I recently received an email from one of my readers (thanks Kirk) that provided the catalyst for this post on Service Bulletings. I think it is good advice for first time Porsche owners and everyone else alike. I wanted to use this opportunity to pass some of it along.
I’m sure most of you are aware of the Factory Service Bulletins that are published directly from Porsche (these are also called TSBs or Technical Service Bulletins). TSBs are issued to cover a wide variety of subjects including changes in parts or specifications, model changes and service problem areas. Specifically, they are issued to the Porsche service departments to address these issues and other recurring problems.
Included in a regular TSB you may find:
- A list of required parts
- Description of the issue or problem and update
- Instructions and illustrations on how to fix
Typically, the TSBs provide info not otherwise found in the workshop manuals or parts book.
So, how do you get this information? As a Porsche owner, it’s actually quite easy to get updates and get them for free.
At the very back of your owners manual is a “Transfer of Ownership” form. Simply complete this form and send in to the address indidcated. If you can’t find this form, or if you don’t have the manual, you can request one directly from Porsche North America. The only problem with this method is it only entitles you to future updates.
So, if you want past updates, how do you get them? You have a number of options.
- You can use an online database such as ALLDATA. ALLDATA. offers online access, by year and model for a reasonable fee.
- You can search the online forums, that I have discussed in the past. Your best bet will be Rennlist (some members are willing to share if you ask nicely).
- You can purchase directly from Porsche for a fee as well. While this is coming directly from the source, it can get costly as they charge $1.80 per TSB.
If anyone knows of other sources, please be sure to let me know so I can update this post for the archive.