Oil Level/Consumption question... am I being paranoid?
 

I just bought a slightly used 2011 A4 about 1 month ago with around 11,800 miles on it. Being aware of the common oil consumption issues with this model, I check the level from the dash screen every few days. The oil level has always been at Max until today, which I noticed it is a bit below Max. See picture:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...8ba4bb3ac6.jpg

I've only put around 1000 miles on the car since I got about 1 month ago (roughly 3 tanks of gas have been run through it). Also I drive very easy on the car, and rarely even let it rev above 3K.

So, is this oil consumption "normal"? should I take the car to the dealer and have them do an oil consumption test? Or am I just being paranoid?

Also at what point does the Oil level on the screen need to be before a warning light goes off? Below 50%?

Thanks

You seem to be fine. The screen represents 1 qt of oil.

Thanks. I thought the meter on the screen represented all of the oil in the engine. Knowing that it is only supposed to represent 1 quart makes me feel a lot better.

If that is 1000 miles it looks like you will be getting maybe 1-1 1/2 quarts per 5000 oil change. For a car with 11,000 miles on it that in my opinion is high. It will only get worse as it has more miles. I would take it back to the dealer and have them note it down on your service record so in the future when you need to go to the oil consumption test they have history of usage.
On the plus side it is only maybe 1 quart per oil change so you don't need to buy a case of oil. Almost all Audi owners are used to oil use and don't seem to mind keeping the extra quart in the trunk. Happy motoring.

Mike, since the oil level was over-filled to some degree, you really can't gage how much oil you have consumed. Since the level is now within the range that the MMI can display, you'll be able to see how much it's really consuming. I don't check mine (2011 A4) every day, but I do look at it a couple times per week. It's always going down. I really should take it in for the Stage 1 fix.

FWIW, we got a '15 Q5 4 cyl at the end of June. It's got 3000 miles and doesn't appear to consume any oil. (I suctioned out some oil when we first got it since the port/dealer overfill and the MMI reading is off the screen, as you have experienced.)

Thanks for the responses guys.
Taking this stuff into consideration, I will monitor it closely for the next week or two and probably end up taking it to the dealership anyway so it can be noted.

Make sure car is level as well. If it is filled the right amount, even a small incline can show 1/10 lower.

I can tell you my experience with my 2011 A4...

It started out at only 5k needing a 1 quart, which was fine; however, after about 100,000 miles it was 1 qt every 500 miles. At the point I got rid of it (127,000 miles), it was burning a qt of oil every 300 miles and Audi told me after about 1,500 worth of testing and checking the engine that I need to replace the engine as the cylinder walls were scored.

Now, keep in mind this was my company car and the company requires me to service the car at EVERY required service interval at the dealership... so they have done every service and not a single one had be late or missed.

I'm sure "your mileage may very" on if/when the car becomes a problem, but I'd make sure you keep track of that oil usage and try to stay ahead of it with the dealership by documenting the issue.

My '09 A4 used a quart about every 3000 miles so I never bothered having it tested, even though it was a pain to continually worry about the oil. Our A3 sometimes uses a quart every 5000 miles, but sometimes it goes longer. My 220 HP Buick Regal Turbo uses -0- oil between 10,000 mile oil changes.

Thanks for the tip. After seeing this, and reading the manual... when I got home today I shut off the car and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then I re-measured and it is now reading full:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...e0ade9a689.jpg

I realized every day this week I had been parking in a spot which is on an bit of incline inside of the parking garage at work. I was reading the oil measurements shortly after pulling out of the spot on my way back from work, but with the engine still on and running... so maybe all that may have given skewed readings.