I don't see how plugs take more than 6 hrs even by a dealer. Bumper and intercooler removal will take an hour or two at max, plugs themselves take 30 minutes. I would be very surprised if an experienced tech took more than 3-4 hrs for the whole thing. 6 hrs x $130 an hour is where most people are coming up with $800 for plugs.

guess thats greenwich CT for ya!

My friendly CA Porshe dealer hourly rate is $180. I am waiting for the 30K miles service quote. CA $ must be worth much less than ROW $...

6-8 would be more accurate. 6-8 hours x 100-110 = $800 and parts are $300 for plugs and $300 for coil packs roughly. so $1600 to 1800 would be fair assessment.

Local dealer quoted me $1600 for 30k service @ $129/hr labor rate... but $300 for just spark plugs, no labor? Really? Wow.

Geez, Suncoast sells the spark plugs for $40/set!

///Michael

get away from the dealers, I found a 30 year porsche master mechanic who worked at a dealer for 9 years and couldn't believe how they took advantage, he started his own operation, anybody living in the palm beach area check him out Billy Rice 561-7862-9132. Has the whole set up. Worked on my Cayenne Turbo for 3 years now and saved me thousands, felt comfortable and bought a 996tt 04' cab, starting mods now.

True.

great mechanics at dealers quickly recognize that while they are getting, what, $40, 50 an hour, the dealership organization is pulling in the other $100 on their backs. (yeah, yea, I know- you need a shop, you need insurance, you need a cashier...but in general)

If they are good, and have an aptitude for business and don't blunder, they can set up a pretty nice gig. (IMHO, they should avoid mods, just do straight maintenance and repair. Heresy here on this board... or at least avoid psycho owners.. doh! heresy again....)

A

7k for a 30k service? Did he take it to the Ferrari dealer by mistake?

the dealer is going to charge at least twice what a good local indy porsche mechanic will charge, there are plenty of them arround, personally i do not intend to ever take my car to the dealer for anything

there is a reason people call the dealer 'the stealer'

$300 for just plugs no labor is robbery. I had the plugs done at 20k just before Tony at EPL did my flash. It is a local performance shop that actually does some work for the local Porsche dealer recommended by the salesmen at the dealer. Porsche specified plugs and labor @ $98/hr. Total under $500.

they did the 30k service as was called for in the manual. It did include plugs.

I go to shop in Ft Lauderdale that has a mechanic that changed my plugs without taking the bumper or the intercoolers off took him a little over an hour. I guess if you have slender hands and know what you are doing it isn't a big deal. I waited for the car. I wonder how many dealership mechanics have figured this out and then are able to charge the dealer who charges you and by the end of an 8 hr day have booked 21hrs of labor. The dealer doesn't care and the mechanics making a killing.

I got a quote for over $2600 at my local stealer.
30K service = $932.20 labor, $400 parts.
replace seprentine belt $158 labor, $60 parts.
brake fluid flush $316 labor, $75 parts.
fuel injection service cleaning $195 labor $150 parts
ower steering flush $225 labor, $158 parts.

looking for a local indy mechanic now.

I don't think power steering, fuel injector, and serpentine are on the 30k list... Sounds like they are adding stuff... I don't ever remember seeing power steering flush or injector cleaning on any list!

you could ship your car to a few different shops in Houston and have the work done for less than $7K.