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Check with the engine idling, the car
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Some models -- 996 Turbo I know -- the engine oil level is checked with the engine idling, the car on level ground and stationary, and the engine up to operating temperature.
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Suggestion
Note this is best done on a special Porsche built road with no bumps so the creeper doesnt get stuck causing the car to drive over the one checking/adding fluid
Leading evidence: 'Check with the engine idling, the car' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check /adding fluid' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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When you changed the oil you were advised to put 1-2 quarts less in the TANK.
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Suggestion
Note this is best done on a special Porsche built road with no bumps so the creeper doesnt get stuck causing the car to drive over the one checking/adding fluid
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Suggestion
They you open the sump oil filler and check the dipstick.
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Suggestion
With a 997, you check the engine level with the engine running at idle.
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Check /adding fluid
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Suggestion
Note this is best done on a special Porsche built road with no bumps so the creeper doesnt get stuck causing the car to drive over the one checking/adding fluid
Now when I change the oil in my 996 Turbo, after draining the old oil, and with the engine *OFF* of course, I add 8 quarts of oil -- double checking my count of the empty quart bottles cause there's no dipstick to check the oil level -- then start the engine and let it idle until I can get an oil level reading and because the level's a bit low, I add oil, around a half a quart, to bring the oil level up to near the max level marker.
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Suggestion
If it was a 9qt system the recommendation is that you add 8qts and then run it until the engine and oil are warmed up before checking oil level “HOT AT IDLE” and topping up.
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I haven't of course checked all owners manuals but even for adding oil if the oil level needs toppinp up the instructions are to do this with the engine off.
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Some models -- 996 Turbo I know -- the engine oil level is checked with the engine idling, the car on level ground and stationary, and the engine up to operating temperature.
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I just spoke to a friend of a friend. He is a salesperson at the Porsche dealership here in Vegas. I told him I change the oil myself, he said he thinks there is a special procedure and he has seen the techs have the car idleing while they add the oil! I've never heard if anything like this. Maybe he wasn't sure about what they were doing. Anyone ever heard of this?
I dunno a thing about 996s but on the air cooled cars (964s and 993s), you fill 3/4 ths way and then start it up. You just top it up while idiling very slowly.
that only works if you plan on checking the oil with the engine running
the tranny has the same thing.... but requires special oversized tires that are big enough to allow a creeper under the car while driving to get the "best results"
Note this is best done on a special Porsche built road with no bumps so the creeper doesnt get stuck causing the car to drive over the one checking/adding fluid
I think there is some truth to this. The special proccedure that only a Porsche dealer can do it rumor that is. It circulated quite heavily in the early days of the Boxster and 996. Possibly because the only people that purchased these cars new were mostly not the type to do their own service and there were no service manuals or instructions floating around on the net. Also I think the dealers were responsible for trying to justify the up to $350 for an oil change. This was common and not questioned for a car costing over $60k to well over $100k.
Sounds like the Porsche mystique regarding only 'specialists' trained by Porsche should be working on your cars... ..they are too complicated for the backyard mechanic.
It could be that he was confusing the 996 oil fill with dry sump air cooled 911s. (Not sure if the H2O cooled GT3\Turbo are the same)
If it was a 9qt system the recommendation is that you add 8qts and then run it until the engine and oil are warmed up before checking oil level “HOT AT IDLE” and topping up.
This post definitely takes the prize for the most absurd Sales pitch I have ever heard. Let me understand this correctly, they drain the oil, and then when there is no more oil they add it while the car is idling? Makes perfect sense, I wonder how many engines Porsche is going to warranty from this dealer.
None. Cause none of the techs at this dealership would be so stupid as to do this.
And if any customer followed this salesman's dumb *** advice... What a salesman tells you regarding anything related to a car is not worth the paper it is printed upon. Salesmen know little about cars. Worse than little. They know nothing and what they think they know is wrong. They know car selling, maybe.
I haven't of course checked all owners manuals but even for adding oil if the oil level needs toppinp up the instructions are to do this with the engine off.
Some models -- 996 Turbo I know -- the engine oil level is checked with the engine idling, the car on level ground and stationary, and the engine up to operating temperature. The on-board computer will refuse to check the oil level if any of these conditions not met.
Now when I change the oil in my 996 Turbo, after draining the old oil, and with the engine *OFF* of course, I add 8 quarts of oil -- double checking my count of the empty quart bottles cause there's no dipstick to check the oil level -- then start the engine and let it idle until I can get an oil level reading and because the level's a bit low, I add oil, around a half a quart, to bring the oil level up to near the max level marker.
Sincerely,
Macster.
FYI, I talked to the local german car shop here in Portland to price out an oil change. They charge $109 by the way ($79 for my VW Passat). He told me it takes them at least an hour to do the oil change because they fill the oil very slowly to get it exactly right because some customers want to see the little gauge on the dash read 'right in the middle'.
First, this is somewhat accurate on a 997. It is not accurate on a 996. With a 996, you check the oil level with the engine turned off and cold. With a 997, you check the engine level with the engine running at idle. The newer cars are similar to the older air cooled 911s. With the older 911s, you put 10-12 quarts in (depending on sump size) and run the engine to full warm. They you open the sump oil filler and check the dipstick.
Good luck with that--mine seems to vary quite a bit, all the way from one notch from the top to one notch from the bottom, depending on when the engine was last run.
I do find this thread kind of interesting, though--a bunch of people swearing that the salesman in question is a complete idiot before acknowledging that a lot of Porsches are indeed topped off with the engine idling, which is exactly how I do mine.
IIRC Porsche advises teh engine be off when adding oil.
The OP's content suggested the techs were adding oil after an oil drain and the engine was idling on residual oil.
Of course if this is what the salesman was saying it is pure insanity.
Even adding oil with the engine idling is not good. Why allow the engine to breathe unfiltered air while adding oil? Why subject the Ecu to having to adjust to the huge air leak only to have to unlearn this adjustment when the cap is replaced.
When the cap is removed the Ecu has to add fuel, enrichen the mixture. Then when the cap is replaced it has to remove fuel, lean the mixture.
In the moments that it takes the Ecu to do this the engine is running considerably richer than normal and this increases the likelihood of introducing unburned fuel to the oil.
Sure the amount of fuel may be slight by these engines do not need any more unburned fuel in their oil than than they normally are at risk of acquiring.
Sincerely,
Macster.
Up to at least 1989 911s had a dry sump engine with the dip stick in the remote tank that is no oil carried\stored in the engine.
They had an oil tank in the right rear fender. The DIP STICK was in the OIL TANK under the cap.
When you changed the oil you were advised to put 1-2 quarts less in the TANK. You would then warm the oil to operating temp and check it on level ground while idling.
You would take off the oil cap and use the dip stick in the TANK to check the oil and add until it was 1\2 way between the top and bottom lines.
If you checked with the engine off there would\could be oil in the sump of the engine that had not been picked up by the scavenge pump and sent back to the tank.
If you topped up the tank with this residual oil in the engine you would end up with the extra oil pumped out into the air box next time you started the car.
This used to happen to someone in one of the lower run groups at least once per track event, with the ensuing wailing and gnashing of teeth about the �blown� engine.
This is why those owner�s manuals specify �Check the engine oil at idle with the engine at operating temperature�
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