Oil usage

[Adam]

My car was bought in March 07 and has now done almost 7,000 miles.

I have just put my 3rd litre of oil in which seems a lot. I am sure that will last until the first service in March of this year but is anyone else burning it up at this rate.

(most of my driving is in the city or else on longer runs when I drive it as god intended so I don;t expect great economy on petro/oil but still...)

[Ozrs4]

Mine used about the same amount of oil. I did do several track days and off tracks, most of the time it's driven as how it was built for... Audi tech told me it is normal for that much oil to burn if you drive with high revs a lot of the time and as long as there is no abnormal smoke out of the rear...no reason to be concerned.

[55JWB]

I put 6L in, in 15,000 miles so about on track....

[SR71]

I've used 3L in 6000 miles.

I drive my car hard, frequently up to 8000rpm, once hot, and a proportion of my journeys are short ones i.e., < 5 miles

I'm trying to get my head round why the usage is so high.

One of the reasons must be the FSI paradigm which RI_RS4 talked about in the best post on this forum relating to oil.

I'm also slightly confused as to why Audi recommend a 5W-30 for Longlife but a 5W-40 for Fixed Service itervals?

Maybe using a heavier oil might slow down usage?

I always thought the 4.2 FSI V8 ran very hot (although my oil temps never exceed 120C) whereupon a 5W-30 oil would be considered too thin if you were working it hard.

I'm just about due my second oil change at 8000 miles (recommended interval by Oilman) and I've bought the Titan Fuchs GT1 again, but next time I might try a 5W-40 oil to see if it makes any difference.

What other reasons should be responsible for the high oil usage?

[PetrolDave]

My RS4 used 2L in the first 5,000 miles and 1L in the next 5,000 but since then I haven't had to add any (I've done over 18,000 now) - apart from usual servicing.

Had pretty much the same oil usage on my 2 previous S4's (which don't have FSI) - so it's not an FSI "thing".

Almost all modern VW engines have this pattern of oil usage - my 8L S3 (2000 model) behaved pretty much the same.

[alex_123_fra]

Mine has used 1 litre in the last 7,000 miles (now at 23k miles).

The highest oil temperature I've ever got in my car is 106 C. I don't think I drive it hard enough by the sound of it.

[SR71]

If you check thread http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNp ... ic&t=60856 you will see that RI_RS4 is contending that fuel dilution of our oil is a MASSIVE issue.

Granted, fuel dilution and oil usage are two different things but I'd like to get to the bottom of the dilution and high usage issue and there is a plausible link between the two, namely, flashpoint reduction and subsequent evapouration.

Using a synthetic, as I understand, will tend to reduce your oil usage due to the better basestock quality and minimal additive depletion, but nevertheless my RS4 is burning oil at a rapid rate.

I think I might get my oil analysed next time its dropped.

Your contention is that high usage is not FSI related because your usage seems to have dropped down now the car has done a few miles and I cannot explain that without more data.

Similarly I have no idea whether my car will manifest the same behaviour.

My 8P A3 burns oil at 1L/7000 miles and its got 60K on the clock.

What I do know is that if the initial high oil usage is due to fuel dilution, it is still in my interests to replace my oil more frequently until this issue sorts itself out.

What service interval are you using then PetrolDave? I don't quite understand the "...I haven't had to add any except for usual servicing." comment...

[RED_ROCKET]

2 litres. 4500miles..

[PetrolDave]

What service interval are you using then PetrolDave? I don't quite understand the "...I haven't had to add any except for usual servicing." comment...

AVS - as I have always done with all my Audis. I do enough mileage to make it the best choice for me.

I think you've missed my point about FSI not being the cause of high oil consumption - I've experienced the same behaviour regarding oil consumption (2 litres in the first 5K miles, 1 litre in the second 5K miles, then negligible afterwards) in 5 Audis - a 1.8T 225, a B6 S4, a 1.9 TDi 130, a B6 S4 (again) and a B7 RS4. and ONLY one of those has FSI ( and one was a diesel). So FSI has made no difference at all to the oil usage I've experienced.

[ChuckUK]

5200 miles, 4 litres.....................

[Ozrs4]

Mine has used 1 litre in the last 7,000 miles (now at 23k miles).

The highest oil temperature I've ever got in my car is 106 C. I don't think I drive it hard enough by the sound of it.

Mate, you're definitely not driving it hard enough
Mine oil temp is always 120 C plus when I'm on the track (max I've seen in 125C). Normal driving is usually around 101-104C and may be up to 108C when giving it the stick.

[Adam]

I'm also slightly confused as to why Audi recommend a 5W-30 for Longlife but a 5W-40 for Fixed Service itervals?

fixed intervals is either 30 or 40

I assume 30 is thinner which is required for longer life, or engine is better able to measure when it is deteriorating

I am on fixed intervals as I do low mileage so would people recommend I go for 40 rather than the 30 you have to use on AVS?

[audijohn]

7000 miles = 1 litre used.
My Oil temp has never reached 120 deg, about 106 is it's highest so far.

[AntoRS4]

1 litre every 2000 miles
normal driving is usually around 105-110C , 125C on the track
want to test new mobil 1 esp 5w30 to try reduce oil consumption, anybody here is testing it ?

[Ozrs4]

1 litre every 2000 miles
normal driving is usually around 105-110C , 125C on the track
want to test new mobil 1 esp 5w30 to try reduce oil consumption, anybody here is testing it ?

The dealer told me the RS4 must be filled with their long life oil and can be topped up with Mobil 1 or other full synthetic oil but not as a whole oil change. That must be their "myth" to use their oil at oil change???

I would be interested to know too if anyone have used Mobil 1 for their complete oil change and notice any adv or disadv? Thanks.