few random questions about a 73 911 T

[sean73t]

this is my first 73 911, so i am a little clueless about a few things.

1. on the gauge cluster. there is a dial that says "oel" is that german for oil? because even after the car warms up and idles, it stays in the red and even when im on the gas its still in the red. is this bad? normal?

2. what type of oil does the car take? its a 2.4L motor.

3. when i pop the trunk and lift the carpets. i notice what i believe are two batteries. if you are looking into the trunk from the front of the car, i always put a trickle charger on the battery on the left. is this ok? and what is the battery on the right for?

4. if the battery dies, which one do i put the jumper cables on? do i need to charge both of them?


thanks for the help.

[blucille]

I'm sure others will have a more thorough answer, but here's a quickie:

1: Oel is Oil, my car has an oil temp gauge, oil pressure gauge and an oil level gauge. To check oil level, the car needs to be on a flat surface, warmed up, and idling....the gauge should show oil level, but the dipstick in the engine compartment will, too. Be careful reinserting the dipstick, you can miss the small tube it fits in, and it will sink down far into the oil tank.

2-I've always been told 20W50 for these cars, lots of it, depending upon year, oil coolers, etc...dino or synthetic is your call depending on what has been used previously, your budget, etc.

3 & 4-the two batteries are there to allow a smaller size, they are in parallel, meaning, if you take one out, or it dies, the other one still powers the car....if your battery charger is big enough, it will maintain both batteries, put the jumper on the first one, sounds like a good idea. Having 2 smaller batteries, the theory goes, keeps the car more balanced...

Lewis

[E Sully]

Be careful with the positive battery leads. If you remove one of the positive leads and it hits a ground point while the other battery is connected it will short out.

[ossiblue]

Lewis has answered your questions very well. Here are just a few additions.

1. There are three dial gauges for oil on the 73--one for pressure, the other for oil level and the third for temp. We are assuming you are talking about the oil level gauge as that is not numbered. Lewis has told you how to correctly check oil level by using the dipstick, not the dash gauge. It is perfectly normal for the gauge to be in the "red zone" while driving and accelerating. The only time the gauge will give a "proper" reading is when the car is fully warmed up and idling on a flat surface like Lewis mentioned. While driving, check the gauge when you come to a stop light and see if it is registering. If not, there is probably a fault in the wiring to the gauge, a fault with the sender in the oil tank, or the gauge itself. Let us know what you discover.

2. 20/50 oil is recommended. These cars also need additives to protect the cam lobes that have been refined out of many modern oils. Brad Penn is highly recommended, for example, because of this, as is Swepco and others.

3. Lewis covered the batteries. Just use common sense when charging and be sure all connections on both batteries are clean and snug.

Welcome to the board, and don't be afraid to ask any questions--we all were new owners once! Tradition dictates that new members post pictures of their cars, so we'll be waiting!

[Flieger]

Hello neighbor ,

The oil level gauge should go up and down depending on engine speed. When you get on the throttle, you will see the gauge go down a bit. This is because the oil is not draining into the sump as fast as the pump can pull it out into the oil tank.

[E Sully]

The gauge on the left shows gas and oil level. Don't trust it. Check the level with the engine fully warmed and sitting level with the dipstick. Do not fill above half way.
The next shows Temp. and Press. According to the manual, at 176 F. the pressure should be at least 70 psi. at 5500 rpm. The bottom light is your charging light. The top light is your hand brake warning light. If it is on you should check your hand brake to see if it is adjusted properly.

[HarryD]

The above folks have most of it covered.

OEL Gauge will only be correct when your car is on a flat surface, engine idling, and temperature at about 180. Use your dip stick to get a feel for what the OEL gauge is telling you before you trust it.

As far as oil, our older cars are not happy with many of the SL/SM oils currently on the market. They do not contain enough zinc and phosphorus additives to protect our cam lobes. Several that are ok include:

20W-50: Brad Penn, Valvoline VR-1, Kendal GT, and Royal Purple. There are others. I leave it up to you to investigate .

15W-40 (is a also accepable): SWEPCO 306, Chevron Delo 15W-40, Exxon Delvac 15W-40, Shell Rotella 15W-40.

If you really want to get into it, read this very long thread: Ultimate Motor Oil Thread or Why we hate CJ4/SM oils

[tcar]

Originally Posted by E Sully

The gauge on the left shows gas and oil level. Don't trust it. Check the level with the engine fully warmed and sitting level with the dipstick.

Plus, the engine must be running at idle when you check the oil. Very important.

[sean73t]

Originally Posted by E Sully

The gauge on the left shows gas and oil level. Don't trust it. Check the level with the engine fully warmed and sitting level with the dipstick. Do not fill above half way.
The next shows Temp. and Press. According to the manual, at 176 F. the pressure should be at least 70 psi. The bottom light is your charging light. The top light is your hand brake warning light. If it is on you should check your hand brake to see if it is adjusted properly.

so when the bottom light is on, do i charge the car? because that light is on constantly....and i always have a trickle charger on when the car is sitting.


even when the car is idling(warmed up and throttle off) the oil gauge still doesn't move. i will check the dipstick tomorrow and hopefully that will answer my questions as good as all of you have

And a new issue has come up. sometimes when i am sitting at a stand still, my foot is on the clutch, and the car simply stalls. can anyone shed some light?

thanks again!

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by sean73t

so when the bottom light is on, do i charge the car? because that light is on constantly....and i always have a trickle charger on when the car is sitting.

If the light is on all the time, this is bad. That is indicating that your are not charging your battery when the car is running. This means either a bad alternator or bad voltage regulator. If you are not mechanically inclinded then you will need to bring it to a sshop to be serviced. If that is the case, go to one that specializes in older, air cooled porsches.

even when the car is idling(warmed up and throttle off) the oil gauge still doesn't move. i will check the dipstick tomorrow and hopefully that will answer my questions as good as all of you have

Check your dipstick. It will tell the tale. Be sure the car is level, fully warmed up and idling at 800-900 rpm before you check.

And a new issue has come up. sometimes when i am sitting at a stand still, my foot is on the clutch, and the car simply stalls. can anyone shed some light?

thanks again!

Could be any number of things. We need more information. Is your car a CIS or MFI T? What is your idle speed? How does the car run otherwise? etc.

[sean73t]

The alternator just got replaced, i will have the shop check their records to see what else got replaced, luckily the previous owner took the car to a local shop for work, but regardless i will take the car to the shop to get checked out.

Its a CIS, idle is about 700-900rpm. car runs great as far as i can tell. could this random stall be related to electrical?

Originally Posted by HarryD

If the light is on all the time, this is bad. That is indicating that your are not charging your battery when the car is running. This means either a bad alternator or bad voltage regulator. If you are not mechanically inclinded then you will need to bring it to a sshop to be serviced. If that is the case, go to one that specializes in older, air cooled porsches.




Check your dipstick. It will tell the tale. Be sure the car is level, fully warmed up and idling at 800-900 rpm before you check.



Could be any number of things. We need more information. Is your car a CIS or MFI T? What is your idle speed? How does the car run otherwise? etc.

[Flieger]

Before we answer any more questions, you must post photos of the car.

[sean73t]

i would if it wasn't so cold and dark outside

Originally Posted by Flieger

Before we answer any more questions, you must post photos of the car.

[Flieger]

OK, but soon.

Cold! It is nice up here in San Luis Obispo.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by sean73t

The alternator just got replaced, i will have the shop check their records to see what else got replaced, luckily the previous owner took the car to a local shop for work, but regardless i will take the car to the shop to get checked out.

Its a CIS, idle is about 700-900rpm. car runs great as far as i can tell. could this random stall be related to electrical?

If your idle is changing like that, you may have air air leak or your mixture is not correct. When you have the car checked out by the garage, ask them about the idle/stalling issue as well.

How interested are you on working these issues on your own?

[WRGREENER]

One you know the alt is working.. You might want to install a "priority start". Especially if it sits and you think you have a small discharge (short). The "priority start" shuts down the battery @ ~11.5 volts and will come on line when you reset (pump brake turn on lights etc). It runs about $40 and saves you battery life.

[berettafan]

The alternator light at the bottom tells you if you're driving too slow at night.

[berettafan]

the purpose of the two batteries is weight distribution.

and to keep Sonnenschinenschnoozenfarfug****tenz shareholders wealthy.

i use a battery tender brand and have hooked to just one. works very well.

[berettafan]

you will notice oil pressure higher when cold and lower when warmed up. general idea is 10 per 1k rpm. mine doesn't follow this exactly.

do NOT beat on the car until she is warmed up.

[E Sully]

Originally Posted by sean73t

And a new issue has come up. sometimes when i am sitting at a stand still, my foot is on the clutch, and the car simply stalls. can anyone shed some light?

Your clutch cable may need adjustment. It may not be disengaging completely.
Waynes 2 books, 101 Projects and How To Rebuild and modify Porsche 911 Engines are great books. Even if you don't do the work yourself at least you know what is going on when you bring it to a mechanic.