Service station: Porsche Turbo (930) in the workshop

T yours is driving a Porsche Turbo Type 930 at least in one respect - fuel consumption. Anyone who thunders quickly on the motorway can get 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Are the maintenance costs for the fast Stuttgart sports car at a similarly high level?

No fun: changing spark plugs and checking valve clearance on the Porsche Turbo

Maintenance backlogs are therefore rare with the Turbo. But even if the car's service book is stamped through, the Porsche experts at Ruf Automobile in Pfaffenhausen first carry out a pressure loss test on all cylinders. 'That is the be-all and end-all before you tackle major maintenance work,' explains workshop master Hans-Peter Lieb.

Ruf has many years of turbo experience, which of course comes into play during service work. This includes the exclusive use of Mobil 1, specification 5W50 when an oil change is due. Engines that have been filled with other oils have occasionally clogged oil spray tubes. The consequences are visible when checking the valve clearance - camshafts and rocker arms show signs of running in.

Adjusting the valve clearance is a bigger thing because of the limited accessibility. Either the engine has to be lowered for this, or this service point is seen as part of the large customer service, for which the engine and transmission block are usually removed anyway. Cheap workshops like to turn a blind eye here and forego such labor-intensive activities as well as changing the most poorly accessible spark plug. Speaking of ignition, the ignition cables, which age and break down over time, also deserve a closer check.

Important with the Porsche Turbo: ignition, CO behavior and idling speed

The three things should always be set in one, 'says Master Lieb, explaining his preferred approach, which we use on the subject This is where the K-Jetronic comes into play, which, according to Manfred Rugen, can turn out to be a very expensive component.
The Porsche technology specialist from Hepstedt doesn't just mean the time-consuming troubleshooting. 'Some even have do not have the opportunity to check the system properly and then only install a new warm-up regulator if there is any suspicion, 'says Rugen. That can cost the customer a financial oneDisaster ends. Because if the warm-up regulator, which costs around 700 euros and is currently only available from Porsche, was not the cause, other parts will of course be changed. For example the flow divider.

This component cannot be repaired and is currently only available in exchange for around 1,800 euros. A professional check of the injection system therefore includes 'a measurement of the system and control pressure when the machine is warm and cold, a check of the zero position of the baffle plate and a volume comparison measurement,' says Hans-Peter Lieb. Another thing that should be done is to check the boost pressure, which may be too low due to fatigue in the bypass valve spring. This manifests itself in the form of a loss of performance.

Needs feeling when adjusting: Omega spring of the clutch

'What is often neglected is the adjustment of the clutch or the Omega spring', reports Lieb. This component, simply called a spiral spring by Porsche, in the form of the Greek letter must be adjusted with feeling and knowledge, otherwise the clutch and the gearbox synchronizer rings will suffer.

Let's turn to the chassis. Here, on the one hand, the correct setting of the axle geometry is important, although some experts also prefer individual settings that deviate from the factory settings. On the other hand, the adjustment of the wheel loads is of particular importance for good driving behavior.

If you check the wheel suspensions for wear, you should also take a closer look at the rear spring struts, especially on vehicles with longer mileage. The large rubber bushings in which the spring struts are mounted wear very heavily.
There is little to say about brakes. At least for the Turbo 3.0 there are currently no brake calipers available. The existing ones can be overhauled, however, which is very time-consuming and therefore expensive.

Porsche Turbo: Maintenance not exactly cheap

The two-part rear ones When changing, wheel bearings have to be pressed in and out and preloaded with the dial gauge - hobby screwdrivers usually lack the special tools required for this. If the heating control unit turns out to be defective, the Porsche Turbo owner has to pay almost 2,500 euros for this spare part.

Admittedly, the maintenance costs are not cheap for the customer. But it gets even more expensive when backyard workshops repair at the minimum rate, but improperly, which at some point results in high follow-up costs. Nobody should forget that the turbo has always been something special: the driver notices it when they step on the accelerator.