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The oil level gauge on the Porsche 964 and 993 will only give an accurate reading under very specific conditions.
Most gauges seem to indicate that the oil level is dangerously low most of the time, often leading to
inexperienced owners adding oil unnecessarily.
The key is that the engine must be warm enough for the oil thermostat to have opened. You can tell when this happens by looking at the oil temperature gauge; when the thermostat opens the oil temperature will fall rapidly. If you are stationary on the level with the engine ticking over when this happens, you will also see the oil level gauge going up at the same time. Anything less that about 15 minutes normal driving is unlikely to get the thermostat open, and therefore an accurate reading on the level gauge. So in summary, check the gauge with the car fully warmed up and ticking over on a level surface. Check the oil using the dipstick on a regular basis even if you think that your gauge is accurate. Note: The conditions above must also be met when checking the oil level with the dipstick, i.e. warmed up, on the level, ticking over. |