Manual for my 2001 Audi Quattro with 2.7 turbo engine says 6 quarts for oil change including filter but with 6 qts dipstick reads 1 qt low. Manual also cautions against overfilling. I bought car new so dip stick is original. Should I believe manual and leave as is or believe dip stick and add 1 qt?
Believe the dipstick, but make certain you are checking the level correctly. Over filling has the potential of causing fatal damage to your engine. Are you sure that there isn’t some procedure or step you have failed to take? Does the owners manual suggest anything like engine on or off while checking the level?
Hmm…has it always read low like this? I’d be hesitant to put more than 6 quarts in if that’s what the manual says to use, but I’d also rather not leave the dipstick constantly reading low. They can’t both be right.
There have been cases where the wrong dip stick was found on a car. Especially if you bought it used, maybe it has the wrong dipstick.
Maybe you can find someone with the same model and year and engine and compare dipsticks.
Make Sure The Disptick Tube Is Seated.
Make sure the car is sitting on level ground. Compare warm and cold readings. Are they both a quart low? I have to agree with budd2049. When Audi calls for 6 quarts, don’t overfill, seven seems nuts. Do they differeniate between turbo/non turbo capacity? What do the dealers say?
How about a telephone call to Audi’s corporate customer service people?
While the drone who takes the call would not know the answer, the OP could request a callback from a technical specialist who should know the answer to the question.
At this point, my best guess–like Mr. Meehan–is that the wrong dipstick was installed in that engine. Stranger things have happened, so this is not inconceivable. With any luck, Audi will give you a new dipstick.
There Are A Couple Of TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) That Came Out Spring/01 Pertaining To Audi Oil Capacity.
Your 01 can have a manufacturing date as early as summer/00. These TSBs look kind of confusing. See if you can befriend a dealer that will pull them up and help you sort it out for your specific vehicle.
CSA
Thanks for suggestions. I have asked dealer and also sent Audi an email the first time I changed the oil myself but no response. As I stated, I bought car new so dip stick is original, which does not preclude wrong stick having been installed. I’ll try calling corporate as suggested.
do you have a phone number for them?
No I don’t, but you should have an Owner’s Manual which provides the information that you need.
I have an answer! After sending Audi an email, I got a call from customer service. They confirmed that dip stick was correct part number. They also called dealer who stated that after putting in 6 qts and running the engine, they typically have to add another qt to get level right. I guess manual says 6 then check level because they are really afraid of overfilling.
What Did The Dealer’s Access To “Audi Oil Capacity Revisions” Technical Service Bulletins Say? Did They Look It Up For You?
Just curious,
CSA