Is it okay to home service your cayman?

[John333]

Hi All

 

Maybe upset some people who say you’ve got to use a Porsche dealership or Indie but my (maybe) contravercial question is whether it’s a no no to service your Cayman yourself?
 

So I purchased my 2009 987.2 Cayman S a year ago from a classic car dealer and it has full Porsche service history. Other than the place I purchased it from then got a local garage to do the last small oil service and even fitted a new clutch before I collected it. Car has done 80k.

 

It’s been a year but I thought I’d remove the engine covers and give the engine a once over and check things out over the last week or so. 
All seems fine other than I was disappointed that the air and pollen filters obviously both needed replaced (I’ve only done 3k miles in it) so I have ordered new ones and left top engine cover off until they arrive..

 

Engine very dusty so I’ve cleaned it down and sorted any areas prone to corrosion etc. Drive belt looks fine.  Coolant Initially looked orange/wrong in the expansion tank in engine compartment but sample is pink, so assume okay. Might also replace that in the near future but believe airlocks can be an issue if not using a coolant Vac system so might get local Porsche dealer to do..

Anyway, am looking to do the two filter changes and then an ‘interim’ Mobil 1 oil and filter change as I don’t do a lot of miles a year and don’t want to go two years between oil changes. Big service due next year (~£1100 at Porsche).
 

i know things can change but I’m looking to keep hold of the car long term.  I’m now considering (not considered before even with my previous old 944 turbo se which was serviced miles away by Hartech) that I might do all the servicing myself going forward as I enjoy working on my cars and it’s nice knowing it’s actually been done etc..

 

So my question is - if any of you fellow enthusiasts came to potentially buy my car in the future and I’d kept all my receipts for parts in a file and even took the engine covers off for your viewing etc (which wasn’t an option when I bought it), would it put you off if it  had been home serviced and put you off buying it?

Know it’s easier and always recommended to just look for a car with full Porsche or Indie service history (I was close to not writing this because of that) but is it a deal breaker on a say 15 yr old car..?

Anything I wasn’t happy doing myself would be done by Porsche dealership.. and I’d be fine with any inspection.. 

 

Would it devalue the car or would some of you actually be happier buying.?

 

Cheers

John

(‘Mature’ enthusiast) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mavrik]

I do all my own servicing/repairs on my cars & bikes...

I keep all my receipts etc in a file in order.

You'll probably get no problem selling to a proper enthusiast who knows one end of a spanner from the other rather than a person who hasn't a clue but with deep pockets!

[Aaron]

It's a double edged sword.  Some buyers would prefer the stamps, others won't really care.  You would just have to accept that the car will, as far as market price goes, be devalued.

 

Three examples:

 

I recently picked out a Mk6 Golf GTI for the missus which was self serviced.  A while after driving it back, it was throwing away oil. The sump plug simply wasn't torqued to spec.  Getting someone incompetent as an owner is far more likely than a mechanic in a Porsche dealer or independent, one could argue.  But no.

 

Now, independents; when I purchased my IPD plenum and GT3 TB, I wanted an indie to fit it.  The local indie didn't even know what the hell I was talking about.  His response was, "I struggle enough with the normal stuff".  It does not fill one with confidence.  I didn't want to give him the job, nor did he want to do it. Therefore, I did it myself.  Wasn't even that hard.

 

OPC retrofitted my cruise control.  Totally fucked up my fuel gauge (programmed 65 L rather than 55 L - never admitted it to this day (been working fine for 2 years!)).  Kept blaming the sender unit (there's a thread of this whole experience) as the culprit; then accidentally resolved the issue without even realising.

 

There is incompetence in every field but, unfortunately, buyers dictate value and the self-serviced car is less valuable.

 

Personally, I service my car with the OPC to maintain the market value and for no other reason.  Would I be more diligent and possibly do a better job?  Likely, but the average buyer would probably disagree with me.

[Lennym1984]

I have always serviced my "toy" cars (my main car goes into a main dealer for servicing) and for me the pros massively outweigh the cons. I know how the car is holding up, what needs to be monitored, and what needs to be repaired in the near future. Because I am invested in the car, I am obviously much better able to go "above and beyond" what a garage would be able to (preventative care, oil analysis etc).

 

From a financial perspective, I *may* take a hit on resale but I suspect that the "hit" may be lower than the amount I have saved by doing it myself. I would have no issue buying a self serviced car but (as I would with any car) much would depend on how I felt about the seller (ie. if they seemed a bit OCD and orderly - well documented records, neat folders of receipts etc - I would feel far more confident than if they seemed a bit slapdash and had failed to keep receipts, lost things etc).

 

 

[GlosRich]

I guess it also depends how long you are keeping the car. If you're keeping it forever, do what you like. If you want to resell it after a few years, its best to at least use an Independent, to maintain the value.

 

I'd recommend finding a local independent, a large service will be more like £300.

 

With regard to the oil. If its a quality oil like Mobil 1, it wont degrade much in 2 years, its fully synthetic, so you dont need to change it. Its not like old mineral oil.

 

[extanker]

if you have the tools and know what you are doing....do........if you don't....don't......or it will be the most expensive oil change in your life 

[John333]

Hi All

Thanks for all the replies. Really appreciated.. I’m doing the interim oil change this year because I do a lot of short runs every day for work (5 miles max) so I thought it would be better to change the oil and filter annually. In my view it’s the best thing you can do for a car. 

I’ll do the filters and oil and possibly the AOS as well in the next few months and then I’ve got until next year to decide what to do about future services.
Good point about the cost saving you make servicing the car yourself probably offsetting the lower sale price assuming I keep it long enough. Seems a shame to have a skill and not use it. 

I am pretty comfortable working on the cayman. Am self taught over 35yrs and in the past have worked on all my cars doing things like brakes and general repairs etc and keeping the service history going using main dealers for annual services.
Not aware of any Porsche Independants up here in West Cumbria unfortunately.., hence me travelling some distance in the past to Hartech  in Bolton with my turbo., but it’s just too far to travel.
I may have been lucky but not had any major issues doing work myself in the past and had some interesting cars over the years.. I suppose you just get used to working on them..

Wish I could afford to have kept sone of them as a couple (turbo and GTV6) are worth a bit of money now (probably even if home serviced).. I maybe just need to keep my Cayman a long time ha ha..

 

- 2009 Cayman S

- BMW 335i

- E36 M3 Evolution

- Toyota Celica GT-Four

- 944 Turbo SE

- Mazda RX7 (Mk2)

- Alfa GTV6 (original)

- Celica GT

- Astra GTE
- XR2’s

- Capri

 

Cheers

John

 

[Woodhouse]

Hi John, no question in my mind, just do it!  In my experience over many years, I have never had a problem selling my cars or motorcycles when I've maintained them myself, actually I would say the opposite as I'm convinced they've been easier to sell because of it.  I'm also very sure I've not suffered financially either.

 

As most of the folks have already said, a big part of it is keeping fastidious records of what you've done and the evidence (receipts, photos etc) to back it up.  But it is not just about record keeping, it's also about being able to demonstrate that you've gone above and beyond what most other owners have done or had done to their cars.  Many people can produce a stamped service book that demonstrates a basic level of compliance with routine scheduled maintenance requirements.  But in my experience if you really scrutinise the service history, you will often find gaps in the "optional" scheduled items such as brake fluid changes, gearbox oil changes, spark plugs, drive belts, etc.   And few can produce the evidence that they've kept the car fresh in terms of timely replacement of wear out items or additional preventative maintenance over and above the manufacturer's service schedule.  I also think my professional background and hands-on experiences of Porsche ownership since the 1990s helps to give potential buyers a degree of confidence that I know what I'm doing.  The last three Porsches I've sold have all been through forum or private contacts who have seen extra value in the way I've looked after the cars.  

 

Despite all that, last year I elected to have the Minor service on my 981 done by my local OPC.  This was because of its relative newness and the likelihood that I might sell it in the forseeable future.  Given its relative young age and low mileage, it's not yet at the point where maintenance history is a positive differentiator when selling.  But I know I would have done a better job, as the OPC took short cuts and made some errors, and cost about £500 more than if I'd done it myself.  If I do end up keeping this particular car, I will most definitely be doing the future maintenance myself.   

[zcacogp]

As GlosRich said, it depends upon how long you keep the car. If it's nearly new, you keep it for a couple of years and sell it having DIY'd a couple of services then you may have a problem as buyers at that end of the market are keen on a book full of service stamps for their money. If you keep it for 10 years, DIY everything in that time, keep meticulous records and then sell it then you may even be in a stronger position as enthusiasts who buy older cars will value buying from someone who really knows what they are selling. 

 

FWIW I nearly sold my 944 S2 last summer and it hadn't been near a garage for the 15 years that I owned it (other than to do alignments). I had two bulging lever arch files full of history and very detailed records of what I had done with mileage and date noted. The fact that the stamped service history was 15 years out of date didn't matter a fig and I had a lot of interest in the car. (For the record, I decided not to sell it but that's another matter). I'll be doing the same with my 987.1 2.7; self-servicing and repairs and keeping notes. 

[phil27]

I do somethings myself really depends on the job. I do extra oil services every year myself as I think 2 years for a change is just too long. I also replaced the air conditioning condenser's to save a bit of money I just thought it looked like a simple enough job and it was something I was happy to do. For its annual services I still take it to my Porsche Specialist indy mainly as I bought the car from them and happy to support them but also I do not have a ramp to give the car a full inspection so feel it is worth the extra money. I would be happy doing things like brakes etc when required. 

 

I do service my other car myself and just keep all the receipts and record dates of when the work was done. Self servicing would not put me off buying a car as long as i could see some evidence of it being done. 

[Equinox]

Try and do everything myself where I can. Keep all service records and any parts I've purchased to exchange in a big folder. I service at every 6k which is just force of habit from previous cars I've tinkered with performance wise. So this would be pretty costly at a dealer. 

 

I also personally much prefer a car where the owner has serviced the car and can provide and talk through all they have done. Over a car that goes to a garage once a year and the owner hasn't got an idea if they need to top up blinker fluid or not...

 

I'm personally not bothered about resale value and only worry about my own personal enjoyment so opinion might not be in line with the majority. 

[extanker]

I have more confidence with a dealer serviced car than the tinkerbell maintained ones lol

[Stephen Auty]

Do it yourself for sure, especially now with lockdown. 

Take photos of the old oil filter/oil  and keep good records and receipts. While you're under there you're bound to find something else to sort out or just clean up.

I wouldn't want anyone else doing my Cayman.

[Mavrik]

Just changed my AOS & on Monday I'll be renewing the gearbox/transaxle oil with Motul 300 ester synth... Prob saved myself £250... Filed all receipts... Some folk have far too much disposable dosh! 😳

[Mavrik]

Just changed out my CS Gen1 6 speed gearbox/transaxle oil (on 66k miles now)

 

Used Motul 300 75w/90 bought 3L but capacity is 2.8L so a bit spare for top up if needed.

 

I used a Dremel with cutting disc to make a 2in square hole in the skid plate rather than remove the cross-members etc... Fitted a plastic grommet/tube insert to cover the hole 

 

I used a 1L capacity fluid pump to refill which was a doddle

 

Whilst under the car I decided to degrease the entire rear end with Gunk degreaser & jet washed off... Lots of clean Ali now 

 

Saved myself a fair few quid & all receipts filed etc etc...

Edited April 20, 2020 by Mavrik

[zcacogp]

Good show. Not quite sure about cutting a hole in the skid plate but I can see the logic in it .... 

 

What tool do you need to get the drain and fill plugs out? 

[Mavrik]

@zcacogp

 

You need a 10mm hex Allen for the filler & drain plugs.

 

The aluminium skid plate is not really a load bearing item... Only around 2mm thick... Plenty of folk have done the same on removing the plate & using a holesaw... Plenty of clearance between the plate & gearbox bottom.

[zcacogp]

Yes, and the Porsche manual says that alignment should be re-checked if the skid plate is removed while the wheels are on the floor but not if it is removed while jacked up (I think, although could be wrong.) All sounds a bit over-kill to me and a hole in the middle of it wouldn't make an appreciable difference to it's stiffness. 

 

I don't think the filler and drain plugs on mine are a simple 10mm hex allen. They have some kind of centre pin that means you can't use a normal tool. 

[Mavrik]

@zcacogp

 

Exactly why I didn't remove the cross members & plate 😆

 

There several other "pointless"  factory holes in it anyway lol albeit small.

 

I gather all 6 speed Gen1 use 10mm hex but on the 5 speed base Boxster its a special tool?

[zcacogp]

Ah, yours is a 6-speed 'box? That explains it! Mine is a 5-speed base gen 1 Cayman. 

 

Any idea what the special tool is?