RacinToday

Greetings. Just did a search on this and did not find precise answer so...
Is it normal, or OK, for the needle on the oil gauge to be fairly steady in the red when driving down the highway at 3,200 rpms?
The dipstick says oil level is perfect. And the gauge rises well into the white when car is idling.
The manual said the movements of the needle are irrelevant when the car is being driven but, boy, I would hate to make a mistake on oil level.

mojo747

I don't think that is irregular. It rattles me too, but once warm and at idle, it should come up.

Rocket Rob

No worries. That's normal. The oil level in the oil tank will vary depending on rpm, attitude of the car (hilly areas vs flat) and acceleration forces.

Indycam

Don't look at the gauge when you are rolling .
When you are stopped at a red light , look at the gauge and see if you have lost any oil since the last red light oil check .

911Jetta

Checking the oil level at every stop light... you called me out on that one! Sometimes I forget to check the level for a couple miles... of course I add a quart when I get home...

You have to have a sense of humor with these crazy cars!

RacinToday

Thanks, guys. Was not real worried as the dipstick showed there was the right amount of oil. I have a lot to learn about these cars and it's great to have a support group.

Duck

My wife always forgets that the guage means nothing while driving and until the engine is warm. She also gets nervous when the oil pressure light comes on at idle occasionally. I just have got used to it. They also have a lot of oil in them. If they were down 1/2-1 quart, could it really hurt the car?

Kahdmus

My oil level sender is bust and I have been using the dipstick recently...I actually find the dipstick in the 964 really hard to get an accurate reading from so your doing better than I am!

Indycam

Being down 1/2-1 quart is nothing .

2 quarts in the cooler ,
2 in the case ,
1 in the oil filter ,
1 in the hoses ,
6 or 5 1/2 or 5 in the oil tank ?

frankvan

I also find that the dash gauge can be inconsistent between different cars.
Mine won't show a level until the engine is completely warm but with the thermostat closed plus it will drop as soon as the revs climb above idle. I can also tell the moment the stat opens as the level drops almost instantly on the gauge. Mine also seems very sensitive in the upper half of the scale - half a liter more will take it to the top of the gauge.
A friend's 964 oil gauge will show a level as soon as the engine is slightly warm and doesn't change when his t-stat opens (unless his stat is broken and doesn't open). He'll also show a level, albeit lower, up to about 2500 rpm.

newsboy

Before adding oil, you should also remember, that your oil level gauge will show a bit higher when the oil temperature is high, as opposed to a very cold day, when it may be lower.

92silver964

I have found from experience that if the gauge needle stays elevated while driving (e.g., to where it should be at warm idle) then the oil level is too high - it's overfilled. Curious if anyone else has found that out. Only made that mistake once. Other than that occasion, my needle has always stayed pegged at the bottom of the gauge while driving.

John Boggiano

It does vary from car to car, but remember that even when it's off the bottom of the gauge or dipstick, there's still (almost certianly) a hell of a lot of oil in there - the gauge and dipstick are only showing the tip of the er... oilberg, so to speak. Overfilling is definitely the risk if you get too **** about it all.

Indycam

https://rennlist.com/forums/964-forum/503895-oil.html

BlueHeeler

Only Porsche would make a gauge that is effectively useless, unless the user understands the basics of air/oil cooled engines, thermostats, and showing zero oil and running in the red is just fine.