Which dipstick ??

[Tiger-G]

Hi,

It's oil and filter change time for my 65 plate A4 Allroad 190TDi, and I want an accurate reading when doing it.

I read a few posts on here about people getting a "real" dipstick to do this, but having phoned my two local Audi dealers they say there's no part number for it and you have to use MMI ?? I don't want to rely on MMI and risk overfilling it.

Are they talking a load of ******, or can you genuinely not a get a dipstick for my car ?? It's a CNHA engine.

Cheers,
Graeme.

 

[rum4mo]

Well they are correct in as much as there is no dip stick specifically for that engine code, but as there is a dip stick guide tube, someone might post the part number of a suitable dip stick from an earlier version of this or another engine, it would make sense to be able to buy and use a suitable dip stick before removing the oil so that you could refit back to that level. If everything else fails, you can buy Laser Tools version of the adjustable oil gauge/dip stick that workshops seem to use.

 

[Tiger-G]

Yep.....a definitive part number would be good. There's been a few threads on it, but different opinions on which is the correct dipstick.

 

[DickoB8]

I looked into purchasing a dipstick for my 2.0 TDi like your self for piece of mind instead of relying on the MMI. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a definite answer more a trial and error with various dipstick lengths... for me that screams even more for a **** up of either overfilling or underfilling! I’m just learning to live with trusting the MMI reading so far so good :fingers crossed:

 

[rum4mo]

My problem with using the MMI is that it tends to give you inconsistent readings unless you rigidly stick to only checking it under your own worked out precise conditions and timing.

Also why do Audi have a "recalibration procedure" - okay useful if replacing some parts of the car, but I get the feeling that the correct workshop procedure is to use their oil level gauge which is similar to the Laser Tools one, and once the oil level has been set, check/recal the MMI - and that to me smacks of something not being too trustworthy, and that concerns me when it comes to engine oil level measuring.

With a dip stick, once you have worked out which one works for that engine, you have something that will give you consistent readings - though again as long as you stick to checking it after stopping with a warmed up engine and waiting something like 15 minutes for the oil to return to the sump - and then find out what the level is if you have left the car unused for a few days - as that level will increase slightly.

I'd think the only way that you can be sure that you have bought a suitable dip stick, if no one else can provide numbers, is to take pot luck along with picking one for the "closest" engine version to your one that did initially come with a dip stick, then if necessary top up your oil level until the MMI reads and displays that level as MAX and use that point as your Max on your dip stick. The Min can only be worked out after you have carried out an oil change yourself and short filled it by maybe 1 litre - again believing the MMI for now to assist you.

The correct or aimed for oil level should be slightly above the half way between Max and Min though probably most of us like to think that it is smarter to start a long journey with the level at Max!

 

[Tiger-G]

Well......unfortunately, as I didn't get a definitive answer to which dipstick I needed, I had to use the MMI for my oil change.

The owners manual says the engine takes 5 litres of oil, so I measured 4.5 litres initally to see where that got me. The MMI reading was half way up. I added another .5 litre and it measured three quarters of the way up ??

What a stupid way of trying to get an accurate oil level reading

I suppose what I should do now is to take a risk on one of the eBay dipsticks that is supposed to fit, and whatever reading I get I know it's very close to full.

 

[rum4mo]

If/when you see one on ebay, maybe check its part number and ask your local Audi dealership for a price to supply you with one, hopefully they could make the ebay price look a bit high?

 

[youngsyp]

If everything else fails, you can buy Laser Tools version of the adjustable oil gauge/dip stick that workshops seem to use.

This.

I had a similar experience with my S4 recently. I noted that when using what I thought was the correct dipstick for the application, didn't tie up with the MMI. So I bought a calibrating dipstick and used that to measure oil level and verify which method of the 'correct' dipstick or MMI was correct. It was the MMI in my case, with the correct max level coming at about half way between the MIN and MAX on the 'correct' dipstick.

Ironically, the calibrating dipstick only cost me about as much as the genuine Audi dipstick did, that doesn't appear to be correct for my engine at least.

Paul