Oil burn rate on an S4

8BallAddict

8BallAddict

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Hi All,

Quick question on oil burn rate, been told these 3.0 TFSI engines do generally burn through quite a bit of oil normally but.....

.....had car just over three weeks. The oil level in the MMI Car menu was showing as full when I got it. Tonight on the way home from work I've noticed it's now showing just above minimum level already! Done about 1000 miles since I've had it and the majority of those have been pretty calmly driven to be honest. No more than 400 miles motorway driving and the rest commuting and just round town really. It's kept garaged over night normally and no signs of any leaks. Cars not once missed a beat yet either and can't see or smell any signs of oil burning so not sure if this is normal or not? Surly I'm not going to have to top it up on a monthly basis, that can't be right?

Got it booked in with Audi for a free health check tomorrow morning so I'll see what they say but thought I'd get your opinions too.....especially as I'm also seeing someone tomorrow about a full APR stage 2 upgrade package!

Hopefully you guys will have some reassuring words for me!?!? :crying:
 
skiptowncat said:
Pcv
Click to expand...

Nice one, wasn't aware of pcv valves! Will get that checked tomorrow! Seems a likely culprit from what my mate Google's just been telling me about them! Cheers! Was trying not to think about issues with the head or something equally as painful!
 
Mine displays lower when driving than when parked. Re-check the oil level after a drive - turn the engine off and wait a few minutes, then turn on the ignition and check again.

(PS: I'm in the Swindon area too, I'll keep an eye out for you!)
 
benjie said:
Mine displays lower when driving than when parked. Re-check the oil level after a drive - turn the engine off and wait a few minutes, then turn on the ignition and check again.

(PS: I'm in the Swindon area too, I'll keep an eye out for you!)
Click to expand...

Ah ha, hello fellow Swindonion!

Yeah, I did that. On the way home it was showing as completely empty but I didn't get any warning flashing up in the DIS. Checked again after I got home and it had gone up to just above min. Apprenetly it's clever enough to know that's it's not below min when the engines running as its normal to drop down when running. Going to need topping up tomorrow that's for sure though!
 
8BallAddict said:
Ah ha, hello fellow Swindonion!
Click to expand...

You'll find me burning off the locals at the lights on Thamesdown Drive (I can't help myself!)

Take a breath... Audi want £18 for a 1L top up (last time I visited). Luckily I've only ever need one! Saying that, I do need another one in the boot just in case, best get looking online.
 
benjie said:
You'll find me burning off the locals at the lights on Thamesdown Drive (I can't help myself!)

Take a breath... Audi want £18 for a 1L top up (last time I visited). Luckily I've only ever need one! Saying that, I do need another one in the boot just in case, best get looking online.
Click to expand...

Haha, that's quite amusing! I actually wrote 'you can normally find me sat at red lights shaking my head on Thamesdown Drive' but the deleted it for whatever reason! I live off TD (everyone I meet seems to live over this way) so yeah, sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's ****** frustrating! The two 3 lanes into 2 bits going up towards Blunsdon are always fun in the mornings. Although no one ever seems to want to play since my recent purchase!
 
benjie said:
Oh, and here's a useful link about the wing mirrors from your other post - http://audienthusiasts.com/Project_FoldingMirrors.html - if you're feeling adventurous. I did them on my B6. A pain, but so worth it and only a £150ish option on the S4, but still people didn't spec them!
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Nice one! I've actually seen that page but didn't really read it fully. Am quite confident in doing it myself, especially as the only fitted price I can seem to find is around £850! Will have a proper look at it over the weekend!
 
Take your time with parts, keep an eye on ebay, it worked for me. Let me know if you need a hand and I'll walk over (god knows there's never anywhere to park!)

I travel out past Cricklade so I never use Blunsdon, it'd stress me out if I had to! (Have to say I never jump the lights on TD, that's just asking for death as some of the intervals are very short)
 
eBay it is then! Nice one. Shall have a looksee!

Yeah, TD is a nightmare, I have to get on the 419 towards Fairford so always fun and games. I never jump lights anywhere let alone on that road for sure!
 
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When I picked up my S4 it was very much like yours with a seemingly large thirst for oil.
The S4 was on the silly long service intervals.
I got the oil & filter changed over (I use millers nanodrive) & the thirst has now reduced to a sensible rate

I tend to use 500ml in 2,000 + miles now (going on recent calculations)

Maybe my spirited driving + decent fresh oil was the cure :)
 
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xpoweruk said:
When I picked up my S4 it was very much like yours with a seemingly large thirst for oil.
The S4 was on the silly long service intervals.
I got the oil & filter changed over (I use millers nanodrive) & the thirst has now reduced to a sensible rate

I tend to use 500ml in 2,000 + miles now (going on recent calculations)

Maybe my spirited driving + decent fresh oil was the cure :)
Click to expand...
Cheers for the info, 500ml for 2k miles still seems excessive but apparently every engine is different. Defo be getting rid of the long service schedule....sod that! Was planning on getting the oil changed soonish anyway, just because I don't know what's in there currently and it definitely won't hurt it.
 
8BallAddict said:
eBay it is then! Nice one. Shall have a looksee!

Yeah, TD is a nightmare, I have to get on the 419 towards Fairford so always fun and games. I never jump lights anywhere let alone on that road for sure!
Click to expand...
I used to work in South Cerney and drove past Blunsdon station to Cricklade and then got on there... always found it quicker (at 7.30ish in the morning!)
 
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My S4 came to me at just over 2 years old with low mileage and variable/long service setting, suits me as I just do an oil change in between the official 2 year ones, also get oil from opie, I buy 2X5LTRS to save on the carriage and use same oil in Daughter's late 2009 Ibiza. Car does not seem to use any oil - I bought a dipstick to avoid waiting for the MMI system to tell me the level. Current mileage for my February 2011 car is just short of 20,000 miles, car only gets used for longer journeys and we have two other cars for short runs.
 
Pcv? This the valve under the charger?
I got sick of the oil level always saying not available.. Went out bought a dipstick. Mine uses very little out.
 
Mine uses a fair bit but it deff depends how it's driven, maby 500ml every 1-2k but I'd say most of those miles it's **** is kicked :-0
 
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Ok....I have an update.....

So car went into Audi for its free health check yesterday and I mentioned the oil burn. They said they would have a look at it and let me know but....it was all very suspicious. As soon as I mentioned the oil consumption issue, he said he would raise a new job card for a warranty inspection and we would probably need to do this 600 mile consumption test. He was also a bit vague talking about it but I definitely got the feeling there's more to it than he was letting on.

So left it with them and got a call a few hours later to say it was ready to pick up. Headed back down there and sure enough, first words to come out his mouth was 'there is a fault'. Well, that much was obvious. He didn't say too much, said they weren't sure what it was initially but I am now running a consumption test. I quized him for more info and managed to get either breather valve/pipe or piston rings issue out of him, all of which he said would be repaired free of charge. Sounded to me like he knew more than he was letting on! Done a bit of searching online and this all seems exactly the same as the know issue with the 2.0 TFSI engines! Have seen a few other posts from people that have gone through the same process.

So, not massively worried as car is performing fine and sounds like any issue will be fixed FOC. Doesn't mean I'm not pretty disappointed, once again, with the quality of my 4th Audi purchase (my last one was a B7 A4 170 Avant SLine that I got in 2014. Ended up going in to Audi within the first week of me having it as there was a recall on the injectors!).

So, got 600 miles to do then it'll go back in for the second part of the consumption test where they will take more data, weight the oil loss and send all the info off to Audi techies to figure out. Not that I need much of an excuse to go out driving anyway, I gladly went out last night and did over 100 miles, just so I can hurry the process up and get it sorted! Quicker I can get this sorted, quicker I can get started on the full stage 2 APR upgrade I've decided to get done!
 
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I have a few mates inc the service manager at our local Audi.. Get this..
Service manager..
Yes Stu the 2.0TFSI is **** poor done more engine rebuilds then the sales department have sold!!
Audi need to sort this issue out.. None of this 600 miles malarkey.
 
Interesting.
Hope the end result is good
 
Stu2w said:
I have a few mates inc the service manager at our local Audi.. Get this..
Service manager..
Yes Stu the 2.0TFSI is **** poor done more engine rebuilds then the sales department have sold!!
Audi need to sort this issue out.. None of this 600 miles malarkey.
Click to expand...
Well, looks like we might be adding the 3.0TFSI engines to the list too!
 
audi upgrades
What's the score with this then, Iv never really paid too much attention as it was the 2ltrs that were effected

Do you think we would get problems fixed regardless of age and mileage etc or is it only under warranty, how does it work for the 2ltr crew
 
Doesn't the manual state something along the lines of

oil consumption of upto xxxml per 1000 miles is normal
 
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Like benjie says, I believe the 2.0's are getting rebuilt FOC as its a well known issue and I would of also thought this would be a bit more well known by now but there does seem to be quite a bit of chatter out there about poor consumption on these engines. I'm not being funny but even .5 of a litre for 2-2.5k miles doesn't seem right to me, if your getting your motor serviced regularly, especial oil changes, I don't think you should ever have to top it up. But I'm new to these engines so I don't really know whats normal.

All I do know is matey from the dealership just seemed to know more than he was letting on. Bearing in mind, I've had pretty much no dealings with them in the past, just bought a car from a private trade garage so not through their network, I was only in there getting a 'free' health check, the cars 5 years old and has no actual warranty with Audi - so for them to just say whatever is wrong with it the will fix it free before they had even seen the car is all a bit suspect. I think anyway, maybe I'm just being sceptical!
 
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A bit of oil burn isn't really a problem have to say It took me a while to get used to it but it is what it is

Haven't heard anything mentioned about the 3.0 being looked at before so will be interesting to hear what they say, just watch they arnt trying to make some cash off you !
 
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Well, I'll definitely report back when I know more - I won't be paying for it though, thats for sure.
 
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Some issues have been raised over the 3.0tfsi oil issue,but I don't believe they are particularly common
 
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Mine's on 5300 miles now, and it doesn't seem to have used any. I don't rely on the readout, I use a dipstick; I'm analogue. :)
 
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It's not as common as the 2.0 TFSI - see my sticky thread
However it's affecting newer cars that Audi have officially said only occurred between 2008 and late 2011.
I think it's time Audi became its own brand and not VAG!
 
Just as an update on how much mine uses now @8BallAddict
I topped up @ Santa pod recently & have done 700 miles since.Oil is still on full :)

I think driving like miss daisy does these cars no good(I guess the previous owner fell into that bracket)
 
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Its all about the run in period, take it easy and the rings won't seal properly. Give it some sympathetic stick from the get go and the rings will bed in properly. I wasn't shy with the rev range and 15k miles on it hardly uses a drop between oil changes.
 
Good advice above , what ever happened to the first service being 1k ?

And a lower quality oil being used so the engine beds in.
 
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