2 qts of oil every 4k miles.

[madkimchi]

This is the second time happening to me and it bothers me a lot. Here is the back ground.

2007 s4 with just less than 75k miles. I use mobil1 0w-40 with oem filter every 4k miles. I don't see any blue smoke at start up. There are no oil leaks. I park it in my garage and it is spotless. Which means it's burning it but not during start up. I don't floor my car either. I do tend to drive my car aggressively but I rarely rev it up to redline. Most I will go on normal driving is 5k and that's rare too. I stay under 3500rpm most of the time. My commute is 10miles each way and I take local street to get to work and take the freeway on my way back.

About 10-20k miles ago my oil minimum light came on after 4k miles of driving. I wasn't 100% sure if I put 9.5qts of oil when I did oil change prior to the light coming on so I decided to just keep an eye on oil level. Fast forward to today. It's been about 3800-3900miles since oil change and my minimum oil level light turned on again. My car is modded but nothing to cause the oil burning. Well I don't think its causing it. Piggies, cat back, JHM intake manifold, JHM ecu...

So what is causing to burn oil? How can I diag to find out what parts are causing it? What can I do to make sure it doesn't burn more than .5qt per 4k miles???

I did notice some people are saying our engine just burns mobil1 0w-40 oil. Is it possible that our engine just doesn't get along with m1 0w-40? anyone having issues with m1 oil with our car?

[Quadfreak]

Idk if you are new here or not, but I suggest you do some reading/research.

First off, 2qts in 4k miles is not bad at all. You don't really need to start worrying until you're burning a quart in 1k miles or less.

Cylinder wall scoring is extremely common on our cars and is the most common source for oil consumption. Nothing you can do about it except get a JHM built motor. It happens to 80-90% of the cars. It sucks, but that is the harsh reality.

With that being said, your PCV can also cause a little oil consumption. When was the last time (if ever) it was replaced? Might be something to look into. With your mileage and low to mid oil consumption it might help a little. I don't think it will cure all of it but it might help.

[madkimchi]

Yea I know the limit is 1qt per 1k miles or less. I will be selling my car once it hits that. Yes my main goal is to slow it down even more. I m sure I can't cure the oil consumption but I need to try at least.

I have heard of pcv valve and I have never changed it. I will look into it.

[kevinye77137]

I will actually be grateful to have 1qt per 1k miles with my s4. Having 2qt per oil change is nothing to worry about

[Gosser]

http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4-...alves/ES11585/

There are cheaper aftermarket PVCs, but they seem to hit or miss with reliabilty. I would just go with OEM for peice of mind. I've never changed it, but it doesnt seem to be more involved than 2 beers.

[LJH]

My car late '04 build with 90K on it usually uses 1qt every 5K miles but two falls ago it shot up to double that and I was concerned as it does not leak oil. I decided to try the PCV valve and took it off (PIA) and cleaned it out and the oil consumption went right back to 1qt every 5K miles. I can't say if that is your issue but it is worth a shot.....BTW, if you are doing this get a new PCV as it is a PIA to get out and in.....I did not so I just cleaned the one that was in there but would have rather just put a new one in there.

Also as other have said 2qts every 4K miles in not bad compared to some of the stories I read on this board.

Cheers
Jim

[Mr.Wrong]

Have you performed compression/leakdown/boroscope cylinders during your ownership?
Do you let it fully warm up before you rev it up?
Could be valve seals, scored cylinder walls, PCV that's some of the major suspects...

[two2]

try switching oil.. some oils burn faster than others. when i first got my RS i was burning a quart every 4000-5000 miles, after switching to motul i no longer have to add any oil between oil changes. it might not eliminate the need to add oil, but if it can reduce it to say 1qt it would be worth the investment as IMO a oil that burns less means better oil. it's worth trying different oils to see which might ease the burning.

[elwigglero]

Cylinder wall scoring is extremely common on our cars and is the most common source for oil consumption. Nothing you can do about it except get a JHM built motor. It happens to 80-90% of the cars. It sucks, but that is the harsh reality.

What? Cylinder scoring occurs almost exclusively on abused cars. 80-90% is a ridiculously overstated number. The majority of owners on here have very little to no oil consumption.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...il+consumption

[CRYSIS S4]

I have decreased consumption by using liqui moly 5w40 and their moly mos2 additive. I was at 1l every 1500 miles-ish. I don't have a quantifiable total because I just change to this regimine, but I can say I suffer less loss than before. May be worth a try along with the pcv valve.


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[Mr.Wrong]

Great point regarding the use of different oils. It seems some experience more or less oil consumption with certain oil brands. I heard some switched from Motul to M1 and vise versa. I'd try and see which oil your motor prefers the most(Motul, M1, Shell, LM,...).

[jr1415us]

I have decreased consumption by using liqui moly 5w40 and their moly mos2 additive. I was at 1l every 1500 miles-ish. I don't have a quantifiable total because I just change to this regimine, but I can say I suffer less loss than before. May be worth a try along with the pcv valve.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same observation here. Just switched to LM 5W-40 and MOS2 additive. Startup rattle dropped to almost none, also not finding drops of oil under the car either, which happened with Mobil 1 0W40.

[AudiEmpire]

What? Cylinder scoring occurs almost exclusively on abused cars. 80-90% is a ridiculously overstated number. The majority of owners on here have very little to no oil consumption.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...il+consumption

Agreed. I'm at ~95K and burn less than 1 qt/5k miles. Running Mobil 1 0w40.

[Guitarmageddon]

Yes, some cars may burn oil at different rates. ANY consumption is not welcome in my opinion, but at .5 qt/1000 miles, I suppose I could tolerate that number. I recently decided to switch to M1 0w40 after LM 5W40 for the cars life, and yes, I burned some. I calculated .13 qts/1000 miles, but I refilled with roughly .5 qts after 3700 miles to get back to my original dipstick location. Blackstone analysis reported no anomalies, so it may just like 5w40 better. I am running one more interval to check if consumption continues, then will return back to 5w40.

[madkimchi]

http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B6_S4-...alves/ES11585/

There are cheaper aftermarket PVCs, but they seem to hit or miss with reliabilty. I would just go with OEM for peice of mind. I've never changed it, but it doesnt seem to be more involved than 2 beers.

Yea I have heard of pvc is a bitch to replace. Compare to switching out the down pipes which is worse? I have done down pipes before and that sucked bad and if it is any worse than that then I m just going to take it to a shop. Not worth my time.

Have you performed compression/leakdown/boroscope cylinders during your ownership?
Do you let it fully warm up before you rev it up?
Could be valve seals, scored cylinder walls, PCV that's some of the major suspects...

I have never done any sort of testings. But I always fully warm up before taking it over 3-4k rpm. Never redline unless my oil is at optimum temp. I have a oil temp display on my dash so I know exactly how warm my oil is.

What? Cylinder scoring occurs almost exclusively on abused cars. 80-90% is a ridiculously overstated number. The majority of owners on here have very little to no oil consumption.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...il+consumption

Cylinder wall scoring usually happens from oil starvation. Not necessarily from "abusing". You can trash the engine even if you are at 2k rpm but you have no oil. You can redline all day and not have any problem as long as you have good oil and right amount. I don't expect my cylinder wall is screwed up.

At this moment I don't wish to change my oil brand. I want to fix whatever I can right now and if that doesn't work I will test different brand oils. But I hear quite often that many people use lubro moly and they do notice less oil consumption vs mobil1. Which kinda sucks cuz I really like m1 and their price is really good and readily available from local Walmart.

[Mr.Wrong]

You could DIY compression test and check/clean your PCV for starters, that's the cheapest out of all routes. Also, might as well go out on the road and test yourself for leaky valve seals.

[0396]

Same observation here. Just switched to LM 5W-40 and MOS2 additive. Startup rattle dropped to almost none, also not finding drops of oil under the car either, which happened with Mobil 1 0W40.

I'm like the others here that uses a moly based additive. I've been using M-1 0/40 along with two pints ( they come in pints ) of Swepco Oil Improver that has many if not more additives and MOS2 than most. Also, this combo helped reduce the usual rattle during start up.
It's worked for me, so it's up,to you / those to experiment / try this

Ps. Car burns 1/8 a quart in 3000 miles...I noticed this during a drive from LA to Vancouver Canada...otherwise I simply don't have to check ...car has 80k on her.

[Guitarmageddon]

I'm like the others here that uses a moly based additive. I've been using M-1 0/40 along with two pints ( they come in pints ) of Swepco Oil Improver that has many if not more additives and MOS2 than most. Also, this combo helped reduce the usual rattle during start up.
It's worked for me, so it's up,to you / those to experiment / try this

Ps. Car burns 1/8 a quart in 3000 miles...I noticed this during a drive from LA to Vancouver Canada...otherwise I simply don't have to check ...car has 80k on her.

Ok, follow me here.

I can understand using an additive if your worry is extending the live of your oil additives, and theoretically the protection your lube can offer.

However, chain rattle is caused by the starvation of oil at startup.

Explain how adding additives (which are not encouraged by most, even in the owner's manual, unless its a big consipracy) is going to guard against oil starvation at startup? Does the additive make it more viscous? Then ask yourself, if Im making it more viscous at startup, what am I doing during operation at high temps? Even if it "sticks" on parts more efficiently to guard against friction, over time....where is proof that it will help a plastic chain guide?

I think the additives may be placebo. Changing brands/weights is another story though. That may have a real impact at least on consumption. However, if youre researching additives, I suppose the most positive things you WILL hear, is about MOS2.

[SprintBlueWorld]

I moved from M1 to liqui moly 5-40 w/lucas oil synth additive and currently consume a qt every 4k. Not bad at all imo ive gone through more in older American v8's. It is funny though I keep a close eye on the oil level and I'll go a good while with no consumption, and then all of a sudden I'll see a chunk gone off the dipstick. Getting ready for oil change #4 probably go with lubro moly or motul this time. Is there anywhere you can get motul in a store or is it online order only?

[dparm]

I moved from M1 to liqui moly 5-40 w/lucas oil synth additive and currently consume a qt every 4k. Not bad at all imo ive gone through more in older American v8's. It is funny though I keep a close eye on the oil level and I'll go a good while with no consumption, and then all of a sudden I'll see a chunk gone off the dipstick. Getting ready for oil change #4 probably go with lubro moly or motul this time. Is there anywhere you can get motul in a store or is it online order only?

Get that Lucas additive out of there. Not necessary and you're just watering down a decent oil with a gimmicky product. As long as the consumption rate is constant, I wouldn't panic and start changing oils. And going thicker certainly isn't a better choice.

Motul is generally online-only, but some indie mechanics and speed shops stock it. My advice would be to just save your money and go back to M1 0w40 unless it was causing lots of problems.

[SprintBlueWorld]

Get that Lucas additive out of there. Not necessary and you're just watering down a decent oil with a gimmicky product. As long as the consumption rate is constant, I wouldn't panic and start changing oils. And going thicker certainly isn't a better choice.

Motul is generally online-only, but some indie mechanics and speed shops stock it. My advice would be to just save your money and go back to M1 0w40 unless it was causing lots of problems.

When I got the car I knew they had a rep for consuming oil so I made sure to check it often. Not sure what the dealership used (im guessing Castrol), but I used M1 for my first oil change. When I switched to 5-40 LM w/additive, consumption seemed to reduce so I was gonna stick with the 5-40 weight. Lucas oil isn't cheap and it supposed to coat the insides of the motor and thus protect it when starting. It is the first time I tried it and it was a bit of a response to the cylinder scoring and timing issues I too often read about in here and didn't know at all about before I bought the car. I'm happier to pay less for oil changes and go without additves, but I didn't think it hurt.

[dparm]

Pretty much any motor oil does the things that Lucas advertises.

[kevinye77137]

I moved from M1 to liqui moly 5-40 w/lucas oil synth additive and currently consume a qt every 4k. Not bad at all imo ive gone through more in older American v8's. It is funny though I keep a close eye on the oil level and I'll go a good while with no consumption, and then all of a sudden I'll see a chunk gone off the dipstick. Getting ready for oil change #4 probably go with lubro moly or motul this time. Is there anywhere you can get motul in a store or is it online order only?

How much oil was consumed with M1 0w-40? I have also noticed M1 0w-40 oil burns quickly

[dparm]

How much oil was consumed with M1 0w-40? I have also noticed M1 0w-40 oil burns quickly

If you've recently changed oils, it can take one or two changes to really stabilize.

[Quattro_2.7tt]

mine burns about 1qt every 3k miles

[kevinye77137]

If you've recently changed oils, it can take one or two changes to really stabilize.

yah I just changed to M1 recently. Im thinking of switching to redline 5w40 and will probably help my oil consumption since the oil acts like a 20w50 at operating temperature. Im currently burning 1qt per 500 miles. Sucks

[Quattro_2.7tt]

yah I just changed to M1 recently. Im thinking of switching to redline 5w40 and will probably help my oil consumption since the oil acts like a 20w50 at operating temperature. Im currently burning 1qt per 500 miles. Sucks

I'll look into this oil. Just wonder if its okay to use in cold climate since its 20-30 degrees now here. I've been running the 0w-40 castrol

[dparm]

I'll look into this oil. Just wonder if its okay to use in cold climate since its 20-30 degrees now here. I've been running the 0w-40 castrol

It will be fine to use in the cold, but is thicker than necessary, IMO.

[kevinye77137]

I'll look into this oil. Just wonder if its okay to use in cold climate since its 20-30 degrees now here. I've been running the 0w-40 castrol

I use a lot of redline products on my 07 such as MT90 on trans and diff, water wetter additive on coolant and fuel injector cleaner. NAPA auto store carries most of the redline products if you want to avoid costly shipping

[Quattro_2.7tt]

I use a lot of redline products on my 07 such as MT90 on trans and diff, water wetter additive on coolant and fuel injector cleaner. NAPA auto store carries most of the redline products if you want to avoid costly shipping

Oh sweet, I'll be making a trip to napa for my next oil service which is due in 2k miles.

[sea_shackF1]

I use a lot of redline products on my 07 such as MT90 on trans and diff, water wetter additive on coolant and fuel injector cleaner. NAPA auto store carries most of the redline products if you want to avoid costly shipping

Wet Wetter is great stuff and I was thinking about adding some to my coolant for the first summer I had it. However there seems to be a good bit of evidence that it isn't compatible with (at least) 'VAG approved' coolants, if not other long life coolants. It seems that it can turn the coolant milky. Google 'Wet Wetter sludge'.

Anyways it didn't seem worth the risk at all and time has proven that if your cooling system is working properly it can more than handle the job. It's not needed as an additive, but using a Wet Wetter/water only mixer for the track is a different story and shouldn't be a problem though.

[Spike00513]

If you've recently changed oils, it can take one or two changes to really stabilize.

What do you mean by this?

[sea_shackF1]

What? Cylinder scoring occurs almost exclusively on abused cars. 80-90% is a ridiculously overstated number. The majority of owners on here have very little to no oil consumption.

I agree that 80-90% seems ridiculously overstated, there's little to no evidence to back up that it WILL happen to the vast majority of cars...... anecdotal evidence does not warrant making such a blanket statement that only proves to 'scare' present and future owners. Scored cylinder walls aren't the only thing that can cause oil consumption as other have stated. Standard troubleshooting applies. Start with the easy stuff suggested first, like the PCV. No sense going nuclear right off the bat.

After fixing an oil filter housing gasket leak I'm at about 1q/5k with 95k on the car. Knowing these cars I wouldn't worry too much about 2q/4k, but make sure you don't have a leak or something else like the PCV. With my oil filter housing leak there wasn't any oil under the car because the belly pan caught the little there was and it 'dried' before reaching the ground. Also how you drive makes a difference. Mostly around town will burn quite a bit more than mostly highway miles from my experience with this car.

[dparm]

What do you mean by this?

If you switch from one oil to another, you might notice it takes a few thousand miles for things to level-out. Sometimes consumption will go up slightly but then drop.