Hi…I bought a brand new 2008 Audi TT Coupe 2.0. I had the recommended 5k service done at Audi. The next recommended service is 15k. This weekend, at 13k, my oil light came one and I was a quart low! Audi says this is normal. Burning a quart of oil in 8k is normal?? Are they BSing me?
It’s entirely within the manufacturer’s design limits, yeah. New engines do use some oil during the break-in period, and if they aren’t properly broken in, the oil usage will continue. Was there a break-in procedure in the owner’s manual, and if so how closely was it followed?
Most engine makers consider a quart every 1,000 miles to be the limit of normal usage. A quart every 8,000 miles is a whole lot better than that.
I’ll also throw in my opinion that I wouldn’t be going 10K miles between oil changes, no matter what oil is being used. 5K is my upper limit; just my two cents.
A quart of oil in 8,000 miles is a sign of a healthy engine. It’s way, way within the “normal use” curve.
Not checkiing the oil between oil changes is a sign of neglect.
Learn to check your oil regularly, perhaps every week or so. Check your other fluids while your hood is up. Watch your tires for signs of low air or abnormal wear. Check the pressure every month or so.
Read your owner’s manual.
Or your new Audi is doomed.
First of all, your TT is not “new” anymore. It’s a 2008, which makes it a used car, like it or not. Secondly, VW/Audi products are famous, or infamous, for burning oil, even when “new.”
Get used to it. And please get in the habit of checking the oil often. Very often. I recommend checking it weekly.
Just for the sake of comparison, my '96 Subaru burns through a quart of oil in about 1500-2000 miles. I can live with that. My '97 Acrua 2.2 CL (89K miles) never requires the addition of any oil between 5,000 mile oil changes.
Are they BSing you? No.
Your TT needs constant attention to its oil level. This is your responsibility as the vehicle owner. Accept it or suffer the consequences.
A quart in 8k miles is not only normal; it’s pretty darned good.
The bigger issue is why you went 8k miles without checking the oil level. Unless this habit is corrected, down the road you’re going to lose an expensive engine.
No doubt about it.
And don’t wait 10K to change it…Not even German Castrol can handle that.
err…Castrol is a British Company, owned by BP (British Petroleum).
Not only is the consumption of 1 qt in 8,000 miles pretty darned good, it is exceptionally good for a make that is reknowned for high oil consumption.
So, my suggestions are:
Check your oil every couple of weeks–as any responsible car owner would do
Never allow the oil level to fall more than 1 qt below the full mark (I add oil as soon as I see that the level has fallen by 1/2 qt)
Change the oil every 7,500 miles
Oil is relatively cheap.
Engines are very expensive.
The object of the game should be to preserve the engine, not to skimp on anything having to do with motor oil.
Not checking your oil for eight thousand miles ?
Plain neglect on your part .
German Castrol = Made in Germany by Castrol .
Their 0-30 has a good reputation .
Since you apparently never check your oil (which is a very bad idea unless you have extra money lying around for a new engine someday), how do you even know that you burned a whole quart? It could have been low instead of full after the last service.
True, GC is a different formulation than the US made 0W-30 Syntec.
She said the oil light came on 8K miles after her 5K service.
I’ll cast another vote that no oil check in 8K miles is neglect.
Changing your lifestyle to the tune of bi-weekly oil checks might be too much to ask for. Like yo-yo dieting.
How about checking under the hood every 1-2K miles?
Read ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’.
I assume that this was a low oil level light and not a low/no oil pressure light.