Oil Capacity 3.4L 996

[JimPDX]

The owner's manual states the oil change quantity with filter is 8.25 liters. Converting to qts. 8.25 x 1.057 = 8.7 qts.

The DIY instructions indicate 8.75 liters. Converting to qts. 8.75 x 1.057 = 9.25 qts.

9.25qts - 8.70qts = 0.55qts delta = appx 16+oz more oil w/ DYI. 16 oz seems a significant delta.

Questions

1.) Does the owner's manual recommended fill of 8.7 qts show on the engine oil level gauge as the MAX point with the up pointing triangle?

2.) What does each space on the engine oil guage between the bars equate to in terms of oil amount? (If, as the owner's manual states, the difference between the two marks (min and max up and down pointing arrows) is 1.5 liters or 1.59 qts or appx .25qt (8oz) of oil for each of the 6 spaces on the guage).

3.) That being the case the one bar over the max mark on the guage should represent 8 oz of oil. However, if you fill to the DYI then you would be 8oz over the upper bar above the max up pointing arrow or 16 oz over...correct?

Thx...

Jim

[Loren]

The 8.75 liters (9.25 quarts) in the DIY comes from the Porsche Carrera Service Manual. This section was updated in the service manual in 2001 - the last year of 3.4 liter engine.

I always put in 9 quarts when I change my oil - as this puts me well within the marks. There is just as must danger (if not more) in having too much oil as there is in having too little. My advice is don't worry about the top and bottom marks - just keep the oil level between them.

[dbl96]

Hi Jim

Loren is on the money.

After draining out the oil(30-40 min including the filter), 9 qt's will reach one bar below the above oil level marker.

[D_Man]

Loren is right I just did my oil in a 996 it took every bit of 9 qt.+ a bit more, to make it between the marks.

A good rule of thumb is to add the 8.7 US Qt's then crank it up and let the oil circulate then get a good reading as to how much more to add. The last Qt go's slow in getting up to the mark, its easy to add too much if you are not careful. Get a good reading on the dipstick and gauge before topping off the last quart.

It might be best to run the engine to get oil circulating then shut it off and let the oil settle to the bottom of the case before adding more.

I just know it took more than I expected.

D

[JimPDX]

Loren is right I just did my oil in a 996 it took every bit of 9 qt.+ a bit more, to make it between the marks.

A good rule of thumb is to add the 8.7 US Qt's then crank it up and let the oil circulate then get a good reading as to how much more to add. The last Qt go's slow in getting up to the mark, its easy to add too much if you are not careful. Get a good reading on the dipstick and gauge before topping off the last quart.

It might be best to run the engine to get oil circulating then shut it off and let the oil settle to the bottom of the case before adding more.

I just know it took more than I expected.

D

Thx everyone...

I have spent years reading things closely and it continues to amaze me that even the Porsche dealers hold varying positions on oil quantity not to mention the fact that their owner's manual says "A" and their service manual says "B".

I put 9.3 qts of oil in my car at the last oil change 3000 miles ago and it took me up to the the top triangle bar very nicely. When I had my car serviced at Sunset they said they put in 10 quarts because that is what they charged me for, but I suspect the put in 9++ because when I got the car back the oil gauge showed filled to the line above the top triangle

That bothered me...so from that point on, I filled with 9.3 when I started doing the changes myself and I hit that top triangle like a bullseye!...

In my original post which Loren answered right away I was concerned about the discrepancy of quantities and thinking that what I was putting into my car was either too much or not enough...

Thx...

Jim

[Tool Pants]

For what it is worth, Porsche did the same thing with the early Boxsters. Owners manual said 8.25 liters with filter change. Then a few years later a bulletin came out that retroactively made it 8.75 liters or 9.25 quarts.

[PTEC]

Porsche changed oil fill capacities somewhere along the line during 996 production due to the cars smoking during turns. There is a technical bulletin somewhere detailing the specifics. The cars with the greater fill capacities can be identified via the dipstick. If your dipstick has tangs on it at the yellow ring, it is the new style and the capacity is .5 (cant remember exactly if its liters or quarts) less than the previous style. On the earlier cars, around 9.2 quarts give or take a tenth seems to work and the newer cars seem to take around 8.7 give or take a tenth. When you take about amounts down to the tenth of the quart or liter you have to take into consideration the amount of time you let the oil drain.

Edited February 11, 2005 by PTEC

[D_Man]

There is a letter in Excellence April 2005 ed. page 22-26 that explains this very issue.

In the letter Bruce Anderson is explaining to someone the proper method of checking the Oil in modern 996 type cars.

As their are four different methods of checking the Oil Bruce go's on to say

"How you check your oil will result in different readings. When you check the engine cold, you will get a higher reading than with the other methods. All the oil has run back in the sump, resulting in this higher reading, with the warm check procedures, there is always going to be some oil off in the far corner of the engine, so you will get a resulting lower reading."

The four methods of checking the Oil in a 996 from the article.

1. With the engine cold when you turn the ignition key to "Accessory" (Gauge method)

2. By switching a warm engine off then turning the key back on and waiting for the time to run down to zero.

3. What Porsche calls the automatic oil level measurement when you are fueling. The motor must be warm. This presumes the engine is shut off for a few minutes (about 5) but less than 15 min. When you turn the key back on the oil level is displayed for approx. one minute.

4. The Old fashioned way, with the dipstick (Cold engine)

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the article go's on to say that the newer 997 and 997S cars no longer have dipsticks so you have to rely on the gauge on the instrument panel.

The bottom line is just check the oil cold on a 996 and it will be fine.

This method gives a more realistic picture of the current oil capacity.

A little of topic but pertinent.

D Man