B8 S4 oil consumption

[BLACKS4-10]

My car seems to have an oil burning and/or consumption issue.Last year it went so low that the oil dash light went on to add a quart so I went to the dealer and had it changed.Now after about 4K miles after my most recent oil change.the level is just about to go past the "min" mark on dipstick after checking it.It's now at the dealer and mentioned this and they told me they would do a "consumption test" on the motor to see if and what they would have to fix.

Has anyone had this "consumption test" done to their car?And if so what did they do to remedy the issue.

My car has about almost 24K on it and I don't track,race or abuse this car other than driving spiritily every now and then as this is an S4.I know these cars can use up oil but is it normal to go through that much oil in that mileage span?(I always change the oil before 5K at either a dealer or Elite Motorsports).

Thanks

[B8 S FOR]

Did you do a hard or soft (Audi recommended) brake in? Frankly, I did a hard brake in soon as I took delivery. I drive it like I stole it..always. I have ZERO Oil consumption issues and I am at 33K. There are tons of threads on this specific topic on this forum. Search up in the box...

[RunS4Run]

I have 2012 s4. This is happening to me too. Last oil change at 5000mi, it went very slow. It was at 1/4 mark on mmi at 8000 mi. After a recent oil changing at 13000 mi, it is now at 1/2 mark at only 500mi. I will have to contact my service adviser too.

[Dr GP]

Most of the few who have complained about oil consumption issues did the Audi recommended easy break in. I can remember No one who used a more aggressive or hard break in (and there is a difference between those 2) that has reported oil consumption issues. Audi does not care if your car burns oil. They set the limit for "EXCESSIVE" oil consumption so high (1 qt/1200 miles) that they will almost NEVER have to address a car with oil consumption issues. They do have procedure to test the oil consumption rate of the engines. But what's the point. Your car almost has to be spewing oil for it to consume more than a qt/1200 miles. IMHO,Pure Audi Bull $hit. I do vagely remember reading something about a faulty PVC valve or other part contibuting to oil consumption. I ask my Service Manager friend about that and he was unable to provide me with any details. Additionally, especially if you suspect oil consumption issues, GET A DIPSTICK. It is way more acurate than the MMI indicator.

[Dr GP]

If the oil consumption issue is not resolved, I would consider using a heavier viscosity oil . Especially in warmer weather.

[RunS4Run]

Yes I did a hard break in and I have a dipstick. It shows in both. Why it was fine before until recent oil change?

[BLACKS4-10]

Mentioned in my first post I DO HAVE a dipstick and the MMi is pretty accurate-at least in my car.Dealer did mention something about if it gets low B4 1200 miles which is really EXTREME but that's not my case luckily.I owned quite a few luxury cars before and never had this issue,must be the heat from the supercharger I presume.

Most of the few who have complained about oil consumption issues did the Audi recommended easy break in. I can remember No one who used a more aggressive or hard break in (and there is a difference between those 2) that has reported oil consumption issues. Audi does not care if your car burns oil. They set the limit for "EXCESSIVE" oil consumption so high (1 qt/1200 miles) that they will almost NEVER have to address a car with oil consumption issues. They do have procedure to test the oil consumption rate of the engines. But what's the point. Your car almost has to be spewing oil for it to consume more than a qt/1200 miles. IMHO,Pure Audi Bull $hit. I do vagely remember reading something about a faulty PVC valve or other part contibuting to oil consumption. I ask my Service Manager friend about that and he was unable to provide me with any details. Additionally, especially if you suspect oil consumption issues, GET A DIPSTICK. It is way more acurate than the MMI indicator.

[AofC_RR]

They've stepped up a lot on this issue lately and Audi is not the only brand having this issue. Google Lexus oil consumption sometime.

[B8 S FOR]

I somehow remember reading about Audi replacing a part on the engine somewhere that was defective to resolve this....can't seem to find where at here...it was listed somewhere in one of the threads.....

[willa1975]

I just ran into this issue myself today. I'm on about 10,300 miles, had the 5,000-mile oil change and that's about it. Tried to do a hard break-in, but opportunities to run WOT to redline are limited on the congested Philadelphia roads.

Is it better to just have the oil changed, or is it okay to just add a quart and wait until I hit the 15,000 mile mark? I added oil today and have another quart in the trunk just in case...

[Schadenfreude]

OP, have you crawled under your car to look for drips? I know that some here had service techs not fully tighten the drain plug over concerns about stripping the threads. If the car wasn't losing oil before the service and now suddenly is that is the first thing I would be checking

[dparm]

I just ran into this issue myself today. I'm on about 10,300 miles, had the 5,000-mile oil change and that's about it. Tried to do a hard break-in, but opportunities to run WOT to redline are limited on the congested Philadelphia roads.

Is it better to just have the oil changed, or is it okay to just add a quart and wait until I hit the 15,000 mile mark? I added oil today and have another quart in the trunk just in case...

It's perfectly fine to top off the oil. In fact, it's a good way to replenish the additive packs and thin out any dilution/contamination that may be present.

Some consumption is perfectly healthy. As long as the rate of consumption remains constant, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

[BLACKS4-10]

I checked underneath and didn"t find anything at first glance.Had the dealer check for any and they said their was none when I had the oil changed.I"ll check the plug though,good idea....

OP, have you crawled under your car to look for drips? I know that some here had service techs not fully tighten the drain plug over concerns about stripping the threads. If the car wasn't losing oil before the service and now suddenly is that is the first thing I would be checking

[Norm_S4]

It's perfectly fine to top off the oil. In fact, it's a good way to replenish the additive packs and thin out any dilution/contamination that may be present.

Some consumption is perfectly healthy. As long as the rate of consumption remains constant, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

OP as Dparm puts it its actually relatively healthy to have some consumption of oil.

Actually our engines are made to run very hot and you would expect some to happen and its really not that harmful. I for one had a slight bit of consumption (Audi measured I think .075L for 1000Km thus about .375L per 5000Km) which according to independant and Audi mechs as being normal and that was measured at 80000km at my end of warranty.

I also heard (but not verified) that Audi dealers might have an agreement with Oil makers over here to use like Castrol or something and that might prove to be slightly "thinner" even on a 5W rated. I'm actually right now testing imported 5W VW accepted oil from Germany just for shits and giggles as the above stated oil consumption on an engine with already 80000km is really not an issue for me.

As for running a 5w versus a 0W in hot weather is also a good idea. If it ever gets cold (as NY can get in winter) then you switch back to 0W in that period.

The idea is to be easy on the motor on cold start ups and all the mechanical parts. Summer is a grind so 5W is better as it resists a whole lot better and even moreso if you are hard a bit with the car.

Just for resting your mind on this, the dealer has a way to weigh the oil but it takes a few hours each time you drop it to the dealer (how I got it measured) and its a sure way to rest all questions I think but you loose the car for half a day each time.

[dparm]

Norm,

Don't take this personally, but you are wrong about several key things here. I will attempt to clarify so we can all learn something here.

0wX versus 5wX has nothing to do with it. At normal operating temperature, a 0w30 and 5w30 are the same viscosity. If you think that "oh I should only use a 0wX oil if/when it gets cold", then you are stuck in the old way of thinking about oil from 30+ years ago. Nowadays there is zero reason NOT to use a 0wX oil YEAR-ROUND...these are not air-cooled cars and thicker is not always better. The whole notion about wide viscosity spreads equating to oil shearing in service are largely gone with modern API & ACEA requirements (and the current generation of basestocks).

As for the Castrol/Audi relationship, it's purely about money. Every big car manufacturer allies themselves with some oil company -- Castrol probably cut the biggest check to Audi. Castrol's oils are no better or worse than Mobil's, nor should you believe that only Castrol is acceptable for this car. Castrol doesn't even supply the factory fill -- their competitor Fuchs does. Hell, even the special Castrol SLX Professional, which is only available at dealers, is the same formula used for BMWs and Mercedes.

[wwhan]

Approved engine oils for Audi vehicles

[PitchS4]

There is a TSB for replacing the PVC. I think it is "Oil consumption is too high (1668201/14)" but don't quote me.

I guess I can consider myself lucky. My car is CPO and doesn't lose a drop. Unfortunately I can't attest to how it was broken to to help others.

[wwhan]

Here is an interesting TSB:

Vehicle: 2011 Audi S4
NHTSA ID Number: 10051502
Nature of Defect: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: SOFTWARE
Bulletin Number: TSB-01-12-58
Bulletin Date: Nov 2012
SUMMARY: AUDI: WHILE DRIVING, MAINLY SHORT DISTANCE (STOP AND GO), HIGH CRANKCASE PRESSURE CAN LEAD TO DTCS P113700 AND P113900 CODES. CRANKCASE PRESSURE CAN BE LOWERED WITH NEW ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) SOFTWARE LEVEL AFTER CHANGING CRANKCASE PRESSURE VALVE TO IMPROVE AND ELIMINATE MENTIONED DTC CODES. MODELS 2010-2012 S4, S5, 2009-2011 A6 (C6), 2011-2012 Q7, 2012 A6, A7. *PE

Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
AUDI A6 2009-2012
AUDI A7 2012
AUDI C6 2009-2012
AUDI Q7 2011-2012
AUDI S4 2010-2012
AUDI S5 2010-2012