Oil Consumption Issues... Am I in Trouble?
02-27-2012, 04:31 PM
#16
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I was going to say the same thing about being overfilled. Full is the top of the dipstic curve as you correctly pointed out and will show around 50% on the guage, maybe a little higher. I've gone about 2000 mi since my last change and I'm still around the same spot, with 95k on the clock.
02-27-2012, 04:39 PM
#17
Race Director
Thanks Bill, I have been following those procedures. The only thing I'm confused on is how far to fill it? Are you saying half way up the twist is the full mark?
When my oil is reading half way up the twist my oil gauge in the car will be in the red (with engine up to temp and on a level surface). Does my gauge need to be recalibrated?
When my oil is reading half way up the twist my oil gauge in the car will be in the red (with engine up to temp and on a level surface). Does my gauge need to be recalibrated?
IIRC the twisted section represents 1.5L from bottom to top and IIRC the manual says not to add until it gets to the bottom (I think Porsche has a very good reason for that).
As for the oil gauge, learn to live without it, use the dipstick. I have "adjusted" mine at the tank pickup to reflect the oil level the car is happy at (and even then I rely on the dipstick).
02-27-2012, 04:43 PM
#18
King of Cool
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Have you tried leaving your oil level at 2/3rds full on the stick and not refilling all the way when it gets low?
From what i've read, some people experienced rapid burnoff when the stick showed full, but it tapered almost completely when they didn't fill it up so much.
Catalytic converters do a very good at masking all but the worst smoking.
Your valve guides probably are worn, but try not filling up the oil all the way and see what happens.
From what i've read, some people experienced rapid burnoff when the stick showed full, but it tapered almost completely when they didn't fill it up so much.
Catalytic converters do a very good at masking all but the worst smoking.
Your valve guides probably are worn, but try not filling up the oil all the way and see what happens.
Also if you seem some seepage on the engine, that can just get blown away without any drips on the floor.
I'd start with not filling more than 2/3rd and see what happens, then replace the lower gaskets and see where you're at that point.
02-27-2012, 06:57 PM
#19
Rennlist Member
What weight oil are you using?
I went to a 0-40 per my indy's recommendation from a 15-50 after 15 years in my 95 and it actually use less oil now....which is a bit weird as the 0-40 is actually "thinner".................
I went to a 0-40 per my indy's recommendation from a 15-50 after 15 years in my 95 and it actually use less oil now....which is a bit weird as the 0-40 is actually "thinner".................
02-27-2012, 07:27 PM
#20
Rennlist Member
Assuming the oil isn't being sucked into the intake due to being overfilled and that there are no external oil leaks, what purpose do those "valve stem seals" (item 8) serve when everyone is taking about valve guides as being the cause of the oil consumption?
02-27-2012, 07:38 PM
#21
Rennlist Member
With 11.5 liters of oil in the engine and oil tank, being down a liter isn't going to make the slightest difference.
02-27-2012, 08:00 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the biggest cost of a top end job is "while you're in there disease". When I bought my TT the seller was paying for the top end job (at 23,000 miles because of one bad valve guide) and I queried the TT forum as to what I should replace while all was apart. $6,500 worth of parts later (parts that had not failed mind you) I have a great car. The top end job was about $8,000 with heads done by Steve Weiner. I don't regret spending a penny. If nothing else a top end job will remove some paranoia from your life.....Chris
02-27-2012, 08:35 PM
#23
Rennlist Member
My car is overfilled when the gauge is at the 11 o'clock position as the top photo. A proper fill, in the middle of the twisties on the stick, looks like the lower photo.
02-27-2012, 09:35 PM
#24
Nordschleife Master
From what I see in that dipstick photo you're overfilling your oil to begin with. From that spot I'm surprised it didn't take less than 380 mi to burn that off. I only fill mine up to the 1/2 way point in the twist, any higher than that it will burn off.
Make sure of a few things when you check your oil level
1) engine is running (these are not American wet sump engines)
2) engine is warm to hot (temp gauge is at least the 8:00 position)
3) car is parked on level ground/concrete
4) dipstick is fully inserted after wiping it off and check it 2 or 3 times to be sure
5) don't add oil until it gets lower than the twist or at least at the very, very bottom of the twist.
Most of these instructions are in the owners manual.
Make sure of a few things when you check your oil level
1) engine is running (these are not American wet sump engines)
2) engine is warm to hot (temp gauge is at least the 8:00 position)
3) car is parked on level ground/concrete
4) dipstick is fully inserted after wiping it off and check it 2 or 3 times to be sure
5) don't add oil until it gets lower than the twist or at least at the very, very bottom of the twist.
Most of these instructions are in the owners manual.
02-28-2012, 07:03 AM
#26
Rennlist Member
I noticed my 95' carrera was consuming oil so I started monitoring it.
After 380 miles it has consumed a little over half a quart. I'm praying it's not the valve guides... The car does not smoke at all. I even had a friend follow me while I did the acceleration test (6000 to 2000rpm and then flooring it) and again, no smoke.
What do you guys think? Could it be something else? I know I have a slight gasket leak on the timing chain cover but I don't think it is significant. No oil on the garage floor or anything.
My car has 65,000 miles on it.
After 380 miles it has consumed a little over half a quart. I'm praying it's not the valve guides... The car does not smoke at all. I even had a friend follow me while I did the acceleration test (6000 to 2000rpm and then flooring it) and again, no smoke.
What do you guys think? Could it be something else? I know I have a slight gasket leak on the timing chain cover but I don't think it is significant. No oil on the garage floor or anything.
My car has 65,000 miles on it.
02-28-2012, 08:05 AM
#27
Pro
I'm at over 70K miles now and the oil consumption is barely measurable. I top it off once or twice in the whole season typically driving around 5K miles.
I keep the oil gauge at barely above red at idle. I used to fill in more but noticed oil seepage by the lower vacuum diaphragm on the intake manifold flap. This means the engine is sucking the excessive oil through the intake and deposits it on the lowest point, right by the flapper.
I do have a puff of smoke every so often during start up, sometimes quite heavy blue smoke that the GF doesn't stand behind the car anymore when it's parked in the garage. I also had a friend follow me when driving really hard through the Austrian Alps and he mentioned that sometimes blue smoke would come out the left tail pipe during long high rpm ascends w/o using the gas pedal. The motor has full compression and runs great, with a Steve Weiner chip and RS LWF clutch etc.
I don't know what to make of it but I learned to live with the occasional blue and figured I'll do a full porting job with cam if the heads need to be lifted. So I don't care if it gets worse. With all the abuse I give it, it hasn't failed to satisfy me yet.
Ed
I keep the oil gauge at barely above red at idle. I used to fill in more but noticed oil seepage by the lower vacuum diaphragm on the intake manifold flap. This means the engine is sucking the excessive oil through the intake and deposits it on the lowest point, right by the flapper.
I do have a puff of smoke every so often during start up, sometimes quite heavy blue smoke that the GF doesn't stand behind the car anymore when it's parked in the garage. I also had a friend follow me when driving really hard through the Austrian Alps and he mentioned that sometimes blue smoke would come out the left tail pipe during long high rpm ascends w/o using the gas pedal. The motor has full compression and runs great, with a Steve Weiner chip and RS LWF clutch etc.
I don't know what to make of it but I learned to live with the occasional blue and figured I'll do a full porting job with cam if the heads need to be lifted. So I don't care if it gets worse. With all the abuse I give it, it hasn't failed to satisfy me yet.
Ed
02-28-2012, 08:11 AM
#28
Rennlist Member
Bill and Mark are right. My car always burns off oil when its freshly filled to the top of the stick (i.e. after a service). Once the needle gets to the point in your lower picture it then takes a long time to burn further oil. Theres 14 litres of oil in there IIRC and less than 1 lire from top to bottom of that gauge dial (which incidently anyone mechanically conversant with these air cooled engines will tell you is almost a waste of time to read - use the dipstick only). You could loos 3+ litres of oil and still run that engine without damage assuming you werent on the race track or dyno!
02-28-2012, 10:16 AM
#29
Race Director
not for me its not. My gauge works great, certainly not a waste of time. In fact, I haven't looked at my dipstick in 2 years.
02-28-2012, 10:27 AM
#30
Rennlist Member
Haven't used my car's dipstick for over 15 years.........rely on the gauge and it has been fine......change oil every year or 5K now.....used to change at 3K until 2 years ago......I heat the car up and keep running until cooling fan turns on which I hear under the front fender and then check oil level gauge needle to see if it is at 3 o'clock and corresponds with temp gauge at 9 o'clock......once it hits the red range on the bottom of the gauge, I add half a quart or so.......I am down a quart every 1,000 miles or so and that is the consumption since the beginning.....car manual says that is about normal........