Oil change and spark plug change problems.

I decided to attempt to change oil and spark plugs on my car. I just bought the car in December had a chance to drive with few days, seemed to worked great. I never changed oil or sparks in any of my other cars but I thought no better car to learn on than a 996. So I looked up on youtube the video on oil change 996. Followed the directions, and unscrewed the plate under oil pan. To my horror oil kept gushing out of it like visible on the pics. I had to go before the oil stopped dripping, but it looked like it filled most of the 9L oil pan I had under it. Now I am scared of opening it up, as there should be no oil coming out of there? Is there a whole in the engine? Second thing is i can't get my wheel off, got all the lugs out but the wheel won't move, i guess i just need to hit it with a hammer or kick it real hard. The 3 problem I have is the screw to the muffler right by the bumper seems to be rusted and I can't figure out (don't have deep socket set, its coming in few days) what socket size to use? Is it 15 cm or 16cm? I don't want to strip it. Thanks for any help.

What YouTube video did you watch? You only need to remove the oil filter and the 8mm drain plug.

ohhhh boyyyy...

Mike, to change your oil you don't need to take off the sump plate. You simply have to un-screw the drain plug in the centre of the sump plate. Not sure which video you watched but I think it is the wrong one. The sump holds about 9 litres of oil so you have probably got most of it. The problem you have now is that you will have to take off the sump plate, clean off all the mating surfaces, apply a carefully measured bead of a special sealant and then re-install the sump plate. You will also have to torque it to spec. I'm thinking you may need some help with all this and might need to get a Porsche shop involved. With the wheel, what I do is get the wheel just off the ground, sit on the floor beside the wheel and try kicking the tire with the heel of your shoe. Usually a couple of kicks will get it free. What I do then is coat the mating surfaces with a very small amount of anit-seize compound before I re-install the wheel. Can't help you with your third question as I'm not sure what size it is. Good luck with this. Cheers

Step back, take a deep breath and calm down. Nothing you have done to this point is a big deal. But as scottie mac stated and based on your performance so far you need to find someone to help you get your car back in service. Rather than watch YouTube videos, I would recommend doing a search on this and a great DIY called RENNTECH that offers a wealth of knowledge and a number of members that are more than willing to help a newbie out. We have a saying the military that the only dumb question in the one not asked! Good luck to ya! Tom

oh boy ..... what a way to start .. Any independants in London that can help ? I guess you may be towing to the dealer as i think you are just starting out. You could possibly put the bolts back in , wash off what you can and put oil in it. then live with the drips till your next oil change, take it to a shop next time and have them reseal the plate if your not comfortable doing it yourself. For the wheel you can undo all the lugs a couple of thread ( okay i am talking a couple of mm gap from the wheel, then lower the car on the jack, the weight of the car should pop it, then jack it back up. you have disimilar metal corrosion between the steel rotor and aluminum wheel , unusual for a Porsche rotor as they are usually coated so may be an aftermarket rotor. Spray the hub surface if you remove the rotor or rotor surface where it mates with the wheel with copper antiseize spray ( thin coat ) to stop this happening again.

Thanks for all the help, stupid you tube videos. Maybe i should pay more attention to it, next time. You Tube Yes there is lots of places in London including porsche dealer and couple indy shops that specialize in german cars, they have even done a number of LN bearing fits. That's not the point of DYI though. Hmm, ok so my next step is too take the plate wash it and seal it somehow. This will be fun any tips? EDIT: Forgot that I have the whole technical manual. This sum plate business looks pretty easy, all i need now is "Drei Bond", type 1209. or CARQUEST equivelant. If its good enough for a Ford it's good enough for me. Anything else I should fix while I am in there? How far I am from AOS?

Dear Mikey not so swift! My advice to you is STOP!! I repeat STOP! working on this car. If you never changed oil on a car before then don't start on this car now. Don't even think of changing the plugs!!! Don't even try to put the sump plate back on your own you will be sorry if you do. Get it towed to a dealer to replace the sump plate properly. Maybe next time do the oil yourself,but you need more education before you do this. Get a friend that is a mechanic to help you.

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Go here http://www.cannell.co.uk/Manuals.htm Download manuals and read it step by step.

If you have the whole manual then read it and quit wasting our time!

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I share my adventures as entertaiment for some here, if you don't get anything out of it don't read it. I read every thread here and don't complain if they suck. To everyone else thanks for all help. Ps. Asking for directions and reading manuals first is for woman.

With your skills and attitude I'm sure you will get lots of help on this web site!!!!!!!

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I am sure everyone on this website remembers everyone on here, and their "bad" response to one jerk on their thread. This feels childish, and I feel stupid for coming down to your level of non-sense because I am sure you can beat me with all your experience. so you win, sorry for wasting your time sir.

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

I personally enjoyed your thread We've all done stupid things and since this one didn't cause any permanent harm it caused quite a few laughs over here. Just get it fixed and move on. The good thing out of all of this is that the real way to do the oil change is much easier than what you just attempted to do. So if anything you are now more experienced than someone who would have only attempted the oil change. Good luck and hey, live and learn!

That was the protective plate and not the sump plate the dude removed.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. many of us have struggled with certain fixes for our Porsches. What you have done is not hard to fix with some guidance. Chalk it up as a learning experience and don't sweat it.

dont forget to remove your front bumper to change your AC Filter :P

So Zookie, you've never made a mistake?

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once, i put it in the wrong hole, she was not too happy...

I must say......I could not stop laughing when I saw the pictures on your first attempt to do an oil change....no serious harm was done. You have gotten good advice from the guys in the forum....you are entitled to make mistakes (specially on your own car), but be aware that some mistakes could be very expensive. Ask questions, use the search button, and inform yourself well (read, read, read) before taking on the next task....

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Now I am laughing reaaaally hard.....LMAO

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He sure has. Like when he removed his front bumper to change the A/C filter Actually it's a good thing you got the pan off since it has you getting all the oil cleaned up eliminating any old oil that would of hung around in the system just pulling the plug.

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You're kidding right. Take another look at the picture

318touring meant the dude in the video.

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Hey Mike. Don't sweat some of the opinions you hear on this forum. Sometimes it's a bit like a frat house - you need thick skin. The upside is there are actually a number of people that will give you some good (and correct) advise. The others just have nothing better to do than sit around in the safety of their parents basement and pass judgement. To your oil change problem, I would seek some professional help in getting the bottom end of your engine back together otherwise you may end up with a source of constant leaks. Have it flat-bedded to a shop and they can put you back in business quickly. One of the posters commented that maybe this is a good thing as it will let you clean any sludge off the sump cover. He's right. Cheers, Scott

Post a pic of the muffler bolt that you are having trouble with. To remove a muffler there are two bolts on the sliding sleeve that is between the muffler input side and the cat. You must loosen both bolts and slide the clamp towards the cat. There are three nuts on the muffler that hold it to the engine bracket. Take them off and the muffler will slide down and out toward the front of the car. I find it easier to take the wheel off to get more clearance some folks do it with the wheel in place. YMMV Pic of muffler to see the three mounting studs, these mufflers are getting the Fister stage 1 PSE hack it has been refined since then. http://www.fdmotorsports.net/index_files/Page732.htm

i would take C4CRNA's advise and take the car to a mechanic to have the sump plate gasket installed and replaced properly, and to have the soark plugs replaced. everyone screws up at some point.

Too bad you didn't come here first Mike before your began this exercise. But everything is a learning experience so don't stress out too much about it. You didn't say why your removing the wheels? Make sure you use the pin in the tool bag when putting the rims back on - it makes life so much easier. The plug change isn't necessarily hard on a 996 but there are a few issues to be aware of. Use a spray on bolt remover the day before you intend to remove the plates (2) that cover the plugs. There are two small bolts that because of their location tend to get more corrosion on them from water and road salt. Check the maintenance logs of the car to see when the last time the coils were changed - over 100k or 6 years and you may as well do them as insurance. When you get them exposed <if not high mileage> - check for cracks on top and on the sides or general appearance. Depending on mileage of your car - they may be original. It may be a good time to change them all. Inspect the tubes and O rings while your there. They are tricky to remove <you'll need a home made tool to jam inside/expand to pop them out> and you may crack one getting them out as the plastic is bridle after a lot of mileage so the cost for the tubes and O rings is dirt cheap so maybe just go whole hog and do the coils, tubes, O rings and plugs. Getting the passenger side plugs out is easier then drivers side - the worst being front drivers side. Some people remove one header but I just bought the proper tools and only skinned my knuckles twice... <grin> Be very careful of the little allen head screws that hold the coil packs on. It's easy to 'round' the hex. Don't use a slow stead movement to unscrew them - give them a tap with a hammer to seat the allen tool and quick 'snap' of your wrist to free them. Use a socket wrench with the allen key - never use those little allen keys - you'll regret it... Make sure you have a deep enough socket for the plugs - make sure it's fully seated before you begin to remove the plugs - leverage is your friend. <hint> Buy your self a sidewinder wrench and articulated socket extensions help around the header pipes. You'll need a torque wrench when you replace the new plugs <make sure you know how to use one first> and buy a plug socket that holds the plugs when removing or replacing them. Some buy magnetic some buy a friction fit rubber lined. Your choice. Take your time. Come across a plug that just won't come out? Don't panic and don't force it. Put the rest in and then drive over to an indy and have him remove it rather then you snapping off an insulator or cross treading the cly boss. Always screw the plugs in with your fingers on the end of the socket extension - backing out and screwing them back in making sure they thread in smoothly. Never use the socket wrench to thread the plugs in. And one 'click' only on the torque wrench! No anti seize on the plug threads but a small <I mean small> dab on the seating area of the inside edge of the plug mating surface. <Not anywhere near the threads> Good luck.

Mike, You have to admit that was just too good an entertainment! Yes I've done a couple of doozies in my car hobby DIY career too, but never quite as good as this one though. So, regardless what you plan to do to repair the oil pan gasket, before you proceed further, do you have a wrench to loosen the oil cartridge housing? The housing is reusable but is made of plastic and needs either a proper cdn$50 metal socket to securely fit over the housing to loosen, or a strap style oil filter wrench which can be bought from Canadian Tire, I used the strap wrench last fall without any issue. As well, the socket for the bolts would be in "mm" and not "cm" size, else it would one BMF bolt! Finally, you are a LONG way from the AOS replacement, only Porsche can manage to make (essentially) a PCV valve requiring several hours to change when other cars typically require only a few minutes.

I saw this this afternoon before the responses started. I have a TT so I know it is different, but I figured something wasn't quite right. To the OP... think of this as a great learning opportunity. You f'd up. Those are the best lessons. I've f'd up plenty of car stuff in my day. Find a good indy in your area and have the car towed to him. Let him fix it, but show you the right way to do the basic maintenance on your car. I enjoy the DIY stuff, but also know the limits and abilities of me and my tools. Good luck and don't let the ribbing get to you. Lot's of good info on this site and you are now smarter on your car than you were this morning.

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Big +1 To the OP, at first I thought you were joking. Now that I see you weren't, call a tow truck and take it to your favorite independent shop.

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Modifying a beetle to the ****s.... That's crazier than this thread and almost anything else that I know of.

To the OP - Look for debris in the oil pan! Report back with pictures if you find anything!

Did anyone mention to the OP he needs to reseal that oil pan... just tightening those oil pan screws won't help/keep the oil pan from leaking. Course we haven't seen him since yesterday...

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With this attitude, I hope you have more money than brains.

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It was a joke, i think there is couple generation gaps on this forum, which is cool, I miss some of the stuff my younger friends say too. Yes got all the oil out, cleaned the plate and resealed with ford/gm approved gasket oil sealer. Poured some cheap oil in. All good so far. In march I will do a real oil change with filter before i start it up with Mobil 1 syntehic oil. Off to spark plug change and all the other mods I have planned for winter, after the spark plugs I get into my expertise area (electronics) so don't forsee too many problems. I started this thread as kinda a joke, It was one of those Dooh moments I had by not paying attention to the youtube video and not noticing there could be two plates. I thought it was a funny story and decided to post it with little drama, too bad some of you took it way to seriously. I don't feel elite in any way because I own a porshce, it's a regular car there is nothing to it, specially the ones I owned. Some people seem way over protective I guess, and I undestand your point of view. I have no problems making mistakes that might cost me lots of money in the end, its the journey that counts for me. Thanks for all the sincere help from some people, I did reseal the plate right away before dust cold get to it, and then today I cleaned it as quickly as I could and put it back on. Will see results of this in march.

Glad to see all is Ok..... Let us know the outcome of your new endeavour (Sparkplugs and others)....I hope it goes smoothly.....

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Really?

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Hate to break it to you Canucklehead but Mobil 1 *is* the cheap stuff. You did put synthetic in right ? (normally it wouldn't be necessary to ask but in this case ) You don't have to feel like an elite to own and operate a Porsche...but you can't treat it like a Toyota Corolla either. Well, you can of course, just not for very long.

Not to pile on because I'm a newbie but you're either brave or stupid. This forum is very helpful with info when asked properly. I don't know why but I think this post was done to generate responses and amuse you. If not. Good luck!

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That's the way I felt about some of it. The cheap oil comment, the comment that it's just a regular car there's nothing to it, etc. Why come to an enthusiasts website if that's the case?

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I think I am little of both, otherwise I would not be doing this my self. Amuse everyone and myself, keep the traffic to this site, I am sure there are bunch of people who go on here every few hours hoping for a new thread (I am one), so I thought I would share and create some traffic for the owners. Whats a forum without new threads. And I usually only share the bed stories, as good one are not as funny (unlike that guy with his TT spoiler). I have got a lot of good advice before and there was a number of good post on here too that helped me little bit. After the couple first post I went back to my storage unit and closed off the gasket. Cheap oil was cheaper than that, and not synthetic, I am dumping it anyways so didn't want to waste good oil. It just an engine, it means s*** all too me that is a Porsche engine. Its made of the same parts as a Honda or Toyota engine, a lot of the Porsche stuff you are paying for the brand, I know I did. Yes I realize to some Mobil 1 Syntehic is a **** oil, I would not put that in my 10 year old huynadi because its so ****. 1% problem . Thank god we are so lucky that we can make statements like that. If there is unexpected problems with sparks or other stuff I will be sure to post, and will wait for possible oil leaking in march. Hope not.

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Another elisit porsche owner I can only assume. Who are you to judge my level of love for the brand or my enthusiasm?

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I commented on oil comment in the message before, I am happy for you that you played your life cards good enough to be able to make such comments. I am not there yet but few more years of hard work I can start making simmiliar comments. Not sure how old you are but in the early 90's there was the big "ricer movement" in Ontario. There were more honda's and toyotas on the roads that were better taken care off than 90% of porsches out there. I been in a porsche market in the last 4 months, I seen one 2002 where the owner didn't realize he was driving a convertible 1.5 year after buying the car. The car needed as much as it was worth to make it road worthy. The car has been on autotrader.com for the last 6 months. It was a sad day for me.

Hardly. You bring up elitist a lot. I think you are projecting your own issues.

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Mikey.. this is all good advice. I almost fell from my computer chair when I was reading your posting. I can even see the drain plug on your photo behind and to the right of your dripping oil. and behind that you will find the oil filter BUT... please get help before even jacking up the car. You will cripple yourself or cripple the car my friend. Leave everything as it is and get a handy car guy to help you. Forget about the plugs BTW. Forget about loosening the wheel as well in case you kick the car off the jacks. After reading your posting and putting it as simply as I can. Under any stretch of the imagination. You seem to be an unlikely candidate of becoming a handy DIY person so do yourself and any future owners of your Porsche, a big favor and have all work done professionally. Thats harsh but had to be said.

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Yes Mikey now that the oil pan is down, check specifically for bits of black plastic or silver metal bits that didnt get caught by the oil filter. Let us know either way what you did or didn't find in the bottom of the pan. You may want to stretch a panty hose across a bucket and tip in the rest of the oil from the pan into the bucket then check the hosing for debris. Chin up my friend, it's not the end of the world. (well not until the end of this year lol) Rock on Mikey you put a smile on my face today.

You know what a panty hose looks like don't you Mikey??? Its the bottom part of the underwear.. The one at the top is the bra hehe.

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Statements of a troll.

Mike, Thanks for making my few minutes on Rennlist tonight a hoot! I literally laughed out loud as I read through all the posts. I saw a sense of urgency in all those posts telling you to button it up and have it towed and fixed right. I was hoping you'd tackle it yourself, which you did. I can read between the lines of your posts and probably see what others have not. I have confidence that you can do anything you want on this car. Keep going with the DIY projects.

Perhaps an IMS Retrofit should be the next DIY. Please post pics.

It would be helpful if you would please post the car's VIN, engine serial number, and tranny serial number.

Yes, a troll, showing what he thinks is humor. I'm guessing he of the age of the " Jackass " generation. Grow up, son.

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Atta boy Mike. Come out swinging. Good luck with your car. BTW, what colour is it? Looks like Mirage (same as mine). Cheers

Too late to check for debris, he put the pan back on already. And Mikey, you don't have to worry about dust getting into the engine unless you live in a metal shop. I can't imagine the mess this must have made. Any pics of that? In the future you will discover this is the easiest car in existance to do an oil and filter change.

"It was a joke, i think there is couple generation gaps on this forum" I guess you never heard the story about "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and also think it's funny to yell "Fire" in a crowded theater. Very sad.

Hey guys, Pick on him all you want. I want to learn how to back one onto those ramps like that.

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I think you might have missed my point a bit. I'm 46 and a regular guy, not rich or anything. When I was your age I was stupid too. Less so now is all. Dino oil will evetually is wreck your engine is all I was saying. Don't get me wrong, I would love to learn what happens after 50 K kilometetres, and I don't think that's your plan, but there is a line where one begins to *abuse* equipment and if you aren't crossing it then you've certainly got your toe right up to it. But whatev...make sure you put those spark plugs in as tight as you can eh? Just torque the f*ck out of them.

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Yes do that Mikey just in case your car comes on the market for sale. Then I can avoid it like I would the plague lol.

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I'm not sure how choosing to read or follow a thread can be a waste of *our* time. After all, no one is compelled to read this or any other post. And while I can't speak for any one else, I've learned far more from making mistakes than I have from getting it right the first time. I say 'go for it' and let me know what I can do to help.