Greeting Everyone

My name is Gerard im from Durban,South Africa. The average temperatures here in Durban is 28 degrees Celsius or (82'F). I currently have a 2001 Porsche 996 Turbo with 56000km or 35000miles. I have read many threads about motor oils for Porsche 996 turbo but not many directly linked to hot climate. I currently have mobil 1 0w40 at the moment i have noticed that the oil gets eaten up quite quickly. If the engine is warm and the oil indicator says full and if i take the car for a drive down the coast and get back it would be 1-2 bars lower.Is that Normal? Please can i get your help with regards to me doing a oil change what oil should i use or should i just stick to the 0w40?

Thanks for your help
Gerard

 

Gerard: The only thing we love more than Turbo questions here in the non-Turbo forum is oil questions. You'd probably get more/better info from the guys in the 996 Turbo forum. That being said, there are several guys in this forum that also own Turbo models, so I'm sure someone will post a more helpful response than this one.
Congrats on your first post, by the way! Don't be a stranger.

 

0 is better for cold climates. I run 5w50 or a 5w40. The turbo does burn a little oil.

 

Well, I have to point out that with around 35K miles on the engine the 0w-40 oil must be doing something right. It doesn't take long for an inadequate oil to make itself known.

If you want extra protection given the ambient temperatures where you live and drive switch to Mobil 1 5w-50 oil. Note this is not a typo for 15w-50 oil.

The 5w-50 oil is an approved oil, and obviously brings with it a higher high temperature viscosity grade.

I recently switched both my Boxster and my Turbo over to 5w-50 oil as a recognition where I live and drive temperatures do not get that low (rarely below freezing and then not for more than a few hours at most and during a time when I'm not driving the car) but can get quite high, over 100 degs F. and can remain there for hours during which time I can be in one of my cars and driving in traffic. I have monitored the Boxtster engine coolant temperature under these conditions and the coolant temperature can be 226F. God only knows what the oil temperature is. I have not monitored the Turbo's coolant temperature but I'm sure it stays lower -- the Turbo has better engine cooling -- but the oil pressure reading nominally at around 1.7 bar drops to 1.5 bar at hot idle. This suggests the oil is quite warm, but not scary warm.

As for the change in oil level the usual explanation for a drop in oil level after an extended drive is the extended drive with the engine at full operating temperature over this time resulted in the boiling off of water in the oil which has reduced its volume.

(Do not dismiss this build of water in the oil: As I have mentioned before it was the presence of 7% water in my Boxster's factory fill oil -- the UOA done with around 4K miles on the oil -- that prompted me to adopt a 5K mile oil/filter service schedule rather than sticking to the factory's 15K mile oil, 30K mile filter, service schedule. The engine I think liked this 5K mile schedule for now with over 287K miles the engine is still just fine.)

If the extended drive was preceded by a number of short trips, short drives, the loss of oil volume due to the removal of water from the oil becomes the more likely explanation.

Also, depending upon how you drove the car, the drop in oil level might be due to oil consumption. This does not have be past the rings, or past the valve guide seals, or even past the turbo seals. Those are possibilities, but so to is the AOS. The AOS may not be that efficient in removing oil vapor from the crankcase fumes and thus some oil makes it through the AOS and is routed to the intake and on into the engine where it is burned.

Switch to Mobil 1 5w-50 and relax.

 

Jake Raby has posted much info about oils and UOA's. I would at least read all his info about the subject before you trash an engine with the over rated over priced Mobil 1 0w thin as murky water sell out oil.

This is absolute nonsense for anyone with any engine knowledge.

 

Run either:

Mobil 5W50 or
Mobil Turbo Diesel 5W40

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First thing said i really appreciate the help. KC i was wondering where all the 996 turbo posts went..i will also repost in the 996 turbo forum. Macster you have really empowered me with knowledge with regards to my car with what you have said will the 5w50 when warm give the same protection as 0w40?

 

Better.

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Understand, that 15K/30K mile oil/filter schedule wasn't my idea, but was in the owners manual. Now I often state the owners manual is not the best source for proper care and feeding of these cars but I had no knowledge of any other oil/filter service schedule. The info I received from the dealer's service department confirmed that was the schedule for that car, at least then. Now I have my own schedule.

And the Boxster was my first car spec'd to use synthetic oil and I subscribed to the well often touted claim about synthetic oils able to manage with longer change intervals. Previous vehicles I owned used mineral oil and had a much shorter change interval which I of course followed. In defense of the synthetic oil it was not the oil per se that required a change before the 15K mile point, but the build up of water in the oil.

The results of that early (lucky for me I think) UOA was invaluable. The build up of water in the oil was an eye opener. It encouraged me to monitor engine coolant temperature during my day to day driving and it was from this I observed just how cold blooded these engines are.

 

What LexVan said: Better.

If you feel the 0w-40 is a bit too "thin" for the driving conditions where you are and want to run a "thicker" oil 5w-50 is it. It is an approved oil, and to me that counts for something, and it has a higher high temperature viscosity and that's a plus in regions where high ambient temperatures are encountered.

 

Thanks so much for your help Macster. i will definitely give the mobil 1 5w50 a try out. Would you recommend using liqui moly ceratec as a oil additive with the mobil 1 5w50?

 

^don't use oil additives. None are Porsche approved, either. Use a quality oil. Change often (5,000 miles).

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I run 5w40 at the insistence of my mechanic - and my weather (Southern California) isn't so different from yours...however, I don't have a turbo and am ignorant of any turbo-specific requirements.

 

Every oil thread posted should have a redirect to JR's website and a pop-up for JG DT40.