Question for all A3 FSI owners... are you finding that the oil consumption of a new car is particularly high? I have been told by Audi that this is normal - but 4 litres of oil in just 9000miles seems excessive to me....
Would welcome any other comments....
Thanks
Jo

What??!!
[sm=smiley3.gif]
There shouldn't be any oil consumption.
Who at Audi told you this?

Thanks for your note...
I took it into the garage yesterday to have it looked at, as I have twice been stranded on the road when the oil light comes on (luckily I use the provided oil bag and keep a spare litre of oil)... The guys in the garage (in the service department) said that the car was still within factory limits and that it can take up to 20,000miles for the engine to properly "bed" in... and as such would use more oil... I have to keep a track of how often I am putting in oil and if it becomes more regularly then to take it back...

That sounds absolutely ridiculous!
Take the car to another service center. Better yet, take it to an independent and ask them to "check the engine for leaks" because you seem to be burning oil. I'd check with Audi Headquarters for your country - it's called Audi of America here - call them and ask about this.

By the way, it sounds pretty fishy that the service people told you to keep track of consumption and to take it back if it "...becomes more regularly". It sounds like someone is just plain lazy and doesn't want to deal with the issue.

Cheers!! Have logged a request with Audi UK.... See what they say.

Keep me informed.
I'd like to know what this sorts out to be in the end.

Promised to keep you up to date....
Audi UK are being surprisingly quiet about my request for the factory limits regarding the A3 oil consumption...

May I be cheeky??
If anyone has any other country information relating to oil consumption would you mind posting it for me??

Many thanks
Jo

There should be no oil consumption on U.S. spec cars. That's why I'm so surprised.

Surprised me too!!

However, it does seem to be a common problem... I've had a look on the "Top Gear" (car programme in UK) website and there's quite a few people logging the same problem. Also highlighting problems with the clutch cylinder and the windscreen wiper motor..

They are the 3 top problems!! Have experience the oil (obviously) and also the clutch freezing.... just the windscreen wipers to go...

Will email "Top Gear" to see if they have any more information...

In case you're interested....

http://www.topgear.com/content/my_topgear/duffers/

Any news?

No..... I'm afraid it is remarkably quiet.... both from Audi UK and Top Gear..

Have you asked this question to the blokes on audi-sport.net?? They are mostly UK owners on that site - a lot of UK camaraderie. Maybe they can help.

Try here: Audi-Sport.net Forums A3/S3 forum (http://www.audi-sport.net/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=a3s3)

Many thanks for all your help.... Have registered and logged the same question with them....

This morning I brought my 2004 A6 2.7T into the dealer because it needed a quart of oil 2 months after having its 60k mile maintenance. The service department said I should need to replace a quart every 2 to 3,000 miles. They claim this is normal and they are going to charge me for searching for a leak. I do not think this is normal. I've had the car 2 years and this is the first time I have had to put any oil in it. That's why I am looking at this forum today. BTW another customer was in service with a 2002 wagon also was using too much oil.

Just got a new A3 2.0 TFSI Sportback, the salesman showed me the oil bag and described the oil and said - check the level frequently - it will use more oil than you are used to, thats why we provide this special oil bag with the special specification of oil.

hmmm....

I have a 2005 Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 FSI. The oil consumption was 1,5 liter in the first 4000 Km[:@]. I never had a car with that oil consumption.:eek:
Quantus

Hi all,
just to say i've experienced the same thing. Purchased a new A3 1.9 TDi sport (sportback) in March this year, the oil light came on last week. Rang the dealer (John Fox, Nottingham UK) & they said it was perfectly normal, it needed a litre to bring to level. I'm not convinced, thats why I'm here. My research continues & I'll post if I find anything out.

Audi/vW engines have ZERO oil consumption when new. There are definatly something wrong, open the oil cap when cold and use something to see if there is anything there like a gue. if none go to any mechanic, lift the car, take the cover off and see if any visible leaks. I heard some where that privious cars that were made in south america's were crapy in puting engines together.
PS Dont believe any dealer and force them to do your biding. any engines take aproximatly 100-200 grams of oil per 5000Km for 10k KM thats enough for the engine to setle in on regular oil. if you use syntatic it will take 50-100grams of oil per same interval.
Check for leaks, lose 20buks that you will be able to push dealer for FREE repairs or not.

I had priviously VW pasat 1.8 and after rebuilded engine it took no oil at all and I was lazy in changing, so I run about 10K Km on same oil. as level staied the same.

BELIEVE NO DEALER, USE COMMON LOGIC, GERMANS AREN'T STUPID TO LET OIL CONSUMPTION SO WIDE.

Thanks

I'm waiting for a reply from Audi UK

Dave

Just to update

Audi UK contacted me, they're dealing with it & said to take it back to dealer in 3 mths if still using oil, I must add that I'm pleased with the way they've dealt with the enquiry so far.

Yeah !

Got an 06 A3 .... Right there with ya on the oil consumption. It's frustrating that Audi does this to people.

Mine only has 17,000 miles .... and I've had the oil light go on between oil changes because it lost so much.
It's about 1/4 to 1/3 Quart in 1,000/miles !!!

Dealer has given me 4 different stories as to what is "normal".

They say it's normal. I have only begun to fight ... and research. It should not be doing this. I would be happy
if they would just show me the technical specification as proof that this is "normal."

Question ::: Does your exhaust have heavy soot deposits as well ???

I had oil changed at 5000 miles and next oil change it suposed to be at 15.000 miles . But few days ago i had the car washed and cleaned and i checked the oil level and was below minimum (i have now 12.000 miles). U guys think that's something normal for an 2006 A3 2.0tfsi ? Next day i got the car at the dealer and they fill my oil back... without questions asked.

I am having the same problem. I lose about 1 quart every 5,000 miles. I've had the oil light come on twice. This seems extremely high, especially with today's technology. Audi tells me it's normal, but I think it's a design or manufacturing flaw.
Have you gotten anywhere with Audi?

i've read that SOME oil consumption is normal due to the high compression of the engine...

Hi
Wondering if you can help... I've just registered to this and I'm not so surehow it works....
the reson that I've found myself here is that I've had a similar situation with my A3 I had athe regular servicing done at 8000kl but as I was driivng the other day the oil light came on.... i have 15000kl they tell me that this is normal but I've never owned a car where I have to montitor the oil so closely... not cool... it's a new vehicle!!

thoughts... comments???? i'm calling Audi Canada to get a final answer... I'll let you know

Stop being lazy, guys. It's not a BIG deal. Read your owner's manual again. Every high performance engine burns oil.

Just check your oil every time you fill up... takes about what, 30 seconds?

I don't know about every time you fill up but generally what he ^^^^^ said.

These engines use oil. Fact.

Why else would they give you a litre when you buy the car?

And saying that just because they're German/VAG they shouldn't use oil isplain daft. My two previous 1.8T's both liked oil as does my 2.0T FSI. No leaks, no problems.

In case anyone is interested I've gone through nearly 2 litres in 12k miles and 8 months.

ORIGINAL: rich1068

I don't know about every time you fill up but generally what he ^^^^^ said.

Yeah, i was going with the manual recommended interval.

Every owner manual you will probably read, in almost every car, will tell you that just because the engine is new, it is no excuse not to check the oil.

BMWs especially were notorious for burning lots of it.

Hello,
I have a 2006 A3, 2.0T with the manual six speed trans. I am going through a quart of oil about every 2500 - 3000 miles. At first I was told by the serviec guys it shouldn't use any oil, then they said it was normal. I don't really know as I am not an audi engineer, but it seems a little excessive. Although it is a high revving engine and I find myself shifting at the 6000 rpm range more often than not. It will be interesting to see were this all leads as I haven't noticed any performance problems as of yet. You would think it would start to effect the performance if it were abnormal. I have to wonder however were that oil is going, is it blowing by the rings? Anyways, if anyone hears a real answer from a reliable source, (preferably audi and not a dealer service guy) than please post it.
Prost!
Billy Y.

Below, is my post from a couple months back:

My oil consumption has gotten better with time, from my 0 to 5k I had to add about a quart, 5k to 15k about a quart & half, 15k to 21k 1/2 quart.

On another forum, the reasoning why the 2.0T burns more oil than say the 1.8T, is the the pcv hose???(I will find the post and be more exact later) is relatively short on the 2.0T versus the 1.8T hose which is considerably longer . . . .I can't find the post, I will look later, remind me, I have beenvery busy at work, tia.

Found it, from crew217 on Fourtitude:

"Ok, I'll say it here and now, the 2.0t will burn some oil and it is completely normal.

Unlike the 1.8t, the PCV tract on the 2.0t is designed to be much shorter. For instance, it is a mere 7-9" of tubing from the valve cover to the intake manifold (http://www.audiforums.com/m_424382/tm.htm#) whereas the 1.8t, it was probably closer to 24-30" of tract. The amount of oil vapors coming out of the PCV is significant and can be easily exacerbated by someone who drives primarily in the middle to upper RPMs.

Also, our turbos use sleeve bearings which are dependant on oil film providing lubrication and stability to the bearing. A little oil will always leak from the turbo (http://www.audiforums.com/m_424382/tm.htm#) itself.
IMO, anything under 2 qts/5k is normal. VW/Audi requires 1qt/1k before they'll do anything about it."

This is the most logical explanation that I have read. [sm=groupwave.gif]

ORIGINAL: rich1068

My two previous 1.8T's both liked oil as does my 2.0T FSI. No leaks, no problems.

In case anyone is interested I've gone through nearly 2 litres in 12k miles and 8 months.


My 1.8T didn't use much oil at all. That is why I was suprized that the 2.0 did. My 1.8t had 80,000 miles when I sold it and it burned way less oil than my A3 at 12000 miles. I can't speak for anyone else, but I check my oil almost every fill up, so it isn't a matter of being lazy. It is the first car I have owned in the last 20 years that has used this much oil. If Audi came right out and said that this is normal than that is one thing, but first I was told it shouldn't burn any oil. This kind of feedback from audi service causes lots of confussion, which is probably why so many people are wondering about this on this forum. And by the way, I have a friend that bought a rs4 about 6 months ago, and it uses less oil than the A3, so I guess not all high performace cars burn oil.
Anyway,
thanks for all the feedback.

just curious, has anyone noticed any changes n oil usage after chipping? It makes sense to me that the extra oil being burned could be caused by making the turbo spin faster and work harder. With a jump in boost as signifigant as the chips create, the turbo must be working considerably harder and getting signifigantly hotter. More heat could burn more oil, etc... If this is the case then Audi definately is not responsible for the oil burning since the chip is running the car out of spec. My car is still brand new and with ~7500 miles on the car and 2500 on this oil change i've noticed its down half to 2/3rds of a quart.

Turbo cars use more oil, that's just a way of life.

I am having the same problem... my oil light had came on twice already... the same song and dance... The German superior engineering... BS... We had owned BMWs before... no oil consumption... I know that they use oil as lubricant for the Turbo... just like the aircraft engines... but that is about it... by the way... the aircraft engine is 60+ years technology... my O-320 certainly does not consume any oil like my Audi... They use the oil consumpton clause as CYA... no excuses... serviced at 5K... oil light on at 10K... crappy dealer service (Mission Viejo, CA)... service again at 15K... at 18K the oil light comes on... called dealer... you know the rest... this will be the first andLAST Audi I will ever own in my life... its back to Lexus for me... The service and attitudeat some dealership should be included in some horror films...I could have gotten the samelousy servicefrom Toyota or Honda and still save 2Kthey sock you withforthe privilege of "Joining the exclusive club of Audi" and their magazine... I have never visited any dealershipfor the cars that I had owned... within 1 year I visited Audi dealer 6 times for repairs/services... I curse the car company everyday as I get into my car... I want to let it be known that till the end of my days... there will be nothing but vindictive and vengeful words for the car company when Audi/VW comes into conversation...

Good luck with your cars... I am not...

You rant isn't helping you at all, we all try to help, but if the local dealer fails to remedy the oil leak then you should be calling AudiUSA to describe/complain what you have been thorough.

The dealer should be able to fix this problem, if not then they owe you a new car (California Lemon Law). Have you taken this A3 to another dealer since it’s under power train warranty to have someone else inspect/service it?

If you had read the first part of this message you would have seen that the creation date is June 30, 2004 and that only the European A3 FSI's was discussed at that time. Weird that various users read this message chain over the last three years and commented to it occasionally?

ORIGINAL: twu111

I am having the same problem... my oil light had came on twice already... the same song and dance... The German superior engineering... BS... We had owned BMWs before... no oil consumption... I know that they use oil as lubricant for the Turbo... just like the aircraft engines... but that is about it... by the way... the aircraft engine is 60+ years technology... my O-320 certainly does not consume any oil like my Audi... They use the oil consumpton clause as CYA... no excuses... serviced at 5K... oil light on at 10K... crappy dealer service (Mission Viejo, CA)... service again at 15K... at 18K the oil light comes on... called dealer... you know the rest... this will be the first andLAST Audi I will ever own in my life... its back to Lexus for me... The service and attitudeat some dealership should be included in some horror films...I could have gotten the samelousy servicefrom Toyota or Honda and still save 2Kthey sock you withforthe privilege of "Joining the exclusive club of Audi" and their magazine... I have never visited any dealershipfor the cars that I had owned... within 1 year I visited Audi dealer 6 times for repairs/services... I curse the car company everyday as I get into my car... I want to let it be known that till the end of my days... there will be nothing but vindictive and vengeful words for the car company when Audi/VW comes into conversation...

Good luck with your cars... I am not...




Good bye!

Personally, you shouldn't even own a German, turbo-powered, car if you're not checking the oil for over 5k miles. DUDE, these cars need maintanence and upkeep, not a Japanese forget about it and drive attitude. Do yourself a favor and go back to Japanese and be happy. It is perfectly normal for these engines to use oil as many have described. Learn to pay attention to your car or sell it to someone who will.

Cheers!

well spoken chef:D:D

I had an oil consumption problem as well but in my case, there was no or little oil in my car. The dip stick had a scent of gasoline in it meaning that there was a seal problem and I was burning gas and oil. Misfiring and excessive reving resulted in my car being towed in. All this with 6,000K just after my 15,000K service. There was condensation in oil caps and breather ports. The Tech had to contact their Tech line to solve the problem There as a coil problem and they needed to replace all coils and breather valves. Ive been returning to the dealership every 1,000K to have the oil level checked. Everything seems ok now but well see..... Oh yeah, It's all under the warrenty so atleast that's good.

Everywhere I've read, and in speaking with my dealer, this is a common problem. The car does run rich, most aftermarket tuners take advantage of this in the reprogrammed engine management software reflash. A quick look at your tail pipes will show where the oil is going...

At 4,500 miles, I checked mine after all the reading I did, and yeah, it was a 1/2 quart low. I've simply bought a few bottles of oil and keep 'em stashed in the garage. Just like I check my air and my washer fluid, I check my oil. No big deal, but annoying if you aren't use to it.

BTW: Someone mentioned BMW in this thread. Yeah, no, my E46 is very good at maintaining it's oil. It's never black when I change it, and it's never low. Good thing the oil is the same between the A3 and the E46.

So far mine is not burning any oil. I got a 2007 A3 2.0t with 6MT about three weeks. ago. I just rolled over 3400 miles yesterday (yes, I drive a lot), and the oil is still at the max level on the dipstick. I check this every gas up or at least every other one, but so far no oil usage.

Is this something that perhaps does not happen as much on the newer cars or does it burn more with age?

Actually, it's just the opposite. You should be using more oil in the beginning, until all of the seals are set, then the consumption should go down some. My car was like yours, almost perfectly full for the first 4k miles, then I lost a whole quart on the last 1k miles before the oil change. I go through about 1/2 to 1 quart every 5k miles. It just so happens that I change my oil every 5k miles anyway, so I've never really had to top off the fluid. When it gets a little low, then it's usually time for a change. BTW, I have 25k miles on my car at this point.

Another thing that I was taught many years ago with a turbo was to "drive it like you stole it". It basically means that your turbo needs to be worked out regularly to stay in good working order. Bring the car to redline at least once every time you drive it, but obviously wait until the engine is warm. This will keep carbon from building up on the turbo propellers, help push excess oil out of the intercooler, and generally keep all of the pathways clear and flowing well. Consider it like exercising your heart to keep your body healthy. AND, I've never had a turbo fail ever on any of my cars.

Cheers!

Thats interesting chef....
i'd like to hear what others's opinions on this are. . .
its an interesting theory and im not throwing it away... but i do doubt it some....

opinions??

ORIGINAL: Chef

Actually, it's just the opposite. You should be using more oil in the beginning, until all of the seals are set, then the consumption should go down some. My car was like yours, almost perfectly full for the first 4k miles, then I lost a whole quart on the last 1k miles before the oil change. I go through about 1/2 to 1 quart every 5k miles. It just so happens that I change my oil every 5k miles anyway, so I've never really had to top off the fluid. When it gets a little low, then it's usually time for a change. BTW, I have 25k miles on my car at this point.

Another thing that I was taught many years ago with a turbo was to "drive it like you stole it". It basically means that your turbo needs to be worked out regularly to stay in good working order. Bring the car to redline at least once every time you drive it, but obviously wait until the engine is warm. This will keep carbon from building up on the turbo propellers, help push excess oil out of the intercooler, and generally keep all of the pathways clear and flowing well. Consider it like exercising your heart to keep your body healthy. AND, I've never had a turbo fail ever on any of my cars.

Cheers!

What?!?

You don't blindly believe everything I say?!?

How dare you!!!

[sm=icon_beat.gif]




LOL

Cheers!

the turbo in the A3 is small, and oil cooled. I can understand how redlining the engine helps to burn crud out of it, I have always been a believer in running the engine hard sometimes to heat it up and burn crud not just from the engine, but also from the turbo.

My only other advice is if you just finished driving the car hard and are parking it, let the engine idle for 30 seconds or so. If you kill the engine while the turbo is still spinning at high speed, it loses oil flow and the oil in the bearing will overheat and solidify, called coking. After too much of this you need a new turbo. This is not as big a deal here and our turbos are small so they slow down fairly rapidly, but it should still help.

Yep, very true. We also have a coolant lines which help to reduce the temperature of the turbo, but it definitely needs to cool after working hard.

Cheers!

Thanks Chef, I came home worried tonight after the oil light came on. The prior owner had the 15,000 mile servie done at 11,000 for me prior to purchase. I now have 14,800 on it and I had to at 2qts to it.

It was just at the dealer a month ago for electrical work. It seems that rabbits/rodents like the sheathing on the wires nd they didn't mention it. I will call an independent and the dealer tomorrow to get their take on it. I have to admit my last series of Jeeps (v8's) only used oil when I ran them really hard, it does not suprise me that these use some too. I don't beat mine up but I am spirited.

Thanks again.

So where do you folks find the oil to top up? Didn't find any at my local PepBoys that meet the standard specified in the owners manual. One dealer grudgingly gave me 1 quart, the other said "bring it in and we'll top it up for you".

That's garbage. If I'm driving and the low oil comes on, I wouldn't want to have to find time to go to the dealer! I'm stopping ASAP to top that off.

As for finding the right oil, I just bought some a couple days ago. After visiting Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, and Autozone I have only seen one 5w-40, it was Castrol synthetic. I did also see Mobil 1 and Valvoline synthetics in 0w-40 that said they meet the VW/Audi 502.00 spec. You can also buy Pentosin 5w-40 (German, I think?) in quarts and jugs from ECS. Never hurts to keep some around, even if you don't need it at the moment.

a3insf,

Found both Castrol Syntec and Mobile 1 at my local Pepboys in Denver maybe you could try Kragen, Schucks, Checker (whatever its called in your neck of the woods). The dealer is using Castrol and my other Audi mechanic who is servicing my ride in between the dealers outragous 10k service is a Mobile 1 fan.

Later

I purchase the Pentosin from ECS and always keep an extra quart around. However, both the Mobil 1 and Castrol Sythetic are good choices.

Cheers!

I'll look for these, thanks!
My 2000 S4 wasn't very picky about the kind of oil.

Question regarding oil,

I cannot find the recommended 5W 40, so I bought a couple quarts 0w 40. Which is the 2nd choice in the manual to use.

I just had an oil change from the dealer a couple weeks ago, they said they use 5w 40.

Now if I have to add a quart sometime down the road, can I use the 0w 40 that I purchased? And would that matter much to MIX with the 5w 40?

Will not matter, as long as you keep it to par level o w, or 5 w.
Problems occur when the low oil alarm goes off and is disregarded.

Did my first oil change last week at about 2500 miles. Oil level was down a full quart. I am now using Mobil-1 0-40 and had a custom reflash (265hp, 295ft-lb) done as well. Interesting to see if the oil consumption changes.

Why did you replace your oil at 2500miles? Even heavily modified the oil doesn't need to be changed more than every 5k miles or so. It won't hurt anything, but it seems expensive and not necessary.

Cheers!

I guess I'm a little old school. This is actually the longest I've ever gone for the first oil service on a new car. Considering it is turbocharged, and I do drive it hard, and it was down a quart anyway, what the hell. I have a full service facility at my disposal so it was a no-brainer. I'll probably go about 4-5K between changes moving forward.

Sounds reasonable.

Just had my 10K oil change at dealer. I was informed that "it's normal for the Audi engine to consume about a half quart every 3K miles". I was really surprised. My A3 does consume about that amount. The dealer informed me "it was mostly due to the turbo." I find this unsettling. If this is normal for the 2.0 FSI engine for performance issues. I wish Audi would inform it's consumers with a service bulletin addressing this issue.

Totally normal. You are more informed than most because you are a forum member. It would make sense for them to instruct people to pay attention to their oil levels. Any previous turbo owner would be aware of that though.

Cheers!

My 07 DSG S-line with 2000 miles has consumed about 1/4 quart thus far. Based on the comments I've read, oil consumption appears to increase between 5k and 10k. I'll be keeping a close eye on the dipstick.

This is the second turbo car I've owned. First was a 2001 Jetta TDI 5-speed. I drove the snot out of it and when I sold it at 170k miles, it used less than 1/4 quart between 10k oil changes (did them myself with Rotella 5W-40 synthetic). If the turbo is what causes oil consumption, how would one explain the near zero oil consumption of my Jetta? Diesels have much higher compression but also significantly lower operating temps - maybe that has something to do with it.

I owned a 2002 Jetta TDI 5 speed and it used some oil too. If you ever had the chance to open up the lines to your intercooler, you probably could have drained a quart of oil out of there. That was a very fun and economical car, and it was another car that was fun as hell to modify too. Definitely a torque monster!

Cheers!

Oil and filter changes are cheap insurance. There is no downside to changing both on a more frequent basis.

Hi I am New to the forum

I have been reporting to My Audi dealership the high oil consumption of my A3. Almost 1 quart every 1000 miles. We discovered that one of the Valves was leaking and this was causing it to Burn oil. It has been 2500 miles since tghe valve was changed and continues to burn oil at the rate of one quart every 1000 miles.
What is normal ? Audi has not told my dealership the answer. My car is in the shop as we speak. I will let you know what they said.

I just checked mine last night and oil was very low. It was almost non-existant on the oil stick, just a dab of oil on the "MIN" level of the stick. So, since my last oil change at 11,000 miles, I now have 15,000 miles and I had to add 1 full quart last night.

The "min oil" light didnt come on this time, but I hate waiting to see that light pop up on my display.

I use 0W - 40 Mobil 1 to top off whenever I need. My dealer uses Elf Synthetic when they do my oil change.

I was told that the turbo has alot to do with the consumption of oil and the A3 2.0T RPM's high and leads to more oil consumption. Just check it every 2000 miles or so and you should be ok.

But as far as the "leak" the last post described, let me know what they say.

My '07 2.0T did not burn any oil in the first 5000 miles and hasn't burned any since the initial oil change some 2500 miles ago. Now I'm in my 60s and may not drive as agressively as some of you younger guys (but my wife may differ).

Anybody else running Elf Excellium? I recently switched to it, and it's either my vivid imagination or the engine is running much smoother.

Yeah - I've been running Excellium LDX 5 -40. It's good stuff; I use it in the Porsches. I noticed, however, that LDX has been dropped from the latest502 00 list - the only Excelliumnow approved by Audiis DID 5-40.

A3s run like the devil. The oil consumtion is normal .My dealer recomended checking the valves periodically

Enjoy
CHEERS

I have 3,000 on my 2.0t 6spd A3 and haven't burnt any oil. If you have high oil consumption without a lot of high revs and high turbo,it wouldseems like your piston rings did not seat properly. The mitsubishi lanceris an example of piston rings not seating properly if they are driven wrong during break in, the lancer's that are broken in properly don't burn much oil, while ones that aren't broken in right burn tons of oil.

This may be a stupid question but how do you know how much oil has been consumed. My dip shows exaclty halfway btwn min and max at 3500 miles. How can I tell how much has been consumed?

I just changed my oil at 10k miles. I followed all of the recommended break-in procedures and I am not burning any noticeable amount of oil. I do drive it hard every day and, if I am burning any oil, it is less than 1/4 of a quart. Last oil change was at 5k.

ORIGINAL: brodieone

This may be a stupid question but how do you know how much oil has been consumed. My dip shows exaclty halfway btwn min and max at 3500 miles. How can I tell how much has been consumed?


Usually, the min to maxgrid on the dipstick represents 1 liter of oil.


Cheers!

Hey Chef;
For us Americans - don't you mean 1.05 quarts?:eek:

LOL

Yeah, 1 liter or 1 quart, take your pick.

Just hit 30K on my 06 A3 2.0T. I'm having the same problem with excessive oil consumption. My oil light came on this weekend and when I checked the dipstick it was dry. I called the dealer to report the problem and make an appointment to bring the car in. They acted very concerned and said to "plan on leaving the car" for a few days. I think Audi knows what the problem withthis particular engineis and doesn't want to publicize it. More to follow....

Wanted to add my info. My 2006 A3 2.0 T is burning oil at 1 Qt every 1600 miles!

I even had the dealer change the oil (which I paid $$$ for) at 10,000 and 20,000 mile intervals (ontop of the other oil changing intervals). It now has 23,000 miles on it, and Audi is giving me the "we have to perform an oil consumption test" Which I was lead to believe they did last time I was in.

High compression or not... there is no way an engine should be burning oil that fast!

Having two other Turbo charged 4 cylinder engines, (1 Subaru and 1 Saab) I can say I experienced very little oil consumption from both. I do not have the Audi yet but if I run into anything out of the norm I will let you know.

I would be interested to know how these oil consuming engines were initially broken in?

ORIGINAL: chifanpoe

Having two other Turbo charged 4 cylinder engines, (1 Subaru and 1 Saab) I can say I experienced very little oil consumption from both. I do not have the Audi yet but if I run into anything out of the norm I will let you know.

I would be interested to know how these oil consuming engines were initially broken in?


This is my 6th turbocharged car...I just bought it with 65k miles and the previous owner alerted me that it goes through a quart about every 5k miles. That does not alarm me, as long as it stays around there. Even the owner's manual advises that this is not atypical or necessarily cause for alarm. Perhaps it is notable that the only other of those turbo cars I owned that consumed oil was an '86 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo). It went through about a quart every 2-3k miles. The dealer did a compression test and said it was fine and not to worry about it; just keep adding as needed. I had also heard that the reason that car did that was due to the cylinder lining being made of silicon-impregnated aluminum, rather than cast iron, like most other cars, so it requires iron-coating in the pistons, which has a looser tolerance to the cylinder wall when cold. The 2.0T has an iron black, AFAIK, so perhaps it's just a German turbo thing :P.

ORIGINAL: chifanpoe

I would be interested to know how these oil consuming engines were initially broken in?


I am also interested in this. I read this same issue on other Audi forums about the 2.0T. Yet there is never any word of how the engines were broken in. Since there seems to be some with the problem and others without it I would tend to think that maybe those without the issue broke their engines in a little more carefully? Not sure if this type of correlation has been made yet...

FWIW, I broke my 2.0T in meticulously and it doesn't seem to consume any oil so far. I've only got ~12,700 miles, and I change the oil every 5k. Perhaps if I followed the 10k intervals suggested by Audi then consumption would become an issue.

I broke my engine in properly too and I go through a quart every 4k miles or so.




Cheers!

Well the car is on a trip via flat bed to the dealership. In response to how the car was broken in, the answer is I don't know. I bought it slightly used with 8300 miles. I will tell you that I'm taking it to a different dealership this time. They advised me that Audi has issued a tech bulletin on the "Pressure Regulating Valve". Apparently they can stick in an open position and cause oil consumption. I'm not sure why the first dealership didn't tell me about that. Nevertheless, I will follow up with more info after the car is back home.

I've also had aSaab 900 turbo and 9000 turbo. No problems with oil consumption ever.

I was told by many BMW and Audi owners, that I am crazy for giving Audi and or Audi mechanic specialists more of my money for the every 5,000 mile oil change, instead of just waiting the 10,000 miles like it says in the manual. what do you all think?

1. Turbochargers put much more stress and heat into the oil. Remember the oil is lubricating a very hot device spinning at 100,000 rpm or more. I wouldn't be surprised to start hearing owners of the new turbo'd BMW's changing their oil more frequently.
2. Why not just do the oil changes yourself? It is pretty simple to do, you avoid the aggravation of taking it into the dealer, and your spare time is probably cheaper then thedealer's labor rate.

I bet that you'd be fine changing the oil every 10k miles. However, with all of the mods on my engine and the way I drive, I feel it is good to change mine every 5k miles. But, I do the mid change myself for around $40. Very simple on these cars.



Cheers!

With a top-quality full synthetic oil (I personally use Mobil1 and more recently Amsoil), there is no reason to change it earlier than the 10k period. I've read extensive articles on this, and the consensus/testing is overwhelming (I'm sure an internet search will give you plenty of reading material). Dino oil is a completely different matter, as is semi-synthetic, but not allowed in the A3 anyway (full synthetic only).

The fact that is the recommendation from the manufacturer is an even more overwhelming confirmation. They have zero incentive to extend milage between oil changes if it wasn't well within full synthetic's protective capability.

I'm sure if you stick with the VW/Audi OEM syntethic oil, Mobil 1, or Amsoil, you will have no problems. I'm not discounting that other synthetic oil brands aren't also good, only that those are the two brands I've had good personal experience with. I switched to Amsoil in my old autoX car and in my 2003 V-8 Explorer that I use to tow our 5800lb travel trailer camping (also put full-synthetic ATF in the tranny, but that's another story).

In short, yes, I think changing at 5k is definately not necessary. In any case, a google search should give you hours of reading/research to draw your own conclusions if you want to look into it further.

-Jeff

After 5,000 miles, send your oil out for analysis (and pay extra for the TBN calculation). The data you get back will allow you to gauge how your driving in your car is affecting your oil and give you the data you need to figure out whether you're pissing money away every 5,000 miles or whether the early changes are necessary. Anything else you hear, be it from a friend, folks on the internet, an Audi mechanic or even your Owner's Manual is simply speculation.

Welp, I'm officially in the club. Just added some oil today. It's consumed 1/3 of a quart in 3,7xx miles, I'm not worried about it though. I have been working the turbo extra hard for the past few months (cold air = zoooooom!)

On top of that, my brakes just started squealing today too, but to be fair I was riding them hard all day (I suppose it's not such a good thing when I get out of the car and I can smell the brakes, huh?).

PLUS, I just had to replace a Pirelli P6 yesterday due to a nail. It really kind of pissed me off to have to buy a new tire at 13,700 miles when I was planning on replacing them by 22k anyways. [:@]

ORIGINAL: jtrimm

With a top-quality full synthetic oil (I personally use Mobil1 and more recently Amsoil), there is no reason to change it earlier than the 10k period.

What amsoil are you using and is it VW 502 spec certified?

This thread (and the similar ones on other audi forums) really worry me :(

ORIGINAL: eger

ORIGINAL: jtrimm

With a top-quality full synthetic oil (I personally use Mobil1 and more recently Amsoil), there is no reason to change it earlier than the 10k period.

What amsoil are you using and is it VW 502 spec certified?

This thread (and the similar ones on other audi forums) really worry me :(


Certified? No such a thing. You have to take Amsoil's word for it that their oil meets the 502.00 and 503.01 specs. For my part, I'll stick with certified oils, and here in my neck of the woods, that means German made Castrol Syntec 0W-30 and Mobil 1 0W-40. Period, full stop, the end. [8D]

I guess I meant 'on the approved by VW' list in manual. Not having my A3 yet, I did not know, and is why I was wondering.

Sorry, I didn't mean my post to sound as if I was coming down on you, that was absolutely not my intent. :D

I just have a problem with the veracity of the rhetoric that comes out of the Amsoil Marketing Department. If you read their web site, you'll read stuff that would indicate that their oil is the greatest thing since sliced bread, however, if you read between the lines and then do a little research over on http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php (http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php), you'll find that while their products are good, they aren't necessarily the best in any given car, and if fact are often inferior to oils that cost less and are easier to obtain. [:@]

FWIW, I ran Amsoil in my Chevy Blazer (4.3L V6) before I got the A3... 25k oil change intervals with a filter change half way through. The engine was still running like a beast when I traded it in (unfortunately everything besides the engine was falling apart:eek: ).

Did you ever have your oil analyzed? I cannot tell you the number of reports I've read from folks who believed that whole "Amsoil is good for 25,000 miles" thing and then sent the oil in for a UOA, only to havethe resultscome back showing the oil was thoroughly exhausted (in fact I've NEVER seen a singleUOA of any Amsoil grade that showed it was still good to go after even 20,000 miles, and I've read LOTS of UOAs).

Think about it this way, let's say that the oil you were running was good for say 15,000 miles before the additive pack started getting a bit sketchy, and that by the 20,000 mile mark said additive pack was fully gone. As long as you keep your oil filled up you're still going to get some lubrication and cooling from the oil that is in the pan, however, your wear numbers will skyrocket during the last 5,000 miles (relative to what they were before the 15,000 mile mark). Will the high wear numbers for those last 5,000 miles of each 25,000 mile OCI be enough to cause the engine to fail before say the 100,000 mile mark? No, probably not. How about the 200,000 mile mark? No, but by then your oil consumption should be high enough that your make-up oil should keep the additive levels up above the minimum.

The flip side of course is the engines that are run with OCIs that don't let the additive pack drop below a TBN of 1.0. In engines like that, the amount of wear is so low that even at the quarter of a million mark, the engines show little measurable wear. Case in point, I pulled the heads off of our oldest car last summer (thinking that I had a coolant leak from one of the head-gaskets, which I didn't, it was from the timing chain cover), and I was delighted to see that ALL of the honing marks on the cylinder walls were still in place and that there was virtually no detectable ridge above the area of the cylinder walls that is swept by the piston rings. The engine had 143,625 miles on it at the time, and has been run on a steady diet of Mobil 1 for ~11,000 mile OCIs (which per my UOAs means that the oil still had a TBN comfortably above 1.0).

Please understand, I’m not saying that Amsoil is bad[/i], I’m just saying that it is A) no better than it’s competition, and B) no where near as good as Amsoil would have you believe.

I never had the oil from the Blazer analyzed; however it was my father who got me using the stuff. His company has quite a fleet of heavy duty work trucks, dump trucks, semis, etc; as well as machinery such as front-end loaders, backhoes, and whatnot. They use both Mobil 1 and Amsoil and regularly send out the oil for analysis. He was impressed enough with the results to switch all of his personal vehicles to Amsoil, plus I figured my Blazer wasn't seeing near as harsh conditions as these trucks that run 12 hours a day hauling (literally) tons of materials. You could be right, maybe in the long term the engine won't hold up. It never burned any oil while I had it, just added about half a quart when the filter had to be changed. Anyway it's not my problem anymore:D

Sorry to drag this topic off on a tangent. I don't intend to instigate an oil argument (LOL, we've all seen them on any car related forum!)

Regardless of how the oil performs or lasts I am more interested in the relation to different oil brands and weights contributing to the oil consumption. Once I get my A3 soon this will be something I keep a close eye on (will probably be checking at gas station every 1k) and reporting back on also.

Here's what I was told and what was done regarding my high oil consumption:

The Pressure Regulating Valve in some A3's has proven faulty and causes high oil consumption.

Mine was faulty, and was replaced. TSB 2015505 is the bulletin that was listed on my invoice regarding this problem.
Nevertheless, be it my imagination or reality, the car seems to be running much smoother also, and the exhaust a bit throatier.
I'll still keep an eye on the oil level of course and will report back if I see a problem, but for those of you currently experiencing this problem,question your Dealer about the Pressure Regulating Valve.

Kind of strange so many have this issue and so many times have been told it's normal yet there is a TSB out for it? Is there a date on the TSB to know when the issue was resolved in producton? I am assuming once they figure out the fix they immediately start applying it to all new vehicles correct?

I'm unsure of a date for the TSB or if they apply it to all vehicles. I was advised that the valve has been re-designed to avoid the same problem from occurring again.

Good evening all,

I asked my service advisor about the TSB and he replied with the following:

UNLESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS EXIST[/align] THE TSB DOES NOT RELATE:[/align] One or more of the following conditions may be present: • MIL on, and one or more of following DTCs are stored in ECM data memory: ‒ P1297 (Connection charger-throttle valve, pressure loss) ‒ P2187 (Fuel trim bank 1, system too lean at idle speed) ‒ P2279 (Intake air system leak)[/align] • Whistle noise, air rushing noise from engine. • Oil leaks from oil filler cap.

All oil consumption on the 2.0T engine comes from the faulty PCV valve design. The valve blows causing boost pressure to enter the crankcase and push your oil back into the intake when you let up on the gas. If the dealer won't change the PCV valve for you (probably won't) just buy the valve and change it yourself. If you really don't believe me, take off the hose going to the throttle body, i bet there is 1/4 quart of oil in the intake line.

Hi all,
I am back from my follow up visit to the Audi Dealer. They are still giving me the run-around. I previously had my PCV valve replaced and the engine is still burning through 1qt every 1900 miles (more this time because I drove more highway miles and perhaps the weather? who knows... (it has been hovering in the 20 degree range for the past month.)

Anyways, the dealer told me that this amount of oil consumption is within specs. Is that a valid statement? (does anyone really know the specs?)

They also went on to say that because I have been changing my oil every 5,000 miles that the engine has not "been broken in yet" (it has 25,000 miles now) This seems moreabsurd than the oil consumption comment!

auditech79, what are your thoughts? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Steve

For a number of years now VW and Audi have been sticking to the line that one quart in a thousand miles is the threshold for which they will declare a problem. I don't know if that's still the high water mark but based upon your post it sounds like what they're saying. As for the engine not being broken in because of your 5,000 mile OCIs, yeah, that's enough BS to fill the entire interior of your car. Ewwww! [:@]

Follow up to the Pressure Regulating Valve line of BS that I was handed.......It didn't fix the problem. I'm burning through 1Q in 3000 miles and if I stomp on the gas I can see smoke in my rear view mirror, nice. The dealership told me that was normal in addition to the oil consumption! Japanese it is.........

Similar issue, I have a A3 2006 TDI 1.9 with 30000km, went low on oil last year before the service, and I am due service in a few week and it is low again.

This can't be normal, a car should not burn oil.

For the past near year, I have been inserting a minimum of a quart a month of sythetic in to my Engine. Thats damn more then a thousand miles a quart. Guys suggest I take it in? It doesnt leave puddles or drop oil in my garage at all. 2006 A3 2.0T

A quart every thousand miles is Audi's tolerance. Any more than that and they will take it seriously, otherwise they'll just blow you off. Truly a crappy thing about some of these engines. Good luck.



Cheers!

Wow I really Feal for all of you. I check my oil every time I get gas and the last time I needed to add oil I was scheduled for my 15k service the next day. I must have really lucked out. Oh and a reminder for all of you the first 10K was in Las Vegas 120 degree heat and the next 5K was in a Montana winter with a high of 30F and a low of -38F and still didn't burn throu oil like some are saying.

My 2.0T has 22k miles on it. I changed my oil 2000 miles ago about two months. Last night, there goes the oil light. Sure enough the dipstick is dry. Never had that happen on any of the 20 cars I've owned over 25 years ...except for a 1990 Geo Metro w/100k miles. But I beat the crap out of that car - in fact, redefined the word"beater".

So, I'd say something isunusual about the Audi oil use.

Check my explanation on pg. 2 (6th one down).

If your foot's in it all-the-time or most of the time, you are going to burn oil with a turbo period!!!

49k on my 2006 and i use less than 1 quart per 5k. I have fun, now and again, just not all the time.

heh...w/ only 4640 miles on the odometer, I got a check engine oil level light tonight while i was cruising at a relaxing speed tonight. [sm=boosign.gif]
I guess I'll buy a quart of mobile 1 syn oil and dump it in tomorrow. That should keep my car going till the 5k service.

Anyone experience that light during break-in?

Uhhh, not just any "Mobil 1 syn" will do, the only Mobil 1 certified for your car is Mobil 1 0W-40 (you can also use Castrol Syntec 0W-30 or Castrol Syntec 5W-40).

Thought I would add me 2 cents to this thread... I just added a half quart of Castrol after 3500 miles. This is at 13,300 miles. I bought my 2007 A3 2.0T S-line used with about 9800 miles.

so,,, i'm not sure how any of you are going to respond to this.... However... my A3.... burned a Qt. of oil.,,,,, i had the oil changed at 1500 miles... then at 4500... and as i was nearing 7000 miles... the OIL light came on. I was on my way back to Vegas,, from LA,, 3am and i was surprised.
I'd been running HARD all day,,, back and forth to LA,, in summer heat... can take it's toll on any engine. I continued the drive home... knowing,, if it burns down,,, there was nothing. i could have done... it was in the cards.

I got into the dealership,, the next day,, told them of my experience. The service manager told me, "that was normal", but still not according to my past experience with any other brand.

Well,, now my ride,, has 20,000 miles,,,, runs lke a champ. Doesn't burn half as much now,, between oil changes (every 3k) and i don't hear or see an issue. It's just the engine breaking in.

Thanks Dave and welcome to the forums.

First off, why are you changing your oil so often??? It really doesn't need to be changed any earlier than 5k miles, and many would argue that 10k is perfectly fine, and what the dealer recommends. Also, are you making sure to use the correct oil? I'm happy your car is working fine, but I want to make sure it stays that way.


Cheers!