Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

997.2 Engine problems and oil use

glenwells

Well-known member
Joined
20 Aug 2015
Messages
182
Hi All,

After saving for a long time and heavily stretching my budget last December I bought a 997.2S PDK with all whistles and bells etc. I went for that type so that I would not have engine 'concerns' for a 997.1S that has not had a full Hartech or other rebuild. I know there are many owners on original trouble free engines so no offence intended.

When I bought the car I had my checklist with me ; bodywork, brakes, leaks, interior, history and paperwork, handling and noises on test drive etc.
I missed one important point!

The day after I got the car home I cleaned it as you do and went for some super unleaded and checked the oil - down all bars nothing showing on the elec gauge! There were no other warnings 'check oil' 'low oil' etc.

I rang the garage to express my concerns and that I would be keeping a check on the level.

It took 1.6L in 400ml increments to bring it to the full level - checked twice on level ground. I do miss an old fashioned dipstick.

Keeping this short I have covered 1722 miles since putting the oil level back to the full mark. I that time I have had to add oil several times, a total of 2.8L has been added. I have kept a record of useage. That works out at 1L every 600 miles and it is showing one bar down now.

I have had a number of Porsches over the last twenty five years and that cannot be right. The car is using oil like a chainsaw. The exhausts are completely blackened and sometimes on acceleration - as in the car drops a gear or two there is some grey smoke at the rear of the car. There are no oil drops on my driveway.

On adding the last amount of oil and working out how much it is using I have made arrangements for the car to go to the main Porsche dealer to be checked. They want it for two days and it goes in in a couple of weeks due to needing a curtesy car.

Trying to stay positive but really taken the shine off what was supposed to be something really special.

I totally get that internet diagnosis is not an option but have any other members had experience with 997.2 like this?

wishing I had kept my old 911.

Regards
Glen :nooo:
 
If it were me, I would take it to Hartech rather than a main dealer. You would get more options from Hartech should it need major work.
 
My guess is opc will check for leaks and give it a compression test and say it's ok and oil usage is within spec.

If it's not under their warranty, try an oil change 10w50 and see if that slows consumption.

Good luck.
 
thanks for post info

Thanks for the link.

I read it earlier.
My car was bought with 40K on it so it is unlikely it is still running in before oil consumption drops.
I noted that two contributors to that forum string went on to other posts reporting that they needed to have engine replacements - mdrums and gopirates.

Seems they had scored bores but not due to 977.1 issues but due to missaligned piston or piston ring.

we will see.
 
It's very rare though mate. How does the car perform ? Any other symptoms like tapping noises ?
 
Sorry to hear about your oil consumption issues. Think it is a bad show that the car came from a dealer where the oil level had not been checked.

May turn out that the oil consumption is indeed within Porsche limits, so maybe nothing to worry about.

After inspection by Porsche, and assuming it is is OK, why not roll in the 111 point check and get the official Porsche warranty for either 12 or 24 months? This would give total peace of mind, and allow you to enjoy the car.
 
There does seem to be very few problems with these engines.

However the 5 we have seen all had the same problem - that the cylinder bores at one end of the crankcases have gradually shrunk smaller in the thrust direction (opposite what they did in the earlier Gen 1 engines) and eventually the piston clearance was too small for the expanding piston which scored - easy to see though with a boroscope.

It is impossible for us to have on opinion on how widespread this may or may not be nor how many miles the engines need to cover before it might (note MIGHT) become a problem.

I doubt it is that but if it persists get a boroscope done and please let me know the outcome if there is a problem as at this early stage in trying to assess the scale of the problem - all information helps however small.

Baz
 
Thanks for info

Hi,

Checking with the manual the max Porsche now says for oil use is 633 miles per Lire = 100K/L. That seems really high equal to putting oil in with every petrol fill up!

If my calculations are correct, and I have no reason to doubt my maths as I kept a spreadsheet of when and how much oil was added, then I am at 1722 miles and 2.8L oil. That works out to 615 per Litre or a bit worse as still one bar down now (up to 400ml).

I did buy a warranty from the dealer and contacted the warranty company about getting the car checked.
Rather disconcerting reply as they said if checked and no mechanical failure I get the bill ok I see that. Also - if it is a mechanical fault take it up with the dealer as the fault was there a point of purchase and therefore not a warranty claim!! nice.

Thanks BAZ for the additional info I follow your threads with interest.

ta
Glen
 
to Alfaian

Alfaian - It's very rare though mate. How does the car perform ? Any other symptoms like tapping noises ?

It may be my imaginations but I do feel that my last 911 a 996 3.6L C2 manual was more responsive but do not see how can that be given this is the 3.8S with quite a few more horses.

Yes there is a tapping sound not very loud from the left of the engine and in time with engine revs. The sound is constant and does not go away when warm. Trying to convince myself it is just the timing belt.

ta
Glen
 
Re: to Alfaian

glenwells said:
Alfaian - It's very rare though mate. How does the car perform ? Any other symptoms like tapping noises ?

It may be my imaginations but I do feel that my last 911 a 996 3.6L C2 manual was more responsive but do not see how can that be given this is the 3.8S with quite a few more horses.

Yes there is a tapping sound not very loud from the left of the engine and in time with engine revs. The sound is constant and does not go away when warm. Trying to convince myself it is just the timing belt.

ta
Glen

Hi glen, you mean auxiliary belt as there's no timing belt on these :thumb:

Yes it could be the sound of the belt or the hydraulic tappets. You would definitely know the sound of a piston hitting the cylinder head.

Anyway, if you're any good with spanners, try taking the spark plugs out and see how they look. It's not a difficult job but on the dfi engine, I believe they can coke up and be difficult to extract so take it easy.

I would change the plugs oil and filter using 10w50 millers nano. Simple job and plenty of videos online to help and see how it performs after. Should be a lot different to the 996 C2.

Inspecting the plugs should give you more of an idea what's going on.

If they are all the same, I can't see there's much going wrong and you've bought a car that likes oil. They are out there. If you have 1 or 2 plugs scooted more than others then, you have a problem in the cylinders they came out of.

If so, get bores inspected and go from there.

Good luck with the warranty company :frustrated:

:thumb:
 
To Alfaian

Hi

The car is going into Porsche Exeter on the 16th May. I hope that the points you have suggested will form part of their investigation.

Will keep you posted as to what they find if they do find anything.
I cannot see me keeping the car if it is going to continue to use that much oil! Cannot see how that will do the engine any good long term - gunking everything up etc.

Last car I had that used quite a bit of oil, about a litre every thousand miles, was a 1980 Volvo 240 with 125K miles and it had a busted piston ring!

ta
Glen
 
Glen, they will do a compression test on all 6 cylinders and have the plugs out.

Opc now do video presentations so ask for one and a look at the plugs and link it up here. Hopefully they will anyway.

Gen2 owners will be interested to know the outcome :thumb:
 
Re: Thanks for info

glenwells said:
That works out to 615 per Litre or a bit worse as still one bar down now (up to 400ml).

I was under the impression that each bar represents 200ml. :?:

Worth checking, as you do not want to be overfilling.
 
Re: Thanks for info

DRZ911 said:
glenwells said:
That works out to 615 per Litre or a bit worse as still one bar down now (up to 400ml).

I was under the impression that each bar represents 200ml. :?:

Worth checking, as you do not want to be overfilling.
100% 400ml. Only know this for sure as I had to double check the book before a top up earlier in the week
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,350
Messages
1,439,417
Members
48,707
Latest member
race911turbo
Back
Top