Oil Changes

I’m storing my 2012 base Boxster in Florida for six months and I always change the oil before storing it. It appears I’ve waited too long before making an appointment because none of the places near me who know how to work on a Boxster can work me in before I leave. I have around seven thousand miles on the oil. Anyone have any thoughts on any damage the old oil may do to the engine? Mobile 1 is good for more than 7000 miles but that assumes the car is being driven. Thanks for your input. J. Sayle

The problem is that all used oil has contaminants in it.


If you usually have multiple long drives including a long trip immediately before storage, many contaminants will have burnt off, but not all.
That said, many people leave their cars for 6 months at a time without giving a thought to oil.

Will there be more "damage" than you would otherwise have if you stored with new oil? Probably.
Is it going to be significant - or a "problem"? Likely not.

If you are that worried about it - have a random garage change the oil. Supervise the work. Then rest easy.
This is an oil change. Nothing special about it really other than the filter cartridge. Bring one with you.
Do not sweat the oil itself. But get the best they have. Then change it soon after the hibernation ends.

As risk assessments go, this seems relatively low risk, but that remains your call.

I would not be concerned. If you did not store your car you would be probably driving it until your next oil change.
I'm pretty certain that if you drove the car you would not be thinking about the so called damage that could occur with a 7,000 mile oil.

Well, I was finally able to get an appointment with a Porsche dealer in a nearby town for an oil change. I had the oil changed yesterday and the cost was $760! In years past I have used a shop here in Florida that knows Boxsters and they always charged $300 which I considered a bit much but no big deal. My Porsche dealer up in Ohio is nowhere near these numbers. At least I got my oil changed before putting the car in storage but I’m wondering if $760 is a typical cost for a simple oil change at Porsche dealers nationally?

It is one thing to let them change oil if the car is in for something else. But to have them just do it, is going to be VERY expensive.

I think they dealer once charged me $35.00 to change a light bulb. That was in 2004(?). The car was in for a warranty service and they discovered a bulb out. I just had them do it.
But never again. Early on, in 2001(?), the dealer changed my oil for $474.00. I forget why the car was in the dealer, but I would certainly never do it again. even if the car WAS in the shop already.

Use the dealer for those things that are required. Stuff that you need warranty $. Or stuff you need the dealer specific computers.
otherwise most independents and even local garages are just fine.

In most cases, Porsche services are EASIER than average commuter cars.

To be fair to the dealer.... Honda sells more cars in a week than Porsche does in a year. The service bays will have much greater volume at a traditional brand. Overhead costs are about the same, if not more at a Porsche dealer. Plus we expect things like Porsche loaners, that the Honda dealer need not offer. (We never got a loaner at the local Subaru dealer - for instance). Everything from the service floor to the waiting room is different at a Porsche dealer. So, lower volume and higher overhead.... you do the math.
Now, do they take it to an extreme? Probably, but there are legit considerations.

All the above said, avoid the dealer when you can.