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Oil checking advice required

Steelback

New member
Good evening all after a little bit of newbie advice please. Do you check your oil level from cold or after the engine has been warmed and left to settle ?
 
I have always checked my oil from cold on a level area. I would think most of the drivers on the site will do that.

Yes Adrian, I too miss the dip stick check.

As an aside there are some exceptions to the rule (not Porsche). I have a Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8td SWB and on the auto g/box dip stick there are two level marks, one cold and one hot.

 
Like Ray I've always checked the oil from cold with the car on a level area but with the electronic oil level indicator on the 987.2 it can only be checked with the engine idling and at normal operating temperature (at least 60 deg C). What advice is given in the handbook?

 
Did the oil checking change between Gen 1 and Gen 2 cars? I.e anytime with the engine off for Gen 1 and above 60C oil temp with engine idling for Gen 2. It did with the 997.1 v 997.2

 
I believe that it did change Alan, I once had a brief look at someones Gen 1 Cayman and noticed that they could check the oil level with just the ignition on whereas my Gen 2 needed to be running and up to temperature - the amount of time to get a measurement varies and there's a countdown in seconds displayed to indicate when the reading will be taken, I find it gives me something to look at while waiting at traffic lights, sometimes they go green too soon!

 
Presumably the more complicated oil pumping and scavenging arrangements on the Gen 2 engine necessitated the change in procedure.

 
The handbook (page 75) on my 981 reads: Prerequisites for the oil-level gauge:

1, Park the vehicle on a level surface

2, Switch off engine, which is now at operating temperature.

3, Wait for approx, 1 minute.

4, Select the Oil Measurement Function on the multi-function display.

Just a bit of useless info but the 1984 Porsche 911 3.2 which I ran the oil level was read when the car was at operating temp and with the engine running. So there is some variations on oil level checking.

 
Indeed, but the OP has a 987.1.[;)] Curious that it changed from the 987.2 to the 981 though although, having just looked, it also changed from engine running to engine stopped (and hot) from the 997.2 to the 991.1?

 
Steelback said:
Do you check your oil level from cold or after the engine has been warmed and left to settle ?

Even the "Cayman 987 2007-2008 Vehicle Quick Reference" does not state whether it must be done cold or warm https://www.porscheclubgb.com/legacy/clientftp/Register/996/misc/cayman/cayman07-08qrg.pdf. Perhaps it doesn't matter, is there a difference in the waiting time countdown dependent on whether the engine is cold or warm and does it make any difference to the reading you get?

208A035EB4284B06A1072A8179748EBC.JPG
 
tscaptain said:
Indeed, but the OP has a 987.1.[;)] Curious that it changed from the 987.2 to the 981 though although, having just looked, it also changed from engine running to engine stopped (and hot) from the 997.2 to the 991.1?
This is all getting rather confusing to say the least. Me thinks I shall just stick with the method of my own vehicle. As we said earlier the dip stick was an easy method but now we are getting more electronically minded in engine design then I suppose this is the future.

Ray

 
On my 718 CS, the hand book says under certain circumstances the engine oil level cannot be displayed.

Causes include:

Engine is cold.

Vehicle parked following full throttle operation at high engine speeds. (e.g. after hot laps on a track day).

Engine oil temperature too high.

Open rear luggage compartment lid.

All of these I have experienced by trial and error. A dipstick was a lot simpler.

Brian

 
Ray said:
tscaptain said:
Indeed, but the OP has a 987.1.[;)] Curious that it changed from the 987.2 to the 981 though although, having just looked, it also changed from engine running to engine stopped (and hot) from the 997.2 to the 991.1?
This is all getting rather confusing to say the least. Me thinks I shall just stick with the method of my own vehicle. As we said earlier the dip stick was an easy method but now we are getting more electronically minded in engine design then I suppose this is the future.

Ray
Not really confusing. The different models have different methods, all of which are detailed in the appropriate owner's manual! The OP, presumably, was seeking advice from owners with the same model as himself.[;)]

 
Steelback said:
Good evening all after a little bit of newbie advice please. Do you check your oil level from cold or after the engine has been warmed and left to settle ?

On my 987.1 Boxster I can turn the key and read the oil level from cold.

When I've been driving and I try to check the oil level, a countdown timer appears, and it could be anything before the car will let you check.

I've had counting down from 55 minutes sometimes.

Sometimes its 6 or 10.

I tend to check it cold and see where the level is, and I check it when up to temp too.

For example I filled up with fuel, went in the garage, bought some stuff, paid for the fuel, went back outside, got in car and it allowed me to get the oil level straight away.

If its one bar off full I'm reasonably content, it's never gone below.

I think I've put < 1/2 litre of oil in during 6k miles.

 
Thanks JMR!

From what you've said it sounds as though the 987.1 oil level is best checked with the engine cold, or at least below a certain temperature, and that the countdown operates while the engine temperature is decreasing until the correct measuring conditions have been reached.

It always seemed a bit odd to me that you cannot check the oil level in a 987.2 until operating temperature has been reached, after all what would happen if there was little or no oil in the engine (apart from it seizing!)?

 
Kevin,

Apart from those of us old enough to know the function of dip-stick, I doubt that many drivers these days are interested in opening the the bonnet for any reason, let alone to check the oil level, relying on the electronic sensors to take care of things.

As Andrew has pointed out, it does seem bit odd that you cannot check the oil level in a 987.2 until operating temperature has been reached but I would assume that you'd get a warning if the level actually fell below the minimum level on the 3-bar display. Even then I'd expect there to be a margin of safety.

Jeff

 

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