tangent2

i bought my '07 RS4 in August with 30k miles on it. when i got about 32k miles on it, the 'low oil' indicator came on. so i put some more oil in it. then it got an oil change and top off at 35k with the service at the dealership.

i just hit about 37,500, and the 'low oil' light came on again. i put a quart in, and then the dipstick said it was just below the 'max' line.

this worried me to have it happen in between the 5k mile services, so i called the dealership and told them the situation. the service guy that i've been going to for years (and actually like) said that typically these cars lose about a quart every 1000 miles or so, and that i'm actually doing well to make it over 2000 miles before it needs to be topped off.

is this right? i hadn't heard this before, and i couldn't find any info using the search function.

does this happen to other people as well?

i figured i'd cast the question out to the forum before getting more nervous.

thanks.

Reggie

Not right but the RS tends to like to stay at half way between low and max on the dipstick

citanest

too much... I burnt 2 quarts for the first 1000miles when the car was brand new, then it slowly decreased and now, my car doesn't burnt any oil whatever at 21,000miles. Whether I drive it like my grandma or hit it at the track for 2 full lapping days, the oil level remains unchange.

any cel?

ELEVENS

Listen to Reggie, he knows his beans. Don't fill it beyond the 1/2-way mark on the dip****. These cars tend to throw that first 1/2 qt.

My car too burned some oil upon breakin, but now (28,000K miles) it doesn't require any topping off in-between 3000K oil changes using an audi-approved oil (Pennzoil Platinum . Euro Formula 5W-40). It takes 9.5 qts. with filter.

ArthurPE

mine uses <1/4 qt between 5k oil changes...
I start at 3/4, end up ~ 1/2

NoogMan

Same here

bruised rs4

Agree, that's why you should only pour in 9.5 quarts at every oil change. Fill the car up to max and it will burn off everything above the halfway mark on the dipstick and more.

Tangent, you have too many miles on your car for it to still be burning that much oil. What oil are you running? If I were you, I would use Motul or Lubro-Moly and change it every 3k for a while.

Forget about the 10k oil changes that the dealer recommends and I wouldn't even do the 5k changes. That's what led to my first S4 burning through oil like a 2 stroke. The original owner did the 10k dealer recommended changes and it ruined the car.

ArthurPE

who fills to the max?

and why would 75% vs 50% burn more oil...
once you start the engine is almost goes off the stick filling the filter, pump, gallies, head, etc.

If I fill mine 25%, 50%, 75% or even 100% oil consumption has been consistent at least for the 5 changes so far, <1/4 qt, and I've never had to add oil
'over filling', not filling anywhere below max, imo, is bad for 2 reasons
1 may impede drain back into the sump and collect in the head
2 the crank may 'slap' it

I would not be concerned with 1 qt/5000 miles, as long as it was not leaking and I was actually using the car hard at times...or stop-go traffic, etc.
but 1 qt/1000 is waaaay too much
although the spec for my 951 is 1 qt/650 miles!

tangent2

i'm running 5W40 Mobil 1 full synthetic.

i took it to the dealer for the 35k (since it's already paid for) but was going to have a local shop change the oil at 40k. but i'll try your suggestion about Motul every 3k for a bit and see how it works.

thanks.

ELEVENS

everybody has their favorite oil and mine is Motul for my motorcycles. But not in my RS4. With a 10 quart sump, it's crazy IMO. Oil doesn't last longer than 3000 miles in this car due to fuel dilution and loss of viscosity, so I like to run a decent, mid-priced Audi-approved oil such as Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W-40. I don't think Mobile 1 is even VW502 approved. A fill of Motul runs $150 just for the oil. That's 5 cents a mile and doesn't even include oil filter or labor. Seems crazy to me if you intend to just drain it out in 3000 miles. Besides, oil analysis doesn't show much benefit using Motul in our cars. JMO. After all, this IS an oil thread