Digital oil level indicator

Is there any way to access the oil level indicator at any time other than when refueling?

Anytime you stop, kill the engine, turn the key to "on" position and wait 4 minutes....anywhere you want as long as it's on level ground. (which gas station pads usually are)!

Cool, thanks! Damn...why 4 minutes though? Does everyone feel that the gauge is accurate?

I think it's 4 minutes...the readout will tell you. As long as I'm out of the car I check with the stick as well. Habit, I guess coming from the older useless oil level gauge.. Need to be on level ground, though

Of course!

If your car sat all night in the garage, turn the key to just before the start position and it only takes about 4 seconds to get the readout. Turbos do not have a dipstick, from what I understand, they must rely on the readout.

The engine has to be at operating temperature for the digital read out to work. That's why you can't check it in the morning and also why you have to wait a couple of minutes for the oil to flow back into the pan.

Hmmm, okay thanks!

Actually, my digital read out works fine when the engine is cold. Does the manual say you should only check the oil when the engine is hot? Cheers, Uwe

Mine gives me a 1 hour countdown if the engine is hot on the readout. The only time I can check it is if the car hasn't been started for a little while.

Checked mine after I got home tonight. It gave me a 10 second countdown and then registered the oil level. It also works regardless of the oil temp. Got in it today to come home (had not driven it since going to work) and checked it. So it seems either way works. The difference between the two levels was one bar....YMMV!

The owners manual says that the level should be measured at operating temp, and that the measurement time varies based on temp.

Yep, the difference comes from the different thermal expansion coefficients of aluminium and oil, e.g. when the engine gets hot the oil pan expands and so does the oil. Unfortunately, the oil expands at a faster rate than the pan, so your oil level goes up. Also, the amount of gas dissolved in the oil changes with temperature. As Mark pointed out, apparently you are supposed to check the oil level at operating temperature. In that case, I find it surprising that the gauge even gives you a read out when the engine is cold. Cheers Uwe

That's right. Turbos have no dip stick

If you are supposed to check the oil at operating temperature, howcome the car gives me a 1 hour countdown on the oil check display after running the car for a while and then turning it off and immediately switching to the on ignition spot to check the oil?

Because it's broken

Are you sure about that cause it does that on both of our 996's?

I take it back...cause it happened to me to. If you switch the car off and then imediatley switch the ignition on again it will say one hour...but if you wait 5 min before switching it on again it will count down anywhere from 60 seconds to 10 seconds.

For me. I pulled in to my garage, shut the car off and waited about 10 seconds. Turned the key to the "ON" position and the counter said 10 seconds.

Ah okay, that makes sense now. I'm definately a little shocked though that after 2200 miles on the C2 it is telling me that its near the upper limit for oil. I haven't seen a drop on the ground, but I was just suprised that during break-in it didn't burn any real quantifiable amount of oil. The temps are also hovering relatively close to 180 (at the highest between the 8 and the 0 in 90+ degree weather).