At NINEAUTO we will be taking advantage of the Melbourne Cup Holiday and are having a long weekend to recharge and ready ourselves for the run home to Christmas. As a result we’ll be closed on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th November, and will be back on Wednesday the 8th of November 2021.
Spring in Melbourne brings with it more sunshine and less rain, and a renewed passion to get out and explore what Victoria has to offer. Amongst Porsche lovers there has always been much debate over which Victorian roads offer greatest driving pleasure. Your own personal preference is likely guided by what defines a great drive for you….. picturesque scenery, leisurely cruising or hairpin bends and dangerous drop-offs.
There are 5 drives that consistently get a mention as offering the best drives in Victoria.
If you have your own hidden treasure of a drive that you’d like to share, we’d love you to add it in the comments box below.
If you’re having difficulty getting your key in and out of the ignition, it’s more than likely that you need to replace the ignition switch. The primary role of the ignition switch is as the name suggestion to engage the ignition system of the car, but it can also have several other functions. These functions include activating the radio, windscreen wipers, headlights and other accessories. As a result, if your ignition switch isn’t working properly these accessories may start to be affected and may not turn on or off, which may in turn leave you with a flat battery.
Ignition switch failure is a very common issue for both the Boxster and 996. The good news is that if you choose an original equipment manufacturer part (OEM part) rather than a Porsche genuine part, it doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise.
Replacing an Ignition Switch is another one of those situations where choosing an OEM part delivers significant saving. This is because Porsche no longer just sell the ignition switch for the 996 or Boxster, instead they insist you purchase the entire ignition switch housing which is 10 times the price of the switch alone!
We recently removed and replaced the ignition switch on a 2003 Boxster using an OEM ignition switch and charged $255 which included both the part and the 1 hour of labour cost associated. If we had instead used the complete Porsche ignition housing (Porsche don’t sell the ignition switch as a stand alone item anymore) the cost would have been $766, that’s $700 more for just the part! Furthermore, if you’d have taken your vehicle to a Porsche Service Centre you’d be up for another $100 in labour costs, as they charge a $100 per hour labour premium versus NINEAUTO.
If you are interested in finding out more about OEM part here’s a link to a previous post all about the benefits of choosing OEM parts where appropriate. https://nineauto.com.au/2018/10/12/oem-parts-a-great-alternative-to-genuine-porsche-parts/
Around Melbourne’s Bayside suburbs the sporty Macan is becoming increasingly popular, with its stylish compact body, highly responsive 7 speed gear box and dog friendly interior, it’s outselling the Cayenne by almost 3 to 1. With Porsche SUV now accounting for over 70% of new Porsche car sales. In fact, the latest Porsche Australia new car sales figures show the Macan as the most popular model in the Porsche stable, outselling the iconic 911 by more than 5 to 1!
In an effort to save money, we are starting to see Macan owners opting for service work and non-warranty items to be undertaken by Independent Porsche Specialist rather than the Porsche Dealerships. With experienced Independents offering a substantially lower hourly labour rate, and access to both genuine and/or cheaper non genuine parts where appropriate, the savings can be significant.
Although not common knowledge, you are able to take your car to an independent mechanic and still maintain your warranty, but conditions do apply. (This Consumer Affairs Victoria link highlights the key stipulations if you choose to go Independent.) It can be difficult to compare service costs between Dealerships and Independents as many of the web advertised Dealership Service Pricing excludes parts and doesn’t clearly state the items included. The best way to compare service costs is to get a detailed quote for whichever service is due, and ensure that it includes both labour and parts. That way you’ll avoid any nasty surprises and be able to make a more informed decision when comparing your servicing options.
The current new car warranty for a Porsche is three years which comes around very quickly.
If you aren’t ready to trade your vehicle in for a new one, you can now extend the factory warranty for up to 15 years! The qualifications Porsche place on extending your warranty is that your vehicle is aged between one and fourteen years and that the total mileage is less than 200,000 km. Your car must have been serviced to the factory schedule, using genuine Porsche parts only and the works must be undertaken by a professional mechanic. Each warranty extension is available for 12, 24 or 48 month terms (to a maximum of 15 years) and is accepted by Official Porsche Centres throughout Australia.
At NINEAUTO we can assist you in servicing your Porsche to maintain your existing warranty. We can also assist in extending your warranty, by organising a technical inspection at our local Porsche Centre and providing the necessary documentation. If your vehicle’s policy has expired, provided the ownership of the vehicle has not changed, the warranty may also be extended once the vehicle has passed the technical inspection and any faults detected repaired using Porsche Genuine Parts.
A recent change in Porsche’s warranty policy also allows for the factory warranty to be transferred to the next car owner if the vehicle is sold privately. This now gives prudent secondhand Porsche buyers the option of privately buying a vehicle with a factory warranty, whereas in the past their search was limited to secondhand vehicles from a Porsche dealer.
At NINEAUTO we use both OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and genuine Porsche parts. A part can be described as genuine if it is supplied directly through the Porsche network. Genuine Porsche parts will always come in Porsche packaging and be labelled with the relevant Porsche part number. Normally these parts will be identical to the ones supplied when your Porsche was built. However, sometimes Porsche do choose to supersede a genuine part, but these updated versions are often simply a colour or material change to help Porsche consolidate their parts portfolio.
It may surprise many people that most Porsche parts are not manufactured directly by Porsche and are instead contracted out to specialist suppliers. These third-party parts manufacturers supply these parts to Porsche, who use them in vehicle assembly and vehicle servicing. Many parts can be sourced directly from the ‘Original Equipment Manufacturer’ and are often referred to in the trade as OEM parts. For example, Porsche use brakes supplied by Pagid making them the OEM supplier of the part. So in this instance, you could choose to purchase brakes directly from a Pagid supplier or go through the Porsche network. Likewise, you could source an OEM battery from Bosch or OEM Clutch Discs from Sachs rather than sourcing via Porsche. Whilst OEM parts don’t have Porsche packaging and don’t always display Porsche part numbers they are often mechanically the same and therefore a savvy choice. In many cases OEM parts are often the cheaper and more convenient option to genuine Porsche parts. However, there are some parts that are exclusively supplied by Porsche and there isn’t any OEM equivalent available. Often these exclusive Porsche parts are held in stock in Germany and can take 2 weeks to arrive!
Where it makes sense, we tend to use the cheaper OEM parts sourced directly from the original manufacturer rather than going through the Porsche distribution network. If the OEM parts are visually different and will be on display, we may sometimes opt for a genuine Porsche part depending on the desired look and car requirements.
A wide range of OEM parts are available for the majorty of Porsches and can deliver significant savings to your servicing and maintenance costs. In the past sourcing OEM parts for Cayenne and Macan’s was challenging. However, as these vehicles have increased in popularity, the range of OEM parts available in the market has also grown.
With the recent growth in desirability of the Porsche 996 and 986 Boxster we are witnessing more of these models changing hands. With this increase in appeal comes an increased sale price, and many buyers looking for the security of a vehicle with the IMS bearing replaced. As a result we are currently undertaking an IMS bearing replacement almost weekly in our workshop.
So how likely is it that your Porsche could experience a catastrophic engine failure due to your IMS Bearing (Intermediate Shaft Bearing) failing? There is differing opinions, but for the 1998– 2005 model 996 and Boxster 986 that are most susceptible to this issue, failure is estimated to be around 4%. On this basis Stu does advocate that for peace of mind the IMS bearing is replaced in these models. For other less susceptible models the call is a much tougher one.
The model that are susceptible to IMS failure are as follows:
– All 986 Boxster models.
– 987 Cayman & Boxster models up to engine number 61504715
– All 996 models (not including: GT and Turbo models)
– 997 3.6ltr with M96/05 up to engine number 6950745
Unfortunately, there is no pattern to when IMS failure occurs, and there are limited warning symptoms, which is another reason why many believe it’s better to be safe than sorry especially if you own one of these models. Failure can happen early in the vehicle’s life or much later after 100,000 kms. If you’re planning to buy or sell one of these models, in our experience, most buyers insist that the bearing has been replaced, or alternatively build its replacement cost into the purchase negotiations.
There are a couple of options for the replacing the IMS bearing. Costs vary depending on which replacement parts you choose and whether your car is a manual or auto. The costs below relate to the most susceptible 1998-2005 996 and Boxster models.
Option 1 – IMS Bearing Replacement (Single or Double Row – Model dependent) MANUAL Cost including fitting $3,390 inc. GST
AUTO Cost including fitting $4,186 inc. GST
Option 2 – Oil Fed Replacement (a more expensive option but with an infinite life)
MANUAL Cost including fitting $4,833 inc. GST
AUTO Cost including fitting $5,628 inc. GST
There are limited warning signs of IMS failure that can be picked up, and unfortunately the damage may already have been done once the symptoms become obvious. The best indicator that there is a problem is the detection of metal debris in your oil and filter. Another symptom is oil dripping near the back of the engine, and finally a knocking sound from your engine. However, once you get to the knocking engine phase, even if you immediately stop driving the vehicle, the engine damage may be irreversible!
If you are considering a new clutch and your IMS bearing hasn’t been replaced there are significant economies of scale in replacing the two simultaneously. Both of these replacements require the transmission to be removed, so there is a big saving in labour costs in you have them done together.
If you own 996 and are interested in other modifications recommended by Stuart, you might like to click on this link to a prior post. 996 – What’s on the menu?
As late 2021 saw the 25th Anniversary of the launch of the first Porsche Boxster 986, now some of the early models meet the VicRoads qualifying criteria for an historic license plate!
So with the 986’s coming of age you now have the option to retire this classic Porsche mid engine two-seater roadster as your everyday ride, and convert it onto an historic/club permit. We have already had 2 NINEAUTO customers make the move. On a club permit you can either choose to drive a maximum of 45 or 90 days per year, giving you plenty of time to still enjoy your Boxster without paying the standard VicRoads registration fee.
For more details of what’s involved in converting over to a Club Permit, click on this link to a past NINEAUTO post Club Permits an option worth considering…
Over these crazy covid times, many have chosen to delay the scheduled servicing of their Porsche. Letting your service lapse a couple of months over the due date isn’t really a big deal, and is unlikely to have any impact on the performance of your car. However, we strongly encourage wherever possible sticking to the recommended service schedule. Servicing on time is your best insurance to avoid foreseeable mechanical issues that could prove costly if they remain unchecked. Regular servicing is also a key criteria for most prospective Porsche buyers, so a well maintained Porsche is likely to maximise your car’s future resale value.
If you were fortunate enough to negotiate free servicing when purchasing a vehicle, your last free dealership service needs to be completed no more than 4 weeks pasts it’s due date. For example, if you purchased a car on 1st June 2019 and received 3 years of free servicing from the dealership, you would then only be eligible to receive a free third service up until the end of June 2022. Back in 2020 with covid restrictions initially precluding non-essential servicing, many customers scheduled service timing were pushed out with a potentially costly knock-on effect. Let’s say your first service may have slipped from June to September 2020, you then undertook your second service a year later in September 2021. However, if you then wait until September 2022 to book your car in for your third free service it will be well past it’s June 2022 due date window, and most likely you’ll be paying for a ‘free service’!
It’s often only the front mats in a 911 that get worn and need replacing. So if your rear mats still look good, and you own a 996 or 997 here’s a great way to save money. Rather than buying a set of 4 mats, simply purchase the equivalent set of 2 front Boxster car mats.
