Deansdream

I have an '06 C2S with an electronic oil level read out, and it's begun giving very quirky readings. Most recently, it read below minimum, and although I'd just had the oil changed and the reading was at the second highest bar, I added half a quart. That only brought it up to the first bar, so I added the rest of the quart. Now it's reading at the very highest bar. Not the 1st time it's given an inaccurately low reading.

Can you get a dipstick for a 997?

PHX 911

Some would agrue that 997's already have dipsticks...driving them

I've never heard of a manual dipstick being added.
From what I recall from my 06, readings wuld vary quite a bit if the car was the least bit unlevel. I would only take my readings sitting in the garage after driving it.

Macster

Likely you overfilled the engine now.

You won't like to hear this but my advice is to take the car back to where you had the oil service done and have the oil drained and drained properly -- probably over night -- and then the correct amount oil added to the engine.

At the dealer the oil dispensing guns measure the oil down to a very accurate level.

Now given the filter is not removed this amount will be a bit less than it would be otherwise but there should be an exact quantity stated.

Then the oil level is checked and the reading should agree with the amount of oil *known* to be in the engine.

By way of an example for one of my cars (the Turbo) the oil temp, the drain interval is given. After the draining the amount of oil to put into the engine is stated (7.8l in my car's case) and the oil level checked which in my car's case requires the engine be running and the oil hot enough to let the e-level system take a measurement.

The only acceptable reading is the oil level should be at the MAX line. Not above and not below.

MDClint

Was the car warmed up when you were taking the readings? I always do mine after a gas fill up when the engine is still hot and the readings seem to be consistent. I've done it while cold before and have gotten some inconsistent results. I believe the manual says to do it after the engine is warmed up. I have a '06 C2S also btw.

AWay

I'll echo what others have already said, the system is very sensitive to the level of the surface you're parking on. I also use my garage as my 'baseline' and the oil is always spot on while other locations can vary.

Hella-Buggin'

I have an 06 as well and generally won't add oil until I've taken the measurement more than once. It's a pretty touchy system and having the oil warmed up & the car level can influence the level. Even if I'm given the low oil warning, I'll only add 1/2 qrt and then re-check in a few minutes.

I usually try and fill up the tank at the end of a drive after everything is warmed up and I can check the oil level then.

Deansdream

Thanks for all the input. I am careful to check when the car is level, but not always when it's warm because you often have to wait quite awhile to get a reading after you've been driving. The odd thing is it did give the higher reading after sitting in the garage all night. And the erroneous low readings seem to have begun in the last couple of months. Maybe the car's just getting old - like its driver

MDClint

Yeah if you’re having obvious discrepancies when the car is warm there might be a problem with the sensor. I’m not familiar with how it reads the oil level.

And I have never seen a dipstick option for these cars. Though that would be nice if they had one. I don’t like trusting technology when it comes to something like that.

USMC_DS1

Best policy with these cars is to DIY the oil change. That way you can let it drain over night to ensure that most/all the oil is drained out... fairly certain the p-dealer did not do this. Then fill accordingly... that's the only way to know how much oil was placed back in. Guessing what some other junior tech did at the p-dealer is futile at best... But it sounds like you may have a faulty oil sender especially if you're getting different readings under the same conditions.

P0rsch3F113

I always check the oil level when the engine is cold (as I'm reasonably sure all the oil has flowed back into the drain pan). Fortunately, my garage floor is level.

The manual advises that "It is best to measure the engine oil level before embarking on a journey (if the vehicle has not been driven for an extended period) or with the engine at operating temperature. Shorter waiting times are achieved in this way."

user 72902

Oil levels will also fluctuate depending on the amount of condensation in your oil. This can be a function of ambient temperatures and the oil temps and the last time you drove your car. If I take a short trip and don't get the oil up to temps for an extended period when it's cold I'll see higher oil readings the next time I check. Corrects itself after a proper drive.

MDClint

The manual advises that "It is best to measure the engine oil level before embarking on a journey (if the vehicle has not been driven for an extended period) or with the engine at operating temperature. Shorter waiting times are achieved in this way."[/QUOTE]

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I must have forgotten about that first part. I do know that I've checked it when cold and it was one bar below full. Later that same day I checked it when warm and it was at the full line. Obviously in the range of being safe so no cause for concern. But if I had added oil when I saw the cold reading, I might have overfilled it. I guess the lesson is to take a couple readings before adding any oil.