Hi All, The 993 oil change - a bit more work, but worth doing yourself! Anyone know of another car with two oil filters?? A quick shout-out to Jakob on his channel "911%": ua-cam.com/channels/gWDHTkNPAE6ArDdWVB5ugw.htmlfeatured He has amazing 993 content around his C4S and a great oil change video: ua-cam.com/video/gfbm4Rcc6x4/v-deo.html He has always been one of my inspirations. I forgot to mention in the video, but the fall oil change is because we don't drive the car much through the winter months and I don't want it sitting all winter with dirty-ish oil. I need to get the 308 on this schedule and the 356 gets two oil changes a year - Spring and Fall. Thanks, Franny
Hey Fran next time if you change the oil filter underneath the engine and want to avoid a mess just use sharp steel pinch and hammer it through the filter , keep a funnel with a hose connected to it at hand pull the pinch out and put the funnel underneath it so you have more control on routing the waste oil !! Great video thanks
That is a great idea. I forgot the one on the engine did that, but it makes sense. Horizontal or vertical filters aren't as prone to that much leaking. That was a miss on my part. Thanks for the tip! Franny
It's been a few years since I did the oil on my '97 993 so this was a good refresher. Happy to say it went off without a hitch! I was curious what my local Porsche dealer charges for an oil change so I gave them a call. They quoted me $620!!! I bought everything for this oil change a few years ago so I can't remember what I paid, but based on current prices for the filters, crush washers, o-ring, and Brad Penn oil, I saved around $455 by doing it myself. Now I just need to figure out what I want to spend that 'saved' money on!
What a well presented video. I watched all the 993 oil change videos on YT and yours provided the best explanations by far. I was able to DIY the oil change on my car for the first time (as opposed to paying shop rates) in 10 yrs of ownership without recreating the Exxon Valdez. FWIW I found the product “form a funnel” to be super useful - like your repurposed water bottle. Thank you.
Great video! Love your personality. Also love your garage set up with lifts and multi car storage. Consider doing a video on how to configure a 2 car garage the way you have done yours.
wow! what a great tip without saying anything. check the oil level by placing the stick on a rag.. I have struggled every time to see where the heck it is on the tip stick. thank you so so much. constant viewer. Pat
My "new" 993 just arrived yesterday.. Your video will be very helpful tomorrow when I change the oil. It has many miles on it (150k+) so I have elected to use 15w-50. I love that you continue to film your video, even with a smudge or two on your face. Truly loved seeing that. I have followed you with my other P cars. Always a great help....
Did my first oil and BOTH filter change a month ago. I don't have a 'lift', just a jack + jackstands - all done in my (narrow) garage. Took me 2+ hours in total. Don't forget to torque down everything to spec and DO change the crush washers and rubber o ring. It's VERY satisfying!
I'm the òwner of a 1996 Carrera 2, and boy, I had no idea that much was involved with changing the oil on that car. Now I know why it freakin costs so much, lol. You ladies are amazing. Great channel.
Thanks so much!! It is a little nutty, but not really all that difficult. Still, Porsche went all out with two oil filters... Two? What other car has two oil filters?? It also has 12 spark plugs and two distributors..
As a fellow 95' 993 Cabriolet owner GOOD job putting this DIY together. I do all my own work myself as well. These are not that complicated to maintain IMHO. You guys have a sweet collection of rides BTW! Sub'd.
This is a great video. Now I know how to do an oil change myself if I happen to buy a 1993-1997 Porsche 993 911. I will use this video as a reference for owners that want to do their own oil change
We use Mobil one 15-50 on these 3.6 air cooled engines. Less leakage and consumption than 5-40. I just don’t trust using thinner oils on the air cooled engines and won’t go below 15 weight on the lower number. On the water cooled 996 we use Shell Rotella T6 5-40 Diesel oil. I think Porsche wanted to have one oil viscosity universal, thus recommended later to use the thinner oil. That small filter on the engine doesn’t get changed as often as the large filter, because it only filters the oil for the hydraulic lifter system, and is not full flow. Some people prefer to change it every time so as not to leave any more dirty oil in the engine than necessary. It’s a good idea to change that oil line O ring as it gets cooked from the heat, and tends to leak once it is tampered with. Good video and good advice!
Wow Franny, that really looks like a heck of an involved job! But as usual, you made it look super easy-breezy. I really find your DIY videos to be above all, a great lesson for how to stay organized and approach tricky car issues with patience and confidence. They give all of us hope, Haha! Certainly a concept worth subscribing to. Congrats on 3k!
Sounds good to me Franny. I think we are both close enough to agree on. I did not see the 3.2 video as I’m just getting through the 993 vids. Thanks again. Keep them coming. I love the DIY videos on the car. I learn a lot. Sk
Ya asked me to comment here also, so here’s my input. Love all the vids, and it’s great people like you guys, that make performance, and automotive care fun. Having read where others had “calibrated” their oil level gauge, led me to doing mine. Really easy fix, to the factory’s failing to worry about the dipstick, and the gauge not reading the same. You may wanna order a new gasket for float assembly before doing this. I was able to use mine, but if it tears while pulling it out, wouldn’t be good. Pull pass rear fender liner back far enough to have clear access to tank float assembly. Carefully remove nuts from the butt welded studs (don’t break these off when loosening/tightening). Pull float assembly, carefully make a downward bend on float arm. It should be an estimate, and incremental at the most. I lucked out, and had it work the first time. Now with my oil level on dipstick at ~2/3rd, the gauge (warmed up/level) reads at the correct level. Hope this helps. Aloha
Thanks Chuck! I'm glad you felt that. I was struggling against super high winds that day (gusting past 50 mph) and a bit more mess than usual. It was a day! Franny
Excellent class! Thank you very much for sharing this information! The cars are wonderful. As I mentioned before, I have known your channel a while ago but I am already following it with great pleasure! Receive my greetings here from Brazil!
I love when you take out the DME relay, it is smart on a M64 engine to let out some air and put the pressure up before it runs. and also the correlation between the gauge and the dipstick. Smart and thorough :)
Love your videos, thank you for doing them! I am a big dyi person and just picked up a 97 993 carerra....my gosh is the oil change a lot more entailed than my 17 991.2 gts! Thanks again for the video!
It really is a thing huh? The 996 is a breeze in comparison (as is the 3.2). I'm sure they had a good reason for all the fuss. I know they wanted the tank forward of the rear axle and I know there is a good reason for the second filter, but I don't know what that is. The 993 is a truly amazing and beautiful car.
Thanks for responding. I have another issue that thought was minor until I started looking into it. The drivers door check strap is clicking. It doesn't appear to be the actual mechanism, like it usually is. It's where the strap attaches to the body pillar....it clearly moves when opening and closing the door. The check strap is a relatively easy replacement....but the attachment piece on the body has no fasteners? Amy ideas how to tighten that piece without welding, cutting or painting? Car only has 45k miles and is in excellent condition?
Good video, love how the ladies are all business and don;t get a drop of oil on their cloths! here are my notes on simplifying things: -No special grease is needed on the oil filter to seal it, just use a little of the old oil to do this. -Both filters can be replaced through the wheel well w/o lift using jack stands -The only part that needs to be disconnected on the 1996+ cars with Varioram (with 4 oxygen sensors) is the rear connection of the rubber duct leading to the passenger side heater valve -The metal oil tube does not need to be removed as getting every last drop of the old oil out is not necessary -Not sure why the driver side rubber heater duct boot was removed. On a 4 oxygen sensor Varioram car it is not necessary -If you put 10 quarts in, without draining the oil lines as most don't, you are overfilling the engine -The small oil filter can be changed w/o removing the transmission under tray shield through the wheel well -Any oil spilled on suspension components or shield while removing the smaller filter can be cleaned off with a little CRC spray electric motor cleaner. -The idea that you should crank the engine with the relay out seems like overkill as oil pressure comes back up in just a moment when starting the car -On most cars the flex oil filler neck has been removed are gone now and a regular long neck funnel works great and doesn't break down and drop plastic debris in your oil tank like the flex neck has proven to do.
Thanks for all that Andrew. I was trying to show as complete a process as possible... I find that with engine oil on the filters they tend to stick. The silicone grease make it much easier to remove them in the future. Feel free to omit any steps you feel are superfluous. Thanks again for the tips!
Thank you very much for your video, I've watched many, many videos of 993 Oil change issue and after your detailed description now I' m planing to do by myself. Great job !!!
That's great! It really isn't that bad... After you do it once you'll be really comfortable with it. The hardest part is if the oil filters are stuck on. You can drive a screwdriver through them if that is the case, but it does make a mess! poke a hole in the bottom first to let it drain if you need to go that route. The one on the engine is best reached from the front reaching back. The rest is all very straightforward. Good luck :)
Well, actually, they make other lifts for cheaper, if you do not want to use for storage. We expanded our garage (we have a direct lift video that you can check out). We also have a friend with a Max Jack lift. We talk about it briefly in the VW Beetle vs. 356 Compare. We have two of those videos. It is the older one of the two (one with more views). Check those videos out. I have heard of several people including myself who have family or friends die from working on cars without a good lift. If you do not have a lift, consider renting space by the hour or making sure you have tires stacked in addition to jack stands. I am a safety girl, very important. I hope you figure out what you need and can afford. Thanks for the compliment to Franny. She does do great DIYs. Heidi
Hi Brian, good luck with your oil change! Let me know if there are any questions you run into. I think the worst part is if the filters are stuck. Be safe under the car :) Franny
I wonder if it's peculiar to Porsches, my 993 has 126,000 miles on the clock but the oil is always clean on the dipstick, much like the colour of the oil in this video, on most cars it's black as tar by the time the annual oil change is due. Great video, thank you.
Great job Franny and thanks for sharing it! About the gauge.... my understanding is that it measures oil in the tank as the oil travels in and out of the engine as needed. At low idle, we should see the gauge needle at the top ( lots of oil in tank ready to use). As the rpm goes up the oil is drawn into motor and the gauge will drop to the red zone. It means all the oil is in the motor. So if you run your gauge in the middle, could it mean you don’t quite have enough oil for the motor as the rpm gets up? Not sure. Anyway, great job! I’m now going through all your 993 videos and really enjoying them! I wish I could stay as clean as you when I work on the car😄
Hi Stephen, From what I've read and from my personal experience the half way mark on the gauge corresponds to about 3/4 on the dip-stick and any more and the engine seems to expel it. You are correct on the movement of the oil from the tank to the engine and this only occurs when the engine is good and warm. The most definitive check is going to be that dip-stick. I use the gauge on the dash mostly to let me know if the oil level is dropping over the change interval but not as an accurate measure. Does that make sense? On the 3.2 Carrera oil change video we did I show the movement of the gauge at the end (they have the same system). It is kind of interesting to see... Franny
Pro tips are on point! ;) I don't have a lift so I am not looking forward to doing this...............at all. Thanks for the info. You made it look so easy!
Just be careful getting the car up on stands. Or,... Check out your area and see if there is a garage you can rent time in. It should still be cheaper than having a shop do it. Just a thought... :)
Not to start an oil war, but you should consider using a better one, with higher zinc content for our older flat tappet style engines. Nicely done video, that little oil filter is such a PITA. Snap On makes a smaller oil filter wrench that fits up there without having to remove the oil line but you do have to remove the metal hot air tube to pull the filter out of the rear instead
Jarrett Barnett I always appreciate comments. It’s not a war. We have done lots of research on oil. The oil we have does has plenty of Zinc which is why we use this one in all our newer cars. It’s also more readily available if you get into a pinch than some of the boutique ones. I maybe would like to try some of these other boutique oils at some point, but we are diligent about oil changes and I think we are good. As far as the line goes, I am not sure if Franny is going to do that every time. I think she has another way that she will probably show next year. Thanks for your suggestions. Heidi
What really matters is the phosphorous in the Zink Dialkil Dithiophosphate (Zddp or its short : Zinc). But it looks like that you're not letting it build up in the engine parts. You're dumping a lot of not reacted ZDDP in that catch bucket, so why bother putting a higher load of it?
Great class and video! But what a complex design. Earlier cars very easy oil change, 993s that is the complexity we see, 996/997, very easy, and now 991 again difficult. The old oil color was very light - I might leave it there a little longer given the size of the job ;).
I haven't been close enough to a 991 to see the oil change process. So, it is a bear? Yeah, we just don't drive the car that much and I do use synthetic which seems to look a little cleaner when it drains all things being equal. I knew it would be sitting for most of the winter so probably better to sit with cleaner oil? I can't believe that second filter does all that much and did we really have to route that oil line directly under it?? Really? Transition car I suppose... Franny
It is strangely different than the other 911s. I've always thought it was funny they changed so much of bits they didn't move over on to the 996. This whole oil system is a good example. It does make for a very special car! Franny
Why do you choose to use Mobil 1 oil vs LiquiMoly oil? When I bought my 2014 VW GLI it had Castol Synthetic oil from the dealer. After I converted to LQ Molytec (green oil with dye built in to spot any oil leaks) my oil consumption went way down. I burn 1 qrt oil every 5K miles when I do my oil change. I think LQ is definitely a superior oil vs other oils, especially for german cars.
Believe it or not.. after I watch your video 2 days ago. I found a 1997 carrera coupe. Today I went to have a look at this 993. It looks sharp. The car has 77k miles. Very clean and many replacement already.. would like to share a picture of this car with you. I’d put a deposit and waiting for “PPI” pre purchase inspection. Once it is good. Ready to take her home. Your inspiration. I am not sure if I could change oil on this 993. Because It seems complex and I don’t have a lift but only a ramp. Tell me how reliable is your 997, how many miles would you expect from this car.?! You seem to know a lot of knowledge on this car. Cheers. 🦅🦅🇺🇸
Thumbs up 👍🏻!! Wow! Just finished your great video. It is a bit of a project on this 993 oil change. As I had a 996s, 997.1s. It was much simpler. But the 997.2 GT3RS was a little more complex but still easier than what I saw on the 993. Umm.. you did a great job. As you know you do the best job for your car. I am curious where did you learn to do all this ? Happy motoring, cheers. 🦅🦅🇺🇸
Good day Heidi and Franny, I have a question about the oil level. In my 993 the left oil level scale always stays in the red zone. In the official porsche store they said that I have to go to 3000 tr/min to level up the oil level. In the video I see that the level stays horizontal. Can you help me with that. Thanks. Jurgen Soenen, Belguim.
Excellent video, as usual, but I am compelled to point out that one must not use a universal joint with a torque wrench, as you did when tightening the engine drain plug (12:04). The torque wrench needs to be at an exact right angle to the fastener to be accurate. Other than that, great content.
Yup... You are right. I didn't have that torque wrench adapter I have now... I think if anything, it is probably a bit under torqued... Anyway, thanks for the reminder! Franny
Fantastic video, i just don't have a four post lift even though i have a garage to work in. Thanks all the same, oh my car is your cars twin in every single way. Wink wink
Awesome video! One question: I was not able to get my 15mm socket with universal joint and torque wrench onto the crankcase drain plug due to limited room even after removing the r tube next to it due to exhaust heat exchanger in the way. Can you share picture of type of universal joint with socket that you used? Thanks!
Hi Ed, I think a better solution would be to get a torque extender. They look like a tiny 15mm wrench but with a 3/8" square at the other end. The are maybe 6"long. Be sure to configure it so your torque wrench is at 90deg to the adapter. Another possibility is a torque adapter that clamps on to your 15mm wrench and does the same thing. I didn't have one back when I filmed this but I have one now. Do a search for "torque adapter". Sorry about the braces... Super chringeworthy! Lol 😅
@@HeidiandFranny thank you! I didn’t know torque extenders and adaptors existed! After googling it, I recall using crowfoot wrench in the past it not sure it would have sufficient clearance. I’ll look into getting some torque extenders. Thanks!
Wow, that oil was so good that still had most of its transparency. You changed it too soon! It was just starting to plate the antiwear phosphate glass! MaybeBoron, Titanium or even Molybdenum. Additives, The new oil has such a detergent charge that would strip out all the still weak antiwear plating. Miss you'rerunning your engine without AW protection by doing such short intervals. Excessive oil changes are great to keep engines clean, but is detrimental as greater wear can occur in warmup phase. I could give a few advices in lubrication, as oil specialist. Try doing a UOA to make things easier.
Antiwear Layer wouldn't fully form. New oil will strip that little out, there's SAE and STLE studies in that regard, but they're expensive to get. Just listen to me, though.
Oh ok.Thanks you for reply.i got 1995 993 is 100k , so, I need spark plugs replacement, but some how I’m not sure it has 6 or 8 sparks plugs. Because I found only 6spark plugs 3 each side. Thanks
The 993s are different. It has a flat six engine, but it should have two per cylinder making your total twelve. You only found three on each side? That does seem odd. Heidi
If you have questions, there is a FB page called 993 Rennlisters. Also, the Rennlist website has a whole forum as well. Website will have a lot of info. Maybe diagrams there too. Heidi
Yup... all oil. The 993 is different than all the other 911s this way... It is still a dry sump, but it actually has two oil filters... So, you need to drain the oil reservoir (just forward of the rear right wheel) and the filter associated with that. Then drain the engine block and the small filter on the block. The older air-cooled just had a single filter up by the oil tank located in the engine compartment and then the sump of course, but no filter on the sump. The 993 is a bit like doing two oil changes at the same time... The real bummer is that access isn't that great to any of it besides the sump drain.
Hi Franny! You mention 'Flat Multi Arm Filter Wrenches' to avoid removing the oil return line. Can you recommend one that works? I just changed my oil again and knowing there may be an option other than removing that line to gain filter access is awesome. Anyway, if you have a link or brand/model of such a filter wrench it would be much appreciated. Thanks; always great videos!
Thanks James, I haven't really found one that I really like. I would say buy the best one you can find. Look at reviews and such. Make sure the filter is squeaky clean as well as the tool before you start and only insert the new filter hand right for next time. If I come across one I'll mention it. F
@@HeidiandFranny Hi - thanks; I ordered a good one on Amazon. I guess I'm just hoping that it can sneak past that oil line to fit onto the filter. As you know, the Hazet can't get passed that line. If I can fit it on the filter I'm sure I'll be able to unscrew it. Anyway, If I get one that works I'll let you know. Thanks again!
@@HeidiandFranny Hi again - I bought an "OEM Tools" branded "Magnetic Oil Filter Wrench - Model 25101" from Amazon. The quality looks and feels excellent. I just jacked up my car and this filter wrench WILL fit passed the oil line and onto the oil filter quite easily. Since I just changed the oil I only put it on for access and fitment but it's going to work. Thanks for the tip on mentioning there are wrenches out there that eliminate the need for removal of the oil line.
After the first plug I thought wow I'm going to buy this car now. Then I realize that's only a quarter of the video done... *starts searching Porsche 991 models*
The 993 is probably one of the most intensive maintenance cars because of the dual systems like double plugs and oil filers. However, it is also the last of the air cooled by Porsche, its a pretty sweet car....Heidi
Hi Franny & Heidi Maybe not the place to post but I have question you probably know the answer to. I have a gorgeous 1995 993. I live in Norway and the rainy season is just hell on the drivers side foot wells with regards to leaks. Initially I thought it was coming from the back window seal as it wasn’t great. Sealed that up and felt under the front mat and it was soaked. I think under acceleration the water flows to the back foot well. Any tips on where this water may be entering the car. Before it turns to ice in the upcoming months Cheers in advance.
Hi Kent, it may be a rusted bit at the bottom corner of your windshield. That is pretty common on the G body cars Including the 993. See if you can trace the leak up at all. Try using a hose in just specific areas to see if you can localize it.
Thanks so much for the reply. Funny you should mention that as I’ve noticed the drivers side heating is not heating at all, just blowing cold air. From the centre to the passenger side is working fine. Something not quite right on the drivers side. 🤔
Hi Adrian, We always recommend you check with your owners manual and go by the codes. We try to find something that has extra zinc. If you want to know what we use, I recommend emailing us through our website contact us page. Thanks.
I'd have to look at the service manual, but we had ours done right around 50K right before we bought it. Also very important is to replace the belt drive to the second distributor. Also, there should be a tube going to it to blow out any ozone that accumulates that would destroy the belt.
thank you Franny for all your great diy videos! I was wondering what is your professional background to do all this mechanical magic?? :0) i'm thinking mechanical engineering... take care.
Eric Gruntfuttock We bought the lifts so we could store cars. Please watch our direct lift video if you have not. If you have a lift, it is a safer way to change oil. Not required, just safer. You can still change oil with jack stands, just make sure you have tires stacked or something else as a secondary form of protection. There are several good videos (road and race has one) about how to safely change oil using jack stands. Hope this helps. Heidi.
Hi All, The 993 oil change - a bit more work, but worth doing yourself! Anyone know of another car with two oil filters??
A quick shout-out to Jakob on his channel "911%": ua-cam.com/channels/gWDHTkNPAE6ArDdWVB5ugw.htmlfeatured
He has amazing 993 content around his C4S and a great oil change video: ua-cam.com/video/gfbm4Rcc6x4/v-deo.html
He has always been one of my inspirations.
I forgot to mention in the video, but the fall oil change is because we don't drive the car much through the winter months and I don't want it sitting all winter with dirty-ish oil. I need to get the 308 on this schedule and the 356 gets two oil changes a year - Spring and Fall.
Thanks, Franny
Thanks so much for the shout out :) Awesome video!!
+911Percent your welcome Jakob. You deserve it. Your videos are really top notch. We both very much enjoy them. Heidi
Hey Fran next time if you change the oil filter underneath the engine and want to avoid a mess just use sharp steel pinch and hammer it through the filter , keep a funnel with a hose connected to it at hand pull the pinch out and put the funnel underneath it so you have more control on routing the waste oil !! Great video thanks
That is a great idea. I forgot the one on the engine did that, but it makes sense. Horizontal or vertical filters aren't as prone to that much leaking. That was a miss on my part. Thanks for the tip! Franny
As always, loved your video. Particularly love the way you separate every element, not skipping past what one might consider "obvious".
It's been a few years since I did the oil on my '97 993 so this was a good refresher. Happy to say it went off without a hitch! I was curious what my local Porsche dealer charges for an oil change so I gave them a call. They quoted me $620!!! I bought everything for this oil change a few years ago so I can't remember what I paid, but based on current prices for the filters, crush washers, o-ring, and Brad Penn oil, I saved around $455 by doing it myself. Now I just need to figure out what I want to spend that 'saved' money on!
What a well presented video. I watched all the 993 oil change videos on YT and yours provided the best explanations by far. I was able to DIY the oil change on my car for the first time (as opposed to paying shop rates) in 10 yrs of ownership without recreating the Exxon Valdez. FWIW I found the product “form a funnel” to be super useful - like your repurposed water bottle. Thank you.
Yea! Congrats!
Great video! Love your personality. Also love your garage set up with lifts and multi car storage. Consider doing a video on how to configure a 2 car garage the way you have done yours.
wow! what a great tip without saying anything. check the oil level by placing the stick on a rag.. I have struggled every time to see where the heck it is on the tip stick. thank you so so much. constant viewer. Pat
My "new" 993 just arrived yesterday.. Your video will be very helpful tomorrow when I change the oil. It has many miles on it (150k+) so I have elected to use 15w-50. I love that you continue
to film your video, even with a smudge or two on your face. Truly loved seeing that. I have followed you with my other P cars. Always a great help....
That is funny. She did not know about the smudge. Lol.
Did my first oil and BOTH filter change a month ago. I don't have a 'lift', just a jack + jackstands - all done in my (narrow) garage. Took me 2+ hours in total. Don't forget to torque down everything to spec and DO change the crush washers and rubber o ring. It's VERY satisfying!
It's so cool that you are wearing a white sweatshirt while changing the oil haha!
With your help I successfully completed my first 993 oil change. Your step by step directions were perfect. Thanks!
Oh, that's great! Not the easiest oil change out there ;)
Very cool idea to cut out the ignition to pre oil the engine.That is done in big radial aircraft engines also air cooled.
Excellent high quality video! Keep up the great help to the Porsche community.
I'm the òwner of a 1996 Carrera 2, and boy, I had no idea that much was involved with changing the oil on that car. Now I know why it freakin costs so much, lol. You ladies are amazing. Great channel.
Thanks so much!! It is a little nutty, but not really all that difficult. Still, Porsche went all out with two oil filters... Two? What other car has two oil filters?? It also has 12 spark plugs and two distributors..
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video on the older (1995) of the 993 like mine! Great job!
As a fellow 95' 993 Cabriolet owner GOOD job putting this DIY together. I do all my own work myself as well. These are not that complicated to maintain IMHO. You guys have a sweet collection of rides BTW! Sub'd.
+Brian Prince hi. Thanks. Do you have a channel? Heidi
HI heidi, im from France, i got a Porsches 993 since 2 years i really enjoy this car. Your comments are excellent :) good job:)
Thank you for the AWSOME VIDEO. I'm getting ready to purchase a 1996 993.
You should watch our 993 review. There are some gotchas that you might like to know about. Maybe you already know... Heidi
Great job! I have had a ‘96 993 since 2002 so I’ve done the oil change a LOT! What a job! Phew!
This is a great video. Now I know how to do an oil change myself if I happen to buy a 1993-1997 Porsche 993 911. I will use this video as a reference for owners that want to do their own oil change
We use Mobil one 15-50 on these 3.6 air cooled engines. Less leakage and consumption than 5-40. I just don’t trust using thinner oils on the air cooled engines and won’t go below 15 weight on the lower number. On the water cooled 996 we use Shell Rotella T6 5-40 Diesel oil. I think Porsche wanted to have one oil viscosity universal, thus recommended later to use the thinner oil. That small filter on the engine doesn’t get changed as often as the large filter, because it only filters the oil for the hydraulic lifter system, and is not full flow. Some people prefer to change it every time so as not to leave any more dirty oil in the engine than necessary. It’s a good idea to change that oil line O ring as it gets cooked from the heat, and tends to leak once it is tampered with. Good video and good advice!
Best video I have watched for my car also learned where. Oil gage needle needs to be after warm up. Thanks again
Great video as always. I had no idea these cars had such an involved oil change procedure. I can see now why the dealers charge so much.
There is just a bunch of manual work with them. So much to remove and refit... Can't imagine what they have charged!
Wow Franny, that really looks like a heck of an involved job! But as usual, you made it look super easy-breezy. I really find your DIY videos to be above all, a great lesson for how to stay organized and approach tricky car issues with patience and confidence. They give all of us hope, Haha! Certainly a concept worth subscribing to. Congrats on 3k!
Thanks Nick! Glad you like the DYI. There seems to be plenty to do with these cars... Franny
Sounds good to me Franny. I think we are both close enough to agree on. I did not see the 3.2 video as I’m just getting through the 993 vids. Thanks again. Keep them coming. I love the DIY videos on the car. I learn a lot. Sk
+Stephen Kaut awesome. Glad you are enjoying.
Ya asked me to comment here also, so here’s my input. Love all the vids, and it’s great people like you guys, that make performance, and automotive care fun. Having read where others had “calibrated” their oil level gauge, led me to doing mine. Really easy fix, to the factory’s failing to worry about the dipstick, and the gauge not reading the same. You may wanna order a new gasket for float assembly before doing this. I was able to use mine, but if it tears while pulling it out, wouldn’t be good.
Pull pass rear fender liner back far enough to have clear access to tank float assembly. Carefully remove nuts from the butt welded studs (don’t break these off when loosening/tightening). Pull float assembly, carefully make a downward bend on float arm. It should be an estimate, and incremental at the most. I lucked out, and had it work the first time. Now with my oil level on dipstick at ~2/3rd, the gauge (warmed up/level) reads at the correct level. Hope this helps. Aloha
Another great job Franny! It's calming to watch you work on the cars.
Thanks Chuck! I'm glad you felt that. I was struggling against super high winds that day (gusting past 50 mph) and a bit more mess than usual. It was a day! Franny
Excellent class! Thank you very much for sharing this information!
The cars are wonderful.
As I mentioned before, I have known your channel a while ago but I am already following it with great pleasure!
Receive my greetings here from Brazil!
Hi Guto! Thanks so much!
Guto Ramalho
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I hope you gals keep making videos! These are great!
I love when you take out the DME relay, it is smart on a M64 engine to let out some air and put the pressure up before it runs. and also the correlation between the gauge and the dipstick. Smart and thorough :)
Thanks!
Love your videos, thank you for doing them! I am a big dyi person and just picked up a 97 993 carerra....my gosh is the oil change a lot more entailed than my 17 991.2 gts! Thanks again for the video!
It really is a thing huh? The 996 is a breeze in comparison (as is the 3.2). I'm sure they had a good reason for all the fuss. I know they wanted the tank forward of the rear axle and I know there is a good reason for the second filter, but I don't know what that is. The 993 is a truly amazing and beautiful car.
Thanks for responding. I have another issue that thought was minor until I started looking into it. The drivers door check strap is clicking. It doesn't appear to be the actual mechanism, like it usually is. It's where the strap attaches to the body pillar....it clearly moves when opening and closing the door. The check strap is a relatively easy replacement....but the attachment piece on the body has no fasteners? Amy ideas how to tighten that piece without welding, cutting or painting? Car only has 45k miles and is in excellent condition?
Thanks Franny.. I have the oil in the garage.. All I need now is the 911!
Great job, you deserve a lot more subscribers IMO.
Glider 123 Thanks! Lucky, they made more than one of them ;). I hope you can work one soon :) Franny
Good video, love how the ladies are all business and don;t get a drop of oil on their cloths!
here are my notes on simplifying things:
-No special grease is needed on the oil filter to seal it, just use a little of the old oil to do this.
-Both filters can be replaced through the wheel well w/o lift using jack stands
-The only part that needs to be disconnected on the 1996+ cars with Varioram (with 4 oxygen sensors) is the rear connection of the rubber duct leading to the passenger side heater valve
-The metal oil tube does not need to be removed as getting every last drop of the old oil out is not necessary
-Not sure why the driver side rubber heater duct boot was removed. On a 4 oxygen sensor Varioram car it is not necessary
-If you put 10 quarts in, without draining the oil lines as most don't, you are overfilling the engine
-The small oil filter can be changed w/o removing the transmission under tray shield through the wheel well
-Any oil spilled on suspension components or shield while removing the smaller filter can be cleaned off with a little CRC spray electric motor cleaner.
-The idea that you should crank the engine with the relay out seems like overkill as oil pressure comes back up in just a moment when starting the car
-On most cars the flex oil filler neck has been removed are gone now and a regular long neck funnel works great and doesn't break down and drop plastic debris in your oil tank like the flex neck has proven to do.
Thanks for all that Andrew. I was trying to show as complete a process as possible... I find that with engine oil on the filters they tend to stick. The silicone grease make it much easier to remove them in the future. Feel free to omit any steps you feel are superfluous. Thanks again for the tips!
EXCELLENT video as usual, Franny. You are the #%*king ULTIMATE, Porsche/classic sports car Specialist!
great video! Suggestion: spark plug change on a 993, especially how you deal with no6.would make a fantastic DIY
Great video! My dad and I followed this step for step with great success. We did get more dirty than you did!!!!! Keep it up. More 993 videos please!
That's awesome!
You are awesome. Great info
Thank you very much for your video, I've watched many, many videos of 993 Oil change issue and after your detailed description now I' m planing to do by myself. Great job !!!
That's great! It really isn't that bad... After you do it once you'll be really comfortable with it. The hardest part is if the oil filters are stuck on. You can drive a screwdriver through them if that is the case, but it does make a mess! poke a hole in the bottom first to let it drain if you need to go that route. The one on the engine is best reached from the front reaching back. The rest is all very straightforward. Good luck :)
Awesome how to video. Now all I need is a 4 post lift! This video just cost me $3K!
Well, actually, they make other lifts for cheaper, if you do not want to use for storage. We expanded our garage (we have a direct lift video that you can check out). We also have a friend with a Max Jack lift. We talk about it briefly in the VW Beetle vs. 356 Compare. We have two of those videos. It is the older one of the two (one with more views). Check those videos out. I have heard of several people including myself who have family or friends die from working on cars without a good lift. If you do not have a lift, consider renting space by the hour or making sure you have tires stacked in addition to jack stands. I am a safety girl, very important. I hope you figure out what you need and can afford. Thanks for the compliment to Franny. She does do great DIYs. Heidi
Very well done video; clear and informative. Your oil deflector is a great idea. Thanks for putting this together!
You bet! Thanks so much! Franny
Great tutorial. Getting ready to do my first 993 oil change and this video was timed perfectly. Love all you videos. Please keep it up.
Hi Brian, good luck with your oil change! Let me know if there are any questions you run into. I think the worst part is if the filters are stuck. Be safe under the car :) Franny
Thanks for the great demonstration video. My nephew and I are in the market searching for a 993 coupe. This video really help us.. cheers 🦅🦅🇺🇸
Good luck in your quest :)
I wonder if it's peculiar to Porsches, my 993 has 126,000 miles on the clock but the oil is always clean on the dipstick, much like the colour of the oil in this video, on most cars it's black as tar by the time the annual oil change is due. Great video, thank you.
Great job Franny and thanks for sharing it! About the gauge.... my understanding is that it measures oil in the tank as the oil travels in and out of the engine as needed. At low idle, we should see the gauge needle at the top ( lots of oil in tank ready to use). As the rpm goes up the oil is drawn into motor and the gauge will drop to the red zone. It means all the oil is in the motor. So if you run your gauge in the middle, could it mean you don’t quite have enough oil for the motor as the rpm gets up? Not sure. Anyway, great job! I’m now going through all your 993 videos and really enjoying them! I wish I could stay as clean as you when I work on the car😄
Hi Stephen, From what I've read and from my personal experience the half way mark on the gauge corresponds to about 3/4 on the dip-stick and any more and the engine seems to expel it. You are correct on the movement of the oil from the tank to the engine and this only occurs when the engine is good and warm. The most definitive check is going to be that dip-stick. I use the gauge on the dash mostly to let me know if the oil level is dropping over the change interval but not as an accurate measure. Does that make sense? On the 3.2 Carrera oil change video we did I show the movement of the gauge at the end (they have the same system). It is kind of interesting to see... Franny
Pro tips are on point! ;)
I don't have a lift so I am not looking forward to doing this...............at all.
Thanks for the info. You made it look so easy!
Just be careful getting the car up on stands. Or,... Check out your area and see if there is a garage you can rent time in. It should still be cheaper than having a shop do it. Just a thought... :)
Not to start an oil war, but you should consider using a better one, with higher zinc content for our older flat tappet style engines. Nicely done video, that little oil filter is such a PITA. Snap On makes a smaller oil filter wrench that fits up there without having to remove the oil line but you do have to remove the metal hot air tube to pull the filter out of the rear instead
Jarrett Barnett I always appreciate comments. It’s not a war. We have done lots of research on oil. The oil we have does has plenty of Zinc which is why we use this one in all our newer cars. It’s also more readily available if you get into a pinch than some of the boutique ones. I maybe would like to try some of these other boutique oils at some point, but we are diligent about oil changes and I think we are good. As far as the line goes, I am not sure if Franny is going to do that every time. I think she has another way that she will probably show next year. Thanks for your suggestions. Heidi
What really matters is the phosphorous in the Zink Dialkil Dithiophosphate (Zddp or its short : Zinc). But it looks like that you're not letting it build up in the engine parts. You're dumping a lot of not reacted ZDDP in that catch bucket, so why bother putting a higher load of it?
Great class and video! But what a complex design. Earlier cars very easy oil change, 993s that is the complexity we see, 996/997, very easy, and now 991 again difficult.
The old oil color was very light - I might leave it there a little longer given the size of the job ;).
I haven't been close enough to a 991 to see the oil change process. So, it is a bear? Yeah, we just don't drive the car that much and I do use synthetic which seems to look a little cleaner when it drains all things being equal. I knew it would be sitting for most of the winter so probably better to sit with cleaner oil? I can't believe that second filter does all that much and did we really have to route that oil line directly under it?? Really? Transition car I suppose... Franny
Extremely helpful, well done video.
Thanks so much!
Yea! Glad it was helpful :)
Great video! I totally love the 993. Such a wonderful engineered car.
It is strangely different than the other 911s. I've always thought it was funny they changed so much of bits they didn't move over on to the 996. This whole oil system is a good example. It does make for a very special car! Franny
Your videos are great. Thank you.
Excellent video. I have a '94 Carrera 2 and am always wary about the post oil change oil level as it's difficult to see on the dip stick.
Why do you choose to use Mobil 1 oil vs LiquiMoly oil? When I bought my 2014 VW GLI it had Castol Synthetic oil from the dealer. After I converted to LQ Molytec (green oil with dye built in to spot any oil leaks) my oil consumption went way down. I burn 1 qrt oil every 5K miles when I do my oil change. I think LQ is definitely a superior oil vs other oils, especially for german cars.
Believe it or not.. after I watch your video 2 days ago. I found a 1997 carrera coupe. Today I went to have a look at this 993. It looks sharp. The car has 77k miles. Very clean and many replacement already.. would like to share a picture of this car with you. I’d put a deposit and waiting for “PPI” pre purchase inspection. Once it is good. Ready to take her home. Your inspiration. I am not sure if I could change oil on this 993. Because It seems complex and I don’t have a lift but only a ramp. Tell me how reliable is your 997, how many miles would you expect from this car.?! You seem to know a lot of knowledge on this car. Cheers. 🦅🦅🇺🇸
993 or 997? We have a 993. We have done an oil change on a friend's 997. 993 is a bit of a pain to do an oil change. Heidi
What a ruddy palaver! nice n' clear instructions yet again :-)
Yea! Thanks! F
Thumbs up 👍🏻!! Wow! Just finished your great video. It is a bit of a project on this 993 oil change. As I had a 996s, 997.1s. It was much simpler. But the 997.2 GT3RS was a little more complex but still easier than what I saw on the 993. Umm.. you did a great job. As you know you do the best job for your car. I am curious where did you learn to do all this ? Happy motoring, cheers. 🦅🦅🇺🇸
Just studying manuals and research on-line mostly... Glad you liked it!
Thank you for your great videos! I love your stuff!
Nice work. I love your videos
Thanks! Next up for the 993 is a bad top latching motor. Just got the part yesterday... F
Excellent video thank you!
Awesome. Thanks!
Good day Heidi and Franny, I have a question about the oil level. In my 993 the left oil level scale always stays in the red zone. In the official porsche store they said that I have to go to 3000 tr/min to level up the oil level. In the video I see that the level stays horizontal. Can you help me with that. Thanks. Jurgen Soenen, Belguim.
Excellent video, as usual, but I am compelled to point out that one must not use a universal joint with a torque wrench, as you did when tightening the engine drain plug (12:04). The torque wrench needs to be at an exact right angle to the fastener to be accurate. Other than that, great content.
Yup... You are right. I didn't have that torque wrench adapter I have now... I think if anything, it is probably a bit under torqued... Anyway, thanks for the reminder! Franny
A crows foot wrench aligned 90 degrees to the torque wrench handle will achieve the desired torque.
Would love some more 308 content!
Funny you should ask... Weather has been a factor, but we hope to get something filmed this weekend, so hopefully next week! F
Should have one soon. Weather is STILL a factor....
Fantastic video, i just don't have a four post lift even though i have a garage to work in. Thanks all the same, oh my car is your cars twin in every single way. Wink wink
Really? How fun! They should get together for a playdate :)
Awesome video! One question: I was not able to get my 15mm socket with universal joint and torque wrench onto the crankcase drain plug due to limited room even after removing the r tube next to it due to exhaust heat exchanger in the way. Can you share picture of type of universal joint with socket that you used? Thanks!
Hi Ed, I think a better solution would be to get a torque extender. They look like a tiny 15mm wrench but with a 3/8" square at the other end. The are maybe 6"long. Be sure to configure it so your torque wrench is at 90deg to the adapter. Another possibility is a torque adapter that clamps on to your 15mm wrench and does the same thing. I didn't have one back when I filmed this but I have one now. Do a search for "torque adapter". Sorry about the braces... Super chringeworthy! Lol 😅
@@HeidiandFranny thank you! I didn’t know torque extenders and adaptors existed! After googling it, I recall using crowfoot wrench in the past it not sure it would have sufficient clearance. I’ll look into getting some torque extenders. Thanks!
Wow, that oil was so good that still had most of its transparency. You changed it too soon! It was just starting to plate the antiwear phosphate glass! MaybeBoron, Titanium or even Molybdenum. Additives, The new oil has such a detergent charge that would strip out all the still weak antiwear plating. Miss you'rerunning your engine without AW protection by doing such short intervals. Excessive oil changes are great to keep engines clean, but is detrimental as greater wear can occur in warmup phase. I could give a few advices in lubrication, as oil specialist. Try doing a UOA to make things easier.
This car has more than double oil capacity than average car, you should keep that in mind and reflect that in intervals.
Antiwear Layer wouldn't fully form. New oil will strip that little out, there's SAE and STLE studies in that regard, but they're expensive to get. Just listen to me, though.
Fantastic. Thanks
+boxxxa930 cool. Thanks.
Excellent!
Great video, thanks for the video. Can you please show how to replace spark plugs for 993
Oh. This car just had a 60K service, but I can check. I do not think it needs them right now. I will check if they got done.
Oh ok.Thanks you for reply.i got 1995 993 is 100k , so, I need spark plugs replacement, but some how I’m not sure it has 6 or 8 sparks plugs. Because I found only 6spark plugs 3 each side. Thanks
The 993s are different. It has a flat six engine, but it should have two per cylinder making your total twelve. You only found three on each side? That does seem odd. Heidi
Oh fantastic, appreciate, I will find more and follow spark plugs wires. I really love my project , more work but it’s funny.
If you have questions, there is a FB page called 993 Rennlisters. Also, the Rennlist website has a whole forum as well. Website will have a lot of info. Maybe diagrams there too. Heidi
Nice video. i learned something today about oil changing. I notice you drained like three places of oil, are they all engine oil?
Yup... all oil. The 993 is different than all the other 911s this way... It is still a dry sump, but it actually has two oil filters... So, you need to drain the oil reservoir (just forward of the rear right wheel) and the filter associated with that. Then drain the engine block and the small filter on the block. The older air-cooled just had a single filter up by the oil tank located in the engine compartment and then the sump of course, but no filter on the sump. The 993 is a bit like doing two oil changes at the same time... The real bummer is that access isn't that great to any of it besides the sump drain.
Hi Franny! You mention 'Flat Multi Arm Filter Wrenches' to avoid removing the oil return line. Can you recommend one that works? I just changed my oil again and knowing there may be an option other than removing that line to gain filter access is awesome. Anyway, if you have a link or brand/model of such a filter wrench it would be much appreciated. Thanks; always great videos!
Thanks James, I haven't really found one that I really like. I would say buy the best one you can find. Look at reviews and such. Make sure the filter is squeaky clean as well as the tool before you start and only insert the new filter hand right for next time. If I come across one I'll mention it. F
@@HeidiandFranny Hi - thanks; I ordered a good one on Amazon. I guess I'm just hoping that it can sneak past that oil line to fit onto the filter. As you know, the Hazet can't get passed that line. If I can fit it on the filter I'm sure I'll be able to unscrew it. Anyway, If I get one that works I'll let you know. Thanks again!
@@HeidiandFranny Hi again - I bought an "OEM Tools" branded "Magnetic Oil Filter Wrench - Model 25101" from Amazon. The quality looks and feels excellent. I just jacked up my car and this filter wrench WILL fit passed the oil line and onto the oil filter quite easily. Since I just changed the oil I only put it on for access and fitment but it's going to work. Thanks for the tip on mentioning there are wrenches out there that eliminate the need for removal of the oil line.
@@unklefunkmaster Thanks so much for that! I'll check it out :)
I have a thought. Can you use the stahlbus Oil drain valves to replace both drain plugs, if possible?
The 993 has a special long plug on the oil tank so that needs to remain, but you could put one on the engine I suppose...
After the first plug I thought wow I'm going to buy this car now. Then I realize that's only a quarter of the video done...
*starts searching Porsche 991 models*
The 993 is probably one of the most intensive maintenance cars because of the dual systems like double plugs and oil filers. However, it is also the last of the air cooled by Porsche, its a pretty sweet car....Heidi
@@HeidiandFranny thanks Heidi. I watching this and wonder what the Porsche designers back in the 90s were thinking 😂
Greta video & how many hours should the oil change take?
Thanks! Wellllll.... It *should* take a couple hours... But the first few times closer to four hours... Worst oil change of any 911 really...
Nicely done, and yes, am a long term Rennlister and 911% subber. Will be doing my 'oil job' in the near future.
Gerald's Videos Awesome! It is more fussy than hard. Hopefully you won't have to pull the entire rocket panel! F
Hi Franny & Heidi
Maybe not the place to post but I have question you probably know the answer to.
I have a gorgeous 1995 993. I live in Norway and the rainy season is just hell on the drivers side foot wells with regards to leaks. Initially I thought it was coming from the back window seal as it wasn’t great. Sealed that up and felt under the front mat and it was soaked. I think under acceleration the water flows to the back foot well.
Any tips on where this water may be entering the car. Before it turns to ice in the upcoming months
Cheers in advance.
Hi Kent, it may be a rusted bit at the bottom corner of your windshield. That is pretty common on the G body cars Including the 993. See if you can trace the leak up at all. Try using a hose in just specific areas to see if you can localize it.
Thanks so much for the reply.
Funny you should mention that as I’ve noticed the drivers side heating is not heating at all, just blowing cold air. From the centre to the passenger side is working fine. Something not quite right on the drivers side. 🤔
Well executed video. What spec oil do you recomend?
Hi Adrian,
We always recommend you check with your owners manual and go by the codes. We try to find something that has extra zinc. If you want to know what we use, I recommend emailing us through our website contact us page. Thanks.
Cool!
i love Heidi great videos go on
I think you meant Franny! She is the DIY genius. Heidi.
How do you keep that white hat clean?
Goop and hand soap. It is not easy.
Hello, Franny. What would you suggest the interval would be for ignition cap, rotor & wire replacement on a 993?
I'd have to look at the service manual, but we had ours done right around 50K right before we bought it. Also very important is to replace the belt drive to the second distributor. Also, there should be a tube going to it to blow out any ozone that accumulates that would destroy the belt.
@@HeidiandFranny I can not thank you enough. You are truly excellent.
You are awesome
+Quan Ngo awww. Thanks!
thank you Franny for all your great diy videos! I was wondering what is your professional background to do all this mechanical magic?? :0) i'm thinking mechanical engineering... take care.
Close! Aerospace :)
the oil looks like it has just been changed a week ago
Yep. Pathetic how little we drive this car. We need to drive her more.
Wow...If you have to buy a vehicle lift to change the oil on a 993 no wonder people use the dealers!
Eric Gruntfuttock We bought the lifts so we could store cars. Please watch our direct lift video if you have not. If you have a lift, it is a safer way to change oil. Not required, just safer. You can still change oil with jack stands, just make sure you have tires stacked or something else as a secondary form of protection. There are several good videos (road and race has one) about how to safely change oil using jack stands. Hope this helps. Heidi.
just take it to jiffy lube
Oh, yeah, NO!