Metal Shavings in the Oil
 

Whats up guys, Ive been having some problems lately. First I got a couple of cylinder misfires, and P1346 error codes. Then when I went to get an oil change, they told me that they found some metal shavings in the oil and they are telling me that my motor will inevitably blow. They were unable to do diagnostics on the CELs since I cleared them and have to wait for the next cycle. What do you guys think? What are my options here? This is a real bummer.

Hard to say without knowing how much metal and whether ferrous or not. Got any pics of the filter?

I dont have pics of the filter since its still in the shop. They said it wasnt a lot, but the mechanic seems to think that I'll still eventually need an engine rebuild.

What year/model? Determine if the metal is indeed ferrous as noted above. Drop the oil pan and inspect what's accumulated in there as well.

You are going to have to be a more active participant in this process if you want any meaningful input from us, or to avoid getting screwed by a mechanic .

Request a kit from blackstone

I went through this with a 996. I assume you have a 997.1. Year would help.

Step 1 - find a Porsche specialist. Who knows the m96/97 inside out. May be more upfront but in the long run save you thousands.

From the amount of info it could be nothing to a don't start that car again.

That sucks. I agree on comments above. Doesn't sound like the mechanic has any bedside manner from the quotes above. They actually dont make sense. If the engine or IMS is facing an imminent implosion your oil will typically be full of glitter.

You need pictures of the debris and to drop the oil pan to see whats in there. I would recommend emailing those to Jake Raby to get his feedback. He's usually quick to respond.

I speak from experience. In my first oil change I found 4-5 "large" cylindrical metal shavings that scared the **** out of me. I brought it to a few mechanics who couldn't give me a definitive answer besides "doesn't look great". I emailed the pics to Jake and within 15 minutes he gave me a clear explanation of what they were and recommended I drop the pan to see if any more in there. He explained the shavings were left over from the original manufacturing process. They were drillings from the oil galleys that hadn't been properly washed out. He said typically debris like that would wash out in the break-in period but I must have had some granny's driving the car for the past 10 years. It took me a few months ripping through the back roads and autocrossing to knock them loose.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Sorry. I was in the middle of something, so I was unable to respond. I appreciate all the responses so far guys.

2007 C4S 52K miles. I am picking it up right now, and hopefully they didnt dump the oil yet so I can take pics. Not been on oil analyst.

I use a magnetic plug or a magnet band wrapped around my oil canister. I inspect my filter and any little "shavings" the magnets pick up every 5000 miles when I do my oil changes. Some times I take a magnet and run it through the oil pan with all the drained oil in it. Tiny, minuscule little shavings in very, very small amounts may show up over the years and in most cases, according to many Porsche techs, they are most likely "normal" wear. Like finding a few hair like shavings on the magnets or a few hair like shavings in the filter may be ok once in a while. Anything beyond that amount or bigger, and more noticeable metal shavings would raise a red flag for me in a hurry.

One of the reasons I like to do my own oil changes is to keep a very close eye on the life blood of our cars and any tell tale signs. If they still have the oil or oil filter definitely inspect carefully. Ask them to cut open the filter to open up the pleats for inspection. Some pics and more details would be helpful. hoping for the best :(

I got the oil filter. I will cut it open and take some pics later tonight and will keep you guys posted. Thanks a lot everyone!

tiny metal 'specs" in filter are usually seen and should not cause concern - larger chunks of metal or plastic in oil pan is cause for concern - if the shop had their sh_t together they should have taken photos of what was found in the oil pan.

I know, thats how I felt too. Im very disappointed at this shop right now. They weren't even gonna show me the filter if I didn't ask. They just told me about the metal shavings and started telling me that I will eventually need a rebuild. Like wtf? I assumed that they would know better and take pictures etc.

These guys sound like jokers or crooks. They're telling you your engine is imploding but yet haven't even cut open the filter or taken the pan off? Im at a loss...

This is what I would call a normal filter. 2-3 tiny metallic specs and 1 tiny brown spec from the chain guide. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...578a458918.jpg

This is not not a normal amount of filter debris :-)
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...455f01ff03.jpg

And in my case this is what I found last summer which turned out to be abnormally normal oil galley drillings from the original manufacturing process that just hadn't never washed out.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...3be172ba2f.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6fad61b5e2.jpg