markcincinnati

Several threads, one of them closed, here on AW have been dealing with engine oil, oil change intervals, DIY oil changes and so forth.

One of the things that has been discussed is how dirty the original equipment oil gets before the first change.

Without a dip stick to actually SEE the oil in the pan, it is (or could be) a mystery.

Although I do not personally plan to change my own oil in either my 2018 S4 or in my wife's 2018 SQ5, I do keep tabs on all the fluid levels I can access.

I have developed a relationship with my dealer's service manager and the "service guru" -- this latter guy really could (probably) teach the master class of servicing of Audis.

So, I got the two of them in the same service bay and the same time, not two hours ago and asked them to SHOW me my oil.

I have 3,400 miles on the car. The electronic dip stick says 75% full and "OK" -- but I wanted to SEE the actual oil.

So, we used the dip stick port and stuck the dealer's clean shiny dip stick down the hole and pulled it out.

First off the oil level was EXACTLY at spec (right in the sweet spot on the physical dip stick).

Secondly the oil was clear, totally clear. It was tinged green (but I expected that); the SM said the oil actually will glow. I assumed, but did not ask, if that meant they use a black light to make it glow.

We talked, the three of us, about the Green Oil requirement. The SM believes that as long as you use the proper oil -- by specification -- (and that it is documented so that your compliance can be vetted, if needed), you can use any full synthetic oil you damn well please. He did say they have two kinds of oil -- one is for the RS cars and one is Castrol Edge ProfessionalOE. He also said he thinks the new RS3 and TTRS or RSTT whatever it is called will use the "RS" specific oil due to the additive package.

The dealer said they would not imagine Audi would deny a warranty claim as long as full synthetic properly specified and weighted oil and approved filters were used -- documentation is your friend.

I again asserted my plan to continue the 5,000 mile oil changes and the guru mentioned that the engines were built so well that really isn't required, but he understood my desire for the "car to be seen" every 5,000 miles and I would only be paying new money for every other oil and filter change since I am an AudiCare subsriber.

The prime message here is that when I asked the dealer for a Look See of my actual 3,400 mile old oil, I did expect to see SOME signs of "dirt" as evidenced by some opacity of the oil itself. Not only was it not opaque, it was not translucent it was a clear as Kayro syrup (but with a green tint.)

This may or may not address any concerns you may have about oil change requirements pertaining to the specific oil, the cleanliness of the oil (after 3,400 miles) or the frequency of changes vs. the OEM requirements of 10,000 miles.

One other thing, I was actually able to see the effort required to pull the dip-stick "nipple" or plug out of the tube.

I did post the location of the tube for those of you DIY-ers who wanted to know based on the owners manual "graphic" which is only "sort of" correct. See my post on the open oil thread in this forum.

In any case, if you wanted to know, there is a dip stick -- it just doesn't come with the car. I ASSUME you can order one from your dealer's parts department.

That's it!

JohnEnglish

Yeah it's the same thing with previous generation S4s. No dipstick, but there's a dipstick tube that's plugged off so you can just order a dipstick.

JLoft

Did the dealer just have this dipstick at hand? I can't believe that this new engine uses the same dipstick as before (well, maybe....). Any part number available?

India Whiskey Charlie

Not sure if it works on the B9 but I got this one for my 2016 S4: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...ck/06e115611h/

Damon44

It sounds like Audi does not want anyone self checking their oil level or condition.
Why else would they eliminate an oil dipstick?

India Whiskey Charlie

There is an oil level check in the MMI but it's not very reliable. Last year, my sensor failed and intermittently kept telling me that I was a quart low. So, I added a quart and kept driving but the low oil message kept coming back. That's when I went and got the dipstick only to find out that I had overfilled the sump by 1 quart.

markcincinnati

I don't think this is the case. In fact, I have read that they are considering bringing back the physical dip stick.

I am "making this percentage up," but I would bet that over 95% of owners "never" open the hood of their cars. They look on the MMI for "next service due" info. They are told service intervals are 10,000 miles, there is an electronic dip stick -- wonder if 75% of the folks who buy these things never even check this.

There is a warning light, I believe that says "low oil" -- yet there are those of us who would like to be able to actually check our own oil from time to time (other than via the MMI).

Dealer told me this story:

Blue Tooth comes out -- customer calls for 2 years are at an all time high regarding "help me pair my phone." By the time year 3 rolls around the pairing is much easier and 99.999% reliable and calls drop off.

Dip stick is removed. Same thing -- until the technology reaches a certain level of reliability which, in this generation of the tech is now finally "pretty much OK."

Thing is, the vast majority of folks even with an MMI dip stick never check it. Then you have YOU and ME and we not only want to check it via the MMI, we want -- more than a little and less than EVERY time -- to SEE the oil on the friggin' dip-stick. So, you can buy a dip stick (maybe if you're a good customer, you can get one at cost or at no cost).

I can tell -- just watch -- most people don't even know HOW to open the hood of their new Audis. And they probably would say, "why would I even want to?"

Except YOU and I, well, hell, we open the hood before we ever even drive the car -- jus' because.

We probably account for what 2-3% of owners (and I'm being generous)?

What do the other "premium" Germans (or other Premium brands, period) offer?

I'm changing my oil every 5,000 miles. I'm going to the dealer every 5,000 miles. I check my oil at least once per week via the MMI. I'm not planning on getting a dip stick -- if I can get one for free -- OK, I'll take it and I MIGHT use it once every 5,000 miles just for the heck of it.

Those of us here, if we all fell off the earth and died, wouldn't even make a dent in Audi's top line. We're the "lunatic" fringe.

I like to think we're shaping the decisions of the car maker(s), I am surveyed to death, but it usually seems more about "customer satisfaction" than product direction.

The lunatic fringe doesn't buy enough cars to move the needle.

Perhaps we have some tangential importance -- perhaps because we may "modestly" influence other folks to at least put Audi on their shopping list.

That may be enough.

OK, we're the passionate lunatic fringe. Still fringe tho.

JLoft

I want a dipstick. One reason is so when I change my oil ( yes, ME), I can check the level. When someone gets a part number please post. I assume that it will be the same on the S5.

Sam Giancana

Unfortunately the one thing you can't see on a dipstick are the solids at the bottom of the oil pan, but at least you get to see something. BMW owners don't even get that, and the complaints on BMW forums about not having one is pretty much universal. You would think that the % of BMW owners overall wanting one is a lot higher than 5%. Although the % of BMW owners you could categorize as enthusiasts is about as high as you can get excluding exotic sports cars.

One of the most frustrating things though is having your monitor say you oil is at max, draining the oil for a change and only getting 5 qts out when your manual says the capacity is 7.5 qts. Then you fill it back up with the required 7.5 qts and it registers max again. The only answer is a faulty sensor, don't tell BMW that.

markcincinnati

Gosh, after 3400 miles, I would hope the bottom of the oil pan would be mostly NOT unclean. The confusion -- for me -- is that the oil is actually changed by sucking it out through the dip stick tube. What I read -- which may not make it true -- is that the procedure is to get the engine to be fully warmed up, then suck out the oil, change the filter, then replace the oil.

I assume there is a drain plug, but if "no one" uses this method any more, does this mean there is a progressive sludge build up?

I spoke with the service manager who told me that the Castrol Edge ProfessionalOE that is dyed green is the same stuff that you can buy at-retail (with the required oil service number). This SM said the reason for the green dye is that ONLY oil that meets the specifications required by Audi helps prevent the evils of sludge.

I have also only used Top Tier gasoline (but I don't know if the full tank that came with the car was top-tier) which also would tend to be as clean of a fuel as possible.

So, I saw my super clear oil, I have used ONLY top tier gas and I plan to change oil and filter every 5K miles. I am a subscriber to AudiCare. I can't imagine anything more that I could do for a car at this price point.

Royal Purple, non-gmo, low-fat, low sodium and fortified with vitamin D?

Hell, my wife's 2014 SQ5 apparently never used oil even at 94K miles.

I think I'm good to go -- Sam?