I know lots of cup cars that run 50w. If tracking your car then I'd definitely go with a 50w. For DD stick with 40w. As for the cold weight depends on your climate but I'd error on the lighter side.

 

Mo, I was pulling as high as 1.56g's at ORP last week and no oil issues with the stock set up.

 

great info guys. thanks you so much and I would love to have this aproved list as well

 

I just use olive oil in my engine. It seems like just about the right viscosity, is low in polyunsaturated fat's and it only cost's me about $40 for an oil change.

 

Great idea as long as it is 5w-40 I will try it on my next change!!!

 

For clarification, 15W or 5W is the viscosity at temps other than operating temperature or simply put, for the cold start. It has to be extremely cold to even approach the 15W minimum temperature.

Understand that 5W-50 and 15W-50 are SAE certified to have identical viscosities at 210 degrees. The 5w and 15W merely shows the min start temp the oil is capable of.

Mobil1 0W-40 is known to have some shearing effect. Meaning when tested it has come up closer to a 30W oil after hard use. When used in my M3 this thinning of the oil causes it to end up being burned. I either use a non Mobil1 brand or 15W-50 in my M3 and have not had issues.

The SAE rating of the weight of the oil. IE 30,40,50 is based on operating temps of 210 degrees. If your engine operates at higher than 210 degrees then the oil is actually thinner than the advertised weight. This is why, among other reasons, many recommend a 50 weight oil in our Porsche's. Even on spirited drives I see closer to 215-225 degrees and during track days I can see as high as 275 degrees. At that temp 0w-40 is not doing much.

I know its easy to sit back and rest on the fact that 0w-40 is a recommended oil by Porsche but it does not mean its the best oil. Its simply Mobil1's advertised European Brand. Porsche does not tout Mobil1 for free and that is something to think about.

This thread is spinning out of control as our oil choice and thus discussions can almost be religious in nature.

Jason

 

I don't think it's spinning out of control yet Jason. Lots of good info here and a valid discussion. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

 

I use:

MOTUL 8100 X-cess 5W-40

I definitely burn less oil with this than Mobil 1 0W-40

 

Like Jason..... I like to do my Due Diligence!!

This looks pretty official to me....

PDF attached.

 

Here is the Aproved list. ( I read the how to on adding attachments).

There may be a newer one but this is the latest I have.

 

This is more targeted toward air-cooled, but goes into a lot of detail about oil choice.

http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html#Z5

 

Excellent Excellent source of information and it does directly address the M96 water cooled engines including the Porsche approved list.

I would read this, do your best to understand it, and then compare data sheets of some of the other recommended and non-recommended oils with Mobil1 0W-40.

Jason

 

I find this kit very interesting. Although its makes the oil changes a little more expensive with the high performance oil filter!

http://www.lnengineering.com/store/c...man-p-125.html

Jason

 

I went and got an oil change for my 05 997S today. I have used this mechanic for my BMW and Lexus a while and think he is competent. The mechanic has 4 older Porsches (944 Turbo and 9228), and I see occasional 996 and 997 getting service there as well.

He gave me a few options of oils that he uses in the shop: Total 5W40, DSP and Mobil1 15W50. Not remembering what I read from this thread, I chose his recommendation for Total 5W40. He showed me a brochure from Total that says it's Porsche approved. After draining the oil, he puts just a little over 8 quarts of oil in (less than 8.25). Then, 30 minutes for the electronic oil reading: FULL BAR!

After coming home to re-read this thread. Two questions linger in my mind:

1. I do not see Total on the Porsche approved list above. Is it OK to use Total 5W40 for 997S? Why does it matter if an oil is approved as long as the SAE class is one that is recommended for Porsche (5W40 in this case)? I saw an ad in past issue of Luxury Exotics from Total that states its 5W40 oil as compatible for all Porsche back to 1973 model. I am considering using Mobil1 15W50 in the future since I live in Southern Cal.

2. Full bar on the electronic oil measurement- does this mean that it's over-filled? In the future, should I ask mechanic to keep the level one bar below full. I see on the digital indicator bar there is a lower arrow one mark above empty and an upper arrow one mark below full. Is the optimal level just somwhere between the two arrows and not above the upper arrow?

Thanks for any advice

 

I put Total in my BMW... its the new name for ELF... fantastic oil!

No it should not matter if you use an approved oil or not. Some on here have concerns about warranty issues if you have engine problems but you use common sense with your oil choice you should be fine.

You should be fine with Total oil although the Mobil1 15w-50 will be cheaper.

I would fill to the top of the electronic meter but not over it. The 3.8L utilizes a 9 qt system and thus I would put 9 qts in it. ( you can probably only put in 8.25-8.5 of new oil due to oil getting trapped ). But if you are a bar low you should be fine.

Just as an FYI after doing a lot more reading, I will probably use Motul 5w-40 in the future. More expensive but its data sheet is a little better.

Jason