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A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:32 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
Afternoon everyone,

I've had a 2006 B7 for around 5 months now, 80k on the clock, but it's now been sat on my drive for 2 weeks as I have (probably) major problems.

The car has always burnt a bit of oil since I got it - around a litre every 1000 miles. I topped it a few days before driving to London (260 miles) away. But driving through London, my oil level light came on, I was only about a mile from my mate's house so was going to top up there, but only 30 seconds later, I started getting a bad ticking/rattling sound. Pulled over, topped up with oil - around 1.2l took it back upto max. Started the car again, hoping this would have solved it, but the damage must have already been done.
I wasn't driving it hard, just idling through traffic. The oil light has came on a couple times before (how I realised it was burning oil) but was always topped up within a few miles of driving carefully.
Since then, a few months, I always keep a close eye on it, so it never gets to minimum.

There was no oil pressure warning, no signs of oil being spilled onto the floor. I'd describe the noise as a loud tick/rattle, like something catching as it turns, matching the RPM. The engine didn't seem to be struggling, not misfiring etc.

Ended up getting the AA out, who towed me back to Darlington (only took 5 hours of waiting, and 11 hours on the back of a recovery truck :cry: )
The AA guy told me he thought it was top end damage from bust bearings - but aren't bearings bottom end?
Was advised by a Audi specialist to let it run for 2-3 minutes to see if the lifters were just starved of oil. Did this, but there was no change.
Obviously not seeing the car, it's just a guess, but anyone have an best guesses what they think it could be?

I'm trying to find a local specialist in the Teesside area to have a look at it sometime soon, but am preparing myself for the worst :|

Have talked to Vasstech in Darlington, but have heard mixed things about them. Anyone had any experience with them.

James.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:44 pm
by stu
Lots of info there.

See what everyone says on here first of course, but I will say this to start: it's a specialist car and I'd broaden my search radius if I were you. Another ?twenty miles and you've got Revolution who are a site Sponsor and have a lot of RS4s through their doors.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:49 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
Thanks Stu. I suppose you're right. No point trying to scrimp on and extra 40quid recovery truck charge to get a below par job. Revolution seem good. Will give them a call. Thanks.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:52 pm
by stu
JAMZONTOAST wrote:Thanks Stu. I suppose you're right. No point trying to scrimp on and extra 40quid recovery truck charge to get a below par job. Revolution seem good. Will give them a call. Thanks.
My bets are you'll get a very accurate diagnosis on here for free in the mean time. And it's Tuesday and everyone's bored.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:56 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
I have a video of the noise on my phone, will try upload it

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:57 pm
by Surrey Sam
Sounds like something to do with the valves. Revolution seem a well respected company that is close, so give them a call.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:04 pm
by Afsimba
Any chance this could be timing chain tensioner on way out
Happened to my car and it was always meticulously maintained
And happened in similair low speed luckily !!
Hopefully not this as it's full blown engine out for few quid part

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:05 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD8uoPnpxp8
There's a short video.
In short, it sounds like a rough diesel.



...Ignore the heavily worn 'S' button. Ha.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:07 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
Afsimba wrote:Any chance this could be timing chain tensioner on way out
Happened to my car and it was always meticulously maintained
And happened in similair low speed luckily !!
Hopefully not this as it's full blown engine out for few quid part
I did think this, it sounds similar to that, I just thought it was a big coincidence that it started 30 seconds after my low oil light.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:15 pm
by adsgreen
The low oil light is pretty variable but in general I don't think I have heard of it tripping more than 2 litres out.
The oil capacity of the rs4 is huge (9.6litres) so being 1.2 litres down is not going to cause catastrophic damage that quickly with the engine at idle.

If you are not losing oil then you are burning it.
Any smoke from he exhaust when warm?

Might be worth running the engine at idle and seeing if you can locate the rattle in the engine bay (on the rockers or back towards the firewall).

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:19 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
It does burn a bit of oil yeah, I have been told there is a small amount of blue smoke when moving away in 1st and 2nd (but not enough for me to see from inside).

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:20 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
adsgreen wrote:Might be worth running the engine at idle and seeing if you can locate the rattle in the engine bay (on the rockers or back towards the firewall).
To me, it sounded like it was coming from the top front of the engine, behind the radiator. Would this be around the cam chain tensioner area?

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:28 pm
by Regy53
when you say oil light, do you mean oil pressure light or low oil light?

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:38 pm
by JAMZONTOAST
Regy53 wrote:when you say oil light, do you mean oil pressure light or low oil light?
Low oil light.

The oil pressure light never came on.

Re: A very poorly RS4

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 4:12 pm
by adsgreen
JAMZONTOAST wrote:
adsgreen wrote:Might be worth running the engine at idle and seeing if you can locate the rattle in the engine bay (on the rockers or back towards the firewall).
To me, it sounded like it was coming from the top front of the engine, behind the radiator. Would this be around the cam chain tensioner area?
no - all the chains as far as I'm aware are at the back between the engine and firewall (hence such a bagger to change).