Oil Quantity During Oil Change

I just changed my oil and filter DIY on my MKII. According to the owner's manual, the oil capacity is about 8.7 QT with oil filter change. After changing the oil and running the engine for a minute to get it in the oil filter, the oil dipstick was at the low end. Anyway I added oil to bring up to dead center of the stick but it took about 9 QT total; perhaps even a tad more. Is this what everyone is experiencing or is it due to low volume in the Mobil 1 5-QT container?

Your cold oil is clinging on to the internals of the engine hence low oil level. Best is to drive the car to fully warm up the engine then check the oil level thenext morning. That will give the most consistent level.

Spent eons researching this. Originally the fill was 8.7 qt, but porsche updated this to 9.25 quart after a few years.

Thanks guys. Ahsai, I'll check tomorrow after my drive today. But I just checked again after hours of sitting and it's still the same. Dgjks6 thanks! Good to know.

My '03 uses about 9L with filter change so I think you should be fine.

I just changed my oil last week and the same thing...I was geez when I saw how low it was, but yeah...the next day after driving it, the dipstick showed it was fine.

Better for the engine to be a tad low on oil than too high. No more than half way on dip stick should be fine. I wouldn't go any higher. Better (if you did put too much in by mistake), to remove filter, pour a bit out and try again after restart and shut off.

Quotes source post: 11473853

unless running a DE. Then you risk starvation. Not a good thing. All the way to the top mark is best. 2002 Turbo - Basalt Black Metallic / 2003 Carrera 4S - Speed Yellow / 1955 356 Continental 1500 - Rust Red

It amazes me how oil obsessed porsche owners are, me included. Something about oil in blood. Anyway porsche tsb 2/99 1701 says 9.25 quarts with filter and 20 in drain. My car reads different all the time. dash gauge on cold start up in morning 1 or 2 blocks beow full, cold dipstick amost to full warm oil check in car - 3-4 bars below full -car siitng for a few hours but still warm oil level after fuel fill just just at lowet mark

dgjks6.........what you explain is all normal.

Taken from "PORSCHE 996 The Essential Companion" by Adrian Streather-- "During the early manufacture of the M96/01 engine starting w/ s/n 66X11006, & M96/02 engines from 68X05168, , a modified crankcase, bearing housing and bearing shells were introduced to increase internal oil capacity by .5 liters/qts " I'd consider that a major effort requiring a major need as I have read elsewhere in these forums feedback from those close to the original 996 design hinting the 996 design lacked sufficient oil capacity. My position---- The dipstick and its important function is designed into any vehicle to be utilized intelligently . Mine shows full on my 996 & in our 5 other vehicles & I keep it that way plus being 75, I don't hammer my street rods or track the 996, however in my youth, ---not as conservative Bob 01 C4 31 Ford cp chp & ch, 302/350 40 ******, 302/350, IFS 38 Ford cp, 327/350, IFS 57 Belair 62 356B --long ago

My 99 C2 130,200 miles - oil drain and fill I use 10 U.S. quarts of oil plus a little bit more and it comes out just at the full mark on the dipstick, engine warmed up. I pull the drain plug and let it drip for 30 minutes or more. I have the LN filter adapter and use a spin on oil filter so I think that increases my capacity a little bit. I always keep the oil level on the full mark on the dipstick. I consider the dash oil level gauge a reminder to actually check the level with the dipstick, but with all it's various readings (cold, hot, after fueling, etc.) it is in my opinion a best guess scenario. Also, be careful of the units expressed here...9 Liters is 9.51022 U.S. Quarts...0.5 liters is 0.53 U.S. quarts and 10 U.S. quarts is 9.5 liters. My owners manual says the difference between the low and high mark on the dipstick is 1.5 liters/1.6 quarts if that is any help.

So just to come back to the group, after driving the car for a day and letting it sit, the oil is now touching the upper mark of the dipstick which was originally in the middle position immediately after the oil change. Needless to say, this is OK and I'm not going to worry about it. Lesson learned though: After oil change, when adding oil stop at the bottom line of the stick and after a proper engine warm up you should be smack in the middle of the dipstick. Then, if necessary add just a little.