Redd

Forgive me for posting a new thread but the search engine is stonewalling me and pretending no one mentioned it before.

I recently did my own first oil change. Up till now, the dealers had been hitting me with coupons for 1/2 off, which made the job close enough to the cost of oil and a filter. This year, Mobil twisted my arm, $22 for 5 quarts and a $10 rebate, net $12 for the right oil. WTF? I'm also happier doing it myself.

So, I used a Flo Master extractor pump. Bad idea, the 1/4" vinyl tubing collapsed, crimped before it was shipped, and the hot oil collapsed it. Off to the hardware store to find new tubing so I could just get done...(The Flo Master folks are being very generous and sending a whole new pump). Problem #1, it is damned hard to tell when the vinyl tubing hits bottom. Tried 1/4" copper, but that doesn't go all the way down gently, no one has 3/16 tubing on hand, which I'll use in the future so I can tap-tap-tap and find the real bottom.

Finally got all the oil out (there are measurements on the vacutainer) and went on to the oil filter. UGH. Really? I think they took a guy off the tire rack to install this one. Do we really need, what, fifty pounds of torque on the filter? That's about what it must have been, because I needed both hands pushing long and hard on the socket wrench to spin the filter off. Never met one THAT might. (Which is one reason I'd rather DIY.)

Anyway...the Flo Master is no big joy, better oil suckers exist, I'm now sure. I've met some and seen others. Next time around? Yeah, I think I'm removing 19 screws and cutting an access panel for the drain plug, and doing it the old fashioned way. It was nice not having to slide under the car, but all in all?

I'm really hoping the dealers will send me some timely coupons next time around.(G)

Icing on the cake: My dipstick, which shines in rainbow colors and leaves trails of pixie dust behind it, gave me the oil fill level immediately. The pretty picutre in the dashboard? As (Bob & Pete?) others have mentioned, conveniently says NOTHING until quite a while later. (Miles or engine minutes, dunno, either one is not as good as "now".)

Nice to have the oil filter up top in front. Would have been nicer is there was just one more inch of clearance, to put a conventional strap wrench around it, instead of needing to run out and buy yet another cap wrench.

Bob Petruska

I have an all metal oil sucker with semi rigid tubing to go down the dip stick tube. You can easily tap the oil pan bottom. The semi rigid tubing then connects to a longer flexible clear tygon tubing to the oil sucker. Takes me about 10 minutes to suck the oil out, I remove the oil filter while the oil is being sucked out. Takes about 20-25 minutes to remove old oil/filter and replace with new. Quite simple and my hands never get dirty.

Ithough I recently read somewhere that you can easily reset the oil level indicator using the ignition switch on/off other tings. I should have booked marked it. I never look at that oil level indicator much, so in a day or so the level is indicated.

bhiggins80@gmail.com

Hi Redd, if you're thinking of going the old fashioned way, a company called Fumoto makes a valve with a nipple that replaces the oil pan drain plug. You connect a small hose to the nipple on the valve, so you can drain the oil without the usual mess.

Fumoto® USA | Quick and Easy Engine Oil Drain Valves

Brian

atc98092

Perhaps my strap filter wrench is odd, but the handle pivots and I was able to use it on mine without too much problem. Yeah, a lot of screws, but I'm still more comfortable removing the panel and draining from the bottom. Guess I'm old school! Until the day that I can't get down on my creeper (and more importantly, get back up!), I'll continue draining from the bottom. Since I have ramps, it's not a lot of work to raise the car to get underneath.

rdA4WtQ5

I had a similar experience with Redd with a suction oil drain system and returned it.
I ended up draining from the bottom and it was easier than all Audi's I have had in the past just more screws. Piece of cake compared to a B7 A4.
I was considering the Fumoto but adding an extra connection with more chance of leaks and possible vandalism with the valve easily accessible I decided no to the Fumoto.
My oil display works pretty well with an occasional fluke usually attributed to parking on uneven ground.

shokhead

Sucks for me as the 2 nearest Audi dealers do not do oil coupons.

Redd

Actually my dealer of choice doesn't do coupons either. But the greasemonkeys that sold it to me, and another non-magnum dealer, both coupon me, and my dealer of choice accepts coupons from other dealers. (Hey, they know what's good business, they're NOT the closest dealer to me. They're just damned good.) If nothing else, if you are a Costco or other "club" member? Those clubs usually have an auto service which offers not just buying, but also 10% discount off parts and service. And again, most dealers will quickly match that.

Bob- I couldn't find a sucker with a rigid tube, so I tried 1/4" soft copper tubing. It fits in all right, but about 18"(?? down it seems like it wants to push against something, maybe curve just a little, and I don't like to force unseen parts inside engines. I'll be picking up some 3/16 tubing next time I find a real redfrigeration and plumbing supply, or I'll break down and order it online. I figure that will be a little slower to drain but easier to thread down. Even the "stiff" plastic hose gets really soft in hot oil. I don't think there's any magic sequence to reset the interval reminder, but Carista will do that.

Me, you know, I'm the fossil who only needs to do it once a year, so WTF do I need computer reminders for? I just call it part of the annual maintenace.

Since the Flo Master bottle has no cap once you take the foot-long pump handle off...it is either awkward to easy to spill (uncapped). If I don't find a cap for that, I'll just pick a dry day to undo all those screws and add an access port (aka "hole") to make draining easy in the future. Which also gives me the option of having any shop do it without them getting all flustered. (My local Acura dealer also has very competitive oil changes for all models, and they'll meet Audi spec.) Also picked up one of those Fumoto quick-valves to replace the drain plug. If it fits, it means just "flip-flip" to unLOCK it, and the oil can come out. No wrenches needed at all. Yeah, I was skeptical too, but a friend has sworn by them for a decade now. Yes, it is more connections...but I suspect that with proper torque and proper LocTite, it ain't going anywhere.

And of course, Audi would never look UNDER the car during an oil change, so they won't complain about it.(G)

atc-
It could just be the 2012 and 2015 have slightly different fits under hood. Years ago, I had a filter that only could be accessed with an end cap, which could only be special ordered as an SST (not in parts stores). I wound up using fine sandpaper, folded over so it was grit on both sides, and rubber gloves. The grit grips the filter can, the grit grips the gloves, voila, nothing slides and you can unscrew any filter. IF the last cretin didn't torque the hell out of it. (Have to remind the guys at the shop, there's a gorilla hiding in their midst.)

Bob Petruska

I use this vac system..........


See the photo where it is sitting on top of the radiator, the white semi-rigid hose is in his hand.

This can won't fall over, won't crack like plastic, remove pump. cap the hole, and you transport the oil to a recycle place. Easy to dump the oil out into another jug, etc. It also won't implode as easily as a plastic one.

Bob Petruska

To give you a warm fuzzy feeling on oil extraction. I like you had concerns. So I used the extractor, and then removed the under car cover and removed the oil pan drain plug to check if any oil was missed, not another drop of oil came out!

The extractor won!

Bob Petruska

Good idea on adding a drain hole in the under car panel. Remember that post where the quick oil change place cut the under car pan with a power saw to make a drain hole?

My Honda CRV has a nice little trap door in the under car pan to make the oil change super easy, the oil drain plug and filter are there.......HELLO AUDI!!!!