rscultho

Hello to everyone. I am a new 2015 A8 4.0T owner, having owned Jaguars and Aston Martin in the past. It is a great car and am enjoying it.

I am fairly mechanically inclined person and would like to change my own oil. I have ordered an oil change kit from Blauparts and will be using the 5W40 oil recommended by Audi.

I am somewhat embarrassed to say, but I have searched the engine compartment and I CANNOT find the oil filter location! I searched the forum for posts on changing the oil with this engine...there was a post referencing a file on 4share but the link is no longer valid.

I've also searched for shop diagrams on this engine but can't find anything. Very frustrating.

If anyone has any info on the engine, oil filter location, and general 4.0T knowledge I'd appreciate any assistance.

Thanks in advance - look forward to participating on the forum!

MP4.2+6.0

Hello and welcome! Maybe coincidence you asked, since I was assembling content and mental notes for a deeper dive post on this general subject, oriented to 4.0T's that are still young and usually under warranty.

You are not going find it until you go directly and full on under, pulling the main belly pan. See first picture below. That is a 2015 S8 4.0T. Only difference should be a non S/RS won't have that long "tail" extension to the pan and engine block you see going far off toward the passenger side (bottom left of picture frame). Big oil cooler take off point I think on mine. It almost wraps around the black (composite plastic) filter housing in the S8. Yours should be more open right there. In picture, far left is toward front of car and cut off around radiator area. Far right is the steering rack area (electro set up here) and the axle centerline. As a visual triangulation point, in the upper left corner of picture you can see the underside of that same aluminum type heat exchanger assembly you can see from above with hood open looking straight down between motor and radiator areas.

Because of where the filter is, this one really makes zero sense to use a suction type approach. I used ramps this go, which really seems best--short of a shop lift or now rare pit. You have to go all the way from one side to the other removing belly pan screws, so a floor jack would leave one whole side pretty short of working space. Belly pan is now easier than D3 to fit, but way more screws--mix of Torx in a couple of sizes and a few Phillips. Note the threading of the two types are different, even though threaded length is similar size. Keep track of what goes where it as you disassemble to avoid a mix up re assembling. As I learned...

In the second picture you are going for the belly pan section with the broad curves to it along side wheel wells and the fairly prominent NACA style scoop molded into the material. The far front belly panel is fixed and seems to only relate to access in front of radiator. In fact it looks like it is quasi permanently clipped to bumper and things will start to break at fasteners without a bunch of care. But that middle pan area was more straight forward. No need to touch the yet farther back belly pan below tranny area.

If you don't already know BTW, filter is actually a cartridge insert like many Euro motors these days. To me a totally false savings in real world to pretend to be eco friendly since it uses a lot more solvent and rags/towel to clean stuff than a spin on metal type would. But it is what it is. Just know to have some shop towels and some brake cleaner, including to clean inside that housing and deal with filter muck as you extract and bag it.

Also see my recent thread on the dipstick mod for 4.0T's if you want to do that. No one will know what it is unless you see that post. You just have a nondescript plug right now and would need to do it solely by fill quantity and then an MMI screen check of oil level screen.

I bought AudiCare so dealer will do most of this. I will do next one though with about 7500 running miles from first one dealer does for free--before I take it in a then stretched interval relative to 15K. Mine has very little mileage but 18 months on it, so my intervals by book are weird and I can squeeze one in myself and then effectively pick one up later toward back end and still stay inside the 5 ½ years AudiCare permits for last one. Meantime, I went under just to get familiar with it and give it a good look see for any leaks at all for my pending short punch list warranty visit with dealer. I found absolutely nothing out of place, and still very pristine as I expected.

Also, not too late to buy AudiCare...and be sure yours doesn't have it if you bought used/CPO. I had to drill into history with my CPO selling dealer to get accurate info. Prior owner could have bought it, or gotten it included for a fair amount of 2015 year where it was included as an incentive. Mine was in neither category--I also posted on this subject a few weeks ago for 2015's specifically and surveyed others if you look for that thread. AudiCare includes the 35K tune up that applies to a 4.0T, plus the oil changes, brake fluid replacement every two years, brake (and tire) wear check, etc. Not a bad price when you add up the close to 40 quarts of synthetic over four cycles, four oil filters, round of spark plugs, air box and filter pull (x2 on S8 or W12), HVAC filters, etc. You see it didn't scare me to dive into it pronto, yet I paid the money for turn key dealer service...and parts that add up. It actually incents me to keep tabs on things (with less dirty hands) and get any bugs fixed on warranty cycle. let someone else inspect brakes even if I DIY and get my tires via TireRack, etc.

Separately I also did the cabin air filter. Behind glove box area. Another thread on that, to which I added in last week or so so it is not very far down the post titles screen still. BTW, you will find many of these filters are just as cheap if you go online discounted dealer, which I do. Dealer mark ups on many disposables are now a lot less than they used to be. Less than Amazon for cabin filter for example as I documented in other thread, assuming dealer or OES (Mann) on Amazon or many indy sites. Same on plugs as others have found with D3 S8's and other motors long off dealer service, and engine air filters, and...

rscultho

Fantastic information - my sincere thanks.

I would not have guessed they would have put the filter here. I suppose the turbos have something to do with that - not sure.

Yes, the newer oil filters are interesting. While supposed to provide better flow I am not sure if they actually do. Changing the oil on our newer Jags was so easy. Just raised the hood, pumped the oil out, and filter was right there on top with very easy identification and access.

My DBS required draining from underneath and had a regular spin on filter.

We bought two new 4.0T A8s, my wife got an L (with 7 miles on odometer) and I got a regular wheel base. We got Audi care with hers. Mine was a "manager special"...had some mileage on it from him driving it, but he had the car configured for himself and got just about every bell and whistle you could get including premium wheels. I figured I could take care of the small stuff and get the Audi dealer to do major tune ups to satisfy warranty on mine.

These are the very first Audi's I/we have ever owned. I have not dealt with an Audi dealer for service yet; my wife's car only has 3200 miles on it so she has not gotten the first oil change yet. We've had them about 5 months.

Something I noticed when in the dealer repair shop was that customers had to surrender ID and a credit card before they would take the car into the service "queue". Never had to do that at Jag or Aston.

I don't mind paying for service that's worth it. What I hate more than anything in life is having to argue with dealer service reps about bogus charges. I know dealers vary on this.

Again I sincerely appreciate the info. If anyone has advice for me in owning an Audi I would be grateful for your insight. I love cars and always love to learn about them.

Cheers to everyone!

MP4.2+6.0

The credit card and ID is probably for the free loaner cars, along w/ proof of insurance at least here in CA. At my dealership, it is a separate function with a counter off to the side. A few years ago the service advisor also did it.

The oil filter change was sold initially as only enviro--I was there for it and Audi and others boast of this stuff in their C02 accounting. Take a look at the pics below of three oil filters--2006 W12, 2013 Q5 2.0T and current 4.0T I have in the family. All with Audi part #'s and boxes from same dealer I buy from. Guess which yours and mine are... I would prefer either other choice as a hint.

On Audis given virtually everything is covered, nothing much to argue about. Eventually you get a soft nudge on brake wear and perhaps tires, to which I just respond, thanks for info, I'll look at it/get it taken care of. Wiper blades and key batteries are virtually the only other non covered items--easy DIY's.

If truly a dealer owned car, those are unusual animals also worth checking into for (extra) factory warranty. I had this on my 2006 A8 W12 I bought CPO. If dealer-owner paid for its own service, at least back then, warranty clock ("in service date") did not start until it got sold to third party buyer. If Audi paid for it--presumably the 5K service Audi covered like still today--the warranty clock started on day 1. They had to research on mine to reconfirm which it was, and the records made clear they had paid the first maintenance from dealership as well as an early battery swap out. Came up when I asked the service advisor (also the manager) to complete the in service date in the maintenance/warranty book that had been left blank. Nothing like dealer pen to document to get the i's crossed and t's dotted. Gave me close to a year of extra time coverage on 4/50. Affected CPO date IIRC too. Dealer records need to be clear though; on mine first internal dealer use and then first true outside buyer and CPO all happened via same dealer, so they had all the records and knowledge in house. Way at tail end when I had final CPO claims, indeed Audi USA was asking them to confirm the correct dates and the CPO certification details. If those are still the same rules, smart dealers may know this. Mine did and just paid the rounding error dollars to do their own oil change internally.

Cutting the other way in the things you mentioned relative to whether AudiCare got bundled on a given 2015 when the incentives were in place, I did also hear during the discussions leading to my 2015 CPO purchase that if it was a corporate or fleet car or some such thing (maybe they meant loaner?), it wasn't eligible for the free AudiCare incentives during the periods they ran them.

In any case, add up the parts and compare to AudiCare. If you are anywhere near 15K still, may make good sense to go that way on a 4.0T. Only one I probably would pay for it is 3.0T (still priced the same), which has its first major interval out at 55K. Thus the economics of parts and labor make DIY a fair amount more cost effective there since it is then basically down to 4x oil & filter changes, 2x HVAC filter, 2x brake fluid change and general inspection type stuff. Tune up parts and labor swings the pricing equation if you will. As soon as you go either twin air boxes (S8 or W12) or more plugs and related access (W12), yet more compelling at detail level since still priced the same.

rscultho

Yea, my car came with a 100K mile CPO warranty - I did not pay for it. I was quoted a price of around $480 for a major tune up that included new plugs. The cost of coverage on mine was a little over $2K (at the time we bought the cars) and I would only get two major services for that and 4 oil changes. I think there was two versions of coverage if I remember correctly - we got the more expensive one for the wife's L and everything is covered except tires.

I honestly don't remember (on my car) if the regular warranty started when the manager put the car in service or when I got it. Will have to check on that.

I will have to reacquaint myself with the warranty specs - time specifically.

MP4.2+6.0

How many miles on the one you got CPO, and how many miles now?

AudiCare is basically fixed pricing for the first four years, whether bought initially or a little later on. But once you run through the first 15K interval, it doesn't make as much sense and becomes a different flavor and pricing. Pricing is here: https://www.audiusa.com/myaudi/servi...audi-audi-care

Makes way more sense economically if you are in the "AudiCare" category starting at 15K and then three more intervals (total of four, not including the complimentary 5K first one) than if you are in the "AudiCare Select" categories. Only Audi Care Select category that makes some sense to me as a stand alone are either of the last two listed. Either one picks up the 75K interval, which is the next real tune up (every 40K after first one at 35K).

rscultho

The CPO warranty goes through 7 years, 100K miles

I have about 21K on the car now, I am the first "retail" owner.

JD20716

What size socket is needed to remove the oil filter on a 2015 A8L 4.0?

vtraudt

Anybody know off hand the socket size?

landjb4u

34mm