Oil consumption problem - need help & advice

[Pamboo]

Hi,

I own a audi a4 2009 1.8 petrol model. It has 40k milage and im having problems with its oil consumption. The yellow warning light on the dash appears, signalling low oil but still ok to drive. I had a replacement oil sensor fitted (advised by garage) however the light continued to come back on. The garage mentioned that it is low on oil and i should seek professional advice from the dealer. On a full tank of oil i get 600 miles untill the warning light reappears. This has happened three times now and currently audi have replaced the filters and oil to perform a consumption test.

I don't see any leakage and audi also confirmed no sign of this. The exhaust is very black so guessing its a fault with the engine burning the oil. Audi said once the consumption test is done i may have to pay for them to strip down the engine. Sounds very costly (quoted £140 per hour labour) and wanted advice on next steps. I came across a number of audi problems on the net in regards to oil loss which highlighted piston seals, and turbo issues.

Due to the car being less that 4 years old (just out if warrantee) i was wondering what other people would do next? Has anyone had a engine rebuild funded by audi themselves? Or is there a governing body that looks into issues like this? On a 3.5 year old car at the expense of purchase and full audi services i don't expect a engine rebuild to be acceptable, or at a cost to the purchaser for a known audi fault.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

[Bald Eagle]

My mate has a 61-reg A5 2.0 TFSi and he's had to have new piston rings to cure excessive oil consumption.  Luckily his was within warranty.  I have discovered that Audi were supplied with a bad batch of piston rings for the 2-litre engines.  Maybe the same happened with the 1.8 as well?  I'd do a web search & look at the Honest John web site.  You may find that Audi might agree to cover some of the cost if you ask.

 

Good luck!

[Tech]

If you have full Audi service history, it is quite likely that Audi will part fund the repair for you.

[Pamboo]

Thank you for your feedback. Audi completed the consuption test and discovered the engine was out of tollerance and all piston rings need replacing. The charge for labour is over £3000 for a engine rebuild and have said they would pay for parts but not labour. After numerous letters and conversations with Audi they have agreed to fund part of the labour cost but not all.

 

Has anyone managed to get Audi to fund the full cost?

 

Considering this was a known fault which couldn't have been prevented  by the customer (ie. wasn't due to servicing, or how the car was driven/ maintained) then I would have thought the manufacturer should foot the entire bill?

[Bald Eagle]

I agree, Audi should repair it at no cost to the customer, then claim against the supplier of the faulty components.  Maybe if you write back saying this, they might move on the cost?

 

The US government brought in the "Lemon law" decades ago, so if a car is not up to the job and the owner can prove it, they get their money back.  As a result, the manufacturers have had to work on their quality control.  The long-term effect is that everyone wins, because bad cars get withdrawn and cars get better reputations over time.  Why can't this happen over here?

[Pamboo]

Just an update for my oil consumption problem with my Audi A4. I managed to negotiate Audi to pay a majority of the labour cost on top of the original parts cost they suggested they would pay. They were very approachable and after numerous back and forth, I was happy with the negotiation and professionalism from the branch.

 

I remained calm and collective throughout negotiation, which maybe the key for others to gain majoritive success.