stevemac00

2004 3.0 w/ 57K. Had oil changed by local mechanic. I did not check oil immediately and car sat for 3 months while we drove TT. Started it up last week (very cold - 8F) and MIN OIL light came on. I was dumbfounded but added a quart. Light came on again and I added another 2 quarts. Drove back home (about 100 miles total) Turns out "mechanic" only added 4 quarts (7.3 capacity).

Next day engine wouldn't turn over. I can see volt drop from 12+ to 12- and can hear starter engage but there's no turning of engine or starter. Easiest check was battery which I replaced with new Interstate bat but still same results.

Any advice appreciated and I'm sure I'll get some deserved barbs.

4Driver4

Can you turn the engine over by hand? I don't see the low oil thing being that much of an issue. Is it cold where you are? Is the bank one cam seized due to oil starvation (which has happen to a few 3.0's but would not be related to simple low oil)?

stevemac00

After putting transmission in neutral I cannot turn engine by hand - do you just grab and pull on the barely accessible belt on port side?

But after trying by hand I tried starting again and it started right up. (It's warmed up to 32F.) So now what? We really like our car and want to keep it for a long time. Should I have the car looked at by a qualified Audi mechanic? What would we be looking for? There is a slight clicking noise like valves which I don't remember hearing before.

Thanks for the advice. One of the reasons we bought an Audi was the great user support in this forum - I hope Audi realizes this.

Just Me

to turn over....

1. remove spark plugs ( opptional, but makes it easier to understand what is resisting you)
2. put a breaker bar and socket ont eh crank and turn

should spin like a top

2.7Lturbo

if the motor is running, i do a full oil change and send the oil for analysis to see if any damage occured. the clicking is from the lifters being low on oil. they will either A,re prime themselves and stop making the noise, or B re prime themselves and make some slight clicking, thats the risk of hydraulic lifters running low on oil pressure. as for a audi mech looking at it, i would pass on that, he would have to completely tear apart the motor to really get a worthwhile look at it and a simple oil analysis can tell you if a tear down is even nessecary, honestly i think you just had low oil and wit the cold temps the car didnt want to turn over.

4Driver4

Let's not blow this out of proportion. The car has been sitting for three months; of course the lifters are going to be a bit noisy until the car is run at temp for a while. 4 quarts is plenty for safe operation. Send the oil out if it makes you feel better, but don't lose any sleep over this.

Check the starter circuit if the problem comes back.

2.7Lturbo

thats why i advised against taking it in, the mechanic will insist on tearing it down, a simple oil check is the MAX i would do in this situation, again like 4d4 said, 3 months is a long time, hell i know fully oiled cars that have a hard time starting after 3 months

stevemac00

Thanks to all of you. Feels good to have support from knowledgeable people.

For now it's working. I went to a local mechanic for a listen who said it sounds good. Maybe it was a coincidence and unrelated to the low oil. If anything else turns up later I'll report back but now we're celebrating that our car is back with the living (and we're not out thousands of dollars)!

4Driver4

I would argue that while 4 quarts of oil is not full of oil, it is certainly enough for the engine to be fully oiled. All you really need is enough oil to feed the pump for basic lubrication. Anything over that just helps to keep the oil cooler.

Just Me

yup to all.