Managing oil temp on the 996 question (track preparation)

Hi everybody, I still wonder before sleeping why Porsche did not include an oil temp guage on the 996, given that I am preparing for a track weekend here, I am a bit puzzled as to how to accurately know that my oil temp is too high? Commonly, I have waited during street driving for the water coolant to reach opearting temperature and for the oil pressure to decrease at idle before I gave it the full beans. Now what I have found out is that; - Oil temp cannot be read via OBD, only "can-bus" / durametric diagnostics tool (which is not ideal as I cannot imagine looking at a laptop during heavy use. - there are ways to mod it in, but I do not have a sufficient enough skill set to do it on my own, nor now anybody that could. My question is; - how do I know my oil temp is to high, is there a warning light on 996.1/2? - is there a kit that I could just instal? - what is the most pragmatic solution to know my temp is too high on the 996? E.g. I am on the track and know to cool down. Thanks a bunch!

On a 996.2 or 997 car you can use a CAN interface to a display like this: http://www.race-technology.com/gb/industrial/products/dash4pro To get the same data on a 996.1 you need to tap in to the oil temperature sensor with an analogue input module like this: http://www.race-technology.com/gb/r...s/expansion-modules/expansion-modules_analog8 Or a full on data logger so that you can log and see the results. CAN based data, including oil temp from a 996 turbo: In car display from the same. MC

Thanks a bunch, for the 997.1 not really necessary as it has oil temp. For the 996.2 is it as simple as plug and play? Or? Is there no other way to know that my oil temp is high on the 996.1 ?

I just used the hidden menu that displays oil temp on the aircon screen when I did a track day recently. Press and hold the UP button then at the same time press and hold the RECIRC button in. After 5 seconds or so of holding the buttons in the display changes to 1C. To see the reading corresponding to 1C press the button on the climate control below the UP button (this is the button for directing air through the centre dash vents). To move back to the 1C press that button again. To go to 2C, 3C, 4C etc etc press the + button on the temperature control (not the fan speed +). To exit this mode press the AUTO button. ----------------------------------------------------- 0c - ERL 1c - Oil Temp 2c - Inside Temp - From the Sensor mounted in the Aspirator Assembly at the side of the Dash 3c - Outside Temp - From the Sensor inside the Air Inlet of the A/C Unit 4c - Outside Temp - From the Sensor in Front Grill of the Radiator. Data is fed to the Climatronic from the Instrument Cluster. When not moving, the Instrument Cluster OBC Temp Display retains it's last setting until moving. This is to prevent heat emanating from the Radiator affecting the Temp Sensor. The Climatronic uses the lower of the two values in determining Fresh-Air Temp. 5c - Outside Temp - matches OBC outside temp display 6c - Coolant Temp 7c - Footwell Discharge Temp 8c - Sun Sensor (dash top) 9c - Sun Sensor 10c- Passenger Compartment Fan Speed 11c- Passenger Compartment Fan Voltage 12c- Temperature Mix Flap Command (1=COLD, 100= HOT) 13c- Temperature Mix Flap Position 14c - Central Flap Command 15c - Central Flap Position 16c - Footwell/Defrost Flap Command 17c - Footwell/Defrost Flap Position 18c - Recirculation Valve Command (1=OFF, 100=RECIRC) 19c - Recirculation Valve Position (feedback) 20c - Vehicle Speed in kph, updates once per second. This is True Speed, not the Speed+Safety Margin displayed by the Speedometer. 21c - Engine RPM in hundreds, also updates once per second 22c - ? 23c - ? 24c - Sun Sensor, Exterior Lights Switch, and Panel Lights control (term. 58 & 58d voltage) - used for A/C Panel Display Illumination 25c - ? 26c - ? 27c - ? 28c - Fan Speed 29c - ? 30c - Engine Run Time in seconds (255max.) (=0Xff) 31c - Timing Counter 32c - Displays Test 33c - Software Version (usually 3.4) 34c - ? 35c - Outside Temp from Inlet Sensor (filtered) 36c - Temp

I do not believe that this will be oil temp. If you study the wiring diagram you will see that on the .1 cars the oil temperature only goes to the ECU, it doesn't go anywhere else, and there are no serial data links to communicate it. I don't know what it is, but I'd put a tenner on it not being oil temperature. MC

Hi there, thanks allot, however I tried this allready and this will not display oil temp. Good luck!

My understanding that the reason people stop driving at high oil temperatures is to prevent the oil from thinning out too much and causing damage to the engine through insufficient lubrication. So from that point of view you're better off with an oil pressure gauge which tells you the effect of the oil temps directly by showing the oil pressure! The question then arises when should you stop lapping and cool down. My car idles about the first mark on the pressure gauge when warm, when I track the car I tend to stop when the pressure is at 0.5 notches. I'm loathe to describe that as 1 bar or 0.5 bar as I've changed the oil pressure sender a couple of times and every time the oil pressure has been different so I take the absolute reading with a grain of salt. However as a relative measure it might have some utility. I get a good few laps in before the oil pressure drops much and by that point I'm pretty knackered along with the tyres so it kind of works for me.

Mmm, okay. When I try it the temp variation depending on driving does replicate what you would expect with oil temp and it wasnt a direct match for water temp so it would be good to know what it was reading on the Oil temp setting.

Hmmm.... well that is one way, I have written on a American forum where one guy who regularly tracks his 996 and had the Porsche tool connected believes that 240 water temp is when he knows to cool it down. Is there is a water / oil heat exchanger. Btw I have to ask as I was once considering an e46 when I was buying my 996, how does it compare?

Yes there is an oil/water heat exchanger. I personally didn't think the E46 M3 was as good as my E36 M3 Evo, never really fell for it in the same way. 996 much more compact and more of a sports car compared to the E46 which does have a nice motor.

MC, is oil temp available on the CAN bus? I pulldata into V box via CAN (sorry , I know its the competition..:lol the ref file I use doesn't reference it, all I can get it throttle pos which made me think oil temp wasn't present. To the OP, I would tend to just look at water temp, if oil is hot water will be too. In fact I would imagine water would over heat before the oil will. Either way if you keep to 20 min ish sessions it should be fine as long as all rads working well.

Yes it is, as that is how I get it on my 996 turbo, as well as oil pressure. I suggest giving them a call and asking if they can help you add it. MC