Oil Level Gauge - 993

Oil Level Gauge - 993

Author
Discussion

993buyer

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

222 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
When Peter Morgan inspected my 993 he pointed out the the oil level gauge didn't work although the oil level was fine.

When I drove the car home the gauge seemed to show the oil level as fine every time I stopped (on the M25 car park), and then dropped into the red when I accelerated away, which is how I guess the gauge works?

But when I used the car at the weekend the gauge was in the red all the time, parked or moving, when the engine was hot.

Should I get this looked at and fixed or are they 'all like that sir'?

tertius

6,858 posts

231 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
Personally I wouldn't trust the gauge.

Use the dipstick - the engine must be running, to temperature, car parked on a level surface.

There is a detailed description here:

www.993faq.com/archives/cat_engine.html#000124

FYI, this site www.993faq.com/ is a mine of useful information, as is www.p-car.com/

clorenzen

3,682 posts

236 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
I have the same problem on my 996. When it is cold and just out of the garage it hovers around the 1 mark. 15 mins into the drive it jumps up to the required (3.5) level at 3000 rpms. Probably the sensor needs replacing so I will take it in this week and let you know of the outcome.

diesel

70 posts

251 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
drive the car, get the engine oil hot, stop and let the engine tick over for a couples of minutes, the gauge should now show the correct level of oil on the gauge. anyother time when the car is been driven the gauge will properbly show nothing.
regards andy 993 C2

993buyer

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

222 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
Yes I realised that was how it should work.

But sometimes mine seems to show the oil level as okay, and other times it seems to show nothing at all even though I'm using the parked/idle technic.

Just wondered if the gauges are renowned for being unreliable but not worth fixing. Or if I should get it sorted because they are usually reliable and ultra-handy.

tertius

6,858 posts

231 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
993buyer said:
Just wondered if the gauges are renowned for being unreliable but not worth fixing. Or if I should get it sorted because they are usually reliable and ultra-handy.


The former. It has a dipstick for checking the oil level.

verysideways

10,240 posts

273 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
From what i understand it's the sender rather than the guage, but yes they are known to be "idiosynchratic"

clubsport

7,260 posts

259 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
The 993 guages are nowhere near as responsive or useful as the ones on the Sc & 3.2 carreras.

I would check the electrical connections on the senders are clean, slight corrosion can stop a reading showing at the guage. I also find you the car to be hot rather than warm with a good quantity of oil rather than nearer to the lower end of the dipstick scale.

in shortusing the dipstick when is engine hot on flat ground is the only way to get a correct reading.

A993LAD

Original Poster:

1,644 posts

222 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
Right I'll check the dipstick then.

As it's just been serviced at my local (and completely crap) OPC I'm terrified that the gauge might be completely accurate and the engine might contain absolutely no oil whatsoever!!!!

johnny senna

4,046 posts

273 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
A993LAD said:
Right I'll check the dipstick then.

As it's just been serviced at my local (and completely crap) OPC I'm terrified that the gauge might be completely accurate and the engine might contain absolutely no oil whatsoever!!!!



I find that the engine needs to be REALLY hot before you get a proper oil level reading. If the engine isn't hot enough, you get an artificially low reading on the guage. You can damage these engines by over filling them with oil. You basically want the engine oil half way to 2/3 up the dipstick when the engine is red hot. In my car, the oil guage is acurate once the engine oil is up to temp, otherwise it under reads......this might be what you is happening to you, don't over fill the car.....it might be that you have enough oil in there already.

verysideways

10,240 posts

273 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
what he said

make sure the oil temp is at the 1/3 mark at least (8 o'clock?)

Melv

4,708 posts

266 months

Monday 12th December 2005
quotequote all
And before you do it, see here:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=227687&f=48&h=0

Mel

Andy_Clap

129 posts

270 months

Thursday 15th December 2005
quotequote all
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 temp 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.
As mentioned above, anything less that about 15 minutes normal driving is unlikely to get the thermostat open, and therefore an accurate reading on the level gauge.

Cheers
Andy