How to Deal with Metal Shavings in Your Porsche's Oil

An issue that you can face with your Porsche is the presence of metal shavings in its engine oil. If you notice these shavings when checking your car’s oil, you need to know what steps to take next as well as what you can expect your mechanic to find.

Cause of Metal Shavings in Your Car’s Oil

There are several potential reasons you might find metal shaving in your Porsche’s oil pan, including:

dirty oil
normal wear and tear
poor maintenance habits
subpar servicing
engine failure

These causes range in severity, so if you notice this issue, you need to take your car to be inspected and repaired as quickly as possible. That way, a potentially minor problem doesn’t turn into a major repair that steals time you could be enjoying your Porsche.

Dirty Oil

If you use contaminated oil in your car, it can damage many of its high-grade parts and cause many problems down the line. The particles in the dirty oil will cause friction instead of properly lubricating your car’s engine. That friction is what produces the metal shavings you will then find in your Porsche’s oil pan. If left unaddressed, the damage will accumulate and can lead to significant repairs being needed.

Normal Wear and Tear

Another way that metal shavings can appear in your car’s oil is through natural wear and tear. Over time, the mechanical stress on your engine and motor’s parts will cause metal pieces and shavings to accumulate in the oil after crumbling from the parts themselves. This can have a similarly negative impact on engine performance and health, so make sure to have regular oil changes.

Poor Maintenance Habits

On the subject of oil changes, they need to be a part of your regular maintenance routine. Otherwise, your car won’t deliver the high-quality performance that you expect. If you neglect to get your car’s oil changed on schedule, its performance will suffer, as metal shavings can build up and cause the engine problems discussed above. Left unmanaged, these issues will accumulate to a greater degree than your engine can handle and will potentially lead to engine failure.

Subpar Servicing

Another way that metal shavings can appear in your engine oil is through poor servicing from an inexperienced mechanic or a DIYer. This is why it’s so essential to have an experienced and knowledgeable technician available to you whenever your car is serviced, especially when it’s a high-end vehicle like a Porsche. Taking on a simple oil change might sound like a fun project, but if done incorrectly or you don’t notice the metal shavings in your oil, you could put yourself and your Porsche in a position for expensive repairs down the line.

Maintaining Your Car to Avoid This Issue

As discussed earlier, maintenance is key if you want to avoid dealing with future damage that metal shavings cause in your engine oil. If you are engaging in appropriate, scheduled maintenance and aren’t sure what could be causing the damage, bring your Porsche to an expert for an inspection and diagnostic testing, instead of using a process of elimination or guesswork. We can perform an oil analysis to discover the origin of the metal shavings.

In addition to consistent maintenance and quality care, you should always use quality coolant, oil, and gas in your Porsche. Also, you should make efforts to drive prudently without overtaxing your engine too frequently, no matter how tempting it might be to test your Porsche’s capabilities at every opportunity. The more power and acceleration you demand from your car, the harder you are forcing the engine and other components to work, which leads to more rapid wear and tear over time.

Getting Your Porsche Taken Care of Properly

If you’re concerned about metal shavings in the oil in your Porsche, bring your car into European Motor Cars to have our specialists address the problem. Our locations in Summerlin, Spring Valley, and Las Vegas, NV are fully staffed with expertly-trained mechanics who will deliver consistent performance when handling your Porsche’s maintenance and repair needs. Please give us a call today to set up an appointment at your convenience or stop by to speak with one of our staff members to consult about diagnostic testing.