Tensioner rattle cure...

[neckarsulm]

Hi,
My B7 S4 Avant with 87k and FASH (4 long life services each 20k) had the tensioner rattle usually only from cold start up.
Has got worse since I bought it in Dec 09 and even did it hot with the car point down a slope to the point where it caused a misfire for a sec or 2.

Even though DIS say 11000 miles to next service, I have never trusted long life servicing so got my mechanic (I run a garage) to put 2 cans of Forte Engine Flush in it (it needs to be at 10% of the oil) and idle it for 30 mins.

We then dropped the oil which he said stank like proper old oil and it was still very black even with the flush in it (though drained like water), this was after just 7000 miles.

Refilled with Quantum Platinum fully synthetic and new sump plug washer (had to get one Express from VW as not like any other VW Audi!) and programmed out the Long Life servicing using VAG COM.

On first start up with new oil the tensioner did a short rattle as it would do following the oil having been dropped but this was no worse than usual and since then it hasn't done it again, hot or cold, even left overnight.

So those of you with longlife, get rid of it sharpish! 10k is too much between services for an engine like this and do you really trust the dealership to put the right Long Life oil in anyway? I don't!

I'd like to think the world class Audi engineers wouldn't design an engine with this fault and the problem has only arisen because the marketeers decided to put the cars on long life to please the fleet companies which means the cars run on poorer condition oil than the engine was designed for.

As a job with 1.5 hrs labour, 2 cans of Forte flush, 9 litres of Platinum oil (the replacement for Quantum Synta Gold), genuine Oil and air filters and sump plug washer, VAG COM check and reconfiguration it would come to £195 inc vat. We can also program out the B7's seat belt warning and program in auto locking of the doors within that price.

Andrew

[R33]

Is this a service you're offering? Where are you based?

[neckarsulm]

2 mins J3 M42 (South Birmingham)
www.wizard-works.com
Sorry for the shameless plug - will become a trader on forum in the near future.

[elmo]

I can agree with Top Gear 100%.

I had my car on a longlife service plan and swapped to a yearly service interval. The death rattle stopped immediately and has only a minor rumble after 7000 miles. It's due for it's next service service soon, so it'll be back to new again.

The long service plan is not suitable for the S4. Ask any of the specialist tuners what they would recommend and they will tell you the same.

[marv]

What about keeping it on the longlife service, but changing the oil half way through the interval? Kwik Fit do an oil service for £49, which seems like good value considering the amount and type of oil required - see here.

I know they can be cowboys sometimes, but how wrong can they get a standard oil service?

[no_RS]

Kwik Fit would be the last people I would use or recommend to play with anyone's car. Considering the damage that could be done by messing up an oil change, how much is a new engine these days?

Anyway are you really going to get good oil for £49 when you need 9litres. No doubt once they've had a look you'll get a whole list of problems that only they can fix i.e. don't exist and get relieved of a large amount of cash at the same time.

Taking your car to kwik fit is nothing short of being cruel.

[MattS5]

I dont understand how changing the oil can make a difference? Audi Norwich use the same oil for the AVS service as they do for the yearly one when I enquired about it? (Castrol Edge 5w 30)

So it puzzles me to see what else can make it dissapear?

[MattS5]

I would just add that I kept the car on AVS and just changed the oil and filter myself at 12 months anyway, as my dad has a pit in his garage at his house which makes it simple (bar getting the undertrays off which are a pig!)

[BlingBling]

I dont understand how changing the oil can make a difference? Audi Norwich use the same oil for the AVS service as they do for the yearly one when I enquired about it? (Castrol Edge 5w 30)

So it puzzles me to see what else can make it dissapear?

Dilution. As the oil get older is loses its properties due to dilution. The viscostiy changes and the more miles you do the more the viscostiy changes.

Change the oil every 12 months or 10K. 20k between services is way to long for high performance engines.

[elmo]

Did not want to offend anyone, but must agree with no_RS on the Kwik-fit issue.

Personally I would not trust them to empty the ashtray let alone do my oil, and I don't even smoke! I guess I'm also too long in the tooth to listen to some kid straight out of school telling me rubbish about my car, which they probably know nothing about

[MattS5]

I can buy the dilution theory to a point, but it still doesn't explain why the rattle would just stop after changing oil from avs to fixed every 12 months.
Mine still made the noise after the oil was changed

[chunky79]

Did not want to offend anyone, but must agree with no_RS on the Kwik-fit issue.

Personally I would not trust them to empty the ashtray let alone do my oil, and I don't even smoke! I guess I'm also too long in the tooth to listen to some kid straight out of school telling me rubbish about my car, which they probably know nothing about

Everyone has to start somewhere. I know what your saying but how is anyone going to learn if we don't let them. I'm a plant mechanic and even at 30 ( started when i was 17) i still get people asking me how long i've been doing the job before they let me work on thier jcb's!

[BlingBling]

I can buy the dilution theory to a point, but it still doesn't explain why the rattle would just stop after changing oil from avs to fixed every 12 months.
Mine still made the noise after the oil was changed

The correct spec oil for fixed service is VW502 (5w-40). This has a different viscosity than AVS (5w-30) which helps. Another factor will be wear. All of our cars have differing wear rates so for some an oil change will cure the rattle others it won't. I change my oil every 12 months and there is a big difference between the rattle pre and post oil change.

I changed to fixed servicing years ago. I do not buy into an oil can last 20K miles on high performance cars. Remember the AVS was introduced to reduce maintenance bills. I also question how an oil for a 1.6l circa 100bhp engine oil is good enough for 4.2l 344bhp engine........

[MattS5]

Its interesting to hear what you say about the oil type having ot be 5w 40, which would certainly make sense in terms of having an impact.

But, can I ask where you got the info from for the differnet oil?

I'm not doubting your information, but after having being told by Audi and also the Opie Oil website stating the only oil available is 5w 30, I'd be weary of selecting anything else for my car.

Even the Castrol website (having selected non AVS servicing) delivers the same result, stating the 5w 40 is mid range?!


http://www.castrol.com/castrol/iframe.d ... Id=7044829

[neckarsulm]

How can an oil be mid-range? It's either right or wrong for the application.

As for a main dealer saying they also put longlife oil for time and distance services, I wouldn't necessarily trust a stealership service advisor to a)know what's correct and b) to guarantee what actually gets put in by the technician is what is on the invoice.

Anybody got their handbook handy to see what it says?