Too much oil??!?!?!?

[dezigns]

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]

@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]

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

Out you go!