After 5,000 miles: Oil consumed = None !?

[ttocs]

I bought my 2004 986 Tiptronic with a 2.7 with 30,000 miles on it a year ago and almost immediately had the oil changed. I think they used a Castrol oil, a special type this independent uses for their racing customers. They checked the old oil and filter for signs of trouble and didn't find any.

 

A few months later I had a bunch of things taken care of by a different mechanic, one of which was another oil change. This garage used Mobil 1 0-40 and the occasional noise on startup became almost nonexistent. 5,000 miles later I'm getting ready to change the oil again and I can't see that any oil has been consumed. The oil also looks pretty clean, even so I will send a sample for analysis. I was under the impression that these engines use oil, but mine has not done so. I checked often initially but when I saw that the level was always the same (using the dip stick) I backed off to checking less often, but I do use the cluster gauge often. So now that the magic number of miles between oil changes has come along I'm wondering if others have had the same experience.

Edited September 4, 2016 by ttocs

[wizard]

2003 2.7 Tiptronic. Little or no oil consumption. Mobil 1 0W40. Owned from new.

 

After all these years, still an absolute joy to drive each and every time.

 

Happy motoring !

[Guest]

Had the 2.7 engine with no oil consumption at 40000 miles. Now I swapped the 996 3.6 engine and no oil consumption.

5000 miles it's way to early to change the oil BTW.

 

[ttocs]

1 hour ago, sergiu said:

5000 miles it's way to early to change the oil BTW.

 

Really? With all the reading I've done regarding oil change frequency I've come away with believing that 5k miles or 1 year is the recommendation for my car. The 1 year mark comes up in a couple months.

 

So then, what is the recommended change interval with Mobil 1 oil?

 

Thanks wizard and sergiu for your replies.

Edited September 4, 2016 by ttocs

[JFP in PA]

Changing your oil at 5,000 miles is an excellent idea, regardless of the oil brand you use.

[ttocs]

Thanks JFP.

[Guest]

Unfortunately like any other forum related to cars or not you will hear a lot of opinions.

The recommended change interval is 15k or 12 months- whichever is first. And that is appropriate for a German car using full synthetic oil. I know ppl born in the 50's that still change the oil every 3000 miles regardless of manufacturer recommendations. They can't understand that technology changed.

Even if my 2013 Ford  F150 recommends 10000 miles oil change - semisyntetic the Ford mechanic from quickline still writes 3000 miles return - he he. The car computer tells me different thou.

Doing it more often is a waste of money but certainly would not hurt the engine. 

I wouldn't  not use anything else than Mobile 1 0/40.

 

[JFP in PA]

11 minutes ago, sergiu said:

Doing it more often is a waste of money but certainly would not hurt the engine. 

I wouldn't  not use anything else than Mobile 1 0/40.

 

Unfortunately, years of used oil analysis shows this to be wrong.  The optimal way to determine when to change oil would be to test the virgin oil for total base number, and then sample the oil periodically until the TBN drops more than 50%, indicating that the oil is "falling out of grade" by losing its original physical and rheological characteristics.  Even with full synthetic oils like you have chosen, this happens much earlier than 15,000 miles.  And in the case of some full synthetics, it can happen in as little as 3,000 miles, significantly reducing the oils ability to protect internal components.  Our standing recommendation for changing your oil at 5,000 miles is based upon years of collected UOA data, not manufacture's recommendations, which are part of their marketing programs.

 

Fortunately, there are now other oil choices which have demonstrated vastly improved UOA data that is well beyond M1's 0W-40 capabilites.

[ttocs]

28 minutes ago, JFP in PA said:

Fortunately, there are now other oil choices which have demonstrated vastly improved UOA data that is well beyond M1's 0W-40 capabilites.

Are you referring to Joe Gibbs oil I've read about in some older posts here at Renntech? 

[JFP in PA]

11 minutes ago, ttocs said:

Are you referring to Joe Gibbs oil I've read about in some older posts here at Renntech? 

 

Joe Gibbs DT 40 is one candidate, and there are others.

[ttocs]

1 hour ago, JFP in PA said:

 

Joe Gibbs DT 40 is one candidate, and there are others.

So after re-reading some info on JG DT40, there is the recommendation to "flush" using the JG break-in oil for a few hundred miles. Is this what you'd recommend?

[White987S]

I've had several Porsches (Boxster 987S, 993 Turbo, and now a 991S). None have used oil between changes.  I am very happy with the Mobil 5W50. Porsche A40 approved. Excellent Blackstone UOAs. I have changed every 5,000 miles.

[JFP in PA]

14 hours ago, ttocs said:

So after re-reading some info on JG DT40, there is the recommendation to "flush" using the JG break-in oil for a few hundred miles. Is this what you'd recommend?

 

The procedure to first flush with another oil was developed by a leading Porsche engine builder who is known to be fastidious about how to care for these engines, and was designed to remove all traces of whatever oil was being replaced.  That said, a simple complete drain and a new filter before switching oils will do just fine for the average owner.

[ttocs]

Thanks White987S for the response. Yes, I'm a big fan of Blackstone Labs. I've only done one UOA with a Focus ST with 50k on it, but I was interested in what 35k miles of K&N filter usage would show. Their report said that the oil could've gone beyond the 5k interval and no contamination found. This will be my first opportunity for a UOA on the Porsche since learning about analysis.

 

Thanks again JFP for the helpful info. Good to know that the spacetime continuum won't be upset if I choose to begin using JG DT40 without a flush. Happy about saving a buck and a quarter.

 

ps: FWIW I usually drive the Tip in manual mode, generally keep the rpm around 2.5k - 3k, since it's not a daily driver it's a rare occasion for short stint driving - mostly long drives, also the floor is familiar with what the backside of the throttle pedal feels like.

Edited September 5, 2016 by ttocs