Audi A3 3.2 V6 Main Dealer Service Question

[Stev_A3]

Hi everybody, I own a 2006 Audi A3 3.2 V6 and in January 17 I took it to my main dealer for a long life service at 58k. 16 months later and at 67k the service indicator has come on start up - 20 days or 4,000 miles.

I think I have had a short life service rather than long life service. My book states long life - mind you main dealer have marked the book wrong 2 out of 2 visits!

Is the 06 model clever enough to be judged on driving style/mileage for the indicator to come on early?

Thank you

 

[SootySport]

Yes, There is an oil quality sensor at the bottom of the sump to measure and calculate service intervals.

Having a car on long life service regime is not a good idea, you'll see plenty of replies soon about this. You need to be on a yearly service regime for a privately used car. Look around the forums and you'll read horror stories about engine breakages due to long life servicing. In essence the oil sludge builds up and blocks the oil pick up pipe in the sump. Cam chains and oil pumps will wear prematurely.
A good preventative measure for the future health of the engine is to remove the sump, clean it and change the oil pick up pipe. Make sure you use the correct grade of oil in the future.

 

[prt57]

Yes, Sooty nailed it, get your car off long life servicing, especially with those cam chains being prone to stretching.
Designed to keep the apparent costs of servicing lower but not good for a private car.

 

[Stev_A3]

Thank you for both your replies and confirming to get off the long life services. I did originally take the car in for a short life at £195 but got told I received the long life and the tick was applied in the service book. Should they of changed anything else for it to be classed as a long life service?

The haldex, dsg, brake fluid got renewed at the main dealer in 2016. Thanks again

 

[SootySport]

Audi dealers usually tell you what you want to hear, whatever you ask. Just have it serviced every year to preserve the diminishing number of 3.2 v6 's on the road.
Personally I change the air filter, pollen filter and oil service every year, spark plugs every 3 years as they good quality these days.

 

[prt57]

Best option is to have annual or even sooner with long life oil

 

[paddy]

IMHO the long life service is just a way of advertising low service cost on new cars and for new owners. Most of these owners will sell before 3 years is up and the Warranty finishes so are not interested in the life span of the car after about 25K miles.. I bought my S3 new and insisted on an annual service because i knew i was likely to keep it out or warranty. I also took it to a trusted garage and not an audi dealer. everyone has their own idea about oil, i currently run 5/50 motorsport oil simply because at stg2+ the oil will run or get hotter and i havnt upgraded my Ic yet. Plus side is i dont spend a fortune on branded oil as i change it out after 5-6k miles, i don't really want to sponsor a BTCC car or some race meeting every time i buy oil

 

[Stev_A3]

Your words are all better than my local dealer. I have it booked in for an oil change at Das Auto Norwich - they have also stated to change oil yearly using longlife oil.

Thanks again

 

[Stev_A3]

I have read briefly that you should remove the sump and clean some pipes? Please explain a little further for me, thank you

 

[Stev_A3]

Hi, just an update, I had longlife oil put in and the service center recommended the oil is changed yearly. It turned out the strainer is part of the oil pump on the 3.2 so this was left alone. Very happy with the car!

 

[Nessy]

Very sound advice posted on this thread, long-life service regimes do nothing for the longevity of a car or its engine, they’re just designed to reduce costs.
As long-life oil is of a higher quality (its meant to last 20k or so miles after all) I just use that but have changed service interval on dash to annual /9K miles service interval, you can pick up Genuine Quantum long-life oil and a filter for less than £30 these days.
You can’t change your engine oil often enough.

 

[paddy]

The problem with long life oils is they may do more heat cycles than a std oil and retain viscosity etc but they get dirty and polluted at exactly the same rate. In the old days this contamination would collect harmlessly as sludge in the sump but modern oils are full of detergents that activate sludge and send it round your engine and bearings again. Filters are good but if you have blow by in the bores and have petrol even in small amounts in the oil, filters will not help.

You can't really change oil too often

 

[Glowman]

Whilst on the subject of oil, what are people's thoughts on magnetic drain plugs for the 3.2s?