The importance of routine annual servicing.

Everyone knows that a car needs to be serviced to keep it reliable and to avoid expensive repairs.

However there are two occasions where Porsche owners may believe that their car does not need servicing every year.

“But the service book says to service the car every two years.”

Many more modern Porsche models specify two yearly servicing in the service book for the car, which is fine for the first four years of the car's life, as the factory are focussed on the car lasting beyond the duration of the factory warranty. Beyond this, you are on your own.. However we will explain later in this article why this can be a big mistake.

“But I only cover a few miles per year.”

Because often servicing is specified in the service book as yearly or every other year, but also at a set mileage, many people believe that if they have only covered 200 miles in a year, that the car does not need a service.

However, chemistry within your engine will turn your oil from a protecting fluid, into a toxic chemical soup which can literally eat your engine components alive.

Engine oil over two years old is where chemistry becomes your enemy!

Once you start your engine with fresh engine oil a process begins where the oil will be contaminated with hydrocarbons from the combustion process, even if the engine was only started once, when the engine oil has been mixed with these chemical compounds for a year, the oil will have broken down and the chemicals will have become more toxic to your engine.

The engine oil will have begun life as a relatively neutral compound, neither overly acidic or caustic. However hydrocarbons from combustion, entering the oil past your piston rings will have begun to change all of that, some of these compounds only need moisture to become even more toxic.

You may not realise but when your engine is stopped and cooled, any moisture from humidity in the air will collect and condense within the engine and drain back into the oil, more humid air will enter the engine and this also will condense. This moisture will kick start other chemical reactions within the engine oil and especially reacting with the combustion by products within the no longer fresh engine oil.

When the engine is next started, fresh chemical reactions begin, additives within the oil can be destroyed and the chemical make up of the oil within the engine changes further.

This vicious circle is worse with infrequently used cars, as regular use will cause the moisture to evaporate away and have less time to damage the molecules and composition of the engine oil.

This problem is also made worse the longer the engine oil is within the engine, one year is fine, but two years can mean that the engine oil has become very toxic for your engine.

Another problem with the changing chemical composition of the engine oil is that these processes can produce sludge, varnishes and other unwelcome byproducts within your engine.

The proof.

A good example of this are the late Porsche 996 and early 997 engines which share the same engine oil controlled hydraulic solenoids, in the 996 models with yearly servicing these rarely fail, however in the 997 models with two yearly servicing they fail on a reasonably regular basis, likewise with the cam followers. Repairing these consequences of the two yearly services, even when that is what the service book calls for, can costs thousands of pounds to repair!

Beyond the engine oil, many other items are lubricated during a service, and these lubricants are designed to be re-applied every year at most, which means without regular lubrication the components will fail. A good example are the gear selector cables on Boxster and 911 models, on the pre 2005 models (with yearly servicing) they rarely fail, however on the post 2005 models (with two yearly servicing) we now find we need to replace them relatively frequently.

Another example would be that every 996 or 997 which has suffered bore scoring issues that we have seen, has been one specified with two yearly servicing!

A conspiracy by the manufacturers?

Some would say this is a conspiracy by the manufacturers to make more money on selling parts and repairs out of warranty.

However we believe they are just trying to make the car's seem more attractive to new car buyers due to low servicing costs.

Whatever the reason, the person who suffers is usually the person who owns the car when it is over 5 years old, by which time the damage of infrequent servicing are already done and getting worse every time the pattern continues.

There are many other consequences of not having your Porsche serviced every year.

Another good example might be suspension bushes, if replaced as soon as they become aged or worn, the cost of repairs is just the bushes and labour. However if they are left until they have symptoms obvious to the driver the damage will also be to the tyres, which we all know on a Porsche are not cheap!

The solution to this is to always try to buy a car which has been serviced every year, even if the model is specified by the factory to be serviced every two years, and never buy a car which has had the servicing deferred because it had not covered many miles between services.

Beyond this, even if the car has skipped services in the past, whatever model it is, have it serviced every year and follow the advice of your Porsche specialist of any additional items which need replacement, such as drive belts, water-pumps, coolant, brake fluid, brakes etc.. Not following this advice could cost you thousands of pounds if neglected.

A service is a service wherever it is performed, right?

A last note, it is important who you choose to service your Porsche. Any garage can change the oil in your Porsche, but a true specialist will check much more during the process and know what to look for.

Checking the old engine oil for consistency, smell and inspecting it under a powerful light will warn of many other potential issues with the car, such as early signs of bearing failure, fuel pressure, fuel injector condition and much more, all much cheaper to repair before their issues become more chronic and expensive.

Expert eyes will be looking for common problems with each model and year that an average garage will miss, which will cost you much more money later, if not spotted now.

“What else to do?”

Other than all this, enjoy your Porsche, we have found conclusively over the years that the cars which are not used on a regular basis and not driven hard, will suffer more acute problems than those driven hard on a regular basis.. Think of your Porsche as a race horse, it needs to stretch it's legs on a regular basis, otherwise it will stop being a race horse and turn into a stiff old nag!

UPDATE - Free service suspended during the COVID19 crisis, but still available for a fee due to the logistics involved in providing this service safely. ****

It is often inconvenient and a logistical nightmare getting your Porsche to a garage for servicing and repairs.

With this in mind, JMG Porsche are now trialing a new scheme where we will collect and deliver cars free of charge within a 10 mile radius of our workshop in Ferndown.

For customers working or living within 10 miles of our workshop, you have two convenient options.

• Home or your place of business handover - We will collect the car from you at either your place of business or at your home, once it is ready you can pay your bill over the phone, and we can deliver the car back to you at the same location that we collected from.
• Workshop handover with being driven to and collected from your home or work - Come to our workshop to drop off your car, discuss the repairs over a coffee, we will then drop you off at home or work and collect you again when your car is ready.

For customers further afield this opens up two convenient options.

• Train Station handover - Meet us at the train station, we will bring the car to our workshops, while you catch the train home. Once the car is ready, pay your invoice over the phone, catch the train again and we will meet you at the train station ready for you to drive hom.
• Workshop handover with you being driven to and from the station - Come to our workshop and discuss your repairs over a coffee, we will then drop you off at the train station so you can make your way home. Once your car is ready, we will again collect you from the train station so you can collect your car from the workshop.

Alternatively, you can still use the old method of getting the car to us and suffering the inconvenience of having to find friends or family to follow you over for when dropping off or collecting your car. For some people this may offer you the ultimate in convenience as you might need to leave your plans until the last moment at a time where we may not be able to collect it.

Terms and conditions.

As is usual these days, there are a few terms and conditions for our car collection and delivery service.

• Our drivers are a limited resource and may at certain times of the year be booked up days or weeks in advance, so it may be essential to book your collection and delivery service, along with the work to be performed a couple of weeks in advance.
• We will need to know that you require this service in advance of the day the work is to be performed, otherwise we will assume you will be dropping the car off to us.
• At time of booking this service we will require a £30 non refundable, but transferable, deposit. Even though this service is free of charge for many, there are costs to the business associated in collection and delivery of you or your car, which in some cases may be Taxi fares, fuel or parking charges, as well as the time of the employee. Should you not notify us before the staff member has left for a drop off or collection, that you will not be there or available, this deposit will be retained to cover these costs. However, should you be able to offer us a couple of hours notice that you will not be there, we will hold the deposit for the alternative time that you request. When you come to pay your invoice, you will notice the deposit will be listed, and as long as work has been performed on your car, you will also see the deposit deducted against the invoice.
• This service can not be used in conjunction with other promotions, such as with club discounts, free-new-customer-inspections, discount vouchers or competition prizes.
• Collection and delivery services will usually be limited to outside of rush hour times, such as only being available between 10am and 4pm on week days. However if this is not convenient to you, please explain your situation to our service manager, who has the power to change this policy on a case by case basis.

2024 Has drawn to a close, and it has been an extremely difficult year

Over the last couple of years JMG has seen an explosive increase in demand of our services and time, which is partly due to Porsche Centre Bournemouth moving into their new building just the other end of Cobham Road in Ferndown from where we have been based for the last 12 years, increasing awareness of our existence to new customers.

If we were in the business of selling nuts and bolts, the solution to matching this demand would have been to just order more nuts and bolts to sell. But unfortunately we are in the business of converting technical expertise into repaired Porsche cars, but unfortunately obtaining excellent technicians to increase supply, is not as easy as ordering more nuts and bolts.

2024 in particular has been additionally difficult due to this Family run business suffering the passing of two elderly parents due to illness, which not only subjected two key members of staff to a great deal of emotional pain, but also understandably had these key members absent from the business.

These two factors caused a perfect storm of demand and enquiries being fielded by JMG Porsche completely swamping our abilities to respond to enquiries, with us having to make the choice of working on customers cars, or answering telephones and emails.

A simple choice may have seemed to be one of hiring someone to just answer the phones and respond to emails. We tried that, however without that person having technical knowhow and experience of Porsche cars, we actually increased our problems by turning telephone calls and emails into a physical person interrupting a technician, distracting them from working on the customers cars.

The solution is a work in progress.

What we have learned from this situation is that in 2025 we will need to focus our strengths, which will also result in changes which will not be popular with everyone, as we can no longer be all things to all Porsche owners, but the changes will be for the better.

It may seem unusual in business to list the reasons why you should not call or email JMG Porsche, but the first step in these changes is let all Porsche owners know why we might not be the right Porsche specialist for them, and therefore reduce the number of enquiries we get which might not be the best use of your time or ours.

* We are not cheap - Our hourly rate is priced somewhere between that of a typical Porsche specialist and that of the main dealers, which is also more expensive than the average repair garage. But we believe we offer the very best in knowledge, experience, skill and quality of parts. Asking us for a price to perform a job, just to see if we are the most competitive on price alone could be a waste of your time and ours.

* We do not fit customer supplied parts - If a customer supplies parts there are numerous issues which come into play. Liability, Quality, a supply paper trail, and the part even being right are all loose ends that any good garage should be careful of. If there is a specific part you would like us to use, let us know in advance of your appointment, and we can order it from wherever you were thinking of buying it, but if you already have the part, we will not install it.

* We only work for nice people - Most of our customers over the decades have been very nice people, but the minority of Porsche owners can be bad people at their core, the kind that will be dishonest, disrespectful, or in some cases bullying in the hope that we might prioritise them over other customers. This has worked for some customers in the past, who might threaten a bad review if we do not comply, which has resulted in sometimes those who shout loudest get the most prompt service, at the expense of the patient, loyal. honest and nice customers.

* We will not cut corners - As well as some customers wanting to find the cheapest repair, some customers would like to have the minimum work performed to keep costs down, which might not be compatible with proper repair standards. A good example is the replacement of steering and suspension components, where changing just one spring is a bad idea and potentially unsafe and will undermine the excellent handling, road holding and stability of your Porsche, and changing the springs in matching parts is the proper way of performing a safe and sensible repair. Beyond this, if one of our customers sells their car, a potential buyer needs to be assured that our invoice in the service history is proof that the job has been performed properly. If you would like corners cut while your car is worked on, for the purposes of speed or price, another garage or specialist may be a better fit for you.

* We are often booked up for weeks in advance - Normally if you provide plenty of notice you can often pick and choose your appointment date, but if you need something done urgently we should be able to do it, but we might need you to understand that existing bookings take priority here, which means it might not happen right away.

* Diagnosis Authorisation - If you book your car in for a problem to be diagnosed, we will ask for a minimum of two hours labour to be authorised for initial diagnosis of each fault. We might not need this much time, you might not be charged for this much time, but if we are to assign a technician to diagnose a fault, we need to allow them to delve into the problem without constantly stop the process to ask for more time, which not only burns valuable time, but also interrupts the technicians focus. Once diagnosis is complete, the technician will call or email you with the findings. In some cases even more time may be requested if more time is needed.

* If your car is here, we may need you to answer our emails or calls - We are often booked up for weeks in advance but keep some room in the schedule to be able to perform additional repairs that are not expected. If we contact you by email for authorisation to make repairs, or with recommendations for repair, if there is a delay in your reply, you may loose those gaps in our schedule, without more availability for weeks, which may delay your car being completed, but what's more we might need to reassemble your car at your expense so it can be moved off of a lift, so other cars can be worked on. It is ok to ask for time to think about it, or even to ask questions or say "No" to the repairs. If this is not acceptable, then another specialist may be better for you.

* Repair Authorisation clarity - We will not start repairing your car until we have clear authorisation to proceed, ideally via email, so we are absolutely sure that you understand the costs and there will be no misunderstanding later. A simple "Yes, please proceed" or a "No thank you" is good enough, being vague will not result in repairs proceeding.

* Used Car Warranty Repairs - If you have purchased a car from a used car dealer, who has provided a used car warranty, we are happy to help, but there are some issues with what the warranty companies will and will not pay for. They expect a lower hourly rate than even normal garages charge, they will often not pay for diagnosis, they will not pay for time we spend administrating your cars claim, such as being on hold, taking photographs for them and other hoops they will expect garages to jump through which are time consuming. In these cases we usually arrange for the warranty company to pay you for their contribution to repairs, and that you pay our invoice. Any time spent on your claim will be itemised on the invoice, even if it is for being on the telephone to the warranty company listening to "on hold" music for half an hour, at our usual hourly rate.

* Tyres, Body repairs, valeting, detailing, alloy wheel repairs and selling cars are not things we do - We can recommend good businesses that can provide these services, but us providing them or being a middle man is not a good use of our time.

* There are some classic models we no longer work on - They are the 356, 912, 914, 916, 928 and very early pre fuel injection 911 models. We have the knowledge, we have the tools and experience, but they are such infrequent visitors today that we do not stock parts for them, and there are specialists out there who specialise in these models.

* We do not currently work on fully electric Porsche - New faults, diagnostic procedures, recalls/campaigns are still developing for these models at the main dealers, and although we are keeping up to date with these cars, we believe they should continue to be supported by the main dealers until they and their technology have matured and settled down.

* Servicing every year - Servicing by the most experienced Porsche technicians is more important than you might realise. Simple problems are faster and less expensive to deal with is caught early, rather than when they have developed into a breakdown. To help us to not be spending our time dealing with disasters, help us by having your car serviced with us on a yearly basis and follow recommendations.

* We might include some unexpected but real expenses within our estimates and invoices - If for example you have a classic Porsche, some parts that your car may need, may be a problem to source parts for, where the Porsche factory and the aftermarket may have discontinued production. In some cases even routine wearing parts may be unavailable, so sometimes we may have to spend additional time researching or sourcing parts, which may sometimes attract a charge for this time. But likewise, you may have a modern Porsche model with an very unusual problem, which may require time pouring over electrical wiring diagrams to analyse where an electrical fault may be linked to. This time also will be described and listed on your invoice, as it will be a genuine use of our time.

Now some reasons to use JMG Porsche...

* All the reasons listed for NOT choosing us - If you read the list of reasons not to choose us as your Porsche specialist and thought "These are exactly the reasons why I do want to use them" then it sounds like we are already a great fit.

* Experienced technicians - Our senior technician has over 35 years full time experience on all models of Porsche, is a second generation technician who grew up having stripped down his first engine at just 6 years old, so you could say he has 48 years experience. He has been obsessed with developing his skills, knowledge and understanding way beyond what you will find elsewhere from a Porsche technician, he can not just remap your car, he can program custom software for it, diagnose repair or modify the control units at component level. He also can use machine tools such as lathes to make tools to repair parts of your car at component level and invests his time supporting and training other technicians at JMG in their development also. Jon is also a published Author and technical advisor to Porsche clubs and the media.

* Special equipment and tools - Including main dealer tools and devices, but also custom made equipment to solve unique problems not available elsewhere.

* The highest quality parts - We do not have the time to fit a part twice, so we believe in using the highest quality parts available, which often will be Genuine Porsche parts, unless there is a better alternative that we can offer.

* High standards - As mentioned we will not cut corners or compromise on quality of workmanship, even if a customer asks us to.

* More time for your needs - As we actively try to repel the wrong kinds of customers from burning our limited time, we can concentrate more time on our customers who are the right fit.

* Value for money - We mentioned we are not cheap, but that does not mean that we are bad value for money, quite the opposite, quality workmanship, expert diagnosis and high quality parts actually provide good value for money and longer term reliability.

* Every Porsche is equal - If the customer owns a 924 or a 992 GT3 they are just as important in our eyes, it does not matter if it is rough around the edges, or in pristine condition, again it is equal, as long as the customer would like the car to be as good as it can be, even if this has to be in stages and too a budget, you and your car will have out utmost respect and appreciation. Our job satisfaction is just as great in improving a old model in need of love, as our efforts to maintain an almost new supercar is always being as good as new.

* Servicing beyond the schedule - The service schedule for your Porsche was designed to see it through the first few years of it's life (and the warranty), with only specific items getting attention during a service based on the original service schedule. At JMG we have experienced your model evolve over the years and what kinds of problems develop later in life, these potential problem areas are added to the things we look at on your model, with our service schedule covering decades into a Porsche model lifespan, rather than just a few years.

* We genuinely want to help you - The human element is important to us, which means that if you are in distress and in need of our help, we can often go beyond the call of duty, even if that means we have to put in extra effort and time to reduce your stress and make your wishes come true. Nobody needs a Porsche, they are a little like babies, they do not provide a function that you can not get elsewhere, but they do represent something for you, it could be your dreams, your reward for hard work, or any number of reasons, that it is our job to respect and help those reasons remain positive and possible.

If we seem like a good fit, then please email us as your first port of call, sometimes we might be too busy to answer the phone, but if you would like a call back, leave a voicemail.

JMG Porsche, Independent Porsche specialists for modern classics through to the very latest models.

Porsche servicing, diagnosis, repairs and modifications.

With our roots going back to the early 1970's, we are a family run independent Porsche Specialist spanning three generations.

We have the same or better equipment, training and technical information access as enjoyed by the main dealers, while remaining friendly, honest and with a common sense approach.

Call us on 01202 488800 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your requirements.

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Your Porsche 964 or 993 Modified to your requirements.

The Porsche 964 and 993 are excellent vehicles as standard. However perfection can always be improved.

With over 40 years experience modifying Porsche air cooled engines and cars, JMG Porsche are able to improve your Porsche beyond recognition. Anything from a simple replacement engine management chip, through to a wild engine 3.8 (or larger) conversion, possibly including twin turbo chargers, JMG Porsche should be your first stop.

Masters of the Bosch Motronic engine management system used in your Porsche, JMG are able to live remap your engine management system to tailor it for your intended use, as well as your prefered fuel types and grades, removing its ability to run on very poor fuel grades you will never encounter in Europe, is one step to improved performance without degraded reliability. For those with a smaller budget, we can also provide off the shelf chip replacements or DME/ECU modification to improve your Porsche.

Performance

Porsche 964 Carrera Improvements (Including RS)

• Cylinder head modifications for torque, mid range and high rpm performance increases
• Performance stainless steel exhaust systems
• Chip tuning
• Conversion to 3.8 Engine capacity
• Conversion to Turbo engine types (3.3, 3.6 or even 3.8)
• Mass Airflow sensor conversion (MAF Sensor)
• Performance air filtration
• Cam shaft upgrades
• Induction system upgrades
• Engine rebuilds to any specification (fast road, track, race, stoker & big bore)
• Nitrous oxide (for the wild customer)
• Road and dyno tuning with datalogging

964 3.3 & 3.6 Turbo

• Cylinder head modifications for torque, mid range and high rpm performance increases
• Performance stainless steel exhaust systems
• Motronic chip modification (3.6 Motronic EFI Versions)
• CIS Injection modification (3.3 CIS Injection types)
• Wastegate upgrades
• Boost controllers
• Hybrid turbochargers
• Intercooler upgrades
• Conversion to 3.6 or 3.8 Engine capacities
• Performance air filtration
• Cam shaft upgrades
• Induction system upgrades
• Engine rebuilds to any specification (fast road, track, race, stoker & big bore)
• Nitrous oxide (For wild conversions, anti lag or drag use)
• Road and dyno tuning with datalogging

993 3.6 non Turbo (Including RS)

• Cylinder head modifications for torque, mid range and high rpm performance increases
• Performance stainless steel exhaust systems
• Cat bypass
• Chip tuning
• Conversion to Turbo engine types (3.6 or 3.8 Engine sizes)
• Performance air filtration
• Cam shaft upgrades
• Induction system upgrades
• Engine rebuilds to any specification (fast road, track, race, stoker & big bore)
• Nitrous oxide
• Road and dyno tuning with datalogging

993 Turbo

• Cylinder head modifications for torque, mid range and high rpm performance increases
• Performance stainless steel exhaust systems
• Wastegate upgrades
• Boost controller upgrades
• Intercooler upgrades
• Cat bypass (may not be street legal)
• Chip tuning
• Performance air filtration
• Cam shaft upgrades
• Induction system upgrades
• Engine rebuilds to any specification (fast road, track, race, stoker & big bore)
• Nitrous oxide (For wild use and Anti lag)
• Road and dyno tuning with datalogging

Brakes.

• Front disk and calliper upgrades
• Conversion to M030 Brakes
• Conversion to larger disks and callipers
• Cross drilled cross drilled

Handling.

• Conversion to Porsche sports suspension items (shock absorbers, springs and anti roll bars)
• Koni & KW suspension upgrades including conversion to coilover suspension
• Computerised 4 wheel alignment and geometry setup
• Customised ride height adjustment
• Customised anti roll bar upgrades

Transmission

• Conversion to other transmission types
• Conversion to limited slip differential

Wheels.

• Large stock of genuine wheel upgrades with a knowledge of which wheels will and will not fit

Weight reduction

• Shell stripdown and race prep
• Carbon fibre panels
• Lightweight components

Audio & In Car Entertainment.

• Speaker & head unit upgrades
• Custom car audio design and build

Styling.

• Modification to facilitate wider track and bodywork
• Modification to allow for better aerodynamics and ground effect
• Modernisation (alternative door mirrors, handles, spoilers, splitters and side skirts)

Your Porsche Panamera is in the best of hands at JMG Porsche, where even with servicing we go beyond the factory schedule.

The factory schedule for many models called for a service every two years, which was fine when the car was new and to make the car last beyond the factory warranty without issue. However we strongly recommend that all models are serviced annually, alternating between a minor and a major service each year. Click here and read our article for more information.

Porsche Panamera Servicing and repairs.

Service interval - We strongly advise that all Porsche cars are serviced every year, with a major service every two years.

The service schedule can be confusing with some service items needing to be performed every X amount of years, with other items being specified every Y amount of miles.

At JMG Porsche we have built a database for each model car, where every two years of age for your car, has listed the major service it requires in that year, which combined with every year in between major services the car having an annual service.

This means that for your model of Porsche, we can provide you with a plain price list for servicing, no matter what year your car was made, which makes it easy to see what service items are due and what the total cost will be.

To get a copy of the current service guide and price list for your Porsche, just email us to have your copy emailed to you in PDF format.

Eventually we plan on making it possible to register to the website and be able to download the latest version of this price list - Watch this space!

Your 924, 944 or 968 is in the best of hands at JMG Porsche, where even with servicing we go beyond the factory schedule.

The factory schedule for many models called for a service every two years, which was fine when the car was new and to make the car last beyond the factory warranty without issue. However we strongly recommend that all models are serviced annually, alternating between a minor and a major service each year. Click here and read our article for more information. 

Here is a breakdown of our servicing.

Service interval - We strongly advise that all Porsche cars are serviced every year, with a major service every two years.

The service schedule can be confusing with some service items needing to be performed every X amount of years, with other items being specified every Y amount of miles.

At JMG Porsche we have built a database for each model car, where every two years of age for your car, has listed the major service it requires in that year, which combined with every year in between major services the car having an annual service.

This means that for your model of Porsche, we can provide you with a plain price list for servicing, no matter what year your car was made, which makes it easy to see what service items are due and what the total cost will be.

To get a copy of the current service guide and price list for your Porsche, just email us to have your copy emailed to you in PDF format.

Eventually we plan on making it possible to register to the website and be able to download the latest version of this price list - Watch this space!

Interesting service and repair information for the Porsche 924, 944 and 968 models.

Engine failures - Not as common as you would expect, we at JMG Porsche have never had to replace one of these engines due to wear, however we have had to replace many due to insufficient servicing and maintenance, but there are still worthwhile ways of avoiding unexpected large engine rebuild costs. One of which is proper servicing by a real Porsche specialist, which may not need cost as much as you think. There are also some ways to avoid unexpected bills by following some of our other advice bellow.

Brake fluid - Did you realise this should be changed every two years? Not doing this can cause problems with expensive parts within your car, such as the ABS pump or any part of the brake hydraulics due to water contamination as the brake fluid actually sucks moisture out of the air (hydroscopic), so even if the car is not used, the brake fluid must be changed every two years!

Water Pump - Often thought of as a part which fails with age, mileage and quite suddenly, leaving you stranded, our expert technicians are used to inspecting these during services, and so may spot tell tale signs of failure long before they become an issue, so saving you from the indignity of being broken down at the side of the road. A 944 and 968 Waterpump is also part of the cambelt drive mechanism, so it failing can cause serious damage to the cylinder head and engine as a whole.

RMS - Rear main seal - Something else you might see horror stories on the internet about, these used to be a real problem and Porsche re designed the part several times to arrive at the current design which is the only one we at JMG Porsche use. Like an IMS Bearing replacement, this is best performed during a clutch change, however on tiptronic models or on cars not needing a clutch, they can be changed at any time.

Transmission services - Not clearly noted by Porsche for when the transmission should be serviced and this vital expensive part of your car should not be overlooked. Just like your engine, the transmission is filled with oil/transmission fluid, which over time degrades. Not only this, but not many realise that many Porsche transmissions also contain a filter, which becomes clogged over time and can starve your transmission of lubrication, causing expensive repairs. We recommend all Porsche transmissions are serviced every 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes soonest.

Diagnosis - Long has gone where cars had limited electrical equipment and a wiring diagram could be found in a manual from Halfords. Now the Porsche models have multiple separate computer systems, which all talk via networks, and many sensors to feed those computers with information about the world around it all tied together with many hidden wiring looms of thousands of wires and connectors. This can mean that in the event of your Porsche suffering an electrical issue, it is important that a Porsche specialist auto electrician is available, as we have at JMG Porsche. It is also important to understand that sometimes, finding the fault will not be as simple as plugging in a computer.

Drive Belt - Many of you may have had cars where a drive belt, timing belt or cam belt needs to be changed at a regular interval. Your Porsche model has a belt which should be changed every 4 years. Failure to do so can cause instant overheating, loss of power steering and damage to the engine very suddenly. We recommend you have this changed at least every 4 years.

Cam and Balance belt - The 924S, 944 (ALL) and 968 (ALL) have a cam belt and balance belt, which has to be set to a very precise tension and run across various pulleys, tensioners and rollers to function correctly, if these are not maintained with a new cam belt and balance belt every 4 years, and a new waterpump, tensioners and rollers (as well as front engine oil seals) every 8 years, the consequences can be catastrophic to say the least.

Brakes - The Porsche 944S2, 944 Turbo and all 968 models are fitted with Brembo callipers, which overtime suffer from corrosion build up which can cause the pads to stick and bind up within the callipers or even make it difficult to fit new pads. When this happens the calipers require a service rebuild of the slider plate mechanism, which needs to be performed by a specialist with the right experience, techniques and tools to make the repair more than a very temporary one.

Heavy clutch? - A heavy feeling clutch which is stiff to use is not normal on a Porsche and often a sign that the clutch has almost worn out. Ignoring this can cause further damage, such as to the dual mass flywheel and clutch fork.

Alarm system - At JMG Porsche we are experts of all Porsche security systems and have reverse engineered all the various control units. This not only means we can program new alarm control units and keys to your car, just as the main dealer can, but in some cases we can repair your old alarm control unit and keys, or in some cases recover your old keys to be used on the new alarm control unit, which is a service unique to JMG.

Alarm system causes - In most cases the cause of alarm control unit failure is water damage, we can perform modifications to your Porsche model to help mitigate the chances of this happening to your Porsche.

Your Porsche 996, 997, 991 or 992 is in the best of hands at JMG Porsche, where even with servicing we go beyond the factory schedule.

Porsche 996, 997, 991 and 992 model servicing.

Service interval - We strongly advise that all Porsche cars are serviced every year, with a major service every two years.

The service schedule can be confusing with some service items needing to be performed every X amount of years, with other items being specified every Y amount of miles.

At JMG Porsche we have built a database for each model car, where every two years of age for your car, has listed the major service it requires in that year, which combined with every year in between major services the car having an annual service.

This means that for your model of Porsche, we can provide you with a plain price list for servicing, no matter what year your car was made, which makes it easy to see what service items are due and what the total cost will be.

To get a copy of the current service guide and price list for your Porsche, just email us to have your copy emailed to you in PDF format.

Eventually we plan on making it possible to register to the website and be able to download the latest version of this price list - Watch this space!

Engine failures - Not nearly as common as horror stories on the internet would have you believe, but there are still worthwhile ways of avoiding unexpected large engine rebuild costs. One of which is proper servicing by a real Porsche specialist, which may not need cost as much as you think. There are also some ways to avoid unexpected bills by following some of our other advice bellow.

Brake fluid - Did you realise this should be changed every two years? Not doing this can cause problems with expensive parts within your car, such as the ABS pump or any part of the brake hydraulics due to water contamination as the brake fluid actually sucks moisture out of the air (hydroscopic), so even if the car is not used, the brake fluid must be changed every two years!

Water Pump - Often thought of as a part which fails with age, mileage and quite suddenly, leaving you stranded, our expert technicians are used to inspecting these during services, and so may spot tell tale signs of failure long before they become an issue, so saving you from the indignity of being broken down at the side of the road.

IMS Bearing - The famous intermediate shaft bearing (IMS Bearing) is an important bearing within the engine. These can fail on some models and cause catestrophic damage to the engine, sometimes costing thousands to repair. However there is a better design of bearing available, which our engine specialists at JMG Porsche have developed some cost effective ways to install and remove the risk of this kind of engine failure. Typically, the most cost effective time to replace this bearing with the better design is at the same time as a clutch replacement. However if you do not need a clutch now, or own a tiptronic model, then we can perform this job at any time.

RMS - Rear main seal - Something else you might see horror stories on the internet about, these used to be a real problem and Porsche re designed the part several times to arrive at the current design which is the only one we at JMG Porsche use. Like an IMS Bearing replacement, this is best performed during a clutch change, however on tiptronic models or on cars not needing a clutch, they can be changed at any time.

Transmission services - Not clearly noted by Porsche for when the transmission should be serviced and this vital expensive part of your car should not be overlooked. Just like your engine, the transmission is filled with oil/transmission fluid, which over time degrades. Not only this, but not many realise that many Porsche transmissions also contain a filter, which becomes clogged over time and can starve your transmission of lubrication, causing expensive repairs. We recommend all Porsche transmissions are serviced every 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever comes soonest.

Diagnosis - Long has gone where cars had limited electrical equipment and a wiring diagram could be found in a manual from Halfords. Now the Porsche models have multiple separate computer systems, which all talk via networks, and many sensors to feed those computers with information about the world around it all tied together with many hidden wiring looms of thousands of wires and connectors. This can mean that in the event of your Porsche suffering an electrical issue, it is important that a Porsche specialist auto electrician is available, as we have at JMG Porsche. It is also important to understand that sometimes, finding the fault will not be as simple as plugging in a computer.

Air Oil Separator - If your Porsche is producing some smoke, especially when it starts up in the morning, it could be that the air oil separator has failed rather than your whole engine being damaged. This simple device is designed to allow your engine to pass polution regulations and should not cost the earth to replace, at least much less expensive than rebuilding an engine!

Drive Belt - Many of you may have had cars where a drive belt, timing belt or cam belt needs to be changed at a regular interval. Your Porsche model has a belt which should be changed every 4 years. Failure to do so can cause instant overheating, loss of power steering and damage to the engine very suddenly. We recommend you have this changed at least every 4 years.

Heavy clutch? - A heavy feeling clutch which is stiff to use is not normal on a Porsche and often a sign that the clutch has almost worn out. Ignoring this can cause further damage, such as to the dual mass flywheel and clutch fork.

Alarm system - At JMG Porsche we are experts of all Porsche security systems and have reverse engineered all the various control units. This not only means we can program new alarm control units and keys to your car, just as the main dealer can, but in some cases we can repair your old alarm control unit and keys, or in some cases recover your old keys to be used on the new alarm control unit, which is a service unique to JMG.

Alarm system causes - In most cases the cause of alarm control unit failure is water damage, we can perform modifications to your Porsche model to help mitigate the chances of this happening to your Porsche.