Oil level display working?

[pnocero]

I have purchased a 2007 Boxster, and the oil level display shows fill "over the top" -- all the bars including the top one are white.  The dealer where I purchased it told me they tend to put up to a quart of oil over the standard capacity as this won't hurt anything and provides a bit more protection.  I've put over 1,800 miles on the car, and the owner's manual states that I should be using up to two quarts of oil for this distance driven.  The in-dash display still shows "overfull."

 

My questions are: 

 

1.  Is there any problem if the dealer did in fact put extra oil in the last change?

2.  Is there any history of this display not reflecting the actual oil level?

 

Is there any way to confirm the actual oil level (other than draining and measuring it)?  I've considered draining the oil into a clean pan, checking the change on the display to make sure it works, and then re-adding (and re-measuring) the oil.  Any other ideas or recommendations?

[kbrandsma]

Oil overfill should be avoided. Excess oil can get pushed into the intake manifold to be burned and you risk extreme carbon deposits on the head surfaces as well as piston crowns which significantly reduce the threshold of detonation. These deposits won't go away.

I would strongly recommend that you drain some oil from the tank to the correct level. Just drop the oil filter and that will take care of about about 10 oz. or so.  You want the oil to top off at the second to the top mark.  The distance between the two marks (arrows) is 1.25 liters or about 42.3 oz.  IIRC each mark is about 4-6 oz.

 

Edited August 8, 2014 by kbrandsma

[pnocero]

Thanks, I guess I better drain some out.  But since I have put nearly 2,000 miles on the car with no change in the display, I need to ask if there is any history of this display not working, or maybe some wire being disconnected so the display always shows "full"?

[kbrandsma]

I have not heard of them failing. My 986 has both the display and dipstick and I have never used the dipstick but once or twice after I first bought the car. It must be very reliable for Porsche to drop the dipstick altogether.

 

I'd drop the oil filter and see if the level falls, Won't hurt!

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2014 by kbrandsma

[Hilux2400]

You can check if the display is recording different levels by parking the car at different angles and then checking the gauge. 

 

On my 996 it shows 1 bar down when level. Full when the back is down or tilting to the right and two bars down when tilting to the left slightly. 

 

So find a sloping parking area and some level ground and move the car around and do some checking when it's been stationary for a while.

[White987S]

 I've put over 1,800 miles on the car, and the owner's manual states that I should be using up to two quarts of oil for this distance driven. 

This would be on the very high end of Porsche's acceptable burn rate. Yours is not burning/comsuming much oil, and that's a good thing. But until your oil level is brought down, and within the gauge's readable range, you really-really won't know. That's one of the reasons you don't want to be above the full mark because you don't know if your're a ml over or a gallon over. Each bar is approv 350 ml of oil.