Porsche 997: How to Change Your Oil

This article applies to the Porsche 911 997 (2005-2012).

If you're going to start to do work on your Porsche 997, it's a good idea to start with an oil change. Doing an oil change is fairly simple and straightforward. Not only that, but it is going to be one of the most common maintenance procedures to be performed on your car to keep it in great running condition.

Like with many other maintenance procedures, there are certain questions that arise when going about knocking this one out. Questions such as what kind of oil do you use, how often do you need to do an oil change, or do you really need to change the filter out every time? Well, here it is in simple terms. Change your oil on a regular, consistent basis with the same oil type and weight, so you avoid any problems. And yes, you do need to change the filter out every time.

Before starting, make sure you have a suitable container to drain the oil from your car. Almost 9 quarts will be draining out, so you need a container that is capable of holding that amount of liquid.

Also, if your engine is hot, wait a little while for it to cool down. When the oil is very hot, it will have a tendency to spray out of the drain plug. Waiting until your engine is warm to the touch is usually a good temperature for oil draining.

Step 1 – Elevate the rear of the car

There are many ways you can gain access to the rear, under side of your car where it is suitable to drain the oil from. A pair of ramps that you can get at any auto parts store is a good height if you don't have access to a lift. Jack stands can work also, but it is a little more time consuming. With the ramps, you just reverse onto them and you're ready to go.

(Related Article: How to Jack Up Your 997 - Rennlist.com)

Step 2 – Locate and unscrew the oil drain plug

The oil drain plug is located on the oil sump. Using your 8mm Hex/Allen socket, loosen the oil drain plug to drain the oil from the sump into a suitable container. Make sure to clean the drain plug when you remove it, and set it to the side. You will notice that there is a washer on it. It is recommended replacing this washer before re-installing the drain plug. If you reuse the old one, it is possible that it could leak. Re-install the drain plug when the oil is done draining.

Step 3 – Locate and loosen oil filter housing

The oil filter housing (as you can see in the picture below) is located just diagonally from the oil drain plug. Using the Porsche oil filter housing wrench (or a 76mm oil filter wrench that can be found at most auto parts stores), loosen the oil filter housing and drop it vertically downward. There will be oil inside of the housing, so be careful not to spill any when removing it, and make sure to dump it out with the old oil. Also, make sure to clean the inside of the housing to ensure there is no old oil left in there.

You will now see the filter that should have stayed on the engine. You can pull this off at this time, and dispose of it.

Step 4 – Replace O-ring on oil filter housing and install new filter

When you removed the oil filter housing, you will notice that there is a rubber O-ring around the housing. The new filter you purchased should have come with a new O-ring. Remove the old O-ring on the housing, and replace it with the new one. Place the new filter where you took the old one off of, and screw the oil filter housing back into place. Use the oil filter wrench—that you used to remove the oil filter housing—to tighten the oil filter housing once you have threaded it by hand.

Step 5 – Refill the engine with oil

The oil filler neck is located on top of the air cleaner housing. You can unclip it from this spot, and lift it up the filter a bit to make pouring the new oil in much easier. Depending on the container that the new oil comes in, you might need a funnel to help ease the pouring of the new oil into the engine. Be very careful not to spill oil on top of the engine. If you do spill any oil, use paper towels to absorb the spill.

Depending on what engine you have in your car, the engine oil capacities vary for the 997. Check with your owner's manual to ensure that you know just how much oil your car is going to require upon refilling. You want to make sure that you don't overfill your engine with oil. A good way to avoid this is by filling the engine, and leaving it low by 1/2 a quart (or so) of your required capacity. Go ahead and start your engine. Let the new oil cycle through. Then, check the engine oil level via the on-board computer, and see where the oil level is. Then, top off as needed. This will help to make sure you don't overfill the engine with oil.

Step 6 – Remove car from ramps or elevated position

Now that you have filled the car back up with oil, you can put the car back on the ground. Allow the car to sit and idle for a little bit after doing an oil change to let the new engine oil start to cycle through. After it idles for a little bit, you can take it for a test drive. When you get back from your test drive, go ahead and check the oil level one more time just to make sure it's good to go.

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