# Audi Oil Change

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** audi, a4, oil\
**Created:** [July 3, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240 "2010-07-03T18:02:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SkiGirl99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@SkiGirl99](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SkiGirl99)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240/1 "2010-07-03T18:02:48Z")

</div>

Hello - I have a 2006 Audi A4 Avaunt. I recently started taking it to an independent repair shop. I’ve been putting synthetic oil in it the whole time. However, these new guys told me that this model has a habit of “carboning up” and that I should bring it in to change the oil every 5,000 miles. Is that true? I thought it was every 10,000. Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240/2 "2010-07-03T18:32:56Z")

</div>

We Get Similar Questions Frequently Here. I Think It’s Safe To Say That The General Consensus Is That 10,000 Miles Is Too Long Regardless Of Oil Type. I’d Go With 5,000 Miles.

Depending on how the car is driven, time elapsed between changes could be a factor as well as changing the oil more frequently than 5,000 miles (based on recommendations in the Owner’s Manual). Many people don’t realize that their driving style falls under the manufacturer’s guidelines for “severe” maintenance intervals.

CSA

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240/3 "2010-07-03T18:33:37Z")

</div>

What does your owners’ manual recommend?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240/4 "2010-07-03T18:43:24Z")

</div>

Your owner’s manual will recommend mileage or time based changes. Audi will also tell you that how you use the vehicle determines oil change frequency. If it is used in sever service, you should change more often. But it is highly unlikely that your Avant sees sever service. Describe how you drive and we will help you pick the interval you need. 5000 miles sounds like sever service to me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/audi-oil-change/51240/5 "2010-07-04T01:54:28Z")

</div>

Ten thousand mile oil changes are ridiculous and even a 5k miles interval could be depending on the type of driving and enviro conditions the car is subjected to. Mostly stop and go driving may mean that a 3k miles/3-4 month interval is needed.

Read up on engine sludging problems and consider what the root cause of that is.