993,951,944

Recently I checked my C4S oil level and discovered tiny
golden colored metal sparkles on the oil level dip-stick.
I though the worse thing was happening -my engine is
starting to grind away....I couldn't sleep that night.
I scheduled for an oil change and upon draining the oil,
no metal filings could be found. My mechanic said the
oil looked very clean. He though I was being too critical.
I sampled some of the 6,500 mile old oil and examined it
under a microscope -still nothing visible. The next day I
checked the oil level and the tiny gold metallic particles
were back -how could this happen with fresh oil?
I examined the particles under a microscope and determined
they did not respond to magnetic fields.
This indicated they were not iron.

Suspecting that the oil dip-stick was causing the particles,
I tried one more test by siphoning oil through a 1/8th inch
hollow plastic hose though the oil dip stick tube. This oil sample
showed no particles. I then checked oil from my 944 and 951.
(944 parked two weeks) and discovered the same type of
metal particles. Knowing that metal particles don't float,
I siphoned more oil samples - no metal particles.

I called my mechanic and he indicated the dip-stick tube
has a bronze inner wall near the end of the plastic tubing.
I called my other mechanic; he indicated the particles are caused
by the abrasive end of the dip-stick grinding against the bronze tubing.
He said this phenomena had nearly mislead him into making an
engine tear down and that many mechanics will make errors in engine
diagnostics as a result. I realize how close I came to having
an expensive mis-diagnostic and that many P-car owners have paid
for an engine rebuild as a result of the dip-stick metal filings.

Feeling relieved, I resolved to conclude this
event with rewarding myself by ordering
Robin's RSR mufflers...

Lance 4c

I did the same thing. I kept wiping it on a paper towel and thought, how much metal must be in this oil for so much to show up on stick. I thoutht that the stick was magnatized. Upon my first diy oil change, like you, noticed no metal in oil.

P.S. It must be a Washington State thing.
Lance

Mark in Baltimore

With all of the money you saved on not doing an engine tear down, you should spring for new wheels and a PSS-9/RS sway bar suspension.

That'll teach you next time.

Jeff 993TT

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mark in Baltimore:
<strong>With all of the money you saved on not doing an engine tear down, you should spring for new wheels and a PSS-9/RS sway bar suspension.

That'll teach you next time.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Nice logic.

chris walrod

I too noticed the same thing on the dip stick (I almost said on my dipstick) while checking the oil level. I was wondering why particles would collect on the dipstick? I guess this answers that worry.

Thanks!

grouchy

Here is a theory:

The brass pieces are lighter than the oil so they float on the top. When you lift out the stick, the surface of the oil has a tendency to stick and pull up the pieces along with it.

Now someone with some brass shavings want to test this?