Too much oil??!?!?!? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

dezigns · 05-27-2006, 03:06 PM

no sir...nothing in the manual either...of course I'm new to the car - but I cant locate one for the life of me (dipstick that is). damnit, the dealer is closed until Tuesday. I really actually like my dealer - good, knowledgeable people that understand we care that much about our cars. I'll let you know what transpires when I talk to them.

Brucelee · 05-27-2006, 03:15 PM

You don't have a dipstick in your 05!

Brucelee · 05-27-2006, 03:17 PM

I guess I would be less concerned about a slight overfill on a dry sump car. Seems to me these guys MUST have thought about this and designed a drain off in the oil tank to deal with this (how hard could that be?).

Now, where the car has an oil pan, I can see all kinds of issues when the oil is over the top.

Am I off base here??

Oh, and I still want my dipstick and a place for my oil evacuator.

bhduxbury · 05-27-2006, 04:13 PM

mnb -- the OP indicated he has a 987 -- that car takes less oil than a 986 -- according to my 987 manual:

oil change with filter = 7.75 litres (8.19 quarts)
oil change w/o filter (perish the thought of not throwing on a new filter!) = 7.5 litres (7.93 quarts)

btw, following those guidelines with 2 diy oil & filter changes i have never overfilled, or underfilled, and the fill is at the top (3d) "ok" bar (not the "overfill" bar) -- so i don't think there's a tsb on it -- actually, i'd rather be in the 3 "acceptable" bars (and top off from there) than in the overfill bar (who knows how much?) -- and oh, the "checking from the back" thing sounds like bull****************

as for the bars (1 too low, 3 acceptable, 1 too high) in a 987 --

"The difference between the minimum and maximum marks on the (oil level) segment display is approx. 1.2 litres.

Each segment of the display corresponds to approx. 0.4 litre."

0.4 litre = 13.5 fl. oz / 0.423 quarts / 1.69 cups (just over one cup and two-thirds, which is what i would use).

then again, the OP said: "From the look of the meter it is full at all but one bar"

"at all BUT ONE BAR" -- that means all is perfect, from what i can tell.

but it's an example of yet another potential issue (along with cost) that militates in favor of diy oil/filter changes

rock on

brett

MNBoxster · 05-27-2006, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhduxbury

mnb -- the OP indicated he has a 987 -- that car takes less oil than a 986 -- according to my 987 manual:

oil change with filter = 7.75 litres (8.19 quarts)
oil change w/o filter (perish the thought of not throwing on a new filter!) = 7.5 litres (7.93 quarts)

btw, following those guidelines with 2 diy oil & filter changes i have never overfilled, or underfilled, and the fill is at the top (3d) "ok" bar (not the "overfill" bar) -- so i don't think there's a tsb on it -- actually, i'd rather be in the 3 "acceptable" bars (and top off from there) than in the overfill bar (who knows how much?) -- and oh, the "checking from the back" thing sounds like bull****************

as for the bars (1 too low, 3 acceptable, 1 too high) in a 987 --

"The difference between the minimum and maximum marks on the (oil level) segment display is approx. 1.2 litres.

Each segment of the display corresponds to approx. 0.4 litre."

0.4 litre = 13.5 fl. oz / 0.423 quarts / 1.69 cups (just over one cup and two-thirds, which is what i would use).

then again, the OP said: "From the look of the meter it is full at all but one bar"

"at all BUT ONE BAR" -- that means all is perfect, from what i can tell.

but it's an example of yet another potential issue (along with cost) that militates in favor of diy oil/filter changes

rock on

brett

Hi,

I agree with you. But remember, this is all the same engine, just the Bore and Stroke Differ, so the capacities remain the same. I agree that it's better to reside in the in-between marks than to try and Top it Up. The in-between is not Low, just not maxxed...

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

Brucelee · 05-28-2006, 05:22 AM

"Hi,

Yes, but remember, this is a quasi-dry sump system, it does in fact have a sump pan. In addition to increased drag on the Crank, an overfill situation can lead to the troubles I mentioned earlier...

Happy Mototoring!... Jim'99"

Thanks Jim.

Boy, I think this is lame! If they are going with a QUASI dry sump, it seems to me they should have left the dipstick in there.

Cheez.

bhduxbury · 05-28-2006, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

But remember, this is all the same engine, just the Bore and Stroke Differ, so the capacities remain the same

that's cool, jim, but your numbers are a full litre (1.06 quarts, iirc) more than mine -- following yours would surely lead to at least an "indicated" overfill on a 987 on the digimeter. oh well.

and again, on another topic, ron's original post says "From the look of the meter it is full at all but one bar" -- not an overfill situation, from where i stand

PDXbuckero · 05-28-2006, 07:59 PM

I too am a new Boxster owner....2001 S 45K miles. I bought the car with less then full maintenance records although by my eye and also that of my new mechanic (not a dealer but a very reputibule specialist recomended by the local Club chapter) in great condition......THese people are good mechanics I can tell....
I told him to have at it and make sure he inspected every thing and did a full oil change with filter. The car is running great and what a blast it is!!!! But like the rest of you if I do the electronic oil check I too have all the bars lit
Not only that but the receipt very detailed bye the bye says 10 quarts of Mobil 1 0W/40 oil and filter.....

MNBoxster · 05-28-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhduxbury

that's cool, jim, but your numbers are a full litre (1.06 quarts, iirc) more than mine -- following yours would surely lead to at least an "indicated" overfill on a 987 on the digimeter. oh well.

and again, on another topic, ron's original post says "From the look of the meter it is full at all but one bar" -- not an overfill situation, from where i stand

Hi,

They are not my numbers, they are from the TSB cited. If Porsche subsequently lowered the recommended Fill capacity, it's quite possible, but news to me...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

MNBoxster · 05-27-2006, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brucelee

I guess I would be less concerned about a slight overfill on a dry sump car. Seems to me these guys MUST have thought about this and designed a drain off in the oil tank to deal with this (how hard could that be?).

Now, where the car has an oil pan, I can see all kinds of issues when the oil is over the top.

Am I off base here??

Oh, and I still want my dipstick and a place for my oil evacuator.

Hi,

Yes, but remember, this is a quasi-dry sump system, it does in fact have a sump pan. In addition to increased drag on the Crank, an overfill situation can lead to the troubles I mentioned earlier...

Happy Mototoring!... Jim'99

dezigns · 05-30-2006, 05:31 AM

OK, so I took it to the dealer today, as I had my 20k service last week, which is when the oil was changed, and the alarm sounded, haha. First of all, wonderful service from Adrian and Jeff at Valley Motors Porsche in Cockeysville, MD. Top notch guys all the way around, very honest and hospitable people. Best dealer experience I've ever had - after owning Toyotas, Nissans, etc. They're simply great- I showed up, told them my problem, and they put the car in the bay immediately.

But I digress...they took the car in on the diagnostics, and determined it was slightly (like half a cup) over the "full" mark - which highlighted the top bar. No need to siphon they said, wont do any damage, and I also assumed I'd probably burn that excess oil within a month or so anyways.

So, long and short - if you're overfilled, it doesnt hurt to check how much, but obviously the digital gauge is quite sensitive and pretty darn accurate, and most likely, you're not in a huge overfill situation. They did say though, the max they fill any car EVER, is 10 quarts (996 maybe?)

MNBoxster · 05-30-2006, 06:19 AM

@dezigns,

I'm glad you had this checked and it's OK. Your Mechanics are correct, ½ Cup is not a Big Deal and will probably burn off with time.

But for others, be aware that an Overfill isn't merely what is added to the Engine, you must also be sure that you first drain the proper amount when doing the change to insure the final level is correct.

Porsche calls for draining the Oil for at least 20 min. to insure that the old Oil is fully drained. I wait a minimum of 30 min. just to be sure. Make sure that the Car has been run and the Oil is warm, this allows it to flow easier as well as insuring that all the contaminates are picked up in suspension so that the Oil will carry them out of the Engine.

Also, be sure that the Car is LEVEL or you won't be draining the proper amount. This can be difficult when performing a DIY change on JackStands, so I prefer the method of jacking the Car, pulling the Drain Plug and then lowering the Car with the Catch Pan in place. This ensures the car is level and that you get all the old stuff out. Then raise it again, button everything up, and fill with the measured amount. This will avoid any gross overfills, and get all the dirt and grime out of the motor. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Brucelee · 05-30-2006, 06:24 AM

All the more reason to avoid any quick change oil shops. They drain the car for maybe two minutes.

Out you go!

MNBoxster · 05-27-2006, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dezigns

no sir...nothing in the manual either...of course I'm new to the car - but I cant locate one for the life of me (dipstick that is). damnit, the dealer is closed until Tuesday. I really actually like my dealer - good, knowledgeable people that understand we care that much about our cars. I'll let you know what transpires when I talk to them.

Hi,

No from '01 MY onwards, there is no Dipstick. The difference between the Full mark (1 below the Top Bar) and the minimum is 1.6 Qts. If you go below this level, the bottom Bar will flash. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Adam · 05-30-2006, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

No from '01 MY onwards, there is no Dipstick. The difference between the Full mark (1 below the Top Bar) and the minimum is 1.6 Qts. If you go below this level, the bottom Bar will flash. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Jim, I believe MY 05+ is dipstickless. My 03 most certainly has a dipstick.

MNBoxster · 05-30-2006, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam

Jim, I believe MY 05+ is dipstickless. My 03 most certainly has a dipstick.

Hi,

Yea, I think you're right! Thanks for the correction...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99