My 98 2.8 Avant is burning oil like a hungry motha! I usually have to add oil before the next oil change or else i run the risk of running dry! What is normal consumption for your 2.8 engines? Also how hard is it to replace a radiator?

Just so you all know, I fall into the category of college student afraid of Audi repair bills. Car is sick tho!

Thanks

 

Is the oil leaking?

Adding a quart every 3K mi. is not a problem for an older engine.

Is your exhaust blue?

 

If you're afraid of repair bills DO THE WORK YOURSELF. An independent shop wanted $150 to change the fuel filter on my A4. I said eff that and for $18 and an hour or so of my time i had it done. Audis are not magical cars that you can't work on. I've done a fair amount of work myself and Audiworld has good write ups.

Now about your oil problem. You say running dry? If you're THAT close your pressure won't be very good. If you're a quart low thats pretty common. Check for leaks, and I would run some AutoRX through once. Its expensive but it works. Use dino oil for the clean and rinse phases, then use whatever you like. It has a money back gaurantee so I say give it a shot and see if it helps.

Also what oil are you using in your engine? Oil changes are another thing you SHOULD do yourself. That way you know exactly whats going into it. A $20 set of sockets from wal-mart, a $15 jack, and a drain pan will be sufficient for doing it yourself.

 

You need a few additional things to do an oil change. Most important is jack stands or wheel ramps, not a jack.

Never get under a car that is supported only by a jack. Once you've seen someone flattened by his car come into an emergency room, you become extra careful when working under your car.

 

[sm=insomnia.gif][sm=insomnia.gif][sm=insomnia.gif]
holy **** that suks!!!!!!!

 

yeah get jackstands too... again, $15 at wally world

 

Sounds like you are leaking oil. Putting a little in may be normal, but in general, you car should go 3k-5k without needing oil. All engines consume some oil, however other crap (normal stuff) gets into the oil over time and will usually keep the oil level up even though the car burns a small amount of oil. If you have to add oil like that its probably leaking out somewhere. Get into the engine bay and under the engine and look for oil. A lot of times you will see where it is running down the engine block or you will see wet oily sections under the car where the leak runs down the engine and then sprays back under the car as you are driving. Make sure you look on top of the plastic cover beneath your car. A lot of times this can catch oil that is leaking but keeps it from dripping down onto your driveway so you don't see oil spots even though your car is leaking oil. You may need a new gasket somewhere.

 

Update on the oil..
Thanks for the tips guys. I ran into my mechanic the other day and he informed me that when the dipstick reads nearly dry there is still plenty of oil in the engine. I was under the impression that the dipstick read all 5 or 6 quarts not just 1 quart. By the way, my engine compartment is very clean. No leakage just burns a quart every few thousand like normal. So i'm feeling good about the oil how about my radiator? Is this a really complex job? Or something i could do with a repair manual and basic tools? Anyone replaced their radiator that has tips?

 

PS. the car has 156k so i'm not too worried about burning a quart every few thousand miles.

 

that's quite normal whats the problem?? UK spec is 1 liter per 1,000 miles and worse depending on driving conditions and country, if its always hot it will use more oil