mjsupp09

Hello all,

Today I changed the oil on my new-to-me 996. Additionally, I decided to change the air filter and drive belt. After filling the car back up with 8.5-9q of oil, I checked the electronic level (the dipstick read over full) and it read two or three bars under full line. I plugged up the durametric and was getting ready to drive off to let the oil disperse, check my camshaft deviation values, and top it off with oil tonight.

Before I was able to leave, I noticed after about a minute (and a half) of running that the oil pressure light was on and the oil pressure gauge read sub-1 bar. I freaked out and immediately shut the car off. I checked to see if the oil filter, which looked good and scoured the forums -- didn't see a similar problem. I decided it must have been a fluke, so I tried to re-start the vehicle. Start up showed the gauge still at sub-1 bar and the oil pressure light on. This start sounded much rougher.

Thinking back through the oil change, I wondered what I could have possibly done to leave my car with no oil pressure. The only weird thing I can thing of is the oil filter hand-spun on about half the way and hung up, so I had to finish the rest of the 10 or so revolutions with a wrench. I started to thing that maybe I couldn't build oil pressure because I cross-threaded the oil filter, or messed up something on the oil filter. It's the only odd variable.

I went ahead and drained the oil and re-checked the oil filter, which when broken, spun off by hand perfectly. The oil filter looked good to go, with the oil bypass mechanism well-seated in the oil filter. I'm going to let the oil sit for awhile and see if there are any insights on these awesome forums. Thanks in advance!

Mark I

Do you have a spin-on filter adapter or the stock plastic housing/cartridge type?

rogazilla

if this is the stock oil filter, there is a plastic oring make sure it is at the correct place as well.

MikeinBloomfield

I'd say the other odd variable is the dipstick reading overfull when you only added 8.5-9 qts of oil. In my 996.1, 9 quarts gets me right in the middle of the dipstick, which I have found always more accurate than the electronic reader. That doesn't explain why your oil pressure should be low, but on flat ground that dipstick reading is way off.

sasilverbullet

I would buy another filter and change it.

wildbilly32

Ten or so revolutions sounds a lot more than what I remember from the past as a total turns on the plastic oil filter holder!! I use a spin on filter now so maybe my memory is faulty, but...? So when you installed the filter cartridge did you slip it on the tube until it seated then screwed on the can? I heard reports that these filters can crush, but you said it looked ok,,,right? Was there oil in the filter can when you removed it after the no oil pressure problem?

wildbilly32

^^^This...

Flat6 Innovations

It'll be interesting to see what filter is being used. I have a good idea.

Radman73

As a prospective owner, guess I'll tag along and find out lol!

4Driver4

"the oil filter hand-spun on about half the way and hung up, so I had to finish the rest of the 10 or so revolutions with a wrench"

This scares the crap out of me.

Flat6 Innovations

I'd not be surprised if a "little plastic part" was put in the wrong side of the filter when it was re- installed... That is IF it was a stock cartridge style filter, and not a spin on.
I've seen people do that before... Thats why the filter canister had to be turned with a wrench so many times, because the assembly was reassembled backward, and the "plastic part" contacted the oil inlet too soon.

This is the only thing that makes sense to me..

4Driver4

10 turns sounds like a lot, no? Maybe 10 turns is 10 "twists" or partial turns...like 10 quarter turns.
10 revolutions sounds like about 6 or 7 too many.

Flat6 Innovations

Yeah, but if the filter inlet has a plastic valve shoved inside it, you'll struggle to even get the first thread of the canister started... Then you'll have to work hard to thread the canister on.
I have seen someone do this, and kill his engine. This is just a guess, as we've seen it a few times, and this is the only thing that makes sense, that he could have done to require such a tightening task, AND low oil pressure.

mjsupp09

Much appreciated gentlemen for the input. Ultimately figured out my issue (<<< noob).

The oil bypass valve came out with the old filter and not the canister. I got the direction wrong when I put it back in, which is why the oil filter/canister threaded half-way by hand without issue, and required a wrench to turn the rest. Pulled the new filter out last night to reverse the direction and noticed the filter tear. So, for that last half-way of threading I was destroying the filter.

If anyone is doing a first-time oil change and you happen to have the bypass valve separate from the canister, make sure you either seat it in the bottom of the canister, or (what I had to do), press it into the bottom of the filter, press the filter on to the car, and finally finish by threading the canister on.

After I finished this process, I restarted the car this morning and after about 2 seconds of running with no pressure/oil pressure warning light on, the pressure bounced immediately up to 4+ bar and the warning light went out.

ETA: I did get a new filter to replace the torn one.

Flat6 Innovations

So... the “plastic part” did get you..
What that scenario does is shut off the oil exiting the filter, going into the engine.

This one has gotten a lot of people. Looks like I need to do an oil change video for Rennvision.