newbie oil usage query

Hi Guys, Just after a bit of feedback on 2 things.. 1) should i be worried about oil usage - i say this as i've had the car 4 days and the levels when i drove from the dealer showed full ( well the little chart was at the top but it didnt say "full" or anything" ) 4 days later and 200miles or so and its dropped a 1/4 i think.. is that normal, i have been "enjoying" it shall we say. 2) what is the best/correct oil to get to top it up with ? * Apologies if these have been answered a million times * Cheers Russ

The gauge has threseholds for what is one bar up or down, so maybe the delaer had filled it to just above the threshold and so a small amount of oil use has caused it to drop a bar. Top it up and monitor for now. :cheers:

ah ok... so if its below full it could drop to 3/4, and if its a tiny bit above 3/4 it could show as full? right then.. any recommendations for the type/make of oil to top it up with ? Cheers Russ

Here in the U.S. the recommended oil is Mobil 1, 0w-40. Is your car brand new? If not, how many miles on the engine? If the car is brand new, some oil usage during the break in period will be expected. When you check the reading, make sure it's on a flat area and always try to use the same spot if possible. This way you eliminate one variable that can throw the readings off.

not new no.. 2007 with 50K on the clock im hoping its just my complete lack of knowledge of the car that has made me worry a little. thinking of popping a bit more in and resetting the mileage reader to see how long it takes to go down again.. Russ

Kind of, but obviously no of us know what the threshold is, and one would expect the threshold for being up a bar is different to it being down one bar, but still it is there. Pete makes a good point about having the car on a level footing as obviously this will affect the level readout. The oil recommended is Mobil 1 0W40 as Pete said (It's the global specification Pete ), and if you continue to see oil useage then the first step is to change to one of the thicker Porsche approved oils, but you're a long way from thinking about that yet

FYI, Porsche's After-Sales brochure lists all approved engine oils. Mobil1 0W-40 is not your only choice. See your Porsche dealer for the current list. Here's an example of the brochure, dated 2006:

Russ: As usual with this forum, you get lots of good detail but not the information you really need to know. Here is what you really need to know.... The thingy that measures the oil level is very sensitive. Find a level spot, like in your garage, to park the car overnight. When you get in the car in the morning, check the level before start-up when engine is dead cold. Ignore any other readings. When I measure consistently in the same spot, I get, usually, the same reading. Sometimes it's down one bar but then the next time, it will be back up without my adding any oil. If the car points downhill, it will read higher. If it points uphill, it will read lower. It's not critical that it is exactly at the top. One or two bars down is perfectly fine. It's important, however, not to over-fill. That can cause some problems with the AOS (Air/Oil Separator) and with seals in the engine. Don't be over-anxious about topping up. The entire range of bars represents a bit more than 1 quart of oil and you have 9 quarts in the engine. Drive it some more and, if it really starts gulping oil and smoking, you have a real issue, otherwise, you'll probably find that the level stays right around the same place +- 1 or 2 bars, for a long time. Hope this helps. If you don't have an owner's manual, there is one you can download on this site.

So that we're all talking about the same thing, here's a pic of my gauge after a spirited drive and the requisite wait period: Some fluctuation is normal. When I changed the oil, I added 8 quarts (~7.6L) and checked the level without running the engine - it showed as you see above. I drove it around the block and the level dropped a full bar. Obviously I hadn't burned or leaked any oil, there was just residual oil in the engine and not in the pan. I topped it off so that the level reads at the top arrow after the engine has been run. On occasion, when I check the car after it has sat for days, the level will read above the top arrow. That's a heated question with no right answer. It's true that Porsche uses Mobil 0W-40 as the factory fill. It's also true that Mobil pays Porsche to put their sticker in the oil fill cover. Some experienced Porschephiles advocate 5W-40 . Pick your poison.

I use 8 quarts with a filter. Drive 50 miles home.Let the car sit in the garage for 24 hours. Check the level on the gauge. Usually takes 1/4 of a quart to reach top "full" line. Gen 1,2007 S

I-man: The way the gage looks in the photo is as full as it should ever be. Mine goes from that to one bar below depending on the spot in the garage I park it. It's been down to two marks below exactly one time...after a long track weekend. DO NOT fill fuller than the way it looks in the photo. That would be too much. The harder you run, the more important this is.

Cheers for the extra info guys.. This is by far the most informative forum ive ever joined! i checked first thing this morning after it sat cold all night and it was at 3/4 full.. I popped out at lunch and came back to it at 5.30pm and it showed a little bit more than 3/4.. No smoke or anything but i reset the mileage so im going to keep an eye on it as i suspect it is just me being a paranoid newbie and the dealer only topping it up a tiny bit before i drove away. Cheers again guys! Russ

It's natural. I suggest only checking first thing in the morning. Other checks can give you a feel for how the gage works, but you should ignore any reading that isn't first thing in the morning in the same spot. That's the only way to tell if it's actually using oil. Don't add at the first low reading. See if it comes back up the next day...or the next day you check in that same parking spot with the motor dead cold. Gen2 cars (09 and up) check oil differently. This is only for '06, '07 and '08 cars.