rway

Thanks mate!

All good i'll take it on the chin. now fingers crossed its the bloody oil and nothing else

I'll get the oil checked and put in for a service. Then should be right for a bit!!

As mentioned before appreciate the help massively and i've got to learn

Projekt EPiK

I'm just wondering how hot it got sitting in the garage running? How long was it running before it got hot? Were there any weird sounds coming from the engine bay? 4.5 bar oil pressure isn't bad at first start up, at idle once the engine is warm and the oil thins out it will drop. Did you see any fluids under the car? what was the "hot smell"? Coolant has a sickening sweet smell when it burns.. could be as simple as the coolant recovery tank cap leaking onto the headers.. or if there is thicker blue smoke coming out, it could mean the AOS (Air Oil Separator) needs replaced..

so many questions.. hang in there

DBJoe996

Ummm...you do know that when you turn the ignition key to ON there is an oil level gauge on the instrument cluster that shows you the engine oil level? Not always dead on accurate, but it does show you the oil level prior to starting the engine. Always best to confirm it with the dipstick. Open engine lid, pull dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert and pull it again. It really is fundamentally easy to check. The oil level on the dipstick should at least be between the low and high marks on the dipstick. Visually check the coolant level in the expansion tank as well. This procedure should be done at least once a month, but a weekly check is even better. Good way to get to know your car.

Projekt EPiK

Make sure the car is on level ground when you use the dash oil level gauge. My driveway is just a slight incline and it scared me, showing only 1 line on the gauge..on level ground it was full.

Splitting Atoms

Some cars, such as a new GTI, can be driven 10k kilometers (or miles) without ever checking the oil, not that I recommend doing that. Your 996 is not one of them. I check the oil level on the dipstick every 500 miles or so, just for the piece of mind. You may get early warning of an AOS (air oil separator) issue or a leak before it becomes a threat to your engine.

I agree with the other posters that 4.5 bar on the oil pressure gauge shortly after startup is normal. If you really are experiencing an overheating issue, it is probably not related to a low oil level. Hopefully your shop can properly diagnose what's going on. I suggest you watch some YouTube videos on Porsche 996 maintenance. You can learn a lot.

rway

So checked the oil level and was basically non-existent

So i'll fill her up at the weekend on level ground using either the 0W-40 or the 5W-40 oil.

Everything else seemed good, so i'll come back at the weekend and let everyone know.

Splitting Atoms

Let us know how many quarts it took to fill it up. My 1999 held about 9.5 quarts before I installed the deep sump kit. DO NOT overfill. If you do fill it above the top line on the dipstick, crack the drain plug and let out the appropriate amount out to get it below. Torque the drain plug to about 19 ft-lbs when you tighten it.

An oil level that is too high can challenge your AOS, resulting in oil carrying over into the intake plenum.

There are a bunch of oil threads. Most owners use 5W40, from what I have read. I currently have 5W40 in mine.

docmirror

The M96 is water and oil cooled. I'm not sure but think it would be possible to overheat due to a very low oil condition which still shows sufficient pressure. However, I have not tested this! lolz....

wildbilly32

Specifically, when was the oil change done prior to this issue? By whom i.e.: you or a garage? Since this time you have not checked the oil either by the electronic gauge or the dipstick? Are you now saying there is ZERO oil on the dipstick when on a level surface after the car has sat overnight? Why do you think the car overheated? Were there any lights on your dash when the incident occurred? Is the cooling water up near full level with car off? Does it look like radiator water or something else?

Guys depending on SPECIFIC answers to these types of questions wouldn't it mean something serious occurred that removed a significant amount of oil from the engine? Or is this all just a little...?