Went to dealer today for 30,000 mile service.In the past they used 5w40 Castrol syn.This time they put in 0w30.Part number72G-E52-545-SO.Dealer says Audi now told them to use this new oil on 2018 and 2019 Q7.Any one know anything about this.Thanks for yor help.

 

This isn't the sub-forum for your Gen 2 Q7 (2016-?); just FYI. You want to be reading/posting in the Mark II Q7 sub-forum for your year and (4M) chassis model.

That said, you ask a fair question. And yes, Audi North America has apparently transitioned to using an oil weight that covers the overwhelming majority of climate regions in the USA except for exceptionally hot regions, and of course, the 0w, which stands for winter weight/viscosity of oil in winter, is lower, which allows it to flow in extreme, sub-zero conditions, and facilitate said cold weather starts. Most newer cars, regardless of manufacturer, do specify a lower viscosity as the recommended oil weight compared to their older engine designs.

I tried out the 0w30 Audi oil in our '15 TDI (Gen 1 Audi Q7), and didn't care for it in our warmer southern climate, where we run mostly on hot weather, gridlock, and air conditioning...I thought its' film strength was a bit weak, as my motor became noisier at startup and in general running with it in the car. I swapped to the Liqui Moly 5w30 in our other Q7, and now have done so in the '15 also, as it really runs extremely smooth & quiet in our Q7 engines, and with incremental efficiency gains seen also. For our Gen1, 4L chassis Q7 TDIs, the owner's manual specifies 5w30 as the optimal weight oil for 'moderately hot/cold climates, and reserves the 5w40 for very hot climates, and the 0w30 option for regions where it gets much colder, like in the ranges where your oil could easily freeze up on you.

I asked the same question when ordering the 'factory oil kit' from FCP Euro and seeing it was now listed as the 0w30, and the only answer I could get back was that was the current Audi North America oil standard, and is exactly what Audi was putting into cars at the dealerships. After running that rebranded, badge-engineered, Audi swill in my '15 TDI, I won't buy it again, ever, but that's just how I feel about it after having run the Castrol Edge LL 5w30 prior, (I won't put that brand in either of our Q7s again either...very noisy), and now have found a much better oil product in the Liqui Moly. The oil and change interval is the single biggest factor in the longevity of your engine, so choose your oil, and the weight of oil for for your regional climate, carefully, and go back and read that owner's manual for the oil specs it provides on your car (the Gen 2, 4M chassis Q7), which is a different engine and chassis from what we've got in this sub-forum.

From the perspective of why would they change the oil standard, well it is usually all about the money, or reacting to lawsuits regarding car problems/early motor failures that drives decisions like this within Audi. That's why we have a 10k miles oil interval interval in the USA as compared to the longer intervals used overseas...engines were failing in the USA because they have higher fuel quality standards overseas, where the oil change intervals were determined; litigation ensued, and thus we got the reduced oil interval standard for the North America market. Turns out we're not actually #1 at a lot of important things in the USA. The only thing we know for sure is that from a business perspective, reducing the myriad versions of any product to just a single one means they can buy it in bulk quantity for the dealerships storage tanks at a cost savings, and only have to stock one 'flavor' for the customers who desire the packaged oil as carry-out. Efficiency and cost savings gained...from a business style cost vs benefits analysis, of course.

 

Good post. Experienced the same increase in start up noise when dealer parts counter switched from the Castrol LL03 5/30w to the VW Audi branded 0/30w. Both are 507 rated but I preferred the Castrol. I like buying from the dealer as it keeps me in their records and I could point that out if I need my TDI extended warranty. Still though, perhaps I should switch to the Liquid Moly.

 

I keep a paper trail on all my oil changes and annual services, which I do myself; never had a problem with Audi warranty...at least none that relates to the car's maintenance, lol.

I do want to heartily recommend that regardless of your fuel type, it's a very good idea to use an oil flush product every 2-3 years to remove varnish deposits, and any other particle build-up accumulations in the deep, dark recesses of the engine, such as the timing chains/automatic tensioners, sumps, oil cooling passages, oil coolers, etc. Just be sure to read the directions carefully if you are DIYing an oil flush product.