My Audi 2001 A4 needs 1 - 2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles. Does anyone experience similar problems and do you have advice?
It is a V-6 and I like it except for the oil issue. It has around 90,000 miles and has been doing this since 40,000 miles or so. It’s getting more frequent now.
While some car makers consider this normal, I don’t. Assuming no leaks, about the only place the oil can go is past the piston rings or the valve seals.
A leak-down test could possibly determine a ring problem. There is no test for valve seals; those are strictly replace and hope if a leak-down test shows no problem.
There could be one or more reasons for ring and valve seal problems. Driving habits and extended oil change intervals leading to sludging or oil coking, overheating episodes which can also coke up the rings or remove the ring “temper”, or springiness.
Buy the car brand new? Had any overheating bouts? How often do you change the oil?
Those things might have an influence on the problem.
I agree with OK. Get a leak-down test done, if it showed good and uniform compression I would get the valve seals replaced (and pray).
Diesel or gas?
Pretty sure it’s gas ('01 v6, don’t think they sold a diesel here).
Gas
We bought the car brand new; had no problem with overheating; change the oil every 7500 miles; also used 87 octane for the last year or so.
Start with checking your owners manual, does it call for periodic valve lash adjustments? If so, it would be a good time to check for clear oil drain holes and sludge build up. New valve cover gaskets would be in order here too. While checking, also check the half moon blocks at the backs of each head behind the cams to make sure they aren’t missing or mis-aligned.
Look for other oil leaks too, especially around the oil pressure sending unit and at the front of the engine, under the timing belt cover.
Even though it’s likely not the cause of your problem, Why would you use 87 octane for an engine that calls for 91 or better? According the maintence schedule as seen here: http://www.bentleypublishers.com/images//tech/audi/audi.2001.maintenance.sched.pdf
Oil changes are every 5000 miles. Seemingly you have exceeded the recommended mileage by 50% over the course of your ownership of the car. This could be a cause of your problems.
It may have made it worse – but it was burning oil way before I switched to 87 octane last summer – am back to 93 as of last fill up.
Do you recommend synthetic or regular oil? Used regular for ever – but we put part synthetic in it last time.
Perhaps you should try a full-synthetic oil on the next oil change. (Mobil1 is great) If the oil isn’t leaking out that is. It may reduce the consumption somewhat. My car went from using a couple of quarts between oil changes to using less than a quart in twice the distance. It now has over 240K on it and still uses very little oil. Yesterday I had my leaky valve cover gaskets replaced. I was astounded to see that there was NO sludge whatsoever in either valve cover or any part of the valve train that I could see. I attribute this in part to having used synthetic oil for most of the last ten years that I’ve owned the car. (it’s a 94)