engine oils

David Speir ( snipped-for-privacy@blueyonder.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Is it a low oil _level_ light, or pressure?

Is it burning it, then? Pull the cap off the coolant - is the water clean?

Mixing synth and mineral shouldn't cause any problem, and certainly won't cause vast amounts of oil to disappear rapidly...

Shouldn't cause a problem but its not normally recommended. If you are sure there are no oil leaks I'd check the coolant & look for oily, sludgy muck. Also look to see if its losing/using any coolant.

If that's clean then get a compression & leakdown test done.

If that checks out then next logical step is probably valve guides.

You should also read up on the correct procedure for checking the oil - no idea what it is but it maybe you should only check it when warm & that that will give you a vastly different reading from when cold (for example). This is the case with Ferrari 308/328s

On Porker 911's I know you have to check it with the engine running.

Establish if there is a specific method as to how you are supposed to do it (try a Porker bulletin board) and then check it every few days & see if you can plot how much its really using (if any).

Could even be that you just have a bad sender/gauge

I.

I.

Except that he said the level was at minimum on the dipstick. Again. That means it's either leaking (which he says it's not), or being stolen, which is unlikely, or being burnt.

Therefore engine wear is the culprit.

Steve

Hvae you tried checking for leaks when the car's running... i.e. on idle. See if anything's leaking underneath afterwards.

Assuming that conditions were the same wwhen he checked the oil (i.e. both times engine was hot/cold etc). As per my previous post, on some engines you will get vastly different readings depending on when & how you check the oil.

That said, from what he described I'd bet the thing is knackered!

I.

It would be nice to know how economical the mileage is on the dial? :o)

PDH

I have done this without problem, but have since been told it will turn the oil to jelly. I wouldn't take the chance again in case I have been very lucky in the past.

The 911 has no sump, it has a scavenger tank.

Does it give blue smoke from the exhaust?

a.n.other ( snipped-for-privacy@nother.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Just about everybody's done it, whether they know it or not. I've never heard of it turning the oil to jelly. Not once.

Do you not think that there would be warnings all over the packets if it did?

Thanks for all the replies. It appears Ian might have been right. The conditions were not the sam when I checked the oil and I didn't realise this would make such a big difference. I've kept an eye on it lately and the oil appears to be fine. Phew. Cheque book away to the back of the drawer again! Thanks again.

And of course you are correct. All API rated oils are miscible. Amsoil may not be API rated for reasons I don't want to go into but there is no reason that theirs should be any different with regard to mixing. As a general rule don't mix oils when refilling but don't worry about it if topping up between services.

Huw