TMH

O.K., so I am new to Porsche ownership having had my 964 for less than a year. I know how and when to check my oil, but I have a great deal of difficulty in reading the level on the dipstick. Changing oil at the recommended frequencies means that it is always pretty clean, which contributes to the difficulty in reading the dipstick level. I have read posts all over about oil additives, and it seems like the general consensus is to not use additives - They are not necessary and may have some detrimental effects.

However has anyone ever pursued looking at an oil colorant to improve dipstick readibility? What might be safe for use in our engines, but would give that little extra bit of contrast on the dipstick for accurate oil level readings?

Please be gentle on me... Remember, new guy.

Tom

Adrian

Dear Tom,
The easy answer to this is no. Oils are full of additives. I have never had any problems with reading the dipstick to be quite honest. It is a pain sometimes I agree.
Adding foreign additives to oil can cause some unusual things to happen.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

PS: Maybe you are checking your oil too much. You have many indications inside to advise you of the basic level of your oil. Too much checking of the oil can lead to overfilling and damaging the dipstick gasket which causes an air leak and engine running problems.

Johnny G Pipe

Welcome Tom. We're all gentle folk on the 964 forum, you know.
Yes! This is a pain in the bum. Do other cars using fully synth have the same problem, or is it 'cos of the needle-thin 8 mile long 911 dipstick?

I actually rely more on my in-car gauge, which is Not A Good Thing, I know. I wouldn't want to trust any oil additive unless it had been tested for at least 10 years! Perhaps someone should try spraying the dipstick white? No responsibilty accepted of course.

TMH

Thanks guys. Maybe I do check it too often as Adrian points out, and I do value his wisdom and contributions to this and other 964 boards. I am just not used to oil level gauges, and I have not had the car long enough to know its oil consumption rate (I do have some of the 100k+ mile leaks, but not bad according to my wrench).

The thing that concerns me the most is the low reading of the oil level gauge when the motor is cold (almost doesn't read at all). I always feel better when the engine warms up, as then I get some pretty 'normal' gauge level readings. Is this routine in a 964?

Also, I have heard something about a paper towel trick, where I guess you place the dipstick on a clean paper towel and can better see the level of the stain the oil leaves on the towel. Or... any other suggestions? I feel pretty lame for feeling that I cannot read a dipstick properly. But I know the potential results of oil levels which are too low or too high, and I don't want to take any chances while I get to understand my specific car's personality.

Thanks again,
Tom

Ruairidh

Tom

Off topic, but I gotta ask - whats a 1966 Crown Fire Engine?

TMH

Why, it is the vehicle my dog Sparky likes to ride on (see avatar)!

Crown Coach Corporation started off as a builder of buggies and wagons around the turn of the century in the Los Angeles area. They were later known for the buses they built, especially school buses. From about 1954-1985 they also built fire engines - The Crown Firecoach. These were highly regarded by the West coast U.S. fire agencies, especially the Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County Fire Departments. I grew up in Los Angeles, and lived for a while across the street from an LAFD captain. He used to let me come down to the station with him in the early-to-mid 1960's and play on the fire engines. This was the start of my fire engine collection sickness... but it keeps me off the streets and things are a lot easier to get at then on a Porsche!

Tom

TMH

Sorry, I had tried to attach a pic... Notice the Crown logo on the front.

Tom

Ruairidh

You just may have the best toy of any of us. That is so cool. Most of us had models (often Corgi models) of US fire engines- not the real thing. Fantastic, just fantastic!

TMH

And the real ones support much better waterfights than the models... Lots of fun.

Tom

John Boggiano

That is a nice looking vehicle - that thing has so much character!

P.S. Thanks, Ruairidh - several times I almost asked Tom that very question, but never quite got to it.

TMH

Yup, it has plenty of character on its own, and even more so when I am driving down the road with Sparky up top. We stop traffic without using the reds or the siren. We've even had people drive alongside us shooting video (its amazing how many people seem to carry their videocams everywhere)

And I can even accurately read the oil level on its dipstick!

Tom

Ruairidh

I want one!

Adrian

Dear Tom,
Dry sumped engines where the oil is stored externally in an oil tank can only be read accurately by anything, dipstick or indication system when the oil is circulating and at operating temperature. This is because the dry sumped engine requires more oil than a wet sumped engine and it must be distributed throughout the engine properly before you attempt to see how much oil you have.
What you are actually checking is how much oil is remaining in the oil tank after the oil is distributed into the engine and cooling systems. The biggest problem with Porsches is the oil paranoia leading to overfilling and in the case of the 911 the lack of understanding of the dry sumped engine concept. Oil is also used for component cooling purposes as well as component lubrication. The oil level indicator is quite accurate. Ful scale deflection is approximately one litre. If the needle never moves out of the red you are down about a litre. You still have many litres to go. Not that I recommend it but I can assure you the 964 engine can operate on 6 to 8 litres without blowing up.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

TMH

Thanks Adrian,

Your response makes me feel more confident that I won't do something too stupid with my motor, and pay the big price. I'll start checking the dipstick based on changes I see in the oil level gauge. And as I get to know my car's specific quirks better, I should be O.K.

Thanks again,
Tom

Christer

Tom, FWIW I only rely on my oil level gauge when warm etc. - I don't bother with the dipstick at all except to check it is properly in place every few weeks.

As Adrian says, the gauge is pretty accurate and in any case it is better in most circumstances to have less oil than more because if the car is overfilled then you will have problems. Inversely, if the car has even 2 litres less than nominal all that will happen is that the car will run a little hotter possibly. Or do you not trust your temp gauge either?

Relax....