jla3317

This is for a FL car which I brought to winter in Wisconsin. Previous owner had always used Mobil 1 15W-50. Had to add about 1 quart (1/2 quart at a time) over 1800 miles or so once I bought the car. Wanted to change the oil and small oil filter as cold weather approached. The St. Paul, MN, Porsche dealer told me they would only use Mobil 0W-40, "European Car Formula." I decided to follow that advice although that particular flavor was a little hard to find. The dealer changed the oil and filter for me at 36K miles. The odo now is over 38K and I have not added any engine oil since the new oil was put in! I have used the oil level guage and the dip stick to check periodically. Seems to be holding steady at the initial fill level. I did a forum search and did not find any threads on this Mobil 1 synthetic. I guess the cooler temperatures here might have an effect but I have tried to drive at least one or two days a week up to and exceeding 100 miles per trip. It seems odd to me that I have not had to add any oil given prior experience and the owner's manual recommendation. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Robert Henriksen

I can't believe the search engine didn't score many hits on '0w-40' - but I tried it, and sure enough only a few threads!

So I can't give you the Search **** flame

Given the climate in Wisconsin, I'd go ahead w. the 0w-40. See:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...highlight=0w40

Torags

The Pepper has this oil. I hadn't heard of it until a few months ago and I didn't pay attention to my changes in the 99C2. the good news is that it gets to the heads faster. The bad news is if you have a leak, it probably will leak more.

European vs US synthetic. Europe has a better definition of synthetic oil, than the US. US definitions allow Castrol to label a dino oil as synthetic when it fondles a few molecules. Mobil is considering the same fondling for their US product, because its cheaper to make.

BobbyB

I've used 0W-40 in my Boxster for 2 yrs without problems and have just started using it in my C4S. The lower viscosity is designed to perform in colder areas.

protokultur

15W-50 is pretty high viscosity for a Wisc. car, so I would definitely go with 0W or 5W Mobil 1. There isn't going to be much of a difference, in your climate, between 0W-30 Mobil 1 from Wal-Mart and 0W-40 from the Por$che dealer. Did the previous owner have the oil loss too? It could merely be due to burn-off when you start the car in cold weather.

amfp

I agree with your dealer, 0-40W is the way to go in your area, and all year round. I've been using 0-40W for about 2 years, and no longer get brief lifter tap when car sits for over two weeks. BTW, I think Porsche is now recommending 0-40W for 993's.

jla3317

Mo, you are right. Dealer service department says that Porsche now only recommends use of 0W-40 for all seasons in the 993. However, might be different for warmer southern and southwestern U.S. climates where there is less of a four-season swing in temps. Even though it has gotten very cold here recently, no oil problems that I am aware of. But I am still surprised I have not had to put in a little here and there. I have now driven over 2200 miles without having to add. Based on the FL owner's experience with 15W-50 and the owners manual notice that you should expect to burn some oil every 600+ miles or so, it seems normal that you would have to add some once in a while as the miles roll on. On the other hand, I believe that Mobil 1 0W-40 "European Car Formula" is fairly new on the scene, maybe even within the past year. Obviously, I am not complaining. Just wondered if others might have experienced similar results. BTW, ECF was not particularly expensive nor did I have to buy from the dealer. But there are only two stores located near me which I know of that stock ECF and there is not a high demand so the stock has usually been marginal when I stopped by. I decided to order a couple of cases for future use so I don't have to search next time. One of the places that stocks is Wal-Mart. I appreciate all of your responses.

amfp

JLA, I am finding more and more places carrying 0-40W and that now includes Autozone. I think Park Motors in Dallas has a very competitive price and they ship to directly.

I burn about one quart per oil change with is about 2,500 - 3,000 miles. Car is not tracked, or in very hot desert type weather. 2,000 does seem high, so you may just want to make sure it is being check on level ground with dipstick and engine hot. I would not rely on the oil gauge. I also believe it is much better to be a half or quart low, than worry about slightly overfilling ot the top and having it overfill and cause a mess. Do ask how I know.

Different school of thoughts out oil weight that was discussed in previous forums if still achieved. My thought if car is not tracked in above yellow run ground, and not in desert type heat, 0-40W is best suited.

Robert Henriksen

The 'quart every 600 miles' is the lower limit of what's acceptable. At that level of oil consumption, you start budgeting for some engine work in your near-to-mid term.

Lots of people around here go 2-3000 miles between quarts.