Audi’s engines tend to defy the conventional logic: small displacement but big potential for power; temperamental yet reliable. While many of us are accustomed to the general care and maintenance “rules” that were based off of 1950’s Oldsmobile’s and Chevy’s, maintenance on your Audi is much different.
Perhaps the issue that new Audi owners struggle with the most is the concept of an oil change. Most likely, your parents or grandparents always advocated for performing an oil change every 3000 miles or 3 months with conventional motor oil, which was cheap and effective. While this has worked for many for decades, most modern auto manufacturers are building engines with higher tolerances and more performance, and are using synthetic motor oil to help extend oil change intervals. While the Audi manuals and dealerships seem to suggest that an oil change every 10,000 miles is ok, many enthusiasts feel that it is not. In this article, we’ll go through some of the basics about oil and why certain oil is correct for your car.
Defining an oil change
Before we get into the details, when I mention “oil change” in this article, I’m referring to the process of draining the oil out and adding new oil, a new oil filter, and a new drain plug. If you’ve never changed your own oil, but would like to learn, we have a DIY on our website for the 1.8T and the 2.0T 4-cylinders that help to walk you through the process.
How long can I drive with my current oil?
This is one of the most important parts of your oil change interval. Many of us are used to the old intervals of 3000 miles or 3 months, but one of the benefits of synthetic oil is the lifespan. While Audi’s service intervals call for an oil change every 10,000 miles, in reality, and to maintain the longevity of your motor, the oil should be changed every 5000 miles. 5000 miles is long enough to get good use out of the oil but short enough to prevent damage from contaminated oil. The oil filter should also be changed every time you change the oil. While some people run the larger filter for 10,000 miles, it’s cheap insurance to replace it at every interval.
What type of oil should I use?
This is a loaded question, and there are two correct answers. Both are dependent on one another, so I’ll start with the most important (in Audi’s eyes).
Due to notorious sludge issues in some of the 1.8T motors, Audi came up with a list of oils that could be used without leading to sludge issues. There are three different standards, which are as follows: VW 502 00, VW 505 01, and VW 504 00/507 00. Audi has a list on their website (which can be viewed here in PDF format) that stipulates which specific manufacturer’s oils and weights meet their regulations. Often times, the motor oils that are on the list will say (usually on the back of the bottle) that they meet VW xxx xx.
The second correct answer is to follow the weight in your owner’s manual. Most cars will happily take a synthetic 5W-40, but its best to double check to be safe. There may be more than one option for weight, and you should cross reference Audi’s list to make sure what you’re buying is approved.
What does the oil actually do?
While the main function of motor oil is to lubricate moving parts, it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts. The fact that it cleans the engine as it cycles through is why it’s important to change the oil and filter every 5000 miles. If it carries away metal particles, and the filter gets overwhelmed, they’ll end up back in your oil pan, and you don’t want them to get sucked up and recirculated.
What’s this (5W-40) mean?
It’s highly likely that the oil you’ll be putting into your Audi will be multi-grade oil, and will therefore have a rating much like the “5W-40” previously mentioned. Europe and America use multiple viscosity ratings for oils. And there are a couple of trends in the oil industry when it comes to viscosity:
- Oil viscosity numbers are getting lower
- Lighter weight oils work better than they used to at high temperatures
Emissions and fuel economy requirements have, in many cases, driven manufacturers to use lighter weight oils. Since EPA measures include a cold start, light weight oil helps cars perform better in that test. Also, engine tolerances are much tighter than in past years. Thinner oil (especially when cold) can help provide lubrication during those first few critical seconds after a cold start. And today’s synthetics provide much better protection when hot than mineral-based oils did, even if their viscosity rating is lower. For example, 5W-40 weight oil is considered fine for all driving conditions in most Audi gasoline engines, even in the desert in summer.
Anything else?
If you plan on keeping your Audi for a long time, it’s not a bad idea to have an oil analysis done every 10-20,000 miles (after you cross over the 50,000 mile threshold). I, as well as many of the Audi enthusiasts I know, use Blackstone Laboratories as their oil analysis go-to. You send them a sample from the oil (when you change it) and give them a few details, and they’ll send you back a report detailing what they find and they’re recommended course of action. It’s not necessary, but it’s a good way to give your car an occasional check up.
This blog article only scratches the surface of motor oils, but there is a fine line between conveying the proper information and getting too in depth and technical that the fine points are lost (or more importantly, I can’t understand or explain the information). If you stick to 5000 mile oil changes using an Audi approved oil, your car will run well for many more years.
Wow, thank you for the informative posts. I have a 2002 A6 2.7t Quattro and I love it! Recently though, I have been having troubles with it. It drives perfectly and then suddenly dies. It will NOT start again until it sits for a couple of hours. I bought a new battery, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, and I run only premium gasoline. I read that the cam position sensors need to be replaced as well, and that would solve the issue. Can you tell me why this is the problem and perhaps shine a light on this mystery? Thank you, I appreciate any qualified advice I can get.