rodtds

NEW OWNER., I noticed today that after up to full operating temp, my gauge for reservoir is just above red to inside red. Only 80degs here today and car ran perfect temp about 8pm on master gauge. highest would have been 9pm in traffic. Oil pressure is reading high. How much oil do I need to put in? I assume this is critical? 1 QT? Then where to deposit this oil that is needed. thanks in advance!!!

jimq

only read the oil guage when you are parked on a flat surface with the car fully warmed up and at idle for at least 30-45 seconds. It should be in the red when driving and move up only when at idle. DONT OVER FILL!!!

TR6

+1 to what jimq said. In addition to waiting until the car is at full warmed temperature and letting it sit for a couple of minutes on a level surface, I advise only adding perhaps 1/4 of a quart at a time and give it a minute to register fully on the gauge between each pour. Not a whole quart at once. Many people have made the mistake of overfilling.

rodtds

Thanks, currently it is in the red at idle and driving under full operating temp. Should I dump that quarter of a quart into the main oil or is there a reserve oil area??

User 040621

Hello....you're getting great advice here - and I'm jumping in ONLY because I've been down this path before....and ended up with some grey hairs as well as siphoning out the excess. Thanks to the folks on this forum, I was able to get it sorted out. Greg H's comments are right on - only add small amounts each time. Slow down & don't make extra work for yourself..... Verify everything before you start pouring: normal operating temp, level surface, read the dipstick, looks at the guages. Use a clean funnel to add oil to the tank, RH side inside engine compartment - should be a "screw on" yellow cap.

rodtds

It is why I came here first and got my info, so I DFU. Car had GTX 20/50 at the PPI and oil change. I will add about a quarter first through a funnel in oil entry point. My garage is basically flat but has a slight nose down tilt. You cant see it but I can tell from my gas gauge for example. thanks for the help.

JasonAndreas

You want your oil temperature to be a least this high before you put in more.

jimq

Jason you need to check your oil pressure. Looks a bit low

aeroman

andrew911

and his gauge needs a freshening at North Hollywood VDO repair- looks like Goldmember from the Austin Powers film

JasonAndreas

That photoshopped gauge photo is a couple of years old. Some of the other gauges were even worse... I actually made separation masks in Adobe Illustrator so that I could silk screen new gauge faces but never went through with printing onto the old plastic gauge face. And just ended up fixing the gauges with an exacto knife. I suppose I should take some new photos with the actual level and pressure.

HockeyDoc8

I just purchased a 1990 964 C4 and was asking myself the same question. When the car is idling on a level surface (with warmed oil) the oil level gauge in horizontal. When I drive, the needle dips down into the red and stays there. Now let me get this straight -- this is normal? I read the manual and it does say the gauge is inaccurate during driving and movements of the needle "are of no significance". A visual dipstick oil check shows the oil level halfway between the 2 notches on the dipstick. I assume all is OK?

jimq

thats normal

rodtds

OK! I slowly added 1/2 quart after I got to full temp with 40 mile errand I had to do. came home and put in a quarter of oil at a time. at 1/2 quart, I got the reservoir oil gauge to match the 8pm reading on Master Oil Gauge. I let it idle for about 3-5 mins to corfirm reading. It held steady at below half way and then went to red on accel. All is well!

andrew911

Your gauge is working perfectly! You have the oil half way between the min and max on the dipstick, thus halfway on the gauge! Proper way to check the oil level with the gauge or dipstick is level car, ideling for 30+ seconds, fully warmed up. The gauge is irrelevant at anything other than this scenario.

By the way, pretty much everyone recommends keeping it as close to the center as possible- i.e. , don't bother filling up to "full" at idle/warm/level, as there's a good chance the car isn't fully wamred, and the oil level will go over the max on some hot day. Keep it between (like your car currently is) and your a-OK!