svizoman

My 2007 Audi A4 2.0 tdi sometimes reports low oil level. The oil level is at the max, sensor in the oil pan is new, wiring harness is OK and the hood switch is working OK. When hooked VCDS to the car I found oil level under engine (01), group 29 and under instrument cluster (17), group 6 & 7. Bellow is a printcreen of VCDS window. I don't know what these values represent but it makes no sense to me. I guess ml are mililiters and mm are milimeters. So engine module report oil height while cluster module reports volume. But numbers are to low since this engine takes 4100ml of oil.
If I'll gues current oil level is static measurement of oil volume but the number is to low since this engine takes 4100ml, oil level threshold is the value where warning light comes on but don't know what minus means, third box is probably dynamic measurement while driving and i 0 since car is stationary.
Have no idea what min and max oil level in service interval means since numbers are 10 times to low and have no clue what 100km average oil level diff is.

Any help would be appreciated.

jakematic

Correct


Height based on the sensor.
The sensor measurement can then be used to calculate volume, IIRC.


below threshold


Rate of consumption.
If you were at X 100km ago and now at X-Y it can predict how much oil is being used.
I think it uses this as part of the DPF regen calculations.

Any DTCs in the AutoScan ?
I'd be surprised if there wasn't an implausible signal or open/short reported.

Your version of VCDS is considerably out of date, and I'd suggest updating it to get the new labels and data version.
12.12.3 is the current version and 14.8 is the latest beta version.

svizoman

well thanks. Things start to make some sense.
So according to the VCDS I have 40mm of oil height and this is equal to 2540ml (2.5 quarts). If a threshold is as you said that means that manufacturer set the vales so that warning light goes on after there are 2560ml of oil missing (that's more than half of oil!). And if you believe the VCDS I only have 2540ml of oil in the pan (that's less than half). And what does than min and max values mean? Are those measured values of "bellow and above" normal oil level that are stored between service interval. Are those values cleared after clearing service reminder?

Stick, however a bit unpractical (t is made of black plastic) shows max level. I also know that when they changed the oil level sensor they used more than a gallon of oil, so there should be plenty of oil.
Old and now new sensor did not report any DTC, no DTC on the whole car however. Wiring harness was also measured with a multimeter and resistance was OK.
So any idea what is wrong. Maybe bad software in the cluster module or problems with Engine module software. Car has modified maps in the engine module.

BTW bellow is a scan of my newer audi and things here are way different and even more complex to understand.

svizoman

Also very strange thing is that 3 days ago when I drove to work brake pad light came on and yesterday it went off and today it went on again. I find this unlogical since brake pad wear sensor is just a simple metal wire integrated into the last quarter of brake pad "meat" and when it is broken it can not became unbroken. Wire only transfers back the 5V signal and when it is broken the electric circuit it broken as well and cluster detects that as worn pads.

jakematic

Actually that would be 2.68399 US quarts or 2.234887 Imperial quarts.
Not sure where you are though.
And that's why we use metric - it's universal.


Not sure... how many litres of oil are spec'd for your Audi ?


Did you measure out of circuit and tone the traces ?


Uhh... I might now...
Please post a complete Auto-Scan so I can see the what the vehicle is made of.
Obscure the last part of the VIN if you don't want to put it on the internet.


They are getting more and more complex for sure !
I have to ask... based partly on the ancient version of VCDS, and the screen captures... is this a legitimate version of VCDS or a cracked one ?


If there is a rusty/poor/frayed/bad connection it can and does.
Check the connections and trace back the harness...


Am also wondering... you said the oil level sensor was replaced... if the pickup is clogged at the screen.
That should also give you a pressure warning and DTC.

Do you have a factory repair manual?

svizoman

We European use metric for ever, I thought I would be better understand if I'll use your units.
If I am exact the workshop used 5L oil canister (castrol edge), and they gave me back almost empty canister. By the spec's 2.0TDI engine takes 4.3L of oil, 3.8L with oil change and 4.1L with oil and filter change, so there is definitely enough oil.


The Audi electrician has measured the resistance of the connector pins and wires, don't really know if he unplug the wire from the cluster module.


I can if it will help, but as I said the whole car (engine, cluster, HVAC, airbag, central electronic, radio, convinience...) don't report any DTC.



The reason I don't update the VCDS is that I am using my company laptop and I don't have administrator rights. Years ago when I bought the VCDS I asked our company administrator to install this software and don't really want to ask every time there is an update. I only used this tool twice or three times.


no. connectors are water prof and Germans makes good stuff. This car is not so old either and connector looks like new. I also disconnected the connector and short circuit two pins together with a wire and light went off. I also measured the pad's connector with the multimeter and there were some fluctuations in the resistance so probably pads are really worn out.

This car is regularly maintain and only has 140,000 kilometers. Oil is changed every year or every 15,000km so pickup can't be clogged.
There are no warning of low oil pressure and for now even low oil level warning went out. But the reading shown in VCDS is wrong. Either VCDS don't read correctly or there is something wrong with the cluster software. Dealer told me that there is some factory software upgrade available so next thing is to try this.

However I do not want that they reflash my ECU since I'll lose 400€ worth of remap, that is working very well: 170BHP, 420Nm of torqe and 47MPG consumption. The EGT and boost are all under the factory limits.




I have a working ELSA on DVD. I got it from my dealer.

jakematic

Ouch... I remember those days.
Glad to hear you have a genuine cable


I'm at a loss as to what to tell you at this point, other than replacing the sensor.
Otherwise you'll need to follow the procedures in ElsaWin for it and the pad sensors.

Perhaps someone will chime in with better information, or the model specific forum might be able to help.

svizoman

This Saturday I had no job so I went to my nearest car parts dealer and bought new front brake pads. TRW (before it was Lucas) makes OEM pads for European VAGs so I bought those for 55€. I also asked for Hella oil level sensor and since he had one for 60€ I just took it. The strange thing was that old sensor had both VW and Hella part numbers stamped on it, while this one had only Hella numbers and on the spot where VW number should be the metal was brushed. I first was a bit skeptic if this is even genuine part but then the store guy phoned directly to the Hella in Germany and they confirmed that this is the normal thing. They make one sensor with both numbering, but if it is sold under their own brand they remove the VW numbers.

So I first changed the pads. Old ones were pretty bad. There was still some meat left but it was no longer attached to the metal plate (rust and temperature did the job). I had some bad luck with a Murphy's law since I noticed at the end that I didn't put the pads correct and had to do the whole thing all over again. Inner pads with wear sensor have a pointing arrow stamped on it and it should point to the wheel forward rotation.

The oil level sensor job however went flawlessly. I managed to drain 4L of oil so I can say for sure there were and now is enough oil.

On the cluster display brake wear warning light went off, low oil level do not light and after a few kilometers everything is still ok. VCDS also detected no DTC on the autoscan. But the oil level shows still the same value; 2460ml and under (01)Engine it still shows 40mm.
I also figured out that values: min and max oil level in service were cleared after SRI reset.

I add additional half liter of oil, so the stick showed above max level but VCDS readings were still 2460ml and 40mm. I read somewhere that after poping the hood, oil level is not updated for a first 100 kilometers.

This engine oil level reading is way different in my newer A4 where both actuall level and threshold are constantly updated when engine is running. For example if you rev the engine the oil pump takes more oil from the pan and values drop a bit, also threshold is constantly changing with temperaure and engine speed.

Whatever it is I see no other solution than reflash the cluster module with the latest software from Audi. If that won't work I know someone that makes its living with detecting and fixing car's software bugs. As I know VAG is known for software bugs.

should I open a new thread there or can I just post a link to this topic?

jakematic

I'd open a new thread and duplicate you original one here with a link back to it.

You might also want to try here: Ross-Tech Forums
Uwe is traveling to automechanika so I'm not sure how quick it will be to get your account confirmed, so be patient.