Oil use

[irishmike]

So we all know that the RS4 likes to drink a bit of oil, but I'm wondering what peoples experience of it are.
Is there a "normal" amount that they are expected to use or is it totally dependent on the mileage and driving style?

Just in terms of my own experience, I have the car just over a year and a half now.
In the first 10k miles it took about 1.5 l of oil between services and was due more at service time.
Now it was last serviced at the end of Aug and I've put in 2L recently in just over 5k miles since the service.

I know my oil cooler has a bit of corrosion and is "weeping" but the garage said it wasn't bad enough to worry about yet.

I think it's possibly using a bit too much oil, but couldn't find any real information on what's normal, apart from "it uses some and you'll find that all owners have a spare Liter in the boot" which I have

[Silverfox42]

Mine did not use any in-between the last 2 services - Car is Mar 2006, has done 57k and I did 3500 miles between the last services.

When I say 'any' I did not have to top it up at all and thats after checking the levels regularly.

[irishmike]

Ok, Prob time to get the cooler sorted out for me so...

[davebirl]

Mine has used 1/2 litre between services, 07 with 34k. I think its mileage related and driving style. I only done 6K between services. I would also dip my regularly and before any trip over 100 miles.

[JCviggen]

To lose noticeable amounts of oil from a leak you'd have to see quite a lot of it under the car. A drop here and there isn't going to affect the level.

They are indeed known for oil consumption, and the amounts you're adding are certainly not what Audi would consider excessive. Probably the only way to solve it is go to a thicker oil, assuming you're on 5w30 at the moment. In my unofficial opinion, once the engine is showing significant oil consumption 5w30 is just too thin when hot. I feel better with 5w40 personally even though mine doesn't seem to use much oil at all.

Ze Germans on rs246.de advocate Mobil 5w50 peak life to stop oil consumption. I wouldn't go straight to a 50 for no reason though.

[PetrolDave]

Over the nearly 9 years I've had my RS4 there's a distinct pattern of oil usage - up to 5k miles after a service oil usage has been zero, but after that it slowly but surely increases as the oil gets more damaged and contaminated. This is using 5W/30.

[JCviggen]

Makes sense Dave, oil loses viscosity over time/use so it gets easier and easier for it to get past the rings. The idea of viscosity loss on a 5w30 makes me shudder really, wamed up it's pretty much water to begin with...

[irishmike]

Yeah so it's differeng between people I guess..

I use the spec 5w30 in mine and have not noticed any leaks under the car.
But what you say Dave makes a lot of sense to me.
The last 6k ish miles from the previous service have been mostly longer spins where the engine be at proper temp for longer periods.

I'll talk to my service guy about possible using 5w40 next service and see if it changes things.
The only thing that might concern me with a heavier oil is that on short trips, it wouldn't get up to temp/viscosity by the time the trip is over.
Would this be a concern?

[CaptainLF]

So my car is at 184481 km and she is burning 400 mL per 1000 km. That sample is over the last 7000 km.

[CaptainLF]

I use Motul 5W40.

[MikeFish]

I have mine serviced between Xmas and New Year, and one just had to do the first top up of the year so falls on line with what Dave said.

[neilparf]

Over the nearly 9 years I've had my RS4 there's a distinct pattern of oil usage - up to 5k miles after a service oil usage has been zero, but after that it slowly but surely increases as the oil gets more damaged and contaminated. This is using 5W/30.

I second this - now I've been through a few service patterns this is very much the case for me...

[PaulT]

I second this - now I've been through a few service patterns this is very much the case for me...

Ditto - when I bought mine it was 8k since last service and I was bit worried by oil consumption of a little over 1L/1000miles (75k car). After an oil change the consumption has roughly reduced by half. Clearly the oil is worked hard by these engines and interim changes are beneficial.

[Seattle-squash]

109k 07 and Pennzoil (shell) ultra 5w-40, about 1-1.5 courts every 5k which is my interval of choice. Also, added oil based on dipstick reading and I never get a light. Usually I add 1 court at 2500k and nothing else prior to oil change.