If You Can’t Afford to Take Care of Your 911, You Can’t Afford One to Start With

Kind of like having kids or pets, your 911 requires regular care and maintenance. Nothing is sadder to Polly Porschette than a sad, dirty, obviously not running right 911. It makes me cringe, cry, or both. It is true that Porsches are not cheap to fix, or even that cheap to maintain, but I promise you that if you do take care of yours, you will find it is one of the most reliable cars built and has had that reputation for decades. (Polly challenges you to name another one that has over five decades of solid service records…not!)

Let’s face it, you want, you long, you dream about, owning a 911, right? You want to hear that engine power up and eeekkk! take off leaving others in your dust. If that truly is your dream, be a responsible parent and plan not only on how to earn the money to buy your dream ride, but take care of it, too.

First off, it is highly recommended that newer Porsches, 911 or any other, run synthetic oil. I hear you groaning now. Stop. Just stop. Synth as it is referred to is a far superior lubricant, pollutes less, extends the life of your engine, allows it to run cooler, and I could go on and on. Give up a couple of your coffee stops or nightcaps and pay a qualified mechanic to change your oil and check your baby out on a regular basis. Nice part is, depending on your driving habits, recommended oil change for a Porsche is 3500-5000 miles (or 5633 to 8047 klicks, or kilometers, for you puritans.)

A really important thing that comes with your new Porsche (or gently used one if the person was a good parent) is the Porsche owner’s manual and maintenance schedule. Your new Porsche has regular maintenance starting at 7,500 miles up to 150,000 miles (yes, they run easily to that. Name another sports car that does not make you sweat money bullets at that point!) A good Porsche dealer will explain the Maintenance Schedule program available through the certified dealerships.

This keeps you on schedule and your Porsche in top condition (and thus, in top resale or trade tier) by certified mechanics that know exactly what they are doing. A word of warning…Do NOT trust your precious 911 to the guy down the street who “claims” he knows everything about foreign cars…most likely he is dying to just look under the engine or better yet, take it for a “test” spin, and he may well not even know where the hood latch is. Don’t take a chance on shoddy workmanship or the unknown – take your engineering marvel to someone who knows, who has access to parts, diagnostics, and everything needed to keep her or him (come on, who calls their Porsche an “it”?) in top condition.

Now Polly hears some of you fidgeting and dying to jump in…if, and only if, you are a long time Porsche-head who has studied everything there is to know about your 911 or other model, and you have the right tools and place to work on it, then maybe you might be able to do things that are basic. Remember, though, things like valve adjustments need to be left to the experts so you do not damage your engine or affect your love child’s performance. Another really important thing is to check, or have it done for you, the tires and brakes regularly.

One of the things Porsche is known for is handling and ride, and that, ladies and gentleman, literally rides on your tires, suspension, and brake condition. Don’t try to run tires not designed for your car, please. You will regret it, and your Porsche will never forgive you. It is a common mistake, and one made by some leading tire companies to recommend this or that without a solid idea of what the heck they are talking about. Refer to your owner’s manuals and if in doubt, call your dealership.

They know exactly what needs to go on or in your Porsche to keep it in top condition and safe. I will get your more information in a future blog with Porsche’s N-approved list of tires for every single Porsche ever made.