2001 S3 enjoying alot of oil!

[jgrannyfield]

Heya!
Just wondering what sort of oil drinking habits everyone elses S3 has?
My oil minimum light is coming up about every 1200 miles, is this normal, or just the nature of the beast!

Thanks gang!

 

[jdas03]

I heard they can drink alot, i done around 3 k since my last change/top up and no oil light.

 

[Andrew@A.L.D]

Has the oil pump and pick up pipe been checked since you've had the car?

 

[jgrannyfield]

Well I bought the car at Easter time, and had the cambelt and water pump done, but had nothing to do with the oil looked at!
Is it worth getting it checked out then?

 

[s3dave]

mines done .5 L in 7000 miles... high miler too

 

[Andrew@A.L.D]

Its the oil pump one of the most important bit of the engine and if that goes then bye bye engine

Just get a new one to make sure, don't forget the pick up pipe

 

[Matt82]

it wont want an oil pump unless its really high mileage.

is it leaking any? leaving it until the low level sensor is triggered is really irresponsible!

 

[LiveWire]

To tell the truth I check my oil every month and over the last year my motor used around half a litre!!!
So I think your car is drinking a bit much!

What grade of oil you using??

 

[Matt82]

ive put 3k-4k on my 20vt. having looked at the dip stick ive used 200ml. its a 153k mile car, so you lot thats beyond stratospheric mileage!! it has been driven hard in those miles whilst doing ecu tweaks, sprint days, drag strip days.

i am doing a change this week though

 

[Welly]

leaving it until the low level sensor is triggered is really irresponsible!

That is EXACTLY what I was going to say. You should be breaking out the dipstick every ~500 miles.

 

[Matt82]

hugz welly. HUGZ

 

[jimmp]

my 102K '01 plate 1.8t Qs used half a litre in a year, then a litre in four weeks! (1000 miles) but having just had it serviced, it's rolled off completely to not using anything. Very bizarre. I do have a gasket cover leak around the VVT though.
I would have said you should never see the oil light. Is it a "level" rather than "pressure" telltale?

I've had 4 or five quattro's and never seen it come on...

JimP

 

[Welly]

There are two oil warnings. A yellow and a red.

Yellow = bad. Says on it 'Oil Min Level' or something. Naughty for letting it get that low. Refill and learn.

Red = REALLY bad. Accompanied with 3 beeps. Means stop car now or engine will be caput basically. This not generally associated with low oil level, means low oil pressure - more normally knackered pump or blocked strainer.

Anyway, lesson is: Always check your oil once a week using that orange/yellow thing under the bonnet that many seem to have not heard of.

Checking oil level using the dipstick is GOOD! Make time for it. May save you much money.

:thumbsup:

 

[jgrannyfield]

Well thanks for the replys gang! Better get checking that sticky thing more often, dipstick was it? Jokes!
I'll get the other stuff checked as well, its my first high performance car (bit of an upgrade from 1.4 MG ZR) so wasnt sure what was really normal!
Thanks again for all the help and advice!

 

[The Doctor]

My 75k S3 doesn't use a drop (or at least nothing noticeable). Check it using that yellow plastic thing every time I wash the car (and believe me, that is very regularly...!).

 

[s3dave]

My 75k S3 doesn't use a drop (or at least nothing noticeable). Check it using that yellow plastic thing every time I wash the car (and believe me, that is very regularly...!).

not enough spirited runs doc....lol....a blast a day keeps the oil astray.....lol

 

[Dazboss]

its my first high performance car (bit of an upgrade from 1.4 MG ZR) so wasnt sure what was really normal!

Well you of all people should know how important it is to check stuff having owned a Over ( Coolent, leaks, hoses etc..).... sorry i meant Rover . Its Rover / Renualt / Citroen owners that keep people like me in a job

I cant mock you i've owned a few Over's in my time, but we all go though the ruff to get to the best i guess. But ive learnt to check my oil, water, power steering, brake fluid from owning shi*e cars

 

[Matt82]

i had a car round yesterday, i had changed the oil on it back in april maybe, its an early agu a3. did some bits and pieces on it lastnight, checked the oil before we went out for a test drive and the oil is still bang on the maximum! seems older/higher mileage ones do better lol

 

[The Doctor]

not enough spirited runs doc....lol....a blast a day keeps the oil astray.....lol

Hmm, good theory. Might have to put that one to the test...