Oil problem with Audi A3 (March 2021)

[Annece]

I am currently experiencing an issue with excessive oil use on my new Audi.  The oil reservoir has a capacity of 5.5 litres and this had dropped to 1.5 litres after just 3,900 miles of mixed motoring.   My local Audi dealer is a 40 mile motorway round trip but I did speak with their Service Department who identified that I should use OW20 (back label VW508) oil only. When I tried to source the oil locally and online, my registration number was not recognised, my local Halfords did not stock it. I contacted Audi Customer Services who advised if I used the car to drive slowly and warned against using the wrong oil and advised that it could be "normal" to experience heavy oil use during the 1st 5000 Miles!!   I eventually called Audi Assist (AA) because there was no other option open to me and their Officer assured me that they had a universal oil that they always used but after discussion and further investigation and non-recognition of my Registration number, he had to go to a local supplier 20 mile round trip and buy the right oil.  The cost of the oil would have been £100+ for a 5litre container, in the event the AA Office purchased a 2 litre bottle at over £20 and for which I had to reimburse him!!

This is my 5th new Audi A3, the previous 2 had a complimentary bottle of oil supplied from new but never needed, there was never an issue with the other 3, other than the "emissions scandal" with 1 of them.  Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Shytot]

Which engine are you talking about - petrol 2.0 tfsi?

There is a mention in my manual that you can expect up to 0.5l per 1000km and higher for the first 5000km (close to your 3900 miles) 

In my manual it is one of the last sections and it is highlighted grey as a note. 

Service and care

topping up fluids

engine oil

This has become a hot issue because previous engines were leaking oil through the piston seals leading to total engine replacement. 

As for buying the right oil - if you don't want to drive then get it on the Internet 

Opie Oils.co.uk are pretty good, otherwise Google VW508.00 and follow any link that takes your fancy 👍 

[Magnet]

Hello Anne,

If I’m reading your post correctly, then this is crazy, and simply unacceptable. 
My maths on your figures concludes that the car has used 4litres of oil in the first c4000 miles. i.e. it’s doing 1000 miles/litre, or in old English, less than 600 miles/pint - I have a couple of 80+ year old cars which can match that! 
 

Richard provides some useful statistics:-......up to 0.5l /1000km, which is of course 1 ltr per 2000 km, (1250 miles). It seems yours has averaged a consumption in excess of this - 1 ltr/1000 miles, and it has to be appreciated that its consumption should have reduced over the last couple of thousand miles as it beds in. 

Question:- Does anyone expect this engine’s oil consumption to suddenly, or even gradually decrease in the next couple of thousand miles? 

One point that confuses Anne:- Your posts reads that it was necessary to add 4 litres of oil in one go, at one time, since the remaining volume in the sump was only 1.5 litres. If this is so, then something is wrong/ignored with the oil level sensor, which usually warns to top up the oil when the level drops by c 1 to 1.5 litres. Running this engine with only 1.5 litres in the sump would be bad news. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Annece]

Hi Richard and Gareth.  Thank you for your helpful replies.  I do have the same note in my Owners Manual re consumption but taking this into account I still have a high consumption. The emergency top up alert displayed during a 200 mile return journey from Cornwall, about halfway through the journey.  So the alert does seem to follow your indications of using 4 litres of oil which is now even more worrying.  The amount of oil in the Reservoir was calculated by the AA Official, the equation was too complicated to follow.

My concerns are mainly based on the performance of my most recent A3s that did come with an emergency 1ltr Bottle of Oil (just incase) and never needed, therefore I would suggest that the conditions and my driving would be constant.  I was invited to contact Customer Services again if I had any further issues, that will be happening tomorrow! I will keep you informed.

It would be good to hear from other 2021 model owners, if there are any around.  Have to say I was googling OW10 will try VW 507.

Kind regards

[Shytot]

Hi Ann - it's VW508

Besides that, the level of oil consumption is far too high. 

You should get the car back to the dealer and ask them to sort it out. 

They should at least check for any obvious leaks. I have read somewhere that they also have in the past drained the oil and then put in the 5 or 5.5 litres, record the mileage and then measure the loss 1000 miles later to see if the loss is below specification. 

That said, on a 2021 car they have no excuse. 

[Magnet]

Hello Anne,

I’m obviously very much with Richard on this, and if this were mine, I would be very much dissatisfied with this particular car, and would be eventually considering rejecting it. 
As Richard says, the first action is to get your Audi dealer to carryout an oil consumption test on the car. 
If (in caps?) the AA are correct in their calculations, then the oil warning light has come on far too late for the car to require 4 litres of oil to return to the correct level, and indeed, if this is fact, then running the car on only 1.5 litres of oil in the sump, will not have done the engine any good at all - putting it mildly! 

If the AA’s calculation is incorrect, then it might be found that the engine now has a high (excessively so?) oil level, due to adding too much. 

Whatever, the dealer will need to drain the sump, and replenish with the specified quantity. As Richard says, you will then be asked to drive the car over a set mileage, and the car’s consumption gauged from the quantity needed to return the level to the original. 

Not wishing to delve into your personal circumstances, but there is any element of finance involved with the car, then I would be notifying them that the car has suspected high oil consumption, and you will notify them again once the necessary tests have been carried out.

Perhaps you could keep us posted on how you get on.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Annece]

Many thanks for your reassuring comments. I will keep you posted