So I've seen and posted on threads about oil loss/consumption from the Panamera. I've had my 4S 1.5 years, am approaching 18k miles. LOVE THE CAR!!! It's just been so awesome...and a tank! Nothing has done wrong with it! Have added a teeny bit of oil maybe twice the first 10k miles, don't remember if maybe another time since first/only oil change. I've been at the mid-mark for a very long time, figured it would have to drop a bar real soon. So what does it finally do? It goes UP a bar!

Now that is one amazing car! It sucks motor oil out of the atmosphere! Sweet!

Only problem is...doesn't that mean there must be something wrong with the oil guage? I live in central WA, two mountain passes away from the dealer, and it's winter...was hoping to wait until Feb. for my next oil change. Ya think I have to worry? Should I maybe put in a tiny bit more oil?

 

it's called condensation.
the hot/cold temperature swings actually cause water to form in the engine and accumulate in the pan.
especially if you do not get it real hot to boil off the water. one of the reasons oil should be changed much more frequently if the car is not driven hard to get very hot.

 

Did a internet search, came up with these possibilities:

- Water from condensation from short trips/humidity/cold weather
- Fuel from fuel dilution
- Coolant from head-gasket issue
- Faulty oil level sensor

None of which sound good! I'm thinking I'd better find a way to get my car to the dealer...thanks for the info, had never heard of condensation!

 

Don't add oil!! You might have a problem. pull the oil filler cap and see what it looks like, foaming .. frothy ... brown ... or nothing ( clean and dry) .. whereby NOTHING is what you are looking for.

 

Just took a look under filler cap after driving around town...no foam or froth, the oil does look brownish though. At the very least I need an oil change. There is a shop here in Wenatchee that changes my wife's Audi Q7 oil, they told her they could order a Porsche filter and do mine. I'm thinking I'll start there...just don't spending a day driving to Seattle and back.

 

The's a really good sign, should indicate no water / oil mix which is a really expensive fix ...:-)

 

Cool man...thanks so much for your input!

This entire forum is awesome btw...

 

And to the condensation remark. That is absolutely correct. Assume 30 minutes of driving ( not idling) before the condensation in the oil has been boiled off. So.... only short trips to the supermarket are NOT a good use for a highly strung car.

 

What's weird in that regard is I first noticed the issue after an hour drive to go rock climbing...and the hour drive back home made no difference.

Weirder still, yesterday it dropped back down to the middle mark. Now I'm wondering if it was some sort of electrical glitch. You know how the gauge says that it will only show the oil level after a period of driving? Well, it has not been doing that every since the oil level went up. As soon as I would start the car it'd show the oil level. Now it's back to not showing the level until I've been driving 10 minutes or so, and it's at the middle mark.

 

soundsike a sensor thing. that is good news ie it is not too expensive..

 

This happened to me as well. I topped up my oil level to max, drove it over 3000 miles and after a quite spirited driving through the mountains, the oil level went up a bar above max. I reseted the oil level by opening up my hood and drove it normal through a straight freeway and it went back to normal.