Ski season is around the corner and since I got my A4 not too long ago, I haven't really driven it much to have complete faith in the car's reliability. I don't want to be stranded and am willing to do some preventative maintenance so I can have troublefree operation.

Here's the procedure I have seen:
http://members.***.net/ambox/audi_sl...ndHeadCleaning

From what I'm reading, oil pressure problems or timing belt issues are usually what leaves people stranded. The timing belt was changed 15K miles ago so I think I'm ok. That just leaves out the oil sludge issue. I'm planning on changing out the valve cover gasket soon so I should be able to see how bad the sludge is.

In any case, I'd be interested to know if it's worthwhile to change out the oil pump and pickup tube for preventative maintenance. So for those of you that have done it yourself, is it easy? Sounds like it's just supporting the engine, lowering the subframe and removing the oil pan and then you've got access to the oil pump. How long did the procedure take you and any tips?

Lastly, where should I get a new oil pump from and what part # do I need? I have a '98 A4 1.8T Quattro. Looks like Rockauto.com has it for like $80 but it's probably aftermarket but is that good enough?

 

the oil pump is mechanical. The chance of failure is slim to none if you want my opinion.

In worse case, all you have to do its to drop the pump, clean it and put it right back. The procedure is not very hard, but time consuming. Count a 6hours to drop it and an other 4 to put it back in place.

If you have all the tools and patience, do it. If not i dont recommend this job for a novice.

 

Well, I guess it's not the oil pump that I want to change out persay but it's the filter that is stuck on the pick up tube. Is the oil pump and the pick up tube available separately? I just assumed that I had to buy both together from what I have seen.

 

its all one unit. the pump and tube never "fail" they just get clogged. to prevent clogging use only approved fully synthetic oil every 3-4k miles and the biggest oil filter you can find. mobil1 m301 filter fits your car and is a good one to buy. some seafoam in the crankcase will help break up any sludge already in there. replacing the oil pump or pick up tube is not necessary nor will it prevent you from getting a clog in the future. the only thing you can do to prevent it is to keep up on maintenance.

 

So lets say when i change my valve cover gasket (leaking at the o rings that seals the plug holes) and i see major sludge, what do i do?

 

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, I'm aware that the pump and tube never fail but the screen becomes clogged and the screen is part of the pick up tube and that's why I want to replace it. It's the peace of mind knowing that I have a new screen in my car that will prevent getting an oil sludge clog sooner than later. If it takes changing out this part every two years or so, I don't mind. I just don't want to be left stranded in the middle of nowhere w/o advance notice.

 

well my point is even by changing it, you really arent preventing anything. unless you are completely stripping your engine down and steam cleaning every little bit and rebuilding it, theres still sludge in there. the second you change out the screen, a chunk of sludge could get stuck in it again (possibly from you going in there and stirring it up while changing the screen even) and kill your car within 5 minuits of you putting it all back together again. preventing sludge from forming in the first place thru regular maintenance is the better way to go. not to mention easier and cheaper.

if you want notice of when this is going to happen, install an oil pressure gauge. the oil pressure light on the dash only comes on to tell you that your screwed, by the time it lights up its normaly already too late. the gauge can tell you when pressure is starting to get low so you can do something before the o-**** oil light comes on.

if you take care of your car, you can be 99.5% sure you wont have sludge problems. if you are an idiot soccer mom who drives with the check engine light on for a few weeks before she has time to figure out why its on and sometimes misses an oil change by a few thousand miles on a regular basis, your going to be having problems with a car like this.