So have we officially put the issue of world-class oil consumption to rest?
10-17-2006, 10:00 AM
#1
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So have we officially put the issue of world-class oil consumption to rest?
My take is that most RS4's burn oil a quart or two of oil for the first 1500 miles, thereafter the oil consumption slows considerably. Most have minimal oil consumption - something like less than 1/2 qt every 1500 miles or so - after the first oil change. As Bob W pointed out, consumption is less if the oil level is kept at the bottom of the hatch marks rather than the top. This has been my experience. Is this the consensus opinion?
10-17-2006, 10:17 AM
#3
Probably: Zero consumption since 1800 mile oil change (haters will still claim otherwise)
I now have 6500 miles on the engine with zero consumption for the past 4700. I keep my oil in the top hash mark region all the time.
Here is what I wrote recently about break-in:
The owner's manual contains some hard RPM and throttle position limits up to 1200 miles. (6000 rpm up to 600 miles, 7000 rpm up to 1200 miles, no full throttle until 1200 miles, and then only occasionally until 1500 miles) Within those limits the engine can still be wrung out pretty hard. (Torque peaks at 5500 rpm.) This type of engine, with Alusil cylinder walls, needs to have some serious power applied to the rings in hard acceleration and deceleration, in order to properly seat the rings in their grooves and against the cylinder walls. Deceleration using compression breaking is extremely helpful during the process, since it reverses the loads on the pistons and rings and allows all surfaces to wear-in well.
I will point out that maximum piston ring forces occur at maximum engine torque, which is about 5500 rpm. This falls within even the early < 600 mile break-in RPM limit. You just aren't supposed to go to full throttle yet ... but, nothing in the manual says you can't get damn close.
The key is to run the engine up hard, to maximize the ring/cylinder wall forces under acceleration, and then to allow the engine to use full compression breaking, to reverse those forces. This allows the rings to fully wear into the piston grooves and to lap themselves against the cylinder walls. This is much easier to do when the engine is young. As it gets older, deposits in the ring grooves can prevent full seating.
I broke in my engine fast and hard, within the RPM and throttle guidelines in the manual, with 2nd and 3rd gear hard acceleration and engine compression deceleration, after complete engine warmup, followed by cooldown, constant cruising in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gears, and then repeating the hard acceleration. I did this every time I took the car out during the break in period, to seat the rings and wear-in the cylinder walls, which are hard silicon. At 1800 miles I changed the oil and filter.
Here are my oil consumption results:
1.5 Qts/1800 miles -- factory oil
Zero Qts/(1800 to 5000 miles) -- Elf Excellium LDX 5W-40
Zero Qts/(5000 to 6400 miles) -- Motul E-tech 8100 0W-40
Using an aggressive break-in regime will reduce oil consumption over the life of the engine, and increase maximum power output. I have had no oil consumption since changing out the factory oil at 1800 miles.
BTW, unless you over rev the engine, the most violent time your engine ever sees is those first few seconds after cold start. This is when wear is at it's highest. This is also why you want to start her, and drive her away, so that the engine and oil can warm as quickly as possible. Racing engines have dry sump heaters and pumps to bring the oil up to operating temperature and pressure prior to starting.
Here is what I wrote recently about break-in:
The owner's manual contains some hard RPM and throttle position limits up to 1200 miles. (6000 rpm up to 600 miles, 7000 rpm up to 1200 miles, no full throttle until 1200 miles, and then only occasionally until 1500 miles) Within those limits the engine can still be wrung out pretty hard. (Torque peaks at 5500 rpm.) This type of engine, with Alusil cylinder walls, needs to have some serious power applied to the rings in hard acceleration and deceleration, in order to properly seat the rings in their grooves and against the cylinder walls. Deceleration using compression breaking is extremely helpful during the process, since it reverses the loads on the pistons and rings and allows all surfaces to wear-in well.
I will point out that maximum piston ring forces occur at maximum engine torque, which is about 5500 rpm. This falls within even the early < 600 mile break-in RPM limit. You just aren't supposed to go to full throttle yet ... but, nothing in the manual says you can't get damn close.
The key is to run the engine up hard, to maximize the ring/cylinder wall forces under acceleration, and then to allow the engine to use full compression breaking, to reverse those forces. This allows the rings to fully wear into the piston grooves and to lap themselves against the cylinder walls. This is much easier to do when the engine is young. As it gets older, deposits in the ring grooves can prevent full seating.
I broke in my engine fast and hard, within the RPM and throttle guidelines in the manual, with 2nd and 3rd gear hard acceleration and engine compression deceleration, after complete engine warmup, followed by cooldown, constant cruising in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gears, and then repeating the hard acceleration. I did this every time I took the car out during the break in period, to seat the rings and wear-in the cylinder walls, which are hard silicon. At 1800 miles I changed the oil and filter.
Here are my oil consumption results:
1.5 Qts/1800 miles -- factory oil
Zero Qts/(1800 to 5000 miles) -- Elf Excellium LDX 5W-40
Zero Qts/(5000 to 6400 miles) -- Motul E-tech 8100 0W-40
Using an aggressive break-in regime will reduce oil consumption over the life of the engine, and increase maximum power output. I have had no oil consumption since changing out the factory oil at 1800 miles.
BTW, unless you over rev the engine, the most violent time your engine ever sees is those first few seconds after cold start. This is when wear is at it's highest. This is also why you want to start her, and drive her away, so that the engine and oil can warm as quickly as possible. Racing engines have dry sump heaters and pumps to bring the oil up to operating temperature and pressure prior to starting.
10-17-2006, 10:28 AM
#4
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I never really thought it was an 'issue' per se....
...I added a total of 3qts over 5000 miles, but early on I was trying to keep the level near the top, so I probably wasted about a quart doing that.
BTW, 5k service went fine yesterday...invoice shows they added 8.5qts of Syntec 5W-40, and the level is right at MAX.
BTW, 5k service went fine yesterday...invoice shows they added 8.5qts of Syntec 5W-40, and the level is right at MAX.
10-17-2006, 10:38 AM
#6
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most certainly. at 4000. almost no consumption since 1800-ish oil change as well...
in the midst of many miles of twisty coast driving which should get me up to 5K. i imagine i should have burned a little more by then, but it's time for a service anyway. perfect :-D
