How much oil in a new car, first few thousand miles

[Jamie Garside]

Hi,

When I picked up my car, the dealer said would go through a lot of oil in the first fewKmiles.

My C2S has done 1,200 miles now. I used the oil measuring option on the on board computer and level seemed fine.

Q: New car owners, at what sort of mileage did you first have to top up the oil?

Jamie

 

[snarf]

Oil consumption is a big variable. Some claim to use very little, others fall close to the Porsche maximum spec limit of one litre per 1,000km, anything better than 3,000 miles per litre looks good. Unofficially an OPC rep hinted to me that people who drive their cars off the forecourt like they stole them tend do better oil consumption wise than those who run-in by the book.

 

[Ronnie C]

ORIGINAL: snarf

...Unofficially an OPC rep hinted to me that people who drive their cars off the forecourt like they stole them tend do better oil consumption wise than those who run-in by the book.

My experience with 2x 3.8 engines would echo this.

Make sure the engine has heated up properly, but then just give it some wellie!!

 

[Geoff_Fields]

I ran mine in by the book. Used only 1 litre of oil in first 5000 mls, which included a couple of track days. So it seems that oil consumption is a bit of a lottery, some drink more than others, just like us humans.[]

 

[garyw]

I ran it in as much as was possible, its used 3lts in 5K
Used the first 1ltr at 2K

Running out of stock at the moment, but a Trip to France is due in a couple of months []
This has been no different to any of the other Porsches I've owned.

garyw

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: snarf

Oil consumption is a big variable. Some claim to use very little, others fall close to the Porsche maximum spec limit of one litre per 1,000km, anything better than 3,000 miles per litre looks good. Unofficially an OPC rep hinted to me that people who drive their cars off the forecourt like they stole them tend do better oil consumption wise than those who run-in by the book.

3,500+ miles in 2 and a bit months just getting towards having to top my oil up for the first time (read approx half litre in next month). Ran in according to book and leaflet (C2S + X51) then drove it like I stole it.

 

[snarf]

Perhaps we should run a poll to see what variation there is out there across the different engine types. Anyone know how/want to volunteer to set this up?

 

[Chris5150]

Interestingly I did the first 500 miles at no more than 5k revs in the GT3...had to put a litre of oil in, got a bit concerned to be honest!. However now upto 1200 miles and have revved it a lot more etc and it is still full, so maybe it just likes to eat a little to 'settle in' during the early miles.I did go through a lot of posts on running in etc on renlist/renteam/speed9 etc all the forums, and it does seem to vary a lot the oil useage during run in, there defiantley is no set consumption. The biggest thing to look out for is sooted up exhausts, thats not a good sign!

 

[Jamie Garside]

Thanks guys, just wanted to make sure that relying on the oil guage wasn't a mistake - i was expecting to have put some in by now but will monitor over the next few weeks.

The OPC by mistake gave me 2 bottles of oil + 2 x leather velcro pouch to keep it in. Bonus!

 

[Jamie Garside]

And on running in, I have not had the car above 5k revs yet - Not that you need to on road use to be honest but looking forward to 2k miles or so when I can really welly it in lower gears.

 

[YvesD]

Mine hasnt used a drop ( according to the comnputer ) in the 900 odd miles since the X51 conversion.

It did use about 800ml in the first 3-4000 miles from memory.

Yves

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: Jamie Garside

but looking forward to 2k miles or so when I can really welly it in lower gears.

That's the best bit

 

[Bull996]

Its a well documanted fact (with VW anyway) that when the car is new it is important to use the full rev range from day one. If this is not done then the bedding in process is not completed and will result in higher oil use than usual. As you all seem aware on here, as long as the car is warmed up (and it has enough oil in it!) then driving hard will do no harm. In fact it will do it some good.

 

[snarf]

Did anyone here try this approach? http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: snarf

Did anyone here try this approach? http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

As all the engines are bench run in the factory anyway (throughout the rev-range) this doesn't apply here.
The engines are all run, oil drained out, fitted to the car, and refilled with new oil.

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett
As all the engines are bench run in the factory anyway (throughout the rev-range) this doesn't apply here.
The engines are all run, oil drained out, fitted to the car, and refilled with new oil.

Mark, how do you know this? Please forgive my scepticism, I don't wish to appear rude or antagonistic, but I've heard this said many times before but never seen any evidence for it. If the engines are run in, as opposed to just tested, I'm puzzled why the US version of the handbook states that the engine should not exceed 4,200rpm for the first 2,000 to 3,000km.

 

[dereksharpuk]

ORIGINAL: snarf

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett
As all the engines are bench run in the factory anyway (throughout the rev-range) this doesn't apply here.
The engines are all run, oil drained out, fitted to the car, and refilled with new oil.

Mark, how do you know this? Please forgive my scepticism, I don't wish to appear rude or antagonistic, but I've heard this said many times before but never seen any evidence for it. If the engines are run in, as opposed to just tested, I'm puzzled why the US version of the handbook states that the engine should not exceed 4,200rpm for the first 2,000 to 3,000km.

I have personally witnessed this at first hand in the factory

 

[dereksharpuk]

ORIGINAL: Geoff997

I ran mine in by the book. Used only 1 litre of oil in first 5000 mls, which included a couple of track days. So it seems that oil consumption is a bit of a lottery, some drink more than others, just like us humans.[]

Yes it is a lottery... but nothing to do with engine quality. Part of the 'problem' is the fact that the engine is a Boxer, ie flat 6. If the piston ring gap is at the bottom of the engine (they are free to rotate to any position on the piston), when the engine cools, it will suck oil through into the combustion chamber. This will then be blown out during the first 10 seconds after start. It is possible to lose up to a pint this way. I first noticed this on a track day in my 997S. After lunch, on starting the engine, there was so much oil smoke from the exhaust I thought I had blown the engine. Lucky an expert Porsche mechanic was on hand to explain all.

I subsequently needed over a pint to top up.

The fact that I then drove over 5000 miles without it needing any oil proved the mechanic was right

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: dereksharpuk
I have personally witnessed this at first hand in the factory

Well that's comforting to know and relieves those with high oil consumption from any guilt they may have been feeling from not running in correctly [].

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: dereksharpuk
Part of the 'problem' is the fact that the engine is a Boxer, ie flat 6. If the piston ring gap is at the bottom of the engine (they are free to rotate to any position on the piston), when the engine cools, it will suck oil through into the combustion chamber. . .

Good to see a logical explanation, I'd often wondered if consumption was anything to do with engine geometry. This would suggest that those engines experiencing mostly short journeys, i.e. more stop/starts per mile driven, will see higher consumption on average than those with longer journeys.