Cayman S - 600ml oil use in 600 miles
Discussion
Hello
I've recently purchased a Cayman S and I'm experiencing excessive oil use. Well, what I deem as excessive.
I must have read every single thread on here, Planet9 and the Cayman OC forum regarding oil use, IMS and bore scoring before I purchased but now I am a little on edge.
Car is a 2006 '55' with 65k miles. FSH.
Back in 2011 I believe the car was taken in PX by a trader. The trader later discovered a problem with the engine and it was sent to a local Porsche specialist down south. They performed a full rebuild, using what I believe were steel liners on 4,5 & 6 due to bore scoring.
The car was then sold however the new owner reported engine issues (I believe a loud ticking) - might be more but I'm not sure.
The car then arrived at Hartech (which is a massive plus point) to diagnose. Hartech, as you would expect, solved the issue however advised the customer of the potential pitfalls of using steel liners in the block.
I've had a great chat with the guys too and they've talked me through some of the techniques they use and benefits on the liners they use on engine rebuilds. So, having steel liners in mine isn't as advantageous as I first thought.
I believe the bores have been checked with only light usage marks present, which isn't too unusual with a steel liner.
I've not noticed any smoke, sooty exhaust pipes nor unfamiliar sounds from the engine. In fact it's probably one of the quietest on tick over I've heard. MPG is strong at between 28-33.
So, I've been running the car over the weekend and accumulated 600 or so miles of enthusiastic driving. Engine oil was one bar from bottom when I collected and I have since put in 600ml - currently showing 3/4 full however drops to 1/4 depending on surface.
I've struggle to measure it from cold in the morning as my driveway is on a slant and I can't park the car on the road. I've left the car on a level surface, after a run, and it always seems to have dropped a quart.
Am I being overly worried for nothing?
I've recently purchased a Cayman S and I'm experiencing excessive oil use. Well, what I deem as excessive.
I must have read every single thread on here, Planet9 and the Cayman OC forum regarding oil use, IMS and bore scoring before I purchased but now I am a little on edge.
Car is a 2006 '55' with 65k miles. FSH.
Back in 2011 I believe the car was taken in PX by a trader. The trader later discovered a problem with the engine and it was sent to a local Porsche specialist down south. They performed a full rebuild, using what I believe were steel liners on 4,5 & 6 due to bore scoring.
The car was then sold however the new owner reported engine issues (I believe a loud ticking) - might be more but I'm not sure.
The car then arrived at Hartech (which is a massive plus point) to diagnose. Hartech, as you would expect, solved the issue however advised the customer of the potential pitfalls of using steel liners in the block.
I've had a great chat with the guys too and they've talked me through some of the techniques they use and benefits on the liners they use on engine rebuilds. So, having steel liners in mine isn't as advantageous as I first thought.
I believe the bores have been checked with only light usage marks present, which isn't too unusual with a steel liner.
I've not noticed any smoke, sooty exhaust pipes nor unfamiliar sounds from the engine. In fact it's probably one of the quietest on tick over I've heard. MPG is strong at between 28-33.
So, I've been running the car over the weekend and accumulated 600 or so miles of enthusiastic driving. Engine oil was one bar from bottom when I collected and I have since put in 600ml - currently showing 3/4 full however drops to 1/4 depending on surface.
I've struggle to measure it from cold in the morning as my driveway is on a slant and I can't park the car on the road. I've left the car on a level surface, after a run, and it always seems to have dropped a quart.
Am I being overly worried for nothing?
Edited by cheshiredj7 on Wednesday 11th January 16:05
Given my driveway is slanted I've struggle to measure it first thing in the morning.
Plus given how long it needs to be run before the oil countdown gives a reading I've been driving the car 30 or so minutes and getting an initial reading. Usually counts down from 5 minutes. Then going for a further run and re measuring. I've taken couple of spirit levels and tried to find the flattest surface I can on each occasion.
Then upon my return I usually leave the car on the road a few streets away and return 30 minutes for a final check. The final check is usually lower than after a run whereas I thought it should naturally be higher? Road is level too.
Very confusing.
Plus given how long it needs to be run before the oil countdown gives a reading I've been driving the car 30 or so minutes and getting an initial reading. Usually counts down from 5 minutes. Then going for a further run and re measuring. I've taken couple of spirit levels and tried to find the flattest surface I can on each occasion.
Then upon my return I usually leave the car on the road a few streets away and return 30 minutes for a final check. The final check is usually lower than after a run whereas I thought it should naturally be higher? Road is level too.
Very confusing.
There's a good guide to measuring the oil level here
http://www.revolution-porsche.co.uk/faq/check-oil-...
Yours is a 987 right?
http://www.revolution-porsche.co.uk/faq/check-oil-...
Yours is a 987 right?
You aren't going to be able to descern an oil drop in one journey. What you need to do is measure it every time you fill with petrol at the same petrol station(when warm). Add oil a bit at a time until you are near full, then don't add any until it's down low. Oil usage (to an extent) is normal when driving enthusiastically, but the dipstick mechanism makes measuring this v difficult. I think in your case it's probably 90% measurement issues 10% usage
I've had a good chat with Hartech earlier who helped me to understand the causes of bore score and how different remedies impact the longetivty of the motor. They're a helpful bunch! Definitely the first port of call for anyone with questions or engine issues. I'll be using them for all my servicing going forward.
Well I drove to my local Shell and it registered 3/4. Outside my house (on the road I thought was flat ) registered 1/4. A quick drive around and I returned to the same spot in Shell and it read 3/4. Outside my house 1/4. So, it seems that I'm the issue here, not the car!
Plus, more embarrassingly, I forgot that the car was picked up with 1/4 of oil in and it's now showing a steady 3/4. The 600ml I put it helped contribute to topping it up. That'll be 400ml or so to take it from 1/4 to 3/4.
So. It's using oil which in natural. But not 600ml per 600 miles!
What a plum!
Well I drove to my local Shell and it registered 3/4. Outside my house (on the road I thought was flat ) registered 1/4. A quick drive around and I returned to the same spot in Shell and it read 3/4. Outside my house 1/4. So, it seems that I'm the issue here, not the car!
Plus, more embarrassingly, I forgot that the car was picked up with 1/4 of oil in and it's now showing a steady 3/4. The 600ml I put it helped contribute to topping it up. That'll be 400ml or so to take it from 1/4 to 3/4.
So. It's using oil which in natural. But not 600ml per 600 miles!
What a plum!
Edited by cheshiredj7 on Wednesday 11th January 23:05
I have a paint mark on my drive which I park my 987's rear wheel next to. It's on a slight slant which tends to exaggerate the oil level.
I wait until the oil level is down 1 bar, put 400ml of oil in. It invariably show full. I note the mileage and check the oil level again regularly. Once its back down to the original level, I note the mileage and thereby deduce my oil consumption despite my slightly slanty drive.
I have noticed that the oil level hot is higher than cold. The cold level can also increase again if left for a further 24 hours,presumably as dregs of oil drain down into the sump, but its marginal.
I guess the rule is compare eggs to eggs...
I wait until the oil level is down 1 bar, put 400ml of oil in. It invariably show full. I note the mileage and check the oil level again regularly. Once its back down to the original level, I note the mileage and thereby deduce my oil consumption despite my slightly slanty drive.
I have noticed that the oil level hot is higher than cold. The cold level can also increase again if left for a further 24 hours,presumably as dregs of oil drain down into the sump, but its marginal.
I guess the rule is compare eggs to eggs...
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