Oil level in 3.4 S Cayman Gen 1 (2007) - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Just a quickie question....if the oil level indicator has one 'notch' used then how much oil should it be topped up with? Am off on a Eurohoon tomorrow and realised that I need a quick top up but really don't want to overfill as I believe that this would be bad. Thanks for any help chaps. Johnniem

Personally i'd leave it alone - as you said, overfilling is bad - and the "dipstick" isn't all that accurate. If it drops a few bars then i'd put some in - I believe the Porsche recommendation is 500ml, but i'd personally go in 200ml steps.

Thanks esuuv. Is that 500mm to fill it from the bottom of the indicator or 500mm per 'notch' on the indicator?

I'm reasonably sure that each bar represents about 0.4 litre. If you are only one bar down I wouldn't worry about it.

Each segment is 400ml. Id put 300ml in if I was you. Gives you reassurance your not overfilling it.

The oil level is ok and does not require topping up before you leave -- though bring a bottle or two of the right oil with you on your trip -- and might be actually full if you checked the oil cold. Hot the oil expands and its level can go up one bar sometimes two depending up how cold it gets. On a long trip I check the oil level after every gasoline tank fill up. The engine is up to temperature. The car is fairly level. It sits long enough during the fueling operation that when I get back in the car the countdown timer starts at 5 seconds and I know the oil level reading will be consistent and accurately reflect the hot oil level in the engine. If the level is down enough to add then I have a good place to add the oil.

Rockster said: The oil level is ok and does not require topping up before you leave -- though bring a bottle or two of the right oil with you on your trip -- and might be actually full if you checked the oil cold. Hot the oil expands and its level can go up one bar sometimes two depending up how cold it gets. On a long trip I check the oil level after every gasoline tank fill up. The engine is up to temperature. The car is fairly level. It sits long enough during the fueling operation that when I get back in the car the countdown timer starts at 5 seconds and I know the oil level reading will be consistent and accurately reflect the hot oil level in the engine. If the level is down enough to add then I have a good place to add the oil. Sorry, but that's total rubbish. Checking the oil when the engine is cold is the most accurate way. Check it just like it says in the manual. Take a bottle or two with you? If its using that much oil don't bother going.

anonymous said: [redacted] The issue is the risk of overfilling. It's at times like this a simple dipstick would be remarkably helpful.

abby030976 said: Rockster said: The oil level is ok and does not require topping up before you leave -- though bring a bottle or two of the right oil with you on your trip -- and might be actually full if you checked the oil cold. Hot the oil expands and its level can go up one bar sometimes two depending up how cold it gets. On a long trip I check the oil level after every gasoline tank fill up. The engine is up to temperature. The car is fairly level. It sits long enough during the fueling operation that when I get back in the car the countdown timer starts at 5 seconds and I know the oil level reading will be consistent and accurately reflect the hot oil level in the engine. If the level is down enough to add then I have a good place to add the oil. Sorry, but that's total rubbish. Checking the oil when the engine is cold is the most accurate way. Check it just like it says in the manual. Take a bottle or two with you? If its using that much oil don't bother going. Think that is a bit harsh, many modern new cars now with no dipstick will not even let you check the oil level until the engine is warm!!

griffter said: anonymous said: [redacted] The issue is the risk of overfilling. It's at times like this a simple dipstick would be remarkably helpful. What exactly do you believe the risk involved is in overfilling? I often top mine up over the max when I'm going on track to help reduce oil surge with no apparent problems.

I have a 986S and the oil level check is, I think, part of the on-board computer option that mine has. Parking on only a slight upward slope can result in 2 segments not being lit on the oil check, so it's good to have the dipstick as as well.

abby030976 said: Sorry, but that's total rubbish. Checking the oil when the engine is cold is the most accurate way. Check it just like it says in the manual. Take a bottle or two with you? If its using that much oil don't bother going. Well, it is not rubbish. In some cars one can't check the oil other than hot. For instance in a Turbo. Not only does the oil have to be hot the engine has to be running. In my Boxster I can check the oil cold or hot. Cold the level is one more often 2 bars lower than when I check the oil with the car in the same spot with the oil up to temperature. To avoid overfilling the engine the cold level should be a bar or two down from max line so that when the engine is hot and the oil is hot the level is not too high. Hot the level can be at the max line. I doubt the OP will need two bottles of oil. Chances are he'll not need one. ('course there will be a time when going to top up the oil he drops a bottle and spills it. Then that 2nd bottle will come in handy.) Really, though unless the OP's exceptionally clumsy I was just being overly cautious. What I do more often than I like to admit is with just one bottle of oil I use up one bottle and then drive the car and then the oil level needs topping up again but I'm caught without any oil. 'course, what I do with two bottles is I use up one, then the other, and then I'm caught short. I could I guess fill the trunk with oil and still run out. Not the that engine uses much oil but I drive a lot and since the engine doesn't use much oil it is not at the forefront of my mind to keep tabs on the oil.

[quote] There is no risk. Put a little in. Leave for 30 secs for the oil to drain down. Check level. As long as you don't start the engine, you can check as many times as you want and right away. I said, once you've done it a few times, you'll get a feel for how much needs to go in per bar. That said, I agree I'd rather have a dipstick, too, and I'd also rather the digilevel was split into more segments. It's just three for the 987, think it's five or six on 986s (plus you get a dipstick on early 986s, too). But as above, it could be worse, I think the current models require hot oil to check level. So if you're worried the level might be low you have to warm the thing up with low oil level to verify - how dumb is that! Then there's the fake coolant temp gauge that prevents you from knowing what the engine temps are doing. So stupid! [/quote] Sorry, I had my Gen II in mind, which requires the engine to be running. As you say, dumb. The risk of overfilling, as I understand it, is increased oil pressure and burning off the excess. I used to overfill my Griffith's v8 before going on track, but a wet sump v8 (with inherent low oil pressure) is a rather different animal than a dry sump flat 6, for which I'd rather keep the oil around max and check often. A dipstick is easy and intuitive to understand and calibrate to the oil you pour in. A sensor based system requires that the sensor, gauge etc are accurate and working and (to me at least) overcomplicate a simple process. I have experienced the oil level being a whole notch different between two measurements just having let the car idle a few minutes. I assume the reason for the system is the dry sump, but it seems to be more of guide than a measure to me.

griffter said: I assume the reason for the system is the dry sump, but it seems to be more of guide than a measure to me. Cayman/Boxster are wet sump.

Well, you learn something every day! No excuse not to have a dipstick then!!

Rockster said: Well, it is not rubbish. In some cars one can't check the oil other than hot. For instance in a Turbo. Not only does the oil have to be hot the engine has to be running. In my Boxster I can check the oil cold or hot. Cold the level is one more often 2 bars lower than when I check the oil with the car in the same spot with the oil up to temperature. To avoid overfilling the engine the cold level should be a bar or two down from max line so that when the engine is hot and the oil is hot the level is not too high. Hot the level can be at the max line. I doubt the OP will need two bottles of oil. Chances are he'll not need one. ('course there will be a time when going to top up the oil he drops a bottle and spills it. Then that 2nd bottle will come in handy.) Really, though unless the OP's exceptionally clumsy I was just being overly cautious. What I do more often than I like to admit is with just one bottle of oil I use up one bottle and then drive the car and then the oil level needs topping up again but I'm caught without any oil. 'course, what I do with two bottles is I use up one, then the other, and then I'm caught short. I could I guess fill the trunk with oil and still run out. Not the that engine uses much oil but I drive a lot and since the engine doesn't use much oil it is not at the forefront of my mind to keep tabs on the oil. When Porsche change the oil for you they don't leave it a bar down, its topped up to the full mark. I haven't found it then expands beyond this when the car is used / hot.

Imo it doesn't expand when hot. It just hasn't all drained down and gives a falsely high reading. Check it when totally cold in the morning.

So it seems that, as with many other cars, there is a multitude of answers (depending on whether you agree with the hot or cold measure camps!). I am pleased to report that a) after the Eurohoon I can confirm the Gen 1 987 Cayman S is one awesome car and b) it takes around 250ml per notch on the gauge. This was my first Eurohoon with the Cayman, having driven a Chimaera for the last 7 years (another amazing car) and it is without doubt the most planted and forgiving car that I could ever concieve. I was all over the back of an Aston Martin V12 Vantage (not in a straight line of course!) and on the way home I happened across a section of unrestricted autobahn (lucky me!). 151 mph was achieved before application of the brakes due entirely to traffic. Steady as a rock and seemed to have plenty more left to play with. Just awesome. If you have never played on the twisties to test the car then I recommend you do so as soon as possible. Smiles per mile are also at a high level on the 987, it's not just for Tiv owners.

abby030976 said: When Porsche change the oil for you they don't leave it a bar down, its topped up to the full mark. I haven't found it then expands beyond this when the car is used / hot. No the oil is not topped up to the full mark. The engine is brought to the drain temperature and then the oil drained for the required amount of time. 20 minutes IIRC for the Boxster and maybe the same for the Turbo. The DFI engines have a 1 hour drain time. There is also an overnight drain interval. Then the tech adds however much oil is specified by Porsche for the engine. In cases where the engine has 2 drain intervals there are two amounts to be added. The oil dispensing nozzle has a read out in fractions of a liter. The engine is then started and run until the temperature is high enough then the engine is shut off, in the case of the Boxster. In the case of the Turbo the engine is idled long enough that the oil check is allowed to continue. In the case of the Boxster the engine is shut off and the level checked once the engine has remained off for enough time. At the time the read out occurs it must be at the max line. If not then the oil level sensor could be suspect.