About to top up your oil? STOP!! Read this first.

[aragorn]

depends on the engine i think (V6's and possibly tdi's take more)

I usually buy 5L of oil, and have ~1-1.5L left in the container after an oil change, as the engine has done interstellar mileage (174k) it tends to burn a bit of oil, and that 1.5L i'm left with is usually just enough to keep it topped it up before the next oil change (5k miles).

 

[pjmspeedy]

depends on the engine i think (V6's and possibly tdi's take more)

I usually buy 5L of oil, and have ~1-1.5L left in the container after an oil change, as the engine has done interstellar mileage (174k) it tends to burn a bit of oil, and that 1.5L i'm left with is usually just enough to keep it topped it up before the next oil change (5k miles).

I've just bought 5L today so should be fine be the sounds of things then. :icon_thumright:

 

[46TheDoctor]

Sorry to wind back a bit but 95% of 1.8t.s lettin go is due to them being on Longlife servicing, it just doesnt suit the 1.8 T, keep it regularly changed and itll be ok, run it on longlife servicing and it'll sludge up and the motor will give way, this doesnt happen in golf's or A3's, its purely down to the fact that the engine in an A4 or Passat is mounted conventionally and not transversly, thus having a different shape sump, and it is this causing the issues, it is also correct that fully synth is used also.

 

[Siena]

I will only fit an OEM Audi oil filter.

It's less than £5 including the VAT, so I certainly see no reason to buy an aftermarket one!

A FRAM one and some of the GSF ones actually cost more.

 

[aragorn]

Sorry to wind back a bit but 95% of 1.8t.s lettin go is due to them being on Longlife servicing, it just doesnt suit the 1.8 T, keep it regularly changed and itll be ok, run it on longlife servicing and it'll sludge up and the motor will give way, this doesnt happen in golf's or A3's, its purely down to the fact that the engine in an A4 or Passat is mounted conventionally and not transversly, thus having a different shape sump, and it is this causing the issues, it is also correct that fully synth is used also.

It all comes down to the fact that manufacturers service intervals are a compromise between component longevity and cost. If they advertised that the car needed serviced every 4k, it would put people off. So they advertise wild service intervals and come out with crap like their "long life servicing" scheme, so it looks more impressive to the person buying the car. As long as it gets through the warranty period they're happy.

It dont believe the golf/a3 engine is immune, the sludging that happens doesnt really have any bearing on the shape of the sump. Its simply down to the oil breaking down because its either been in there far too long, or the wrong type (ie mineral) has been used (or both).

Siena: thats fair enough, but my nearest audi dealer is approx 30miles away from my house. I pass two motorfactors on the way home (maccess and a local place called livi auto parts) so it makes far more sense to buy a filter there than drive lots of extra miles just to get a branded one... Plus i'd need to goto the factors anyway, as i wouldnt be paying audi prices for the oil!

 

[CMD]

Hi There

Been reading alot about oils / oil changes on this thread, had my A4 19Ot for one month now, oil change is not due until another 5000 miles, but reading about the long life services / oil ect ect, I am going to have an oil change done tomorrow: And may ask for the sump to be dropped, now the question that I have: Is it advisable to use STP engine flush before the oil change, or will I drain the oil, drop the sump and wash the sump out as suggested or just flush the oil and then replace with new - full sym:

The car has covered 36k and has had long life service plan inc oil, any feedback would be greatful.

 

[aragorn]

The engines pretty low mileage so i wouldnt think you'd need to goto the extremes of flushing it unless there is visible sludging.

If it was me, with such a low mileage car, and no issues, i'd simply change the oil every 4k (its a tdi, which are generally harder on their oil than petrols) with a suitable synthetic oil.

 

[Siena]

Aragorn, I think CMD's A4 is a 1,8T 190 PS.

 

[CMD]

Siena is on the the money it is a petrol and yes the car has done low miles i looked high and low for the car one owner ect ect .The reason to change the L.L Oil is simple ,I don't think any oil can last longer then 10k and i think changing oil on any car at 6k is/can only be a good for the car. Think about it £30-£40 every six on fresh filter / oil is money well spent in my book and along with a standard service from a decent ind-VAG garage is peace of mind..

 

[aragorn]

sorry i just saw the 19 and assumed you meant 1.9tdi.

so ye every 5-6k is probably fine, i change ours every 5k, iirc the standard interval on the B5 1.8T was 8k before they introduced the long life crap.

The standard service from audi pretty much includes nothing but the oil and filter anyway, they just charge you a shedload for it. I'd be taking the car to an independant specialist and letting them do the work for a much more sensible fee.

 

[Marko]

Siena is on the the money it is a petrol and yes the car has done low miles i looked high and low for the car one owner ect ect .The reason to change the L.L Oil is simple ,I don't think any oil can last longer then 10k and i think changing oil on any car at 6k is/can only be a good for the car. Think about it £30-£40 every six on fresh filter / oil is money well spent in my book and along with a standard service from a decent ind-VAG garage is peace of mind..

Agree 100%. If you've taken time to consider an Audi you will have parted with £1000s of pounds of money.. why try and eek out a few quid by skimping on the one thing that will keeps the cars value at a premium.. I'm not suggesting it must have an Audi stamp either. If you don't like paying for regular servicing, a decent local garage can change the oil and filter, if not yourself....

 

[CMD]

Marko many thanks for your support on this ,i buy all my service item's from Audi ..some of there staff who work in there part's department could do with re-trainning ...Tip 1.Always ask or speak to someone who knows what car,engine,and what,fuel the car runs on before you even ask for the part's you require or give them your reg/vin numbers this way you are 99.9% sure they fully understand the part's they are going to get from there store room are going to be the correct type for your car and even if they write down the part numbers from the computer screen Still keep your finger's crossed and hope for the best they will come back with the correct part's to suite your audi. I was in there today buying my oil filter and pollen fillter for a Audi 1.8t 190 s/line Y-54--D ..So i could get the car back to work and get the job done..I added the wynns engine flush and then pulled the plug to drain all the dirty oil out and then went to remove the filter and replace with the new one..(YES) your correct the wrong filter .I'm standing there with the wrong oil filter ...The F.....s can't even get that right ,so i had to use my mates car to go back to audi's to change the filter and get stuck in traffic for 30 mins ..At Audi i gave the young boy (all of 18yrs old) the used oil filter in a tesco carry bag .And said try again you might get it right this time ,he had the used filter in one hand and the wrong filter in the other and of he went ..A 45 min oil change took me near on 2 hours...So i would say to you all when buying any part from main dealer is CHECK,CHECK,AND CHECK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THEY GET IT WRIGHT......Thank you

 

[bubstar]

I was in there today buying my oil filter and pollen fillter for a Audi 1.8t 190 s/line Y-54--D ..So i could get the car back to work and get the job done..I added the wynns engine flush and then pulled the plug to drain all the dirty oil out and then went to remove the filter and replace with the new one..(YES) your correct the wrong filter .I'm standing there with the wrong oil filter ...The F.....s can't even get that right ,so i had to use my mates car to go back to audi's to change the filter and get stuck in traffic for 30 mins ..At Audi i gave the young boy (all of 18yrs old) the used oil filter in a tesco carry bag .And said try again you might get it right this time ,he had the used filter in one hand and the wrong filter in the other and of he went ..A 45 min oil change took me near on 2 hours...So i would say to you all when buying any part from main dealer is CHECK,CHECK,AND CHECK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THEY GET IT WRIGHT......Thank you

You know there are two filters listed for the 1.8t, don't you?

What part number did he give you?

They came with the smaller filter from the factory - 06A 115 561B But you can fit a 068 115 561F which is a larger modified filter.

HTH

:thumbsup:

 

[CMD]

561F The larger of the two you can see the part number of the filter because it is in plain view on the 1.8t when looking in the engine bay .I gave the parts guy all the detail's inc part numbers and they still got it wrong.What more can i say ..

 

[bubstar]

It's not wrong though. That was my point. The 561F is listed for the BEX 1.8t also. There's a TSB on it.

It's either or.....

I think they did it to increase oil capacity and help oil longevity.

HTH

BUB

 

[pjmspeedy]

depends on the engine i think (V6's and possibly tdi's take more)

I usually buy 5L of oil, and have ~1-1.5L left in the container after an oil change, as the engine has done interstellar mileage (174k) it tends to burn a bit of oil, and that 1.5L i'm left with is usually just enough to keep it topped it up before the next oil change (5k miles).

Just in case any of you are thinking of doing an oil change soon.... my car did need ALL of the 5 Litres of oil that I bought.

 

[ScottyP45]

mine would only take 4l

 

[pjmspeedy]

It's very strange that these 1.8T's vary on how much oil they will take!

 

[CMD]

The 2 types of oil filters Audi offer ..1 is larger then the other there for the larger of the two holds more oil then the smaller one i used 4.5 ltrs of oil.Hope this helps.

 

[ScottyP45]

I thought you guys might like to see this - its an audi a4 article from canadiandriver - and is quite interesting in this area:

Quote "Audi has also experienced problems with oil sludge build-up in the 1.8T four-cylinder. Audi is not alone, as similar problems have occurred with engines built by Toyota, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz. Sludge build-up, which manufacturers say is caused by the use of improper engine oil and poor adherence to recommended oil change intervals, could lead to damage of the engine's internal parts. Audi issued technical service bulletins on this problem and has extended the warranty to eight years with unlimited mileage on the 1.8T engine for all Audi A4s built between 1997 and 2004. The extended warranty is transferable. Owners who have experienced engine damage and paid for repairs can request reimbursement for those repairs provided they can prove the appropriate oil was used and changed at the intervals recommended in the owner's manual. "

Full article: http://www.canadiandriver.com/roadtest/96-01a4.htm

 

[l33byt80]

As this is quoted from Canadiandriver is this applicable for UK registered cars too?

 

[ScottyP45]

I cant see Audi offering that warranty only to canada, that would be grossly unfair business practice since the failures affect all countries where the A4 is sold.

I would contact Audi UK or Audi Germany and ask, if you have suffered these problems. They will be able to tell you, but not necessarily a dealership - the head office.

You can start here:

http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/customer_services/interim.html

 

[l33byt80]

I cant see Audi offering that warranty only to canada, that would be grossly unfair business practice since the failures affect all countries where the A4 is sold.

I would contact Audi UK or Audi Germany and ask, if you have suffered these problems. They will be able to tell you, but not necessarily a dealership - the head office.

You can start here:

http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/customer_services/interim.html

Well the garage has just been kind to fax me over 50 pages of service history on the car. Goodness its certainly had some coil packs.
Thanks for your guidance.

 

[ScottyP45]

no problem mate, glad to help.

It would seem from that article that I was right in my suspicions about using only synth and not mixing synth and mineral by topping up with just any oil, as they are blaming poor service routines or wrong oil type for the failures, so if anyone has popped some castrol GTX in there to get them through to the next oil change, don't mention it!

And if it doesnt say synthetic on the bottle, its probably not synthetic even if its a "good" make of oil

If you get your oil change / service done at an indy garage or non audi trained place, make absolutely sure they know that mineral oil must NEVER be used in the car, and ask them to put the oil make and type on the receipt so you can prove later that the correct stuff was used. That is what happened to me, the non-audi dealership I bought the car from used ordinary mineral oil, and had no idea it was unsuitable when I pulled them up about it, luckily it wasn't in there long before I changed it out.

One slip up - no warranty.