Oil usage!

I drove my car yesterday, check the oil level via the dashboard display, and the top three bars were blacked out. "Hmmm... that's dropped a bit" I thought. I've just come to use it again today and it's now half full, erk! Whilst driving I noticed that the oil pressure seemed very high - at it'd it was just over 2, but when I was moving (just coasting along not accellerating) it was maxed out at 5 (which I know is unsual). I've checked my drive and I can't see any signs of oil, but then it's a gravel drive, so I expect it'd be difficult to spot. Also, occasionally when starting the car there's a small cloud of blue smoke, this clears up by the time I've reversed off my drive, and from what I've read that's pretty normal. Any advice on what it might be? What I should look for? And also what type of oil I need to put in the car? I hope this isn't the dreaded RMS problem as I've only *just* got the car back after having to have all of the valved replaced. GRRR...

my dash display is all over the place moves low then back up high depends how much oil is still draining back out of the engine the dip stick (if you haven't got a TT ) is the best way mine uses a fair bit of oil most perfomance cars do its all about tolerances and expansion the classic ford BDA engine used a litre of oil per 1000 miles any less there was something wrong :lol: Rob

Cheers Carpy, From what I've read the dash display is only the ideal range - at first I thought it was the entire level of oil in the engine I really want to tell if it's leaking oil (which is hard on the gravel) so I plan on shoving an old white towel or sheet under the car to catch any drops. Forgive the potentially stupid question, but is the best place to postition the catcher directly under the engine? Or are there other common problem areas? This morning the oil level had dropped a further bar - that's after driving 60 miles.

I very much doubt that your car is leaking any oil at all. The electronic gauge on the dash is only worth paying attention to when the car is fully up to working temp (Circa 90 deg C on the H2O temp gauge) and the car is on a completely flat surface . It's also worth noting that the oil pressure gauge will always read around 5 bar until the oil is also fully up to working temp - even when the engine is idling at a cold temp. Again, it's only worth taking an electronic measurement after you've got the this point - always remembering of course that you've also got to then turn engine off and let the oil settle down for at least 10 mins or so if you really want to see what's what with the electronic measurement!! Phew!! Oil pressure gauge: When all of the above has happened you should have an oil pressure reading of around 2 bar at engine idle and it can read anything above that when the engine is under power - even if you're just cruising along. I too have a gravel drive and I always try to leave the rear (engine area) of the car parked over a large piece of cardboard that I have. No leaks so far!! It's a good way of keeping an eye of things. Hope this helps!

Hi Adrian, Thanks for all of the info. I appreciate the advice and pointers. I'll not panic too much just yet, but I'll keep an eye on it. It does sound like the dash display is quite fussy - is it safe to assume that I'll get a better reading from the dipstick - or does that reading also need to be taken in the ideal conditions you mentioned. Thanks also for the top tip regarding the cardboard - I think I've got just the thing!

I'm sure I read on here somewhere that there is a word that sums up porsche ownership, that word is 'PARANOIA'. How true this has been in my few weeks of ownership, the oil level, the blue puff of smoke, the white residue in the oil filler pipe, etc etc. I think I'll break down before the car does lol!

and I thought it was just me. rear spoiler mechanism, caliper bolts stripped by previous owner and litronics failures since getting the car in September, not to mention the constant oil checking! But it is damm good fun when it's all working

I forgot about the blue puff of smoke bit......... Again, dare I say it, perfectly 'normal' for this engine. Try to look at it this way: in a 'normal' engine the cylinders either point upwards or at least in a V position - thus letting gravity drag all the oil that lays around the pistons (under all the piston rings) back down into the sump - where it belongs. Your engine, however, doesn't allow this to happen as effectively as the cylinders are all flat. If the car is stood for a while (or not so long in some cases) the oil has the chance to 'migrate' in tiny amounts around or through the expansion gaps in the piston rings. This leaves the oil on the other side of the rings and effectively within the combustion chamber. You then come along, put your key in the ignition, mix said oil with some petrol, turn the key and bang - an innocent puff of blue smoke (oil burning with petrol) which then should clear almost immediately. You only need to start worrying when you see an awful lot of the same type of smoke coming out of the back of the car in your rear-view mirror when you're blasting down some fast road! :roll: I've owned my (MY 2003) 996 for just over five years now and, in hindsight, I too was pretty 'paranoid' about certain things for the first year or so. But there was a good reason for this (and I guess that it applies to most new owners): apart from my house the car was the most expensive thing that I'd ever bought. Houses are comparatively safe bets: they (hopefully) stay in the same place and, pound for pound, are relatively cheap to run. Cars like these aren't, they move about a lot and tend to be even more risky to own around other crap or jealous drivers - or both! I guess that it must be a bit like having a really pretty daughter: fine when she's crawling around on the Parquet - but a bloody nightmare when she starts going out clubbing wearing a belt for a skirt! :floor:

Ive been an owner for just two years and have also been through and to some lesser degree continue with the paranoia vibe! Had the blue puff once, car was parked on an incline with the engine bay facing down the slope! what a suprise! Had minor oil drip but RMS changed when the clutch was replaced last year, still a little oil nervous as Im doing more miles at the moment but the paranoia is about preventative rather than retrospective attention I think. :thumb:

Perhaps it is just 'new owner paranoia', but then it might not be totally unfounded as my 3 year old son said the following this morning on our way into school: Son: "Daddy, when are we taking your car to the garage again?" Me: "Erm, not for a long while I hope" Son: "But Daddy, one day, when you're driving me to school your engine might break" Me: "I really *REALLY* hope not" Son: "Why?" Me: "Well I would be very upset..." Son: "Oh. But if it breaks then we might die" Me: "Um... don't worry, that's really not going to happen" Son: "If I die, I'm going to turn into chocolate" Me: "I think I need to have a word with your teacher..."