i have been having the same issue with oil consumption on my 07 2.0T. I bought it certified with about 40k miles on it. i had a consumption test on my first service - it passed. it now has 90k on it and had the test again, it failed. so i am getting the piston rings done in 2 weeks when the parts come in.

i am also concerned that this is big job and will lead to issues down the road.

 

For convenience to readers more comfortable with imperial units... With one quart of oil, based on the information from my Audi service, the mileage limits are:

Perfect: 3300 to 6600 mi
Checkup recommended: Less than 660 mi
Something is wrong: Less than 330 mi

I do not know if extra oil by itself does harm anywhere, but if the engine runs long with excess oil burning in the cylinders, there will be carbon build up that can cause issues. In the service they have the equipment to do a visual check through spark plug hole. It is an easy and inexpensive check for the peace of mind. My Audi service carried it out without asking for it.

Replacing piston rings is a fairly big job as the whole cylinder block needs to be lifted off. But it also allows full inspection and tolerance measurements for the top of the engine. When done by a professional technician, your engine will be again like new.

 

if you are consistently putting well over 1 quart of oil in the engine every 5k miles, you need to tell your service manager he needs to fix the oil consumption issue. if he refuses, call AOA and tell them about the issue. several people have had engines replaced under warranty for this issue. apparently the outer diameter of the piston rings were not manufactured consistently enough but audi didn't find out till ppl started complaining.

for almost any turboed car, .5-1.25 quart every 5k miles is normal.

 

Sorry but AOA will not help you if your car passes the oil consumption evaluation. OM and usually the dealers will say 1 quart per 1200 miles is acceptable. 1.25 quarts per 5000 miles would be considered exceptional.

 

FWIW:

I bought a used '09 A4 with 29,000 miles on it. I was putting in a quart of oil every 1-2 thousand miles. At 53,000 miles the oil consumption jumped to a quart in less than 500 miles. I brought it to my local dealership. They said there was a notice out about this engine and ran the oil consumption test which the car failed. The dealership then made the following repairs (per the invoice I received):

Oil consumption test part #1
-J separator
-B seal
-Screw
Pressure regulating valve remove + reinstall
Crankshaft vibration damper remove and reinstall
Crankshaft oil seal, pulley end remove + reinstall
Reflashed ECM
Test Drive

They told me that if the low oil warning came on again within 1200 miles that I should bring the car back to the dealership for test #2

The dealership (Audi Exchange, Highland Park, IL) did not charge anything for the above repairs even though the car was out of warranty. I'm not sure if this is the policy of AOA because so many people are having issues or if the dealership was being very decent. However, I should note that they refused to cover an amplifier for the Bang & Olufsen sound system that blew out after the 50,000 mile warranty had expired so maybe that influenced their decision not to charge for the engine repairs.

 

I thought I would drop this in this thread too - I added it to a more recent thread but this particular one is more specific. Sorry if you are reading twice.

I finally was able to get Audi Tulsa to do something about the oil consumption issue on our 2009 A4 2.0T. I have complained and complained but just beat my head bloody against the wall.

My wife was taking it over for the 55,000 mile service and the low oil light came on. Perfect timing for once! I had already told the service writer when setting up the appointment that I just didn't believe 6 quarts of oil between oil changes (10,000 miles on this model) was ridiculous. This guy was new so he said "no, that is not normal" - despite the complete idiots that told me it was normal before.

The add oil warning came on after only 680 miles since we had last filled it up with oil and checked the gas.

They did not charge us for this saying that it was a "Goodwill Repair". Yeah, right. I didn't immediately jump down his throat but I wonder why they think I just fell off the turnip truck.

The one thing that has caught my eye is that, on the repair ticket, they say we have to "return in no less than 630 miles or if low oil light comes on". Then they will do Part 2. Of course, the service writer said nothing about this to my wife - probably so we would miss it.

According to the ticket, the repairs consisted of:

Replacement of crancase pressure regulating valve
Front main seal/bolt
Updated ECM
Performed part 1 of oil consumption test

I tried googling this TSB (2027731/3) and can't find it. I would really like to have a copy if anybody has one.

At least we might be making progress on this finally.

 

I will say that anyone who is having oil consumption problems, do not let the dealer blow you off. I have a 2010 manual transmission A4, purchased Sept 2010; up until about a week ago I was putting a quart of oil in in every 10 days to two weeks. My car is still under the Audi Care program (service is on them) and I told them I'd had enough, that I did not want this problem ignored until the free service period was over. Well I put the car in the shop last week and the fix... $7,985... free for me, but they could not get me out of the shop fast enough, and I'm keeping my eye on consumption now as it's in a test period with them... and they could not guarantee that I would not have issues in the future.

 

Incidentally, this is my third A4 and the first one I bought brand new. I had a 1999 and a 2003 previous to this one and neither used oil the way this one has... for two years I've heard nothing from the dealer but, "yeah, these cars use a lot of oil." It's crap.

 

Audi Tek says "The software update, The crank seal, and the breather seems to be the more serious fix."

How much should I be expecting to pay (ballpark) for this fix to see if it solves my oil consumption issue?

 

The dealership ended up making the fix for about $950. That said, this is a problem inherent on 2009 and 2010 vehicles. I was able to get my done at no charge because I'm still in the free service period that came with the vehicle when I purchased it, but if I were you, I would write a letter to Audi North America. Their offices are in Herndon, VA. The COO is Mark Del Rosso.