Help with oil level issue needed, por favor.

[UrQuattro]

Hey all,

So I just had my car at the shop for major service on my 81 SC. Replaced spark plugs, cap, rotor, plug wires with magnecore (third car now that I've put magnecore wires on. I love them), valves verified to be adjusted properly, tranny fluid changed (changed to Kendall from swepco - WOW what a difference. Tranny is MUCH smoother in every gear, especially first to second shift, and is quieter too), fuel filter, air filter, oil. Filter and oil.

So, the issue is that, I supplied all of the parts to do the job, and left them with 10 quarts of the VR1 20w-50 racing oil.

They used just about all of the oil during the change, with about 1/3 of a quart left over. They are a Porsche specialist, and they are really good at what they do.

When I picked up the car, it was warmed up a bit already, with the oil gauge needle just below the upper line of the box on the bottom of the gauge.

The oil level gauge was reading very slightly above the red, lower than I'm used to. I asked the shop owner, but he said not to worry, that it wasn't fully warmed up and they were sure that it had plenty of oil.

When I got home after driving for a while (the car is running better than I ever remember it running now), I decided to check the oil level, as the shop owner thought that maybe it bled out an air bubble or something and was lower than they found it to be.

I was shocked to see that there was no oil showing on the dipstick at all. Also, I let it idle for quite a while to be sure, and after I could definitely hear oil running through the lines, with the temp showing about 3mm above the line (approx 8 o'clock), the oil level gauge was deep in the red. I added a quart of oil, but even then, there wasn't any oil showing on the dipstick. There is some on the back of the dipstick, about 1/4 of the way between the two marks on the front, but nothing notable on the front.

I called the shop, and the owner double checked with the tech who worked on my car. They had all the bottles from my oil change in front of them, with 9.7 quarts used. With the quart I added, that makes it 10.7 quarts of oil.

The oil level gauge is still in the red, and the car was definitely warm.

So, what's going on here? Am I not reading the dipstick properly here? Should I be reading the level based on the rear of the dipstick instead of the front (in the past, I've always gone with reading the front, and the oil gauge would read a little high, but basically right about the middle).

But now, even though there is DEFINITELY 10.7 quarts in there, it is reading low.

There is no Oil leaking or anything. It had leaks from the lower valve covers for a while, but it would only drop on the ground maybe a couple times a week at most. And the ago ran it on the lift to chek for leaks with nothing found.

So, help. Do I add oil until the dipstick reads how I believe it should, or do I listen to the cautions of the shop owner who promises me that there is enough oil there?

I'm going to brin the car over in the morning tomorrow to talk in person, but I wanted to get your thoughts.

Thanks in advance everyone. I appreciate it.

Michael

[pete3799]

If the motor is warmed up, idling, and on level ground, i'd add till it's 1/2 way between the hash marks on the stick.

[DRACO A5OG]

Where was the temp at?

[db_cooper]

The gauge is not very useful unless the engine is HOT and the engine will run just fine with 9 or 10 quarts in the system.

Don't let the gauge bum you out.

Check the oil level with the dip stick, engine running and oil temp inside the normal range on temp gauge.

It is easy to over fill the engine when winter comes around because it takes so long to get the engine warm enough to get a reading on the dip stick or gauge.

[Reiver]

If you had good oil pressure you were ok...they can run a few qts low.

[UrQuattro]

I don't know what the temp is in degrees. Te gauge in my car is the one that has the white bordered "box" on the bottom of the gauge and the red one on the top of the gauge. In my car, the oil temp NEVER gets halfway up the gauge so that it is pointing at 9 o'clock.

It was definitely on level ground, idling for quite a while actually, and I had been running it for about an hour. I'm in San Francisco, so it isn't particularly cold here.

In my car, I will start hearing the gurgling of the oil flowing through the cooling lines under the passenger door when it gets to, or very slightly above the top of that box, which I am guessing is the hash mark that people talk about.

The oil temp got up to where the needle was a few widths above that line, such that there was maybe 1/8" of space there.

And checking the dipstick, again, there was no noticable amount of oil on the front of the dipstick, just on the back, about 1/4 of the way between the two dots on the front. Which WOULD mean that it is fine, if I supposed to be reading the back side of the dipstick.

I feel silly asking about this, cause I'm not a newbey to cars, but I just don't want to run the risk of overfilling the engine, or letting it run low if there was some mistake made.

Argh

Michael

[DRACO A5OG]

She was too cold so the thermosstat did not open all the way to fill up the sump.

You are good, do not put anymore oil in or you will have other issues

[UrQuattro]

Do you think I buggered it up by adding that quart when I couldn't find any oil on the dipstick, so it is 10.7 quarts total. Or do you think I'm alright?

I'm just worried now because if I measured the oil level at the temperature that my car heats up to under normal conditions, but there is no oil on the dipstick, how do I know when to add oil in between oil changes? That is another big concern I have, given that in the past, after having an oil change done, I could see oil on the dipstick, even when cooler than it was today.

Michael

[SilberUrS6]

[QUOTE=UrQuattro;7124213] tranny fluid changed (changed to Kendall from swepco - WOW what a difference. Tranny is MUCH smoother in every gear, especially first to second shift, and is quieter too)

I noticed this exact change when I went to Kendall from SWEPCO. It is so much nicer to drive...

As to your motor oil question - I think you're not warm enough yet on the oil to get a good dipstick reading.

I have often wondered if someone wouldn't design a COLD dipstick - so that you could measure the oil level in the tank when cold, and skip the "hey, is this thing warmed up enough to get a good reading" kind of deal.

[DRACO A5OG]

Do yourself a favor so you can sleep, drive her again but cruise on the street and bring her up to 1/4 " above the 1st hash mark on the temp gauge then pull over on level ground in idle, wait 60 seconds then check the dipstick.

Idle is to right in middle of the marks on the stick.

Jim

[ossiblue]

I agree with the others, get the car fully warmed and add oil until the measurement is between the hash marks. Oil expands when warm and that's why you measure the sump with the engine hot--to prevent over fill and allow for the oil circulating through the system in your measurement. 10.7 quarts is plenty to allow for lubrication but may not show on the dipstick, as in your case. Also, the shop may have allowed the oil in the front cooler circuit to drain out and you will be down at least a quart due to that.

In short, make sure the engine is fully warm/hot, that the thermostat is open to the front cooler, and add oil slowly until you reach the middle of the hash marks.

[E Sully]

Trust the dip stick when the engine is warm and idling. I will add that I need 12 qts in my 1973 cis.