Mike in CA

According to the manual for your 997.2 each segment of the oil level display is approximately .42 of a quart. From the bottom mark to the top mark (the marks defined by the little line and arrow) is approximately 1.3 quarts, again according to the manual. If you were at the bottom mark and added 1 quart it is highly unlikely that you overfilled the sump. I certainly don't see why anyone would advise you to attempt to drain oil from the car.

Moreover, you wrote that the oil level is now at the top mark. Is the engine oil level light on? If the sump was overfilled the light would be on, just as it would be if the oil level is too low. According to info I received at a recent Porsche dealer's service clinic, the 997.2 oil warning light will come on even if the sump is overfilled by a few ounces. If your light isn't on, and if you really only added only one quart from the bottom line, you have nothing to worry about.

In general, I don't see what all the fuss is about the oil level display. As long as the car is on level ground, and you understand what the display is telling you from even a cursory reading of the owners manual, you get very accurate results; certainly more precise than you would get from a dipstick.

Airrik

I second that
Airrik

echere88

Thanks Mike. That what I read from the manual, and that why I go ahead and put 1 qt in there. I still a bit concern. Next time I definitely will add 0.5 qt at a time, which also stated in the manual.

Also, can any one confirm waht Mike said about warning light - "If the sump was overfilled the light would be on, just as it would be if the oil level is too low. According to info I received at a recent Porsche dealer's service clinic, the 997.2 oil warning light will come even if the sump is overfilled even by a few ounces". I did not have any oil level light come on.

Thanks everyone's input.

RollingArt

OUCH!

You were making all good points up 'till this comment. When you look at a dipstick there is no "interpreting" the reading. It is what it is. Period.

I think anyone who knows their way around either system would prefer a manual dipstick for more consistent and unquestionable results. I have heard of several crankcases being overfilled due to malfunctioning electronic dipsticks. Pretty tough to get a bad reading the old fashion way.



Phil

Mike in CA

I'll grant you that if the oil level gauge is malfunctioning you could have a problem whereas the dipstick can't "malfunction". And maybe I over-stepped when I said the gauge was more precise. That said, a properly funtioning level gauge will tell you everything a dipstick will. I've found mine to be very accurate. Aside from that, I doubt it's cheaper to use electronics to measure the oil level than it is to include a tube and thin strip of metal. There must be a design or other practical reason why Porsche engineered the system the way that they did.

I'm not against dipsticks or think the level gauge is better. It's just that I keep hearing how people have questions about the level gauge, how it works, what the segments mean etc etc and it just seems pretty straightforward to me.

TooSixy

Here's a screenshot from the 997.2 User's Manual in regards to the oil level. From what it says, I think you're OK for now.

LlBr

When there's an empty bar showing on the display I measure out and add exactly 400 ml.

Then I wait a few minutes before rechecking oil indicator. If that bar is filled up, I'm done. If the bar is still empty, I measure out and add exactly 200 ml to see what happens.

The point is to creep up on the thing and gather intelligence so you can tell what's going on.

Gone are the "dipstick days" of just dumping some oil into the engine and expecting things to work out. AFAIK, and I've tried, there's no direct way of sucking excess oil out - like thru a dipstick hole.

USELESS:

RonnieTheC

I have a new 2009 997.2. My check oil level light came on at 2200 miles, and my oil level was below the bottom arrow and flashing. I added 2 quarts and then checked it several times. I was still one bar, or at least .42 quarts down.