mgordon18

Call the dealer. Ask them when the last change was done. If the car is CPO'd then they probably did a change right before you got it (or nearly so), so you'd not be due for another change just yet. If not CPO, then who knows? Ask your selling dealer. If the dealer can't give you a straight answer, you might want to do the change now and start fresh.

If you're adding instead of changing, ask them what type of oil they put in - probably Mobil 1, 0W40.

When to do an oil change is a topic of much discussion. There are those who do it once a year, or every 5000 miles, or every 3000 miles, or every month, or every 6 months, or whenever The Moon is in the 7th house with Mercury rising.* Don't start with this board on that - you'll never know what to do. My advice on this would be to find someone - ONE person - you trust and ask him.

*It's fun to think of more! ...
- Whenever Tom Cruise is on the Tonight Show
- Whenever his wife gets her nails done
- Whenever a black cat crosses his path
- Whenever a Russian Soyuz rocket launches
- Whenever they get an erection
- Whenever they see a rainbow
- Whenever they fart
- Whenever a new season of Downton Abbey begins
- Whenever they have to buy more toilet paper
- Whenever their kid hits a homer in little league
- Whenever a pitcher pitches a no-hitter
- Whenever Rory McIlroy wins a tournament
- Whenever a Katy Perry song goes to #1
- Whenever they get a new girlfriend

Arctic Wolf

The car is cpo, but I doubt they would remember what type of oil to put since they forgot to smog the car before the sale. I'm thinking to just start fresh with an oil change at the local dealer here, that way there's no guess work. I would imagine that, they would change the oil filter at the same time? Also I intent to go to a track day in 3 weeks and possibly once every couple months so what should I do for those? Thanks everyone for all the advice so far.

mgordon18

You do what you like, of course. It's your car. But you probably don't need an oil change after 1200 miles since a CPO purchase. And I'd also bet that if you called, they'll be able to tell you the oil type they used. The service rep will probably know the type off the top of his head, since that type will have been used on every 997 they service. It'll be Mobil 1, 0W40. And yes, they would have changed the filter too, as would every change.

But it sounds like you want an oil change, so go for it. It definitely won't hurt. Downton Abbey is starting again soon...

sjfehr

For $25, Blackstone will tell you all you need to know about your oil's condition (plus a lot about the engine's condition) and the oil change interval. They can probably tell just by the numbers what brand and weight it is. I send in a sample after every oil change.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/gas-engine.php

Mike in CA

Mike, how do you figure that? Each segment is .4 of a quart and the OP is down 2 segments. I agree it's better to be a little low than overfilled, and the OP may not be doing any harm, but he is almost a quart low according to his gauge. FWIW, I've found my gauge to be quite accurate in terms of how much oil to add if read under the proper conditions.

mgordon18

Where should the gauge read if the owner had the "exact" right amount of oil? The manual is not specific in this regard at all. It simply says when the level is at the higher arrow (i.e. one bar from the tippy top) "under no circumstances" add oil. Other than that, it's pretty noncommittal.

Mike in CA

I'm sure there will be a range of ideas about this. My opinion is that the engine should have a full sump to work with, especially if the car is driven and cornered hard, whether on the road or on track. That means having the oil at the level of the higher arrow shown in the manual and display, or the second line from the "tippy top" as you described it, ie the "full" mark.

When cars had dipsticks, being half way between the upper and lower marks usually meant you were about 1/2 a quart low. I think most gear heads would have added a half a quart at that point and not waited until the oil was at the bottom mark. With our digital gauges, being down 1 bar means you are down .4 of a quart, and adding a small amount at a time to bring the level to the top without overfilling is similarly appropriate. Being down 2 or 3 bars, it's definitely time to add. Why would someone want their Porsche to run with 10-15% less oil than it's engine was designed to hold? My $0.02.

jhbrennan

See picture in Post #1 - full is top line (not top bar).

dasams

This is not always correct as some dealers do not change the oil unless it is due. I bought my CPO last month and the next day, the service light came on. The car had been on the seller's floor for three months so even getting a car nine months into a cycle was not enough to get an oil change. The selling dealer made good and paid for my local dealer to do the $299 oil change. dave

Edgy01

Just change your oil. What's $60 worth of oil to you? You're down about a half a quart. That's nothing. I go through a half quart in 500 miles. Just look at your mileage since your last OC. If you have logged about 6,000 miles or so go ahead and change the oil, and the filter.

Macster

Yes, if you overfill the engine with oil the segment/bar above the max line is filled in. The problem is the oil level sensor is not intended to report the amount the level is above the max line just that the level is over the max level.

Unless, and I hope this doesn't sound mean, but unless you are a real klutz there's no reason you would overfill the engine with oil. From the owners manual read up on what the divisions represent in terms of volume and then add less than the amount the level is low. Say it is low 1 quart add a half to 3/4ths quart. Remember the oil level goes up when the engine is up to temp so if you check the oil level cold it will be lower than it will be if you check the level with the engine hot.

cvtbenhogan

Thanks Macster.

drummin4fun

Macster is right on the mark. Given the statement above, I was about to ask if you are doing the check with the engine all the way up to operating temperature. Checking it at different temps will produce the results you mention above.

USMC_DS1

Be patient with the oil fill. After you get 8 quarts in there... wait 30mins, check the oil level, then fill .4 quarts, wait 30mins, then check the level again, and repeat as needed until you achieve the level desired. It seems that many shops will rush the oil change and not allow the system to drain completely. Allow the oil to drain for a complete hour you'll be surprised to see oil pouring out in volume as late as 45mins into the drain process. Then you have to take the time to fill it up properly and wait for the oil to settle to get a proper reading... junior/inexperienced mechs, who typically get assigned to perform the "simple oil change", are prone to refill/pour oil in until the gauge starts reading higher w/o waiting the 30mins for the oil to settle. We have seen several reports from other forum members with over filled oil readings after an oil change at the p-dealer or Indy as a result. GL and have fun with it.

Arctic Wolf

Engine oil temperature is at 200 degrees and is checked after a good long drive. Got home today and it gave me this reading instead.