Sump oil 'Black and thin' 1200 miles after service

[chimmo]

Evening all,

First of all, apologies for a long post /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/snore.gif but I am very concerned about my car/local dealer problem... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Having had my second AVS service on my 2001 A3 TQ (note I bought the car 1 year old with 24,000 miles on it) at the end of November 2003 after 35,000 miles, I took a recent trip to my local stealers due to the fact that the service indicator on the DIS was falling quicker than a lead balloon /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif . On picking up the car I was told
that the technician had checked (with VAG-COM) for error codes and incorrect AVS settings but all seemed ok...

Seeing as I have only covered 1200 miles since the service to date (I do approx 6000 miles per annum) I was shocked to be told that the technician did a full oil change because the oil quality test from the sump showed the oil to be "very black and thin" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif , thus causing the DIS to drop quicker than usual.

I asked a series of questions to the service advisor (such as why...¿?) and was told 'we don't know'.

I have been asked to report back to them after covering 100 miles to see if the service indicator has dropped any further.

My questions to you are:

1) Why would the oil, after only covering 1200 miles from service would the oil become 'black and thin'. I do travel short distances (3 miles each way) to work every day but never labour the engine or take it above 3000rpm on that journey. I do however take it for long spirited runs every weekend /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/groovy.gif

2) Did the dealer actually change the oil at the second AVS service? (this is a purely hypothetical question, but why the oil degradation?)

3) If the answer to Q2 is yes, what could possibly cause the oil to degrade at this rate (assuming the correct oil was used)? On the invoice for the second AVS it states Shell Ultra Longlife Oil.

If anyone could give me any clues as to what could possilby cause this problem I would be grateful to hear from you!?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

If you need any more info about the cars history etc let me know.

Thanks in advance


Ben

 

[SimonPoole]

If the oil was particulartly thin this suggests that it may be diluted by petrol. Has your fuel consunmption gone up recently?
It is possible that the cold weather and short journeys mean that the engine never warms up enough to vapourise any fuel which has got past the rings and into the sump, but on a car that young I would not expect that much to get past the rings anyway.
I thought that Castrol made the recommended oil for AVS cars.

 

[Mike.M]

Mobil 1 0/40 is very good stuff