CdnRD

Seems to me your oil requirements depend on the conditions your Cayenne faces. 5W... oils may function perfectly fine in California, Florida or Texas. If you're in Minnesota, New York or the Canadian prairies as I am, you'd be out of your mind to use anything but a 0 weight in the winter. See for yourself. Leave a 0 weight and a 5 weight outside overnight when it's -20 or below, then try pouring a bit out of each bottle. Think of how much slower that's going to pump through you're very expensive engine on start-up.

Beyond that, Porsche is an engineering company that spends millions squeezing performance out their engines. I can't imagine they'd risk their reputation because the bean counters suggest they can make a few Euros on an oil endorsement. I'll go with the factory recommended Mobil 0W40 unless there's something more than somebody on the net saying "I use (Redline/Motul/Royal Purple) and it works for me".

ndx

Steve would you mind sharing some UOA.

Thank you

Brit6

Exactly my thoughts. Thank you.

Brit6

Awesome news, thanks for sharing!

Slow Guy

I agree with your comments but would add that Porsche does recommend the Motul oil, it's on their Recommended Oils List, (it is an A40 oil) as are many (if not most) of the oils listed here, they just don't have it in storage tanks at the factory.

I also agree that running 5w40 in a climate such as yours would be foolhardy (IMHO). Up until this year we've had very few dips into the 20's around here but this year has been the exception with several days in single digits. Fortunately the P!g sits in a garage overnight so I'm not worried.

Edit: Thought I had a copy of the latest Approved Oil List but I don't so now I'n on a web search for "Porsche A40 engine oils (3/13)"
Well, Renntech doesn't have the 3/13 version.

kosmo

I use 0w-40. I find the spread is whats important. Why would you bother w/ 5w-40 when we know engine wear occurs at start up?

grohgreg

Sorta depends upon the model and the model year. The manual that came with my 2013 Diesel says it and the base V6 get C30 5W30 year round regardless of location. The C30 is imperative for the Diesel, due to the DPF system. Don't know why for the base gasoline V6.
Of the V8s
Cayenne S; (any) OW40 for all temperature ranges
Cayenne GTS: A40 5W40 for temps above +13F, apparently 0W40 for below
Cayenne Turbo: same as GTS
Cayenne Turbo S: (any) 5W50 for temps above +13F, apparently 0W50 for below.

It doesn't explain why two of the V8 variants require A40 spec, and the other two don't

//greg//

bgsntth

Probably because 70 mph equates to 2950 RPM's in 6th gear and by the time your foot is off the clutch starting off in first gear you are above 4000 RPM's with a manual GTS. The only vehicle I have ever owned where I bounced off the rev limiter more was my Miata R track car, usually while turning right into traffic and accelerating hard - bouncing off the rev limiter before the wheels are straight......good fun.

DWPC

Don't worry about topping up with a qt of 5W-30. The clown at the parts store is full of it. When you do a change, any major brand 0W-40 or 5W-40 syn oil with the appropriate SAE spec no. is just fine unless you live in Death Valley or Nome. If anything, 30W motor oils are becoming obsolete.

seafeye

My wife's BMW manual even goes as far as saying that topping off with different weight oil is approved.
With 10 quarts, putting in 10% of 5w or 10w or 20w wouldn't make much of a difference.

pancholi

i live in the UK
when i went for my first service,i thought Mobil 1 was the way to go. but my indie( one of the largest in a 60mile radius) uses shell 5w40 in the majority of his business.
went for my first service at my merc indie as i also have several Merc's, guess what …he also used shell ultra5w40 .
a relieve, as its almost 1/2 the price of Mobil 1 and comparable with all my cars.

CDMC

New member here, but a member at Bob is the Oil Guy for more than a decade and a bit of an oil nut. While we spend a lot of time obsessing about what oil may be the best, the truth of the matter is that any oil that meets the requirements of Porsche A40 in the case of gas engines and C30 for diesel engines will provide excellent protection.

When was the last time you heard of an oil related failure from using any approved oil with any manufacture when proper service intervals were followed (which Porsche has shortened and their OCI intervals are well within reason)? The only recent ones I can recall are 1) early 2000s BMW M engines where BMW switched from their BMW LL-01 ACEA A3 5w-30 recommendation to Castrol TWS 10w-60 due to some bearing failures (any many people have since disregarded it using Mobil One 0w-40 with great results), 2) Toyota sludgeing when using poor quality oils for the full service interval in severe conditions, and 3) VW/Audi 1.8T sludgeing issues when not using the proper VW specified oil. With the exception of BMW, each of the foregoing was caused by owners not following the manufacture recommendations.

Personally, I use Mobil 1 Ow-40, as it is widely available and works for all of my vehicles.

deilenberger

Actually - since you're new here you probably haven't seen the threads about the V8-S models losing cylinder #5 - where the cylinder wall starts flaking off. The same block used on a turbo doesn't do it. The difference? The turbo has an oil spray on the bottom of the piston - the plain V8 doesn't. Supposedly - the failure pattern shows cars where:

1. Normal ambient temps are low - ie - northern US/Alaska/etc and the car lives outside.
2. Oil changes are done at > 10k mile intervals.

So to answer your question - about a week ago I think.

And the BMW M-engines - the S54 was the one where the oil spec was changed - the 2001/02 originally specified 5W-30 synthetic (standard BMW oil). This was changed to Castrol TWS 10W-60 - German oil - fully PAC-IV synthetic.

This actually didn't help much with the bearing problem - BMW finally issued a recall on the cars which involved changing both the oil pump and the connecting rod bearings. They also extended the engine warranty for "oil lubricated parts" to 100k miles or 6 years (whichever came first.) On the M-Coupe, which used the same engine, they also lowered the max RPM by 250 RPM (which resulted in losing about 5 HP.)

People (about 100,000 of them) who are members of an M3 forum that I moderate are almost religious in using the Castrol TWS oil. Anyone mentioning anything else generally gets roundly razzed. And no real reason not to - with a BMW-CCA discount it runs about $11/liter (comes in liter bottles. - German 'ya know..)

I also am using that oil in my REAL BMW (2 wheeled one) - it was specified for the high performance HP2 model of my bike, and I've found the "Feels like new oil" feeling (and quieter running - quite obvious on an oil/air-cooled bike) lasts much longer.

I generally have Blackstone test most oils I use. Haven't done the P!G yet - but thinking of doing it with the next oil change just to make sure no signs of cylinder liner are showing up in the Mobil-1 0W-40.

mcbit

Bore scoring is almost certainly a lubricant issue in the Cayenne NA V8s but I think it is more likely due to a failing in the engine rather than the lubricant.

If you can prove otherwise then you have recourse to this:

Mobil 1


Limited Warranty

What the Warranty Covers
ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company, a division of Exxon Mobil Corporation (“ExxonMobil”), provides this limited warranty to the purchasers who use Mobil 1™ lubricant in their vehicles. This limited warranty covers the lubricant and critical engine parts lubricated by the lubricant. ExxonMobil warrants its lubricants to be free from defects and that the lubricant you purchased will protect your vehicle’s critical engine parts from oil related failure.

Be advised that if your vehicle is covered by a warranty, you should follow the vehicle’s oil life sensor or the oil change interval recommended in your owner’s manual to avoid a disruption in your vehicle warranty. Follow your owner’s manual if the vehicle is operated in any of the following severe services: racing or commercial applications including taxis, limousines, etc.; frequent towing or hauling; extremely dusty or dirty conditions; or under excessive idling conditions.

What the Warranty Does Not Cover
This Limited Warranty excludes:
Mobil™ lubricants used in mechanically deficient equipment as a result of abnormal operation; negligence; abuse; damage from casualty, shipment or accident; or, equipment modification done without written authorization from the original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”).

Situations where the OEM required lubricant standards do not match those stated by ExxonMobil without written approval from ExxonMobil.

Mobil lubricants that have been used in conjunction with any other product or additive that has not been authorized for use by ExxonMobil.

Failure of equipment due to a pre-existing condition that is unrelated to the use of Mobil lubricants.

Repair or replacement of equipment due to normal wear.
What the Period of Coverage Is
The Mobil 1 limited warranty is valid for 10,000 miles or your vehicle’s OEM recommended oil change interval, whichever is longer.

Additional requirements for all Mobil 1 products include:
Oils must be put in service not later than five (5) years from the date of purchase; and
an oil change must be completed every twelve (12) months.
What We Will Do to Correct Problems
ExxonMobil will replace any lubricant that is defective. In addition, if there is equipment failure due to the lubricant you purchased, and the engine was serviceable at the time the oil was installed, ExxonMobil will repair any equipment damage directly caused by a defect or malfunction of the lubricant, at no cost to you, provided that the lubricant was selected and maintained in accordance with specifications of the OEM or the written instructions (which includes product packaging) of ExxonMobil.

How You Can Get Service
To file a claim under this Limited Warranty, you must:
Upon discovery of the damage (but not later than six (6) months from the date the damage occurred) call 1-800-AskMobil.

Allow an ExxonMobil representative to examine the equipment and maintenance records, if available, and provide proof of purchase to determine the extent of the damage and to confirm that the lubricant was the cause.

Allow an ExxonMobil representative to obtain an oil sample from the engine for oil analysis at no cost to you to assist in determining the cause of the equipment failure.
How State Law Relates to the Warranty
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state.

The remedy provided here will be your only recovery against ExxonMobil. You will not be able to recover incidental damages (for example, transportation costs to and from the ExxonMobil representative for inspection of the equipment, loss of use, towing charges, bus fare, car rentals or other incidental damages) or consequential damages (the cost of repairing or replacing other property which was damaged when the lubricant was defective). Some states do not allow the exclusion of or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

CDMC

BMW had a similar issue back with the early 4.0 liter V8 engines. They claimed it was from high sulfur gas. Has anyone run UOA's at 20k, as that is a lot of miles, which combined with cold weather starts and short trips could really deplete the oil. I could see it not being such an issue on 996/997 cars where they have those huge sumps for a 12 quart + capacity. I am surprised that Porsche wouldn't have tested that, but the rollback to 10k intervals on the same engines in newer years says that something is up.

I thought the M Motor issues were also occurring in the S62 that came in the M5?!!! I didn't keep much track of it, as I decided I didn't want to deal with the horrendous upkeep of an e39 M5 and bought the low powered 530i with a sport package instead. Being practical is boring sometimes.