GT4/GTS Oil Consumption - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

What is considered "normal" Oil consumption for one of these new 4L engines in the GT4/GTS ? Mine has used to 1/2 way between the min and max on the virtual dipstick in the first 2000 miles. Thanks Simon

My GTS has just had the grey check oil light come on at 2400 miles

Around 0.5ltr every 2000 miles is totally normal and it's experienced by everyone

Thanks guys, that puts my mind at rest

Twinfan said: Around 0.5ltr every 2000 miles is totally normal and it's experienced by everyone Fair play to your experience but my Spyder has used no oil in the first 5000 miles at all, including 3 track days. I did run it in carefully though

Mine has done 24000 miles and is just starting to use less oil than this ....

ChrisW. said: Mine has done 24000 miles and is just starting to use less oil than this .... Isn't yours a 981/3.8ltr Chris? bigmowley said: Fair play to your experience but my Spyder has used no oil in the first 5000 miles at all, including 3 track days. I did run it in carefully though OK, not experienced by everyone then It's totally normal for the engine though, so you're definitely an exception!

Absolutely normal, mine needed a top up after 3k miles and a few track days and has used very little since

My Spyder is at 1250 miles and has used half (between full and empty). TBH - it never showed as full from the first time I checked it at around 100 miles. Still feels quite a lot of oil usage to me but I guess I get 2k miles between full and empty.

My GT4 has done nearly 4000 miles and have top up with 0.5 litre twice.

Twinfan said: ChrisW. said: Mine has done 24000 miles and is just starting to use less oil than this .... Isn't yours a 981/3.8ltr Chris? bigmowley said: Fair play to your experience but my Spyder has used no oil in the first 5000 miles at all, including 3 track days. I did run it in carefully though OK, not experienced by everyone then It's totally normal for the engine though, so you're definitely an exception! Yes mine is the 3.8 981 ... apologies if I misled anybody ! To be honest, the challenge is in not adding too much oil ...

I’m always amazed by threads like this, in 40 odd years of motoring with lots of different cars from different marques, the only one I’ve ever topped up between services was my Westfield with an old Ford cross flow engine in it…..and that was because it used to throw the stuff out into a catch tank. I’d always be concerned if my car was using so much, even if the dealer said they all do that sir.

I’m always amazed by threads like this, in 40 odd years of motoring with lots of different cars from different marques, the only one I’ve ever topped up between services was my Westfield with an old Ford cross flow engine in it…..and that was because it used to throw the stuff out into a catch tank. I’d always be concerned if my car was using so much, even if the dealer said they all do that sir.

It's nothing to do with what the dealer says, evidence from forums clearly shows that most engines use a similar amount of oil to that I mentioned. It's clearly part of the design of the engine or the spec of the oil. I read somewhere that it's down to part of the oil evaporating which is due to the higher oil temps these cars run for efficiency and emissions reasons, and that makes sense to me.

Holgate86 said: I’m always amazed by threads like this, in 40 odd years of motoring with lots of different cars from different marques, the only one I’ve ever topped up between services was my Westfield with an old Ford cross flow engine in it…..and that was because it used to throw the stuff out into a catch tank. I’d always be concerned if my car was using so much, even if the dealer said they all do that sir. What’s with the chip on your shoulder, who from Porsche hurt you?

There are plenty of people who have a gripe with their dealer ... I agree that all engines should use some oil ... the question is only, what is reasonable ? Hence the value of this thread. A bigger problem with the newer cars is adding too much ... they throw an error message if overfilled by even a smidge and the gauge is not accurate. From my experience it can be shown to by both engine oil temperature and quite how level the car is when measuring ...

On the 4.0 I've found the best approach to be: - wait until the oil warning message appears in the multi-function display - add 500ml of oil, no more - level will show as 75% full, the level recommended for track use - wait until the oil warning message appears in the multi-function display - etc No problems re. over filling and I always carry 1ltr of top up oil in the car.

I've just ticked over 4k miles in my GTS 4.0. Yet to top up but the light came on briefly last week but has since disappeared - will check over the weekend. My old 981 GTS needed topping up every 4/5k from memory. And my even older 997 C2S felt like every 2k, the dealer checked it and said everything was fine and within tolerances!! This was over 10 years ago now and I do wonder how that car got on after I sold it....!

Holgate86 said: I’m always amazed by threads like this, in 40 odd years of motoring with lots of different cars from different marques, the only one I’ve ever topped up between services was my Westfield with an old Ford cross flow engine in it…..and that was because it used to throw the stuff out into a catch tank. I’d always be concerned if my car was using so much, even if the dealer said they all do that sir. The last car I had that needed this much oil was an Austin Allegro which I paid £100 for 30+ years ago But I had heard these were thirsty engines, hence my initial question to gauge what is the "norm"

An interesting article generally and addresses the oil consumption issue directly. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/cayman/35596... Looks that this is an old press car that he’s been given so it’s maybe has a hard life.

This article goes some way to imply that it is by design as the engine has low tension piston rings... https://rennlist.com/forums/718-gts-4-0-gt4-spyder...

EEnBEE said: An interesting article generally and addresses the oil consumption issue directly. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/cayman/35596... Looks that this is an old press car that he’s been given so it’s maybe has a hard life. What is a bit worrying is that Steve Sutcliffe is pictured pouring the wrong (A40) oil in rather than the correct C40. Oops

My Cayman GTS had the low level light cone on at 3200 miles on Sunday. Needed a litre (so put in half). This thread has been a reassuring read.

Shiverman said: My Spyder is at 1250 miles and has used half (between full and empty). TBH - it never showed as full from the first time I checked it at around 100 miles. Still feels quite a lot of oil usage to me but I guess I get 2k miles between full and empty. As an update to my previous post - I filled the car with oil prior to my journey back to the UK and it has not used any more oil to date. Mileage now stands at 2350 so 1100 miles with no oil usage. Maybe it was the initial break in period and the oil getting around all the bit during that first 1000 miles??

Shiverman said: As an update to my previous post - I filled the car with oil prior to my journey back to the UK and it has not used any more oil to date. Mileage now stands at 2350 so 1100 miles with no oil usage. Maybe it was the initial break in period and the oil getting around all the bit during that first 1000 miles?? Wishful thinking I fear, I have done 10k and it still likes a drink of Mobil’s finest. Had to have a litre in at the OPC