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As far as I am aware, the B9 generation does not have a method for manually checking the oil. Everything is done electronically through the MMI.
Also the oil cap is on the opposite side of the engine bay (just left of the center). So I would assume if there is a way of checking the oil, it would be around that location.
It’s on the drivers side of the engine bay. After you pull the engine cover off, there is a rubber “plug” that you remove — and save, just in case — and the dipstick installs in the tube that you pulled the rubber plug from. It is kind of buried in the front of the engine, but you’ll see it with a good flashlight.
This is what the plug looks like — the right end is what you’ll see sticking out of the dipstick plug — just pull it straight up to remove it.
Garber, 99.9% of Audi drivers won't ever open the hood on their car. The oil level is displayed in the car's MMI system. The car is constantly checking the oil level as you drive. IF you open the hood, it will take some miles of driving before the MMI can display the oil level.
Garber, 99.9% of Audi drivers won't ever open the hood on their car. The oil level is displayed in the car's MMI system. The car is constantly checking the oil level as you drive. IF you open the hood, it will take some miles of driving before the MMI can display the oil level.
As an “old school” car owner, I bought the dipstick to not “just” visually measure the oil, but also to physically see and smell the oil. Electronic gauges may be fine for checking the level — but they don’t increase my comfort level like my eye and nose do, especially when the manufacturer specs out a 10,000 mile interval between oil changes.
If you are serious about checking the quality of your oil then use blackstone to run oil reports. Look and smell aren't going to tell you anything meaningful outside of "yup that's oil".
Also, unless you are tracking the car often or tuning the engine output above the stock spec, there's very little observable benefit to changing the fully synthetic engine oil more often than recommended.
NOt to mention the sensor WILL and HAS failed on my 2003 M3
Originally Posted by Nikon1
As an “old school” car owner, I bought the dipstick to not “just” visually measure the oil, but also to physically see and smell the oil. Electronic gauges may be fine for checking the level — but they don’t increase my comfort level like my eye and nose do, especially when the manufacturer specs out a 10,000 mile interval between oil changes.
As always — YMMV.
— John
No oil temp and the yellow oil level light cycles on for about 15 seconds. On the M3 I have to remove the big subframe reinforcement plate to get to the bottom of the oil pan. Once oil is drained I can replace the oil sensor.
Good thing I have an oil dipstick. I'll do the sensor change next oil change in June or July. Like I only put 5-6K miles on the car a year.
As an “old school” car owner, I bought the dipstick to not “just” visually measure the oil, but also to physically see and smell the oil. Electronic gauges may be fine for checking the level — but they don’t increase my comfort level like my eye and nose do, especially when the manufacturer specs out a 10,000 mile interval between oil changes.
As always — YMMV.
— John
I am from the old school much like you and much rather have a dipstick but I haven't thought about buying a one yet. Looking at the oil will tell you how dirty your oil is, not how much life is remaining or rather your oil is good or not but just how much dirt did the oil picked up. looking at it and touching it can also tell you if the oil is contaminated, smelling it can tell you if are running hot.
I drive almost all city in Northeast traffic, worst type of conditions for oil, I had my oil tested a few times at 10K miles and came back good. Coming from dino oil, I too had my doubt regarding modern day synthetic oil but have been proven wrong. Took me a while to convert to 10K oil change interval and feel comfortable about it but I sure would like to look at the condition of the oil in between oil changes.
I am from the old school much like you and much rather have a dipstick but I haven't thought about buying a one yet. Looking at it and touching it can also tell you if the oil is contaminated, smelling it can tell you if are running hot. I drive almost all city in Northeast traffic, worst type of conditions for oil, I had my oil tested a few times at 10K miles and came back good.
Having read numerous posts about members who have gas mixed in with their oil — and the result message of “Oil Overfill” — every couple of weeks I’ll pull the dipstick and visually examine it as well as give it a sniff test, just to be sure. Most of my trips, so far, are local driving, which seems to exacerbate the gas in the oil issue.
With a $70,000 vehicle at stake, dropping the money for the dipstick made sense tome — and it may not for everyone — and I learned old school lessons about an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” when I started driving.
02-25-2019, 06:47 AM
Embarrassing, but can't find where to check the oil!
