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997 Heath Check....

ResB

Well-known member
Joined
30 Jan 2008
Messages
3,706
Took my 997 to my local OPC yesterday to have a free health check so that anything covered under warranty could be rectified before I am allowed to sign up for the new one.

A few issues -

1. RMS leaking, again. So that's twice. If it had been checked on a regular basis I dread to think how many times this would have happened. More than twice I feel.

2. Two coil pack cracked on Cyl. 1 and 6

Both to be done under the current warranty "before" I can have the new one.

I'm finding it a little difficult to comprehend at the moment. Now I don't know this for sure but it's my understanding that the RMS issue will be covered by a current extended warranty that the owner puts in place. If no warranty exists then the customer foots the bill, even though Porsche know it's a manufacturing fault. So in reality, you are forced to get a warranty whatever the case as no one wants a £1,500 bill every time the RMS decides to fail; which could be quite often.

My car also needs it's first MOT which means it's likely that I will have to have a few items rectified before it will pass and before the new warranty can be issued.

Bar Humbug....

So, that's Tax, PCGB Membership, Insurance, Warranty, work required before warranty can be issued all come at the same time....anyone want to buy a Kidney?
 
Would be interested to know what mileage you have done to date - and sorry but not looking for a kidney just now!
 
ResB said:
1. RMS leaking, again. So that's twice. If it had been checked on a regular basis I dread to think how many times this would have happened. More than twice I feel.

I'm finding it a little difficult to comprehend at the moment. Now I don't know this for sure but it's my understanding that the RMS issue will be covered by a current extended warranty that the owner puts in place. If no warranty exists then the customer foots the bill, even though Porsche know it's a manufacturing fault. So in reality, you are forced to get a warranty whatever the case as no one wants a £1,500 bill every time the RMS decides to fail; which could be quite often.

Now, just put yourself in the position of Service Manager at an OPC: new car sales are down at a record low - so no PDI work coming through the workshops. Credit crunch biting - people using their cars less and saving money by stretching service intervals and/or using Independents at half-price. Warranty work is the ONLY thing that no-one else can do under EU Block Exemption regulations... :?:

OPCs know that Porsche / warranty will always cough up for an RMS replacement as they can't prove that it wasn't leaking (no broken component to send back to the manufacturer for investigation): and Bingo - technicians kept busy, scaremongers everyone into renewing warranty (which pays for the RMS work) = more profit (from warranty sale and warranty work)! :thumb:

Also, extended warranty is a commercial Insurance contract not governed by BER, so they can insist on using OPC for servicing and a totally OEM spec car.

I accidentally let my warranty lapse on my 996 and was told I needed to pay for a new RMS before they would renew it (despite the fact that RMS had been replaced under warranty 3 months/2,000 miles earlier). I didn't bother and 3 years and 43,000 miles later it was not using a single drop of oil between services - go figure :thumb: :dont know:
 
apw2007 said:
Would be interested to know what mileage you have done to date - and sorry but not looking for a kidney just now!

The car has done about 36,000 miles in 3 years. I'll keep the kidney warm just in case you change your mind. ;)

Wattie said:
ResB said:
1. RMS leaking, again. So that's twice. If it had been checked on a regular basis I dread to think how many times this would have happened. More than twice I feel.

I'm finding it a little difficult to comprehend at the moment. Now I don't know this for sure but it's my understanding that the RMS issue will be covered by a current extended warranty that the owner puts in place. If no warranty exists then the customer foots the bill, even though Porsche know it's a manufacturing fault. So in reality, you are forced to get a warranty whatever the case as no one wants a £1,500 bill every time the RMS decides to fail; which could be quite often.

Now, just put yourself in the position of Service Manager at an OPC: new car sales are down at a record low - so no PDI work coming through the workshops. Credit crunch biting - people using their cars less and saving money by stretching service intervals and/or using Independents at half-price. Warranty work is the ONLY thing that no-one else can do under EU Block Exemption regulations... :?:

OPCs know that Porsche / warranty will always cough up for an RMS replacement as they can't prove that it wasn't leaking (no broken component to send back to the manufacturer for investigation): and Bingo - technicians kept busy, scaremongers everyone into renewing warranty (which pays for the RMS work) = more profit (from warranty sale and warranty work)! :thumb:

Also, extended warranty is a commercial Insurance contract not governed by BER, so they can insist on using OPC for servicing and a totally OEM spec car.

I accidentally let my warranty lapse on my 996 and was told I needed to pay for a new RMS before they would renew it (despite the fact that RMS had been replaced under warranty 3 months/2,000 miles earlier). I didn't bother and 3 years and 43,000 miles later it was not using a single drop of oil between services - go figure :thumb: :dont know:

Couldn't agree with you more and this is precisely my point. The RMS leak isn't particularly crucial to have done, but most, myself included want their car to be perfect and just cannot live psychologically with the leak. So they lay out the cash for the warranty... mad isn't it, particularly when it should be done FOC without a warranty in the first place!!
 
ResB said:
Couldn't agree with you more and this is precisely my point. The RMS leak isn't particularly crucial to have done, but most, myself included want their car to be perfect and just cannot live psychologically with the leak. So they lay out the cash for the warranty... mad isn't it, particularly when it should be done FOC without a warranty in the first place!!

What leak is this then? Are there spots of oil on your garage floor? Or just a bit of moistness on the engine undertray, like I had - and I think they were from me spilling a bit when I topped it up soon after I bought the car (and before the RMS change was done under warranty). :thumb:
 
Wattie said:
ResB said:
Couldn't agree with you more and this is precisely my point. The RMS leak isn't particularly crucial to have done, but most, myself included want their car to be perfect and just cannot live psychologically with the leak. So they lay out the cash for the warranty... mad isn't it, particularly when it should be done FOC without a warranty in the first place!!

What leak is this then? Are there spots of oil on your garage floor? Or just a bit of moistness on the engine undertray, like I had - and I think they were from me spilling a bit when I topped it up soon after I bought the car (and before the RMS change was done under warranty). :thumb:

Nah, is there hell. It's a darkened and damp line of oil around the casing and no oil is dripping on the floor. Like you say, it keeps the technicians occupied.

Tell you what, I'm going for a free monthly health check to check the RMS and perhaps have it changed once a month whilst the warranty is in place. :)
 
What free monthly health check? I just bought my first 997 privately and have had the OPC warranty transferred in to my name. Are the OPC's happy to run a check on your car in an attempt to find items which may need to be done?

I assumed they'd err on the side of trying not to find problems, but Wattie's view seems valid enough. After all, they get paid by the warranty underwriters whoever they are (Porsche GB themselves perhaps).

Cheers, Steve
 
SMcC2S said:
What free monthly health check? I just bought my first 997 privately and have had the OPC warranty transferred in to my name. Are the OPC's happy to run a check on your car in an attempt to find items which may need to be done?

I assumed they'd err on the side of trying not to find problems, but Wattie's view seems valid enough. After all, they get paid by the warranty underwriters whoever they are (Porsche GB themselves perhaps).

Cheers, Steve

I think most OPC's will do the "Free" health check if you ask. Don't think its a regional thing. :thumb:
 
Hi Rich,

Sorry to hear of your woes. Isn't unnecessary warranty work (yours does seem genuine) one of the reasons the price has gone up so much. I understand they include more items but there will always be unscrupulous service managers in an economic downturn.

Can't you tell I'm turning into a cranky old git and I'm sounding more like Wattie by the day. (I think that's a good thing Wattie before you revert).

Pete
 
Pete Hadfield said:
Can't you tell I'm turning into a cranky old git and I'm sounding more like Wattie by the day. (I think that's a good thing Wattie before you revert).

Pete


:hand: :wack: :grin: :floor:
 
Pete Hadfield said:
Hi Rich,

Sorry to hear of your woes. Isn't unnecessary warranty work (yours does seem genuine) one of the reasons the price has gone up so much. I understand they include more items but there will always be unscrupulous service managers in an economic downturn.

Can't you tell I'm turning into a cranky old git and I'm sounding more like Wattie by the day. (I think that's a good thing Wattie before you revert).

Pete

Hehe...

There is a bit more to this but I'll wait to hear the outcome before I post more information. I should say the OPC has been pretty good thus far. Fingers crossed. :thumb:
 
I started a thread a little while ago about the possibility of unnecessary repair work being "identified" at OPC's, and I still think that this is probably the case.

I think that all of these examples point to a concerted effort by OPC's to scare people into renewing their warranties. As an example, in the first month of ownership I had enough work done under warranty to justify the cost of buying one next year. The first event (a broken gear linkage) was for real, but the second (a tracker arm with "excessive play") I have my doubts about.

At the moment I have two cars in at my local BMW garage, one for a service and one for warranty work, and I am very interested in seeing how they compare with Porsche when I go to collect my cars...
 
Speaking of trivial warranty points...

I renewed my warranty recently to the new 'enhanced' version (enhanced in price ;-) ) - I had to have the sunvisor replaced as the vanity light was not working. Not covered under the original warranty, but had to be done for the renewal as it now is covered - I was happy to continue life with a dark sunvisor mirror, but it wasn't an option to leave it uncovered, and had to be done (at my expense of course)!

Had the RMS and a Coil Pack replaced in the last year as well.. The coil pack wasn't so trivial as it was misfiring..

Ultimately I have the warranty as an outside reassurance against major failure. 25k and going strong, though...

Ian 997C2
 
toyracer said:
Speaking of trivial warranty points...

I renewed my warranty recently to the new 'enhanced' version (enhanced in price ;-) ) - I had to have the sunvisor replaced as the vanity light was not working. Not covered under the original warranty, but had to be done for the renewal as it now is covered - I was happy to continue life with a dark sunvisor mirror, but it wasn't an option to leave it uncovered, and had to be done (at my expense of course)!

I'm tempted here to say "told you so" :thumb:

This is precisely what I said would happen with the new warranty when it was first announced and discussed on here last Autumn :wink: The compulsory annual check will result in a compulsory invoice to fix anything they can possibly find on the car, regardless of whether it is an item covered by warranty or not...

Just wait for the "new brake discs required sir" or "we found some clutch dust in the air-filter and this means you need a new clutch sir"!!! :wtf:

...and yes, I really did have that last one... I declined and it lasted another 40,000 miles before it started slipping, but you won't be able to decline now if you want to renew your warranty! :eek:

I was going to write a list of all the things an OPC could say needed doing, that you couldn't disprove, but I don't want to make it too easy for them to stitch you guys up :thumb:
 

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