Big Red christmas Oil Warning

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Marcos M

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Hi guys.
I've just finished my annual 380 mile trip home for christmas, after about 330 motorway miles without stopping I got the infamous red oil can and beep, it went away almost immediately and over the next 20 miles (distance to next sevrvices) it kept re-appearing and goimg away until eventually for about the last 5 miles it was on constantly.
I got to the services stopped the engine, checked to oil and it was spot on the full mark so I carried on to my destination a further 30 miles on the motorway without the problem re-occuring, the engine still sounds as sweet as ever but I did get intake cam over advanced on vag com.
about 100 miles before I left I did an engine flush and oil chage with castrol edge 0w40.
What do you lot think
I'm now 380 miles away from home.
oh yeh it's a 2001 1.8T QS

Merry Christmas
Marcos
 
Red oil warning is low oil pressure not level.

Sounds like a pipe to e.g. oil cooler, turbo, etc has a problem.
 
Is it a B5 or B6 shape?

Not that it matters in the treatment, but to properly fix her you need to drop the sump and clean the strainer on the oil pump.

You may get away with a diesel flush and change of oil to get you home short term. Basicly drain away some oil, refil with diesel and run the car for 15 mins at around 1500 rpm ish.

That can loosen enough sludge to allow oil to be picked up and pumped around. You then drain the oil/diesel mix and refil with cheap crappy oil. Run that for a little while to pick up the remaining diesel mix. Change the oil and filter and cross your fingers
 
just as easy to drop the sump and claan out the oil pickup pipe a few hours but worth it! petrol cleans it a treat!
 
On the A4 you need to lift the engine up, and/or drop the subframe whilst supporting it all, hardly a simple task when 380 miles from home?
 
:scared2: The sludge continues...

Id be getting it in for new Pump/Pickup pipe soon as you get back home but in the meantime do what the others have suggested if you are able but me personally would get it recovered to home
...are covered by the AA/RAC etc then get them to take you back on the flatbed. Take the risk and your gambling with £3000+..

IF you aint in the AA id even consider joining right away with the option to be recovered to home!
A long Journey YES but whats the rush....
 
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as above !!!!!!! not worth the risk, just had mine all done, i got off lightly, engine is ok, but it took the turbo out though, still cost me a fortune.
listen to us all, i know j7 has experienced it along with me and a fair few others on here, its not worth the risk.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, deep down I knew it was the strainer but you always look for other options when it's you don't you.
Have a good Christmas
Marcos
 
audi upgrades
If you are already in the AA/RAC you will be fine if not you will have to pay extra for the mileage home. They give you the first 50 miles free but the rest you have to pay per mile. You will also be charged extra for joining at the time of a breakdown. A rough estimate is it's going to cost you £450 - £500 to get your car home. If it was me i would try and find a garage where you are to do the work as you will have to pay for that anyway. Good luck and mMerry Christmas.
 
Oh dear, mine did this the other day..

Is it a quick job? What do I need to look at?
 
sump of,new pump and pick up pipe,simple as that,(not that it is simple)bitch of a job on an a4.
 
F**K sake! Why are cars so annoying!
How much roughly am I looking at?
 
2 weeks ago the pump and pick up cost £120, then the cost of the oil and filter,about 5 or 6 hours if you are doing it yourself for the first time,a good audi guy in a workshop on a 4 poster should do it in 3-4 hours,independent garage,say £35-£40 an hour,you would:keule: be looking at £300 to £350.
 
I see, somebody has mentioned cleaning the pipes? Whats that all about.. Hmm im not very switched on am I haha
 
audi upgrades
sumps still got to come off to clean the pick up pipe,and from what i have learned on here you will never get it properly clean,so just as well replace it while the sumps off anyway.can point you in the right direction to the guy who does a lot of my work if you were in the west country.
 
ur better off getting the oil pump an the pick up pipe replaced, as everyone has mentioned, i made the mistake of hopin the light wud disappear, an it spectacularly backfired on me, a new complete engine an turbo as well..... £££££££££
 
ok replace the pipe sorry easy job for me and think you! BYZAN A4 read the thread my maths told me he had got home the words that gave it away were trip home. any way i stick to my original advice clean it out but this is not the time to diy book it in to a specialist £200 is the max you should pay
 
a4 nut,wish i had found the garage who would fit a new oil pump and pickup pipe for £200!!! the oil pump,pipe,oil and filter will not fall far short of your £200,but if you are talking about £200 for labour that would be exactlly what i told matt,£350 to £400 in total.:whistle2:any specialist worth his salt would not clean the pick up but would insist on fitting a new pump and pick up,to be on the safe side.
 
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A4 nut said:
ok replace the pipe sorry easy job for me and think you! BYZAN A4 read the thread my maths told me he had got home the words that gave it away were trip home. any way i stick to my original advice clean it out but this is not the time to diy book it in to a specialist £200 is the max you should pay
Click to expand...

I'm now 380 miles away from home
Click to expand...

Once the sump is off, its an additonal £60 to just stick a new pump in, the expensive bit is the labour. £40-50 PH and maybe 4hrs plus £60 for a new pump, then oil and filter assuming you can find someone to fit you in where you are.
 
If you aint a member already then sign up, if you are a member then upgrade it by adding 'Relay' to it.

If you went online now and signed up with AA and get the cover that covers you for 'Relay' too (recover your vehicle to any uk destination of your choice) then you'll be ok.Give them a Buzz when you leaving for home and they'll come and have a look, wont be able to fix it and tell them to take you back home......300+miles away!

Forget cleaning the Pipe, its only around £8.00 for a new one anyway.
New oil pump, pick-up pipe and labour should be around £350 - £450 depending on your 'Specialist'......if you choose stealers then be prepared to pay alot more!
 
Diy job must i say again even better news £8 for a new one! £350 from a very very good indipendant specilist including pump i no ive paid it on a 225 TT you taffs must be being riped off! £40-£50ph hah:haha:
 
no offence a4 nut but thats what we have all been saying-£350 to £400.agreed its a diy job IF you know what your doing ie-turning the engine over by hand to line up the flywheel cutouts to get the back 2 bolts undone with a long allen key.:yes:by the way not from wales,(somerset)I think you will find AVERAGE prices for labour across the country for an independant are £35-£40 per hour,would be interesting to know what you other guys are paying?:blush:
 
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Like Stagspeed said DIY job YES if (like its already been said) you are capable but couple specialists in Leicester will charge you £350-£450 for Pump/pipe and labour.Lion Garage for one!!!

Soon as I got my Blue A4 I booked it in straight away for Pump/Pipe, plugs, filter & a general check.total bill was £514.60.
 
A4 nut said:
Diy job must i say again even better news £8 for a new one! £350 from a very very good indipendant specilist including pump i no ive paid it on a 225 TT you taffs must be being riped off! £40-£50ph hah:haha:
Click to expand...

I have no idea what a garage charges TBH as i do all my own work anyway, and i would not find it a problem to do. The OP on the other hand came on here asking for options which by definition lets you know it might already not be a DIY for him. Assuming dealers are £90 PH ,£40 or £50 must be about about right for an inependant to look at it especially to squeeze it in .

Why would you pay to get a TT done, the engine faces the other way on them and its not even a subframe off job on them. I think you have the 2 vehicles mixed up somehow. the A4 is a longitudinal engine and the TT is transverse, So can you please ensure you have yours facts correct before dishing out advice to members especially when its such critical information.
 
Byzan A4 said:
I have no idea what a garage charges TBH as i do all my own work anyway, and i would not find it a problem to do. The OP on the other hand came on here asking for options which by definition lets you know it might already not be a DIY for him. Assuming dealers are £90 PH ,£40 or £50 must be about about right for an inependant to look at it especially to squeeze it in .

Why would you pay to get a TT done, the engine faces the other way on them and its not even a subframe off job on them. I think you have the 2 vehicles mixed up somehow. the A4 is a longitudinal engine and the TT is transverse, So can you please ensure you have yours facts correct before dishing out advice to members especially when its such critical information.
Click to expand...

:applaus:
 
Staggspeed, who do you recommend in the west country then? I also live in somerset and would like to know some good garages ( i usually use Autotechnics in gillingham) have been very impressed with them for cam belts and servicing.
 
I'll second Autotechnics. They're maybe not the cheapest independent, but they are very very good in my experience.
 
Yeah, i am very happy with them, i have been a customer of theirs for over 5 years and have had numerous services and 2 cambelt changes. Have you heard of their old partener Paul Mcmoran, i believe he is still working on Audi VW near gillingham?
 
I just got home last night, against my better judgement I took a chance and did a really good flush, filled it with fresh oil and drove home, had a feeling I'd finish the journey on the back of a breakdown truck but all was fine.
Now that's about as lucky as I ever get so the sumps coming off asap despite the weather up here in Scotland, the only thing I was wondering before I start was do I need to completely remove the subframe to get the sump off or will it move out of the way enough if I leave the 2 rear mounts bolted up, the 2 that are shared with the gearbox X member.
Cheers
Marcos
 
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