Hey guys- I've been searching google, rennlist, & 6speed forums & the owner's manual for a clear answer, but I can't find what i'm looking for.

I've read in some of the threads that the oil can sit anywhere in the middle, and that's close-enough-for-rock-and-roll. I've also read that it's a form of neurosis to worry about keeping your oil topped up to the 'top of the meter' all the time.

I tend to lean toward neurotic side I guess. I think the oil should be at the top top top of the bar, so I'm interested in how others roll.

I've got an 06 C2S. DD, mostly pleasure driving, and averaging about 2,000 miles per month. In the hot months, I don't go through much oil at all, and in the rainy months, it seems to get thirsty. According to the manual, this is also normal. I try to keep the revs under 4k until I'm comfortably around 225˚ or so, but then it spends a fair amount of time north of 4k.

The manual says that the difference between the minimum and maximum segments on the display is approx. 1.2 liters. (1.26 quarts) and each segment in the display corresponds to approx. .4 liters (0.422 quarts) but I guess I can't do the math. If each segment corresponds to .4 liters, I don't count 9 quarts.

THE QUESTION: How much oil would you add if your oil level indicator was here?



(oil is warm, car is level, oil was changed & filled to max w/ M1 0w40 at 61,606 on 01/21/14)

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Does anyone have an illustration they could share which shows how to accurately interpret the entire gauge?

One old thread I found and enjoyed was this one - Oil Change Notes but still didn't answer my query.

Thanks for your help.

 

The indicator measures the top 1.25 quarts of oil. In other words, when your indicator is at the lowest level, you still have 7.75 quarts in the oil pan.

Btw, when my gauge shows what you have, I normally add less the .25 qt. overfilling is never good.

 

Cab83- that makes sense! The entire gauge references a TOTAL of 1.25L! Haha. Thanks man, I just couldn't get my brain around that.

I read that section of the manual over and over but kept trying to make the indicator add up to 9 quarts in my head somehow.

So .25L should bring me up to about the arrow, and anything above the arrow would be "over filled" when hot?

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

Good info above from cab83. Personally, I top my oil whenever I do a track day (don't drive that many miles so an oil change isn't worth it), or when it gets to the lower half of the display. I've had a couple of cases in the 40k miles I've owned the car where it did make it to the low(er) oil level on the measurement, and it generally takes about 1-1.5 quarts to bring it up to the top measure. I'm not sure why there's so much variation between how much it takes to bring the level up, but I'm sure it has something to do with the dry sump system and the oil being spread all over the engine when it's measured.

Personally, given the car probably has about 8 quarts of oil even when it reads low (996 or later cars), it truly is a warning message as it states in the display, and not a major failure or message similar to a flashing CEL. This means the car is fine to drive even at this low level, though I wouldn't take it to the track like this or push it really hard on the street.

 

When "engine hot" is the semi-inaccurate time to add oil since residual oil is all over the engine; residual oil is just waiting for gravity to work and it will eventually drop into the pan. The best time to check and add oil is when engine is cold (like in the morning). Your best bet is experiment: in the morning, add .20, check, add again until you are full.


What I do is top her off in the morning without over-filling. If morning is not possible and I need to add oil, I just fill her up to where your pic shows; that way, I know that when residual oil falls down to the pan, I will not end up having an overfilled engine.


BTW, I am neurotic myself so I try to not go below the 2/3 level shown in your pic. I float between 2/3 and full.

 

Again thank you - I really wasn't finding the info as clearly as you've explained it. The oil had been overfilled since I bought it, and was actually over filled at my last oil change, so I had just assumed that the top/top of the scale was the fill line.

Had a great conversation with the techs at my shop today, and It's clear as crystal to me now. Basically as long as the oil is anywhere between the two arrows, we're good. Which is very easy to understand.

I realize that was a pretty 101 • Porsche Newbie™ question, but now I know, and it was more clear than any of the google and forum searches I'd been trying for a few months. Hopefully this thread will be useful to some other noob in the future.

Thank you.

 

I personally do not like the automated gauge. I prefer the good old dipstick. I always wondered what would happen if the 'electronic sending unit' breaks (i.e., would it show as broken on the dash? Or will it not send anything to the driver until the engine is actually bone dry?) Oh well......


BTW, stay above 1/3 all the time. Why? Because one time, I checked in the morning, it was 1/3, went to fill up for gas, 10 minutes later when I restarted to go home, my "check engine oil level" warning came on, I went home, waited an hour, and voila, 1/3 again and no message. The check engine oil level warning freaked me out. I said, "never again." I bet that if the measurement/scale were in .10 and not .33, that gauge would be more reliable.

Lastly, last week, for 4 days, I was at 2/3. The car stayed in the garage for 3 days, I used it this afternoon for a Costco trip, and guess what? The gauge is showing "full".

In summary, and IMO, stay between 2/3 and full, and if the gauge fluctuates between 2/3 and full, let the car be, adjust with its quirk accordingly, and enjoy the car!

 

Noob from the future here to confirm: was useful.