New to turbo cars, when turbo starts drinking oil

[WhiteDiamond]

So, this Audi S6 is our second turbo car. First was a Passat that was under the recent recall campaign and was given back to get the Audi S6 we found.
If a turbo starts to drink a tad little bit of oil, how long does it take before that becomes a big problem? Is there any correlation in oil consumption in the S6 to turbo failure, and, if so, how long did you notice oil consumption before turbo issue? Ours is a 2016 and it only seems to use a tad bit of oil on the 10K interval and it only comes when I really decide to drive it aggressive. This isn't uncommon in my normal aspiration vehicles, so I am not suspecting a turbo at this time. Just curious if there are any warning signs.

Added 1 quart after 7.5K miles of the 10K interval. Level had dropped in pretty even increments until the last few weeks.....However, I have been a tad aggressive in the driving way more often in the last couple of weeks than my entire ownership of this vehicle to date. Got the warning, was expected as I saw it was at minimum, and added 1 quart to bring to max mark. That is where she started after the last service call, 7.5K miles ago. Oil consumption seems pretty ok, at this point.

Just curious. Downpipes are here, so Stage II is just about to happen. Oil consumption really won't stop my mod route, but it may start a RS turbo fund.........Would rather catch the turbos before fail, though.

[jasonsowers]

How do you know it's your turbo that is consuming oil and not your motor?

[nvygw171]

So, this Audi S6 is our second turbo car. First was a Passat that was under the recent recall campaign and was given back to get the Audi S6 we found.
If a turbo starts to drink a tad little bit of oil, how long does it take before that becomes a big problem? Is there any correlation in oil consumption in the S6 to turbo failure, and, if so, how long did you notice oil consumption before turbo issue? Ours is a 2016 and it only seems to use a tad bit of oil on the 10K interval and it only comes when I really decide to drive it aggressive. This isn't uncommon in my normal aspiration vehicles, so I am not suspecting a turbo at this time. Just curious if there are any warning signs.

Added 1 quart after 7.5K miles of the 10K interval. Level had dropped in pretty even increments until the last few weeks.....However, I have been a tad aggressive in the driving way more often in the last couple of weeks than my entire ownership of this vehicle to date. Got the warning, was expected as I saw it was at minimum, and added 1 quart to bring to max mark. That is where she started after the last service call, 7.5K miles ago. Oil consumption seems pretty ok, at this point.

Just curious. Downpipes are here, so Stage II is just about to happen. Oil consumption really won't stop my mod route, but it may start a RS turbo fund.........Would rather catch the turbos before fail, though.

2 cans BG EPR right before oil change for 20 min and done . I've seen this fix 3 4.0t oil consumption issues including my own.

[kpriv]

...it only seems to use a tad bit of oil on the 10K interval and it only comes when I really decide to drive it aggressive. This isn't uncommon in my normal aspiration vehicles, so I am not suspecting a turbo at this time. Just curious if there are any warning signs.

Added 1 quart after 7.5K miles of the 10K interval.

Just curious. Downpipes are here, so Stage II is just about to happen. Oil consumption really won't stop my mod route, but it may start a RS turbo fund.........Would rather catch the turbos before fail, though.

No one can definitively point to the 10k OCI as a definitive factor, but if you are concerned about your turbos, especially if tuning, I would strongly recommend you shorten that to 4-5k. If nothing else, it stands to reason that oil at 8-10k miles is more likely to clog that screen than 4k mile oil. Cheap insurance (about the price of a couple tanks of gas and lasts a long longer)

[WhiteDiamond]

How do you know it's your turbo that is consuming oil and not your motor?

I'm not. I may have worded it a bit confusing. I am trying to see if anyone noticed some odd oil consumption and had that followed by turbo failure(s) shortly after. At this point, I don't think 1 quart over 7.5K miles is abnormal. I drove it pretty hard on several occasions during the last 2K of those miles. It had only dropped the oil level indicator by what I guess is a 1/4(assuming a full quart is min to max).

2 cans BG EPR right before oil change for 20 min and done . I've seen this fix 3 4.0t oil consumption issues including my own.

I will keep this in mind if the consumption stays. I have a little over 2K miles to the next service, so I'll watch it carefully and just drive it normally.

[Chris@EPL]

May have a PCV/oil separator on the way out.

[OlyS6]

Recommend combining nvygw71 and kpriv's recommendations- shortening your interval to roughly 5k per oil change, and running 2 cans of BG EPR cleaner. Also, make sure you use the best oil you can find. Many of us on here are using Motul 5W40. The best rational I've been able to come across are 2-fold for our cars: The lines that feed the turbos (both oil and coolant) can get clogged over time, starving the respective turbo. In addition, the filter screen just beneath the turbos in the path that feeds both turbos can also get clogged, potentially starving both turbos of oil. As a MY2016, OP most likely has the 'D' version of the oil separator- not as many reported failures as the 'B' version from the MY2013 cars, but if when you decide to change out the oil separator to the newest recommended 'E' version, the plate that covers up the screen is just beneath it. Getting to either is a serious undertaking, but also gets you full access to the turbos. Should you ever decide to upgrade your turbos, it would be easy and relatively inexpensive insurance to clean/replace the screen and clean/replace the lines to the turbos and change out the oil separator all at the same time.
The hope in the more frequent oil changes and using the EPR cleaner is to best prevent clogging of that screen and the turbo feeder lines, potentially protecting the turbos better than if you stuck with the recommended 10k oil change interval. The EPR cleaner should also hopefully ensure the piston rings and other areas stay free of build-up as well.

[itdoesitallroad]

It may not be consumption. I would take the belly pan off and check for leak. Mine lost a quart and there was nothing on the floor. I filled up the belly pan. Turns out it was a bad oil separator. No consumption just a leak.

[agent47]

Recommend combining nvygw71 and kpriv's recommendations- shortening your interval to roughly 5k per oil change, and running 2 cans of BG EPR cleaner. Also, make sure you use the best oil you can find. Many of us on here are using Motul 5W40. The best rational I've been able to come across are 2-fold for our cars: The lines that feed the turbos (both oil and coolant) can get clogged over time, starving the respective turbo. In addition, the filter screen just beneath the turbos in the path that feeds both turbos can also get clogged, potentially starving both turbos of oil. As a MY2016, OP most likely has the 'D' version of the oil separator- not as many reported failures as the 'B' version from the MY2013 cars, but if when you decide to change out the oil separator to the newest recommended 'E' version, the plate that covers up the screen is just beneath it. Getting to either is a serious undertaking, but also gets you full access to the turbos. Should you ever decide to upgrade your turbos, it would be easy and relatively inexpensive insurance to clean/replace the screen and clean/replace the lines to the turbos and change out the oil separator all at the same time.
The hope in the more frequent oil changes and using the EPR cleaner is to best prevent clogging of that screen and the turbo feeder lines, potentially protecting the turbos better than if you stuck with the recommended 10k oil change interval. The EPR cleaner should also hopefully ensure the piston rings and other areas stay free of build-up as well.

I and Brian had a little conversation on FB about BG EPR. Brian has used it and he pointed this out- since it dissolves the gunk, would the gunk end up at the screens on the turbo oil feed lines? I saw the video of that guy demonstrating EPR on ball bearings and it looked like the gunk+EPR became a solution (and not a suspension like I expected). But he did say that he had used it concentrated due to time constraints. With EPR getting diluted by engine oil, will it be as effective as shown on the video and the gunk would just pass through the screens dissolved in the oil?

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[brian_216]

2 cans BG EPR right before oil change for 20 min and done . I've seen this fix 3 4.0t oil consumption issues including my own.

I love this reply. Glad to see this working for others. Amazing stuff maybe they should pay me a commission.

[OlyS6]

I and Brian had a little conversation on FB about BG EPR. Brian has used it and he pointed this out- since it dissolves the gunk, would the gunk end up at the screens on the turbo oil feed lines? I saw the video of that guy demonstrating EPR on ball bearings and it looked like the gunk+EPR became a solution (and not a suspension like I expected). But he did say that he had used it concentrated due to time constraints. With EPR getting diluted by engine oil, will it be as effective as shown on the video and the gunk would just pass through the screens dissolved in the oil?

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I hope to find out in the next few months- I never changed out the screen when I went stage 3 back in December (didn't know it even existed at the time)- I plan on taking off the front bumper anyway for a different grille soon- I figured I'd go the extra mile and swap out turbo lines and the screen under the turbos- will report back on how it looks; I've been doing oil changes every 5k, and 2 cans of BG EPR with each of the past few oil changes. Currently at 21.5k on the clock.

[kpriv]

...I plan on taking off the front bumper anyway for a different grille soon- I figured I'd go the extra mile and swap out turbo lines and the screen under the turbos...

Whoever you are OlyS6, you are a masochist. What kind of person removes all those parts multiple times, and even offers to help others do the same??? You thrive on the pain I think...

[OlyS6]

Whoever you are OlyS6, you are a masochist. What kind of person removes all those parts multiple times, and even offers to help others do the same??? You thrive on the pain I think...

A fair bit of truth to that.

[WhiteDiamond]

Recommend combining nvygw71 and kpriv's recommendations- shortening your interval to roughly 5k per oil change, and running 2 cans of BG EPR cleaner. Also, make sure you use the best oil you can find. Many of us on here are using Motul 5W40. The best rational I've been able to come across are 2-fold for our cars: The lines that feed the turbos (both oil and coolant) can get clogged over time, starving the respective turbo. In addition, the filter screen just beneath the turbos in the path that feeds both turbos can also get clogged, potentially starving both turbos of oil. As a MY2016, OP most likely has the 'D' version of the oil separator- not as many reported failures as the 'B' version from the MY2013 cars, but if when you decide to change out the oil separator to the newest recommended 'E' version, the plate that covers up the screen is just beneath it. Getting to either is a serious undertaking, but also gets you full access to the turbos. Should you ever decide to upgrade your turbos, it would be easy and relatively inexpensive insurance to clean/replace the screen and clean/replace the lines to the turbos and change out the oil separator all at the same time.
The hope in the more frequent oil changes and using the EPR cleaner is to best prevent clogging of that screen and the turbo feeder lines, potentially protecting the turbos better than if you stuck with the recommended 10k oil change interval. The EPR cleaner should also hopefully ensure the piston rings and other areas stay free of build-up as well.

Thank you for the additional insight. The Audi is a big jump in terms of engine workings compared to my typical normally aspirated projects. I will do some research on these screens. I didn't know about them. I was going to try and dig in and find out what version of the oil separator my 2016 has.

[GlacierS5]

Seems Sean over at SRM calls BP EPR - Snake oil? Guess time will tell with folks already running this. Screenshot_20180705-075417.jpeg

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[agent47]

Seems Sean over at SRM calls BP EPR - Snake oil? Guess time will tell with folks already running this. Screenshot_20180705-075417.jpeg

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I saw that. But has he ever run it himself or tried to emulate the demo? There are so many people talking positive about it unlike some other products that get tossed pretty quickly after their release.

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[GlacierS5]

I saw that. But has he ever run it himself or tried to emulate the demo? There are so many people talking positive about it unlike some other products that get tossed pretty quickly after their release.

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I can't speak for him, but my case of BP is arriving today lol. Going to give it a try before placing my order to SRM. Had to tell the wife my order of probiotics is coming in to help flush out my system.

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