Discussion
A 944 is just a car: any competant mechanic will be able to work on them. I feel it's only worth going to a Porsche specialist if the guy they are putting on your car knows them inside out.
The only time it's important is when they need to know what to look for specifc to a 944, whether diagnosing or preventative work. They might not know to spray the fuel pipe and tank strap with corrosion inhibitor, for instance, and things like electrical or fueling issues are best dealt with by an expert or you can end up replacing bits at random.
Personally, the specialist I use is only a shade dearer than a general garage, so on speed alone he works out cheaper overall. If there isn't a reliable indie near to you, then you've got to go to the local garage.
If you're on one of the 944 forums (PCGB or Tipec) or the Facebook UK transaxle group, you can easily get help with anything they need to do at a service, or can't diagnose easily.
The only time it's important is when they need to know what to look for specifc to a 944, whether diagnosing or preventative work. They might not know to spray the fuel pipe and tank strap with corrosion inhibitor, for instance, and things like electrical or fueling issues are best dealt with by an expert or you can end up replacing bits at random.
Personally, the specialist I use is only a shade dearer than a general garage, so on speed alone he works out cheaper overall. If there isn't a reliable indie near to you, then you've got to go to the local garage.
If you're on one of the 944 forums (PCGB or Tipec) or the Facebook UK transaxle group, you can easily get help with anything they need to do at a service, or can't diagnose easily.
yknot said:
Ahem!
I believe the OP is of the female persuasion and, from what I read, SHE should be addressed as such!!?
Oh my word. A lady-person on Pistonheads? Half the posters here won't be able to cope with that!I believe the OP is of the female persuasion and, from what I read, SHE should be addressed as such!!?
Whatever next? Getting out and meeting up, driving the cars, it's a very scary world out there....;)
Hope you get the car sorted, Shelley. JMG and Promax are both great recommendations, and there are other 944 specialists not too far away, but it depends how far you want to travel. Join the PCGB forum, it's open to non-members, as the 944 forum there is far more active than here.
LarJammer said:
I think the guy you are thinking of works for promax now?
Last time I was in Dove House he was there (they sorted out my XK8 for its MoT in August), so could be a different guy unless he has moved recentlyhttp://www.dovehousecars.com/
Shellz_Mach1 said:
I have a 944 that I need serviced. I'm rather disillusioned with the guys that usually do the work on my car and am reluctant to take the car to them again.
Is there anything special about servicing a 944 or could my local garage do it?
Tks in advance
Shel
Right, to answer your questions Is there anything special about servicing a 944 or could my local garage do it?
Tks in advance
Shel
.Is there anything special about servicing a 944? Not at all. Are some tricky areas? Yes but everyone comes across these issues and deals with them in the same manner from what I can tell including OPCs and specialists (who have cared to say), you name it
.Draining the oil from a 944 is dead simple but it is wise to use an oil pan with a large opening due to the large sump bolt of the 944.
The tricky bit is the oil filter. Most specialists have been honest here and have said that there is no truly clean way of removing it without getting oil all over the shop (i.e the side of the block and the power steering pump). Even a certain OPC peep told me the same. I think I have tried just about everything (bag over the filter (didn't work and made life more awkward), ramming paper towels around the filter (a known measure), puncturing the filter at the side and so on. This is how I do mine now (and I shall put the optional steps in brackets
).1) Jack the car up and ensure that it is secure
(2) ut the driver's side wheel onto full right lock or remove it)
3) Remove the undertray (I avoided this in the future but I did use many rags and put a drip tray there which I eventually mastered ; for the first time oil change I would personally remove it).
3) Ram as many paper towels and rags as possible around the oil filter. Naturally you cannot cover everywhere but besides of the top of the filter you can access the mating face of the filter to the engine through the driver's side wheelarch albeit awkwardly.
4) Drain the oil.
(5) Whilst draining the oil loosen the oil filter off a touch, in the hope that the vacuum effect will minimise spillage ; that was passed onto me and didn't make much difference but I guess every little helps).
6) When you come to remove the filter (I tend to let it drain a little into the rags) I always keep a leak free bag or box next to the old filter within the engine bay. Being upside it will make a mess ; having a container of sorts in the engine bay to put the filter in will minimise this alot.
7) Once the oil has drained put the drain plug back in.
8) Wipe up the spillage ; the front right corner of the bolt is a hot spot as is potentially the steering rack bellows and the power steering pump (which sits below the oil filter).
9) Refit the oil filter and top up with oil to the maxiumum mark
(10) Remove DME relay and prime the car until the dash registers oil pressure ; Some peeps do this with any cars they service whilst others do not, I seriously doubt a garage would do this).
11) Start the car up and run it for a minute. After that, shut it down, wait a few minutes and refil once more to the maximum mark.
I have probably gone into way more detail but I certainly tried to shirk away from doing 944 oil changes, until a couple of specialists and an OPC worker told me that they all could not escape making a mess with a 944 oil filter change. Also, using a fluted oil filter removal tool with a socket set will make life alot easier
.Personally I would not let a local garage do it ; Most of them would probably still leave used engine oil down the side of the block, and pump (and oddly enough, a few on other forums seem to have wet power steering pumps, with people thing their pump has died, when this is far from the case). Cleaning up does take time, and certainly for me (who is no stranger to an oil change). The 944 for took longer than just about any car I serviced and was almost always messier (including a Beetle with a washable oil filter!). On most cars from gathering my tools to putting things away and being done and dusted I can do an oil change in around 15-20 minutes (I.e jacking the car up, gathering the tools, emptying and cleaning out catch cans etc.). A garage with a ramp can take less with the ramp in all honesty. But to clean the block up to a standard I am happy? Add 10-15 mins to that time easy.
Maybe I am way too OTT but I hate oily engine bays even it it is underneath (it makes things harder to work with and diagnose) and for the first time I did indeed make a mess, hence why I looked into how others changed their oil.
With the above in mind I would give it a stab if you have previously done oil changes
.Where are you based? I can recommend EMC Motorsport in Saltley, Birmingham with Gavin at RSJ Sportscars in Milton Keynes also being recommended within the Midlands. ProMax also seem like a good shout.
Edited by SebringMan on Thursday 27th November 00:43
Thom said:
Ever heard of a delicious invention called a can of brake cleaner?
Makes cleaning off the oil that spilled anywhere below the oil filter a doddle.
I have (and have used it on engines as an effective degreaser) but let's be honest, the less you spill the less you have to mop, and it always takes an age to mop things up well Makes cleaning off the oil that spilled anywhere below the oil filter a doddle.
. blade7 said:
I just wrap a bit of blue paper around the bottom of the filter.
I used to only put in a bit and it still made a mess down the side of the engine unless I literally stuffed the area full of them. There is nothing intrinsically hard about a 944 filter change but what were Porsche thinking with such a silly design?SebringMan said:
I used to only put in a bit and it still made a mess down the side of the engine unless I literally stuffed the area full of them. There is nothing intrinsically hard about a 944 filter change but what were Porsche thinking with such a silly design?
Like changing the water pump or the clutch do you mean ? blade7 said:
Like changing the water pump or the clutch do you mean ?
The water pump job I guess depends on how badly the studs have seized into the bolt... As for the clutch I am with you on that one, especially with the extra ancillaries a Turbo has in the way (not necessarily making the job harder but certainly adding on more time.SebringMan said:
but let's be honest, the less you spill the less you have to mop, and it always takes an age to mop things up well
If you raise the car high enough you can clean it all up quite easily even deep above the lower balance shaft front hat. I will concede that using a lift makes it much easier.Gassing Station | Front Engined Porsches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff