Yet another oil level/consumption question
 

Please be kind knowing I have read much of what is available here before this post. Newbie 88 3.2 100K miles

I know I have been obsessing over oil level in an attempt to get a feel for oil consumption. I have found it very difficult to get the car up to true operating temperature as reference by the gauge and feeling the front tubes without taking the car on a significant road trip. Silly me, I am hooked on wanting to check oil level on a motor BEFORE running it.

On only a few occasions have I seen the temp needle at or above the first line (one day was 107F OAT on drive to Rennsport) and the other times it seems to need 25 - 30 miles at least. Living in mid coast California so it is not a cold climate. Maybe this indicates a problem.

I haven't felt any concern over oil consumption on my more common 20 mile round trips while I have been going through the car with projects. On the few hotter runs, I have been left concerned about consumption, but I wonder if it is related to the affect of activation of the front lines and checking level on the subsequent run at the highest temp I can achieve (though not at or above the suggested reference point on the gauge. Stupidly, I have been adding and draining trying to achieve optimum mid-point level on the dipstick to get a starting point.

So my question that I have not seen here:
Is there not a cold oil level - measured with a longer dipstick - that will have a direct relationship to the optimum level at operating temp using the stock dipstick? My thought is that a cold check would at least be a repeatable condition that I do not seem to be able to achieve while driving.

If the limited activation of the front cooling system is causing me to "chase my tail" I would feel a lot better. The car puts out the acceptable puff of smoke on startup if left to sit for a couple weeks during a project. No smoke seen while driving or decel (as far as I can tell whle driving) - though a friend reports "smelling me" on hard accel (Wong chip and cat delete). Engine does not leak. Leakdown 6% across (though I have come to learn here that does not catch valve guides ?).

Hope I don't irritate with this question. I'll go away now...

You have a dry sump motor. Engine level can ONLY be accurately checked on a "warm" engine, while running, on level ground.

Or, you could drain all the oil out and measure how much was in there.. and make sure you put the correct amount back in ;)

911's hold what, 10-12 quarts? You will learn to keep 1-2 extra quarts up in the trunk by the spare for "longer" trips so you are not caught off guard.

You may also need to make sure the oil temp sender is working properly. And the gauge.

You don't need "mid level" of the guage... just between the low and high marks... Equally important is to ensure that your oil pressure is good

TAKE A DEEP BREATH...Repeat after me..I have a dry sump engine and a huge oil supply of 12 quarts........... Unless you do something very stupid, it is never an issue !!

"You have a dry sump motor. Engine level can ONLY be accurately checked on a "warm" engine, while running, on level ground." what Racer said !!

Find another obsession.

Ohhhhhmmmmm, index finger and thumb together, take a couple o shots of some Irish and a Jack Daniels......let it run in place at 2K rpms.......ohhhmmmmmm......

Pull da stick.....best is to be BELOW the top mark.

Above that you'll kill 'squitos when ya pull into a drive way.

RELAX.....as mentioned....ya gots 12 freakin' quarts in the system....

yeah, what they said ^^^^^^^^^.

Don't overthink it. I believe that you can drive the car for 15-20 minutes at highway speed in 50 degree weather and it should get warm enough for a reading. I know Porsche says to get the oil temp up to 194 degrees (first "click" on your oil temp gauge, I have an '88 too). But if you get it close, you should be OK.

Don't pay too much attention to that darn oil level gauge.

The oil gauge....like sheep......

THEY LIE!

Ahem.....the gauge is inaccurate below operating temps....move along....have a nice day.

I've been curious to check mine for accuracy.....

BEST!

Doyle

My Oil level gauge just flips up and down until warm and then goes to red under load...I always thought red was danger...gotta love those Germans. Drove the bejesus out of her yesterday morning.. 40degree temps outside...temp guage was about 8:00 on the dial ...oil level still flipping around. Went to emission checker place and she passed...I can only get a 1 year registration as I need emissions every year...my 2000 Camaro goes 2 years ...Grrrrrr.

Thanks
 

As usual, thanks to all.

Just so you know I have been paying attention, all my references are to the temp gauge and dipstick. Not paying attention (much) to oil level gauge other than desire to develop a relationship between dipstick and gauge per some experienced posts here.

To clarify, I am not concerned about running the thing out of oil and pay more attention to pressure than temp and oil. BUT I am still interested in figuring out consumption in an attempt to judge condition of the motor at this mileage. I have done most everything else as far as inspections by pros.

The only thing I could think of was the only occasional activation of the front cooling system was throwing me off.

My "relationship" with the gauge and stick has served me well,..all indicators track each other with met parameters.

Yes,..pressure is important,..good move...

What "occasional activation" happenings are you referring to, insofar as the front cooler? Such as? Is the system stock, on the front oil cooler? Should you be referring to a STOCK front oil cooler (activation=fan engagement?),..we know where this temp occurs at....I can assure you that the temp gauge (alone) would have rendered something alerting BEFORE that stock fan engaged...

I recall (from the early days) reading posts from people who actually placed a blanket (of specific sorts..) over the air intake screens (tail, whatever) to generate higher temps, subsequently higher oil temps (was it the Zimm-meister, himself?). I nay case, I would think you could "coax" the engine to higher temps (even) in a present VERY cool surrounding.

I, too, am a student of ENSURING those front oil lines are nice and warm BEFORE I trust (or, relate to) my oil level stick on my '89. Amazingly,..the oil level needle follows perfect suit ,..providing me a mid-level reading on the stick,..WHEN the fron line are nice and warm.

ASIDE (STILL),..STICK IS KING!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the end, maybe "consumption" will follow a linear scale should you check the oil at 158 degrees or at 194 degrees? (Not sure there,..). All I know is that you should be consistent.

The Pros will chime...

Best!

Doyle

OOOOoooopsieeeee......Never mind.....

Dude...your opening line discussed 'oil level'.....

Thanks Doyle.
By use of "occasional activation" of the front cooling system was my poor attempt to describe my feeling that the thermostat and oil lines to the front rarely open based on how cool the car seems to be running. I will pay more attention to the temp of the front lines going forward until I develop a better feel for consumption. With this post I was fishing for opinions on observed consumption (dipstick) versus real consumption when the front cooling system only seems to be occasionally activated (and those hotter occasions seem to be when I am "seeing" consumption on the dipstick).

The entire oil cooling system is stock.

Joe Bob,
Your right, I should have chosen wording better. My oil level frustration is based on my inability to come up with an oil consumption rate. More time and experience I guess.

OK, I understand. FWIW, my '88 oil level gauge works very well after temps warm up close to "operating temperature". Once the car is warm and parked on level ground with the engine running, my gauge correlates very well with the dip stick. I usually keep my oil level around mid dipstick, and the needle will reflect that. As I use oil, the needle will gradually drop.

Keep in mind though, that all the right conditions MUST come together, i.e., car is warm, running and levelly parked.

When the car is warmed up but not hot the oil level will not be as high as it will when hot. That's just the way it is. Don't add oil until you get to the bottom mark when the car is warm. With experience you'll figure out how hot it needs to be to get a good reading. The only way to figure out the oil consumption is over a long time of checking. On my car the guage works great (as have the guages on my other 3 early 911's I had). It tells you pretty much what is going on in your tank. It should be at the bottom almost all the time you are driving, except when the car is warmed up and idling. At the bottom is of no concern, since the bottom still indicates at least 5 quarts of oil in the tank. If you have oil pressure you have oil.

-Andy

OCD maybe?

I thought it was a prerequisite