Porsche - High Oil Consumption ???

Lookin for your thoughts on this one...

A buddy of mine / coworker has a Porsche Cayenne, the SUV, either 07 or 08 (its like 3 weeks old). He & I were chatting today, and he told me he is down a quart. Moreover, the dealer told him its normal! To quote him:

They say up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is normal!

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The oil is 0w40, so maybe because its so thin?? Call me crazy, or maybe I am used to American engines, but doesn't that seem to be extremely excessive oil consumption?

it does seem like a very high rate of oil consumption. however if you consider that it is a high performance engine with likely tighter tolerances than domestic vehicles, it may require the thinner oil to achive the proper lubrication and thus burns fairly easily. just my thought

metalmacguyver said:

it does seem like a very high rate of oil consumption. however if you consider that it is a high performance engine with likely tighter tolerances than domestic vehicles, it may require the thinner oil to achive the proper lubrication and thus burns fairly easily. just my thought

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along the same lines, tighter tolerances would lead to less oil consumption, no?

I'm sure Porsche has their own guidelines as to what normal oil consumption is for their models.

On GM's, their current acceptable rate is no more than 1 qt in 2000 miles. They changed it several years ago, it used to be no more than 1 qt in 1000 miles just like what Porsche is saying now.

Even high priced vehicles have some quirks that might have be "lived with". however, if this vehicle is a new one, it may take a little time to tell if it's really using oil excessively. If he's only had it three weeks, what's to say the oil level might not have been right at the full mark when he bought it or that the rings might need more time to seat properly.

But if he wants to pursue it, he needs to have an "Oil Consumption Test" performed by the dealer. I don't know how they'd do it but we have to do it by.............

Change the oil & filter on an engine that's currently at it's operating temperature

Test drive the vehicle to warm up the new oil to it's operating temperature

Park the vehicle in a level bay with eninge off & let sit for 5 minutes

Check oil level & scribe a mark on the indicator (dipstick)

Fill out the consumption document sheet with mileage, engine temp, date, & oil level

Inform customer to bring the vehicle back again in about 500 miles

(Customers 2nd visit), Make sure vehicle is at the same temperature as it was on the consumption document sheet

Park vehicle in a level bay with engine off & let sit for 5 minutes

Check oil level & compare current oil level to the scribed mark

Compare findings with previous findings on consuption document sheet

If it is at the scribed mark or appears to be around 0.5 qt low, do not add oil & inform customer to bring vehicle back in another 500 miles & recheck again with the same procedures as before

If the next visit is a qt low, (that would work out to 1 qt in 1000 miles) then it's excessive oil consumption according to GM guidelines

So many oil consumption tests are done inaccurately or without care, causing repairs to be performed on an engine that isn't using oil excessively or not getting repairs done on an engine that actually is using oil excessively.

The General won't let us perform an oil consumption test on a new vehicle with less than 5000 miles though. They want to know the engine had enough time to at least try & seat the rings properly. That's a big factor with most Buicks & Cadillacs because most of those buyers are senior citizens that take short trips in their cars to the corner store or church never allowing a full engine warmup.

du510 said:

along the same lines, tighter tolerances would lead to less oil consumption, no?

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i am by no means an expert on this subject. i am just trying to think it out.

i agree that would seem like it makes sense. but would the thinner oil break down faster than heavier oil? so much faster that it still manages to burn off quickly despite the tighter tolerances?