for you."

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

But the reason for the high price was that the dealership works on water pumpers - not air cooled relics.

But I bet you they are pros at IMS and RMS repairs.

[Drisump]

Are you sure that's all he's doing? Seems to me that figure looks more reasonable if you add a 15,000 mile tune up as well. Valve adjustment, cap and rotor, motor and tranny oil change, fuel and air filters....etc. If all he's doing is pulling the plugs and stock Beru wires and replacing with new.....WOW, thats a dealership that values it's time....$1000+ per hour?