Porsche 996 oil

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 30, 2013
Messages
39
Location
Colorado
I have a 2002 996 c4s with the 3.6 60k, just purchased! The oil spec is 0w40 Mobil but I just wanted some other opinions. I am currently using Rotella T6 in my 850R and that seems to be a great oil for that vehicle. I also hear good things about the Penz Euro. Any info here would be good, thanks!! Let me know what you run in your Porsche, Thanks all
 
I think I would run 0w40 if I were lucky enough to have a Porsche. I run the 0w40 in the Mercedes, and I bought the last couple of jugs at WM for $22.47. Not enough price differential or cost savings at that price to justify using anything else....

And I run, or have run, the 0W40 in the T5 Volvo with great UOA results. So, you could run that one oil in both cars...
 
Last edited:
The Pennzoil Ultra Euro is a good oil too, but it's hard to get and as such costs more. M1 can be had for about $5-6/qt any day of the week from most auto parts stores. PU requires Internet ordering.
 
The t6 is for sure a great oil as far as spec sheets, personal opinions, and data analysis. I also think that cold start is good as well but a 0w40 may be better for the winter season. Another bonus, available almost everywhere, minus the Gap or JCPenny.
 
A40 oils I can buy in my little town:

Edge 0w-40
Edge 5w-40
M1 0w-40
Synpower 5w-40
LM 5w-40

T6 is not a bad choice, but if price is about the same then I'd go for an actual A40 spec oil. Ran a short run of T6 in the boxster when I first got it. No issues.

(Amsoil 5w-40's are also available here but are "recommended" for the spec, not actually spec'd)
 
Originally Posted By: ccb056
Mobil 1's 5w50 is also Porsche A40 approved

And it's very difficult to source in the States, costs more and at the end of the day is heavier than necessary for a street driven 996.
M1 0W-40 is the best oil choice of all the oils on the Porsche A40 list and it's cheap and readily available..
 
In Sep NAPA was having a sale on 5w50 ($5.99)
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catalo...6035_0006406863
I had 2 cases shipped to the store and picked it up a few days later.

Mobil 1's 0w40 in the Elan results in low oil pressure at idle after some spirited driving (autocross) most likely due to the turbo and 4qt sump size. Next season we'll see if the 5w50 holds up better.

But I agree, if the Porsche isn't driven hard 0w40 is probably the best bet.
 
Hi,
855R - I can confirm that M1 0W-40 is your best choice! The Porsche Factory cars based at Zuffenhausen/Nurburg(ring) use it and I also used this lubricant in the latest Porsche I owned
 
The car is going to be used for spirited driving on road but I will be running next season in NASA and maybe attend a few SCCA events. A 5w50 or 40 ay be better.
Originally Posted By: ccb056
In Sep NAPA was having a sale on 5w50 ($5.99)
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catalo...6035_0006406863
I had 2 cases shipped to the store and picked it up a few days later.

Mobil 1's 0w40 in the Elan results in low oil pressure at idle after some spirited driving (autocross) most likely due to the turbo and 4qt sump size. Next season we'll see if the 5w50 holds up better.

But I agree, if the Porsche isn't driven hard 0w40 is probably the best bet.
 
I'd start out with the 0w40 and see how it performs. If you have issues you can always fall back to the 5w50.

There's a thread at Rennlist that started 4 years ago and is still active about 5w50 in their Porsches (17 pages):
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-turbo-forum/511719-switched-to-the-mobil-5w-50-today.html

I started with 0w40 in the Lotus and ran that for a few of OCI's and in the spring I'll switch to 5w50. There are a couple of reasons I think I'm getting low oil pressure at idle after a few autocross laps

1. 200HP / 1.6L = 125 HP/L (pretty high power density for that engine)
2. 200HP / 4qts = 50 HP/qt (the small sump allows the oil to heat up faster, but it may not be large enough to keep all the heat until the air-oil cooler dissipates it, resulting in a thinner viscosity)

If the Germans did a better job than the English and Japanese at designing their engine and its lubrication system you may be fine with the 0w40.
 
dammit, not sure why that "40" made it in there. I meant to say that a 5w50 may be better.
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
855R - ??? M1 0W-40 is a "40"
 
So I decided to use the LiquiMoly 5w40 synthoil premium. Got it at a good cost, reviews and spec sheets look good as well but I have never used their products previously. There is definitely blue smoke on startup and not necessarily every time. I have resolved this issue on other vehicles in the past by switching weights, manufacturers, etc.. But I feel that LiquiMoly is a great manufacturer. Any thoughts or anyone else have this issue?
 
Originally Posted By: 855R
So I decided to use the LiquiMoly 5w40 synthoil premium. Got it at a good cost, reviews and spec sheets look good as well but I have never used their products previously. There is definitely blue smoke on startup and not necessarily every time. I have resolved this issue on other vehicles in the past by switching weights, manufacturers, etc.. But I feel that LiquiMoly is a great manufacturer. Any thoughts or anyone else have this issue?


Its normal for 996/997 motors to occasionally smoke a little bit on start up, mine does it maybe 3-5 times a year. The horizontally opposed motor tends to accumulate oil in the cylinders which can leak out and burn. Its especially pronounced if you start the car, move it a few feet and turn it off (like moving it out of the garage to wash it.), the next start up it will smoke.

If the smoking lasts for a long time, or is very thick, the problem could be the air/oil separator (AOS), which typically fail on these cars.
 
dont non turbo engines in the 996 have leak prone rear main seals? I would be wary of adding additives in the oil.


I would love to get a 996/997 turbo some day
 
Last edited:
They do. There is an updated seal that has largely gotten rid of the problem.

By the way, the 996 turbos are under $50k now. not chump change, but affordable.
 
Last edited:
I have had a few newer Porsches, waiting for the 997.1/.2 GT3 RS to drop more in price before picking up another P-car, but so far I've had...
- 2001 911 Turbo S from 38k to 57k
- 2006 Boxster S that was supercharged by the PO from 41k to 63k
- 2010 Cayman S from 27k to 35k
- 930 Turbo w upgraded KKK K04 Turbos
- 914 with a 3.8L Carrera S motor

I went from M1 0W40 to RL 5W40 and 5W50, and can honestly say that I never had a single issue. The oil temps on track were better by 18 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit going to RL 5W40, and I never lost a quart of oil.

I wish I still had a few of those, but BMW are my first love, and the only car that is free of a Roundel that will find itself in my "favorite car spot" in the garage, is a GT3 RS (4.0). Turbos are too soft, IMHO, too much compromise and I abhor AWD on anything that is supposed to be a performance vehicle. The GT2 are nice, but despite the power, and proper driven wheels, they are not really suited for track use without 10s of thousands in changes, but the limits are orders of magnitude greater than anything ever acceptable on the street.
The GT3 RS, well, I will just say that the first day I spent in one at the track, I was setting times as much as 7 seconds faster than stock Turbos, and I am far from a great driver (I consider myself mediocre). But to get into a car and be running with, or passing, significantly more powerful cars in the first 3-4 laps, it speaks volumes of the car's inherent ability.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top