S4 3.0t oil consumption

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BigZee87

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I'm sorry I know this question has probably been asked a lot before but for the life of me I can't find a definitive answer.

How much is too much with regards to oil consumption?

Mine seems to be using a lot. Mixed driving with some good blasts I seem to be getting about 600 miles to 1L (granted I have only tested this once myself so this may not be as accurate as I like)

Also it seems to be that if you want this sorted you need to change the piston rings however if your willing to just live with the oil consumption is there any danger to the engine or other components?

Many thanks in advanced
 
Firstly when was your last oil change ?
I change mine every 12months/9,000 miles now & oil usage is better than it was.
I also switched to 0W40 oil tis year.I did a full day at Santa Pod & have covered around 1300 miles since then without using a drop of oil
 
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I have the same engine but in the A6 . It's a 2009 and covered over 100,000. Before last Friday, I was using a litre every 400 miles. It's just had the software update on the ecu to try and fix the issue. I've topped it up and I'm keeping my eye on it.
Will let you know how things go.
If it doesn't work, Audi tell me it's engine out. Also, Audi UK will not cover the cost as, according to them, these engines don't have an oil problem.

Brad.
 
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It seems that reports of high oil usage on the V6T are rare. If its an older car then make sure the ECU has all updates (and likely you'll have to pay for it) and check if there is any issue with the PCV system. Also as @xpoweruk noted, switching to a higher viscosity xW40 oil can make a big difference.
 
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OK thanks. Speaking to an Audi dealer was next port of call. I'm currently using 5w30 Castrol edge and have just had it changed but maybe I'll do another changed and switch to a 0w40. Would also be interested in what oil your using?
 
xpoweruk said:
Firstly when was your last oil change ?
I change mine every 12months/9,000 miles now & oil usage is better than it was.
I also switched to 0W40 oil tis year.I did a full day at Santa Pod & have covered around 1300 miles since then without using a drop of oil
Click to expand...

Did your S4 use a fair amount of oil before this. If so, how much.
Thanks
Brad.
 
5W40 Fuchs Titan GT1 XTL is
14.2 centistokes @ 100 °C so thicker than Quantums 5W40 Platinum @ 13 and obviously Quantums 5W30 Long Life III @ 12 , hense the less oil consumption .

However it is only a medium quality 502.00 505.01 .

With such expensive hardware I'd go for a 5W40 racing ester like Fuchs Titan Race Pro S .
 
"medium" quality as in what Audi recommended for my car car when it rolled of the production line.
I understand it has been superseded now,but medium quality is a bit of an overstatement IMO
 
The " medium quality " statement was from a German oil analysis laboratory commissioned by VW .
 
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I'm going to try the thicker oil trick, it's suprising how much difference it can make, on my a3 it solved my smoking issue, seemed to be burning a bit of oil when idling, put thicker oil in and the problem instantly went away.

mine doesn't use massive amounts tbh, probably a litre every 1500 miles or so, and i only do around 5k a year so easy enough to live with.
 
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I noticed that my car was needing topped up with 1 litre every 1000-1200 miles.
Recently had the water pump and thermostat changed along with the oil in my supercharger. (2500 miles ago)

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/695076-Changed-my-supercharger-oil
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/695076-Changed-my-supercharger-oil
Taken from the post above. "Audi replaces the ventilator cap and spring to repair the PCV as opposed to replacing the whole unit. The service also includes a "restrictor" to change pressure in the PCV in order to prevent ventilator cap failure in the future. The new restrictor requires Audi to flash to ecu with an update in order to use the restrictor piece. I didn't want bother dealing with Audi and re flashing so I skipped this part and figure I'll just replace the $15 ventilator cap again if it starts burning oil again."

I replaced the ventilator cap (note, I needed to purchase the whole unit for £80) and so far in the 2500 miles I have noticed that the oil level has remained full.. May be worth a try for you.
 
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Mine just had the ecu flashed. They didn't replace the ventilator cap.
Did you remove the SC yourself.
S4_V6T said:
I noticed that my car was needing topped up with 1 litre every 1000-1200 miles.
Recently had the water pump and thermostat changed along with the oil in my supercharger. (2500 miles ago)

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/695076-Changed-my-supercharger-oil
Taken from the post above. "Audi replaces the ventilator cap and spring to repair the PCV as opposed to replacing the whole unit. The service also includes a "restrictor" to change pressure in the PCV in order to prevent ventilator cap failure in the future. The new restrictor requires Audi to flash to ecu with an update in order to use the restrictor piece. I didn't want bother dealing with Audi and re flashing so I skipped this part and figure I'll just replace the $15 ventilator cap again if it starts burning oil again."

I replaced the ventilator cap (note, I needed to purchase the whole unit for £80) and so far in the 2500 miles I have noticed that the oil level has remained full.. May be worth a try for you.
Click to expand...
 
I just got the garage to do all the work. Thought since the supercharger was coming off due to the water-pump and thermostat replacement it would be a worth-while change.

I was told that my APR tune would be over-written if they applied the flash themselves.
 
I was wondering if an aftermarket remap would help also as there is definitely one on the cards for me but wanted to make sure the high oil consumption was not a danger factor before the map as may make an underlying issue worse.

When I get in a position to have it done (after the oil change and when time allows) I'll speak to a couple of tuning companies and post what they say if helpful?
 
Was using about a litre every 1000 miles, changed the pcv and it still uses the same amount but over 2000-2500 miles.
I've had the car compression tested and it came out as fine so sod it, I'll can live with it.
 
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All these positive posts are starting to make me feel better about my purchase now. It's a fantastic car, with a peach of an engine.
Thanks fella's.

Brad.
 
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Just been reading up on oil catch tanks . I'm tempted to fit one. It would solve the oil usage problem, and the constant smoking out the back on tick over. But the main reason is it virtually stop carbon build up.
 
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Bringing this back from the dead. I recently swapped my b8.5 S4 for a c6 3.0tfsi and to be honest im wishing I'd just kept the S4. Was hoping to save some money while I get my business off the ground, but the c6 is costing me a packet to get right.
The car is burning a LOT of oil. I reckon it's close to a litre every 300 miles.

When I bought the car I ran a Vcds diagnostic which came back clear, so took it straight to my local friendly garage and had a Revo stage 1 + therefore no idea whether the increased consumption is a product of the map, or whether it was already rubbish.

Thing is, I was never planning on keeping the car for too long, I'm hoping to swap into a new S4 or RS4 in the next 18 months so my question is . . .

Does topping up the oil every 300 miles damage the engine? The car is currently on 97k and if I could put another 20k on it without expensive remedial work then I'd take it.

It's not blowing smoke, it's not leaking, so guessing it must be PCV or piston rings. Does anyone know approx cost of this??

I don't mind sticking a litre of oil in every fill up if it gets me a year or two.

Thank you for any advice!


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audi upgrades
I've had my pcv changed Chief. Took it to my local mechanic. He knows his onion's.
Took him about 5 hours. Had to take it back as it threw up a fault code, tuning valve stuck closed. He didn't realise that he needed to pressurise the vacuum system to open the flaps before refitting the supercharger.
It cost me £180. He did say that it's a very involving job. But, not much oil used now.
 
Thanks Roadrunner. It's going back in tomorrow to have a new gearbox cradle (hopefully clearing up the rattle mystery) so will get them to run some further tests.

I don't mind topping the oil up regularly if it's not doing any damage to the engine, it runs really well and pulls hard so might just be worth trying 5w 40 rather than the 5w 30 I'm running currently.


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If you need a large quantity of oil, try LRT Lubricants. I bought 20 liters of Titan Pro delivered for a tad over £90 .

Brad.
 
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@Chiefbadger - if you have xW30 in it now then without doubt start topping up with xW40. If as a result the consumption reduces then it suggests that it is not anything critical and indeed you could like with it for a while. If the consumption is not reduced then it could be PCV.

BTW how will a B9 S4 suit you? It's only marginally faster than the B8 and currently untunable (and needs at least 2 years of tunes without problem to give confidence). And now that details of the B9 RS5 coupe have been released, I think we can say that a B9 RS4 will only have the performance of, say, a stage 2 B8.5 S4? :)
 
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I don't think a thicker oil is going to help. It's really odd, getting through literally a litre for every tank of fuel. No smoke and no leaks though.

Going to get the garage to do a full leak down and compression test tomorrow. Will then head down pcv route and I guess worst case pistons/rings. Could get very expensive, but still cheaper to fix than end up with a £10k paper weight.


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If it was the piston rings on mine, I would of had a little accident by now. It would of been cheaper.
By the way chief, how good is the remap. Does it make a big difference to the performance of the car. I know it is not very relevant at the moment, just curious.

Brad.
 
Roadrunner146 said:
If it was the piston rings on mine, I would of had a little accident by now. It would of been cheaper.
By the way chief, how good is the remap. Does it make a big difference to the performance of the car. I know it is not very relevant at the moment, just curious.

Brad.
Click to expand...

Gearbox cradle has cured the rattle so that's good news. Having the PCV replaced too so picking car up tomorrow. Everything crossed.

Stage 2 ( I.e map and pulley) makes a massive difference. Much greater power delivery higher up. Effortless overtaking is the big difference. Real urge from 60/70 where the standard engine really calmed down above this point. Still want to take it to MRC for a custom map at some point (if the car survives tomorrow) but very happy with the Revo kit.


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I'd love revo to map mine, but at £900 + I find it a bit on the steep side.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
By the way. Is Audi doing the pcv.
 
Roadrunner146 said:
I'd love revo to map mine, but at £900 + I find it a bit on the steep side.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
By the way. Is Audi doing the pcv.
Click to expand...

It's pricey, but then it's the best part of 150bhp extra. Pretty good value for the result.

Nope, local VWAG specialist. I haven't even bothered going to a main dealer. 8 years old, pushing 100k with a Revo map. Might as well bang my head against a wall


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Chiefbadger said:
It's pricey, but then it's the best part of 150bhp extra. Pretty good value for the result.

Nope, local VWAG specialist. I haven't even bothered going to a main dealer. 8 years old, pushing 100k with a Revo map. Might as well bang my head against a wall


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Click to expand...
Best bang for your buck and smiles per miles:-D.
 
Today's update . . .

Looks like the PCV is the culprit. I don't have pics but the garage said that it was totally caput and that oil was actually sitting in the v of the cylinder banks. Don't think it's ever been changed previously so fingers crossed this is the end of my woes.

Also having the thermostat changed given that it's accessible and has also never been done. This car is turning into a very pampered pet mechanically! Let's hope it gives me a bit of trouble free use now. Pick it up again tomorrow . . .


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They also said that the PCV has been superseded by 3/4 different designs since 2009 so audi presumably well aware it's a weak part.


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God, I thought I had left PCV issues behind with my Mk5 Golf Gti!

My 2012 S4 uses little if any oil so hopefully my PCV is fine! Is the PCV a DIY doable?
 
ianv5 said:
God, I thought I had left PCV issues behind with my Mk5 Golf Gti!

My 2012 S4 uses little if any oil so hopefully my PCV is fine! Is the PCV a DIY doable?
Click to expand...

I reckon newer models are fine. My 65 plate S4 used less than half a litre over 11000 miles.

Doable if you're a dab hand, but it needs the supercharger to come off so more than I could manage!


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Chiefbadger said:
I reckon newer models are fine. My 65 plate S4 used less than half a litre over 11000 miles.

Doable if you're a dab hand, but it needs the supercharger to come off so more than I could manage!


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Click to expand...
Fingers crossed then it was a pain on the Golf but could be done! Think I will leave Supercharger alone :-o
 
Removing the supercharger is the easy part. Then you have to remove the fuel lines and injectors, cooling pipes and tuning flaps module which you have to pressure up again before refitting the charger.
4 to 5 hours work even if you know what your doing.
 
My S5 is coming up to 9K. Zero oil used.

On the other hand its been using a lot of fuel lately...:)
 
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