Dry sump, checking oil pumps are working...

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
being new to dry sump cars, I'm trying to get my head round how things work... Ive a grasp of the basics... remote oil reservoir, pumps then circulate oil into the engine, then oil is pumped back into the reservoir.

are the pumps electric or run from a belt, do they fail? how can I tell that oil is getting to where it needs to?

Ive correctly checked the oil level today (was doing it with the car off previously) with the engine warm and idling as per the manual the oil level is way up the dipstick, the dipstick needs to be out and level with the plastic shrouds to register half way on the indicator...
If I turn the car off, then the level is just above max with the dipstick resting on the top of the tube, push the dispstick home as if I was to go driving and the level is just above full...

The last service (By Belgravia Garage, London) has listed 8l of Mobil1 listed on the invoice

any observations???
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
What car have you, if its a GT they are all wet sump so traditional sump pan that holds the oil.

The 4200 is wet sump, and you check the oil hot with the engine running.

There is a combined water and fuel pump down on the left side as you look at it which pumps the oil then a scavenger pump in the sump that assists it back to the remote tank.

Both are mechanically connected.
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
It's a 2006 duo select Quattroporte so I believe it's a dry sump (dipstick nowhere near the engine)
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
Typo Matt, 4200/Spyder/GS are all dry sump.

Thanks...

So the dipstick reading lower with the engine off normal? Or should it be the other way round?? Has the garage just thrown too much oil in the car??
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
As per the hand book.

IMG_20180220_173737.jpg

7.8 ltr required for an oil change. Page 180 in the hand book.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,113
Yes they do fail albeit not hugely but there have been a couple.
Mine which I repaired now happily living with me in New Zealand.IMG_20140813_132144.jpg
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
With most dry sumps the oil level is lower when off as the oil drains out of the tank back into the engine. Mine doesn't seem a whole lot different on or off. The only way to be sure is to do it by the book. You will see some bubbles in the oil on the dipstick, this is normal.

The main indicator of an overfilled dry sump is oily shoes and a lot of smoke :)

Thanks...

So the dipstick reading lower with the engine off normal? Or should it be the other way round?? Has the garage just thrown too much oil in the car??
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
With most dry sumps the oil level is lower when off as the oil drains out of the tank back into the engine. Mine doesn't seem a whole lot different on or off. The only way to be sure is to do it by the book. You will see some bubbles in the oil on the dipstick, this is normal.

The main indicator of an overfilled dry sump is oily shoes and a lot of smoke :)

Todays check was by the book... which is what confused me...

Im guesing the garage filled it like a normal wet sumped car - the level being just over Max when the car is off... and being an inch up the dipstick when the car is running. Luckily no oily shoes and no smoke... Im a few months off for a service, so ill get the extraction machine and suck some out.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
One of the reasons to use a specialist... they know the difference between each engine.
 

voicey

Member
Messages
660
With those dipstick readings the car is overfilled for sure. Get some out now or risk damaging your MAF sensor.

Also check the grade of oil used at the last service - if they couldn't get the level right then it's probably best to check the other aspects of the service.
 

Mattp

Member
Messages
501
With those dipstick readings the car is overfilled for sure. Get some out now or risk damaging your MAF sensor.

Also check the grade of oil used at the last service - if they couldn't get the level right then it's probably best to check the other aspects of the service.

Im kicking myself, im normally pretty good at reading the books... when checking the car, the oil was lovely, clear and fresh... I had no reason to question my dipping method! one lives and learns.

Ill see if the garage has any record of the grade used, the invoice just states 'Mobil 1 8l' although im not holding out much hope! whilst they had a record of the car, they wernt able to tell me much more than that when I checked the service history when I bought it. That service was before I acquired the car and its done 6000 miles since then, hopefully its over the max, but below the too much limit and there is no lasting badness!