My Audi had no oil in it!

vaio

curlyfairy wrote: »

Thats about right mate,i've read various forums that state roughly the same and also my neighbour who is an Audi mechanic says thats ok as you say due to the turbo lubrication.

Nah, I can’t see any way that burning oil is going to do anything other than cover the very finely balanced turbine blades in crud.

The bearings in a turbo (which spins at stupid speeds >100k?) do need lubrication and have a dedicated oil feed together with high quality seals designed to keep the oil in and air/exhaust out

mikey72

vaio wrote: »

Nah, I can’t see any way that burning oil is going to do anything other than cover the very finely balanced turbine blades in crud.

The bearings in a turbo (which spins at stupid speeds >100k?) do need lubrication and have a dedicated oil feed together with high quality seals designed to keep the oil in and air/exhaust out

Turbo diesels burn oil, as you say, they have a dedicated oil feed, but don't have a return. To ensure new oil gets to the bearings, the old oil bleeds off and is burnt.
Twin cams use oil to lubricate the valves to excess on some models.
My old Fiat Tempra twin cam never used a drop if you kept the revs low, taking it past 5000rpm and it drank it.
My Zafira is the same.
Handbook for all said up to 1L per 1000 mile was ok, in practice they didn't use anywhere near as much, but it covers the odd oil burner.

thescouselander

Shoshannah wrote: »

A lesson learned I would hope. Sorry but even 'expensive' cars need basic maintenance. You could expect Audi to maintain your car for you, or you could do some basic weekly checks at home.

I dont think so. Lets suppose the car had been filled for oil before it was sold. To lose so much oil in 500 miles means there is probably something wrong with the engine.

If it was not filled with oil then the dealer was clearly at fault - who knows how long the car has been driving round with no oil in it.


Either way, if it was me, I wouldn't want the car either.

I agree that the oil level should be checked regularly but to not check the level in only 500 miles usage does not constitute bad maintenance.

Shoshannah

thescouselander wrote: »

I dont think so. Lets suppose the car had been filled for oil before it was sold. To lose so much oil in 500 miles means there is probably something wrong with the engine.

If it was not filled with oil then the dealer was clearly at fault - who knows how long the car has been driving round with no oil in it.


Either way, if it was me, I wouldn't want the car either.

I agree that the oil level should be checked regularly but to not check the level in only 500 miles usage does not constitute bad maintenance.

I agree, for the car to lose all that oil in 500 miles IS indication of a problem. For the car to be sold with a low oil level could be considered poor checks on Audi's part. Whatever happened in the OP's case, something was amiss.

Not checking the oil after just 500 miles does not necessarily constitute bad maintenance but the situation may have been averted had regular checks been made. There is NO harm in checking the oil levels at least once a week, why not do it?

I'm sorry but too many people, through laziness or ignorance, seem to think their car will just run by itself with no attention bar the yearly MOT. I find it frightening that some people feel it is OK to drive a metal box around at speeds of 70mph + without bothering to provide even the most basic maintenance.

I was one of these people. Some years ago I let a tyre run until it was so worn that it blew. That was 100% my fault and luckily it happened on a quiet road at low speed, the only injury was to my hand when I cut it on one of the tyre threads. I learnt a lesson from that and now I check my tyres very pedantically.

I only wish I hadn't needed that potentially dangerous event to make me maintain my vehicle properly and would like to see others checking their car before something like the oil running out happens.

Given, sometimes problems can occur without any warning. But I hear of so many problems on sites like these and others which could have been prevented with some basic checks and/or maintenance.

Just my thoughts, not everyone will agree.

I hope the OP gets it all sorted out with Audi as there is clearly some sort of problem somewhere.

calleyw

I agree that it should really not drink that amount of oil in 500miles.

But as the car was new to the owner, how do they know often it needs topping up if it is not checked on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for the first month or so. You have no base line.

It only take a few mins to check and I do it weekly but sometimes it pushes over in to bi-weekly. I always take a few seconds to check the header tank for the radiator and wind screen washers and top up if necessary. And do a visual inspection of the tyres. One thing I don't do is check all my bulbs.:o

If you notice the OP got there partner to check the oil. They did not even do it themselves which says to me that this person never looks under the bonnet. Might be a good idea for them to take a peek under the bonnet as there is nothing under there what will bite them.

Mind you I use to know a person who was female who drove that would not put fuel in her car. People who where in the car that there non-drivers had to fill the tank up. The driver would pay but I found it all very strange. And always wondered what would happen if they get caught short without a passenger.

Yours


Calley

Sirbendy

I wouldn't expect ANY car to use a sumpfull of oil in 3 weeks..not unless it sat in a puddle on the drive every night, or smoked like a chimney. Much less a "newish" Audi.

My Astra is 13, with 113k on the clocks. I check the oil every fortnight or when I remember, along with the other levels. I've had some utter rolling wrecks, and NONE have emptied the sump that fast.

Our headteacher brought his SAAB into work (9-5) complaining that it had "odd warnings on the screen and was a bit noisy". I went and poked it (as I'm IT, and therefore repair cars, haha..I've done 3 so far), and it was out of oil too. It WAS telling him, but..ah well.

hewhoisnotintheknow

if my car used 1L of oil every 1000 miles i would be putting in around 5 litres a month!

goldspanners

these x amount of point checks from dealers are paperwork excersices, actually read what they are checking,oil will be one of the checks,but more times than not they are probably passed by and the salesman signs the sheet off.
regardless of how expensive the car was to you the car was still new to you, so the oil should be checked regularly incase of any problems,especially in the early stages of ownership.
the fact the car is an expensive performance car then keeping an eye on all fluids should be a priority.
even if the checks were carried out the 18 year old apprentice would have seen the oil was low, he would then have gone and got some oil topped it up and left it at that,he wouldnt have spent a great deal of time investigating the fault,if any infact.

vaio

mikey72 wrote: »

Turbo diesels burn oil, as you say, they have a dedicated oil feed, but don't have a return. To ensure new oil gets to the bearings, the old oil bleeds off and is burnt.
Twin cams use oil to lubricate the valves to excess on some models.
My old Fiat Tempra twin cam never used a drop if you kept the revs low, taking it past 5000rpm and it drank it.
My Zafira is the same.
Handbook for all said up to 1L per 1000 mile was ok, in practice they didn't use anywhere near as much, but it covers the odd oil burner.

Nah, I think the amount of oil a turbo (even a diesel) needs for lubrication and cooling would empty the sump in no time to say nothing of the clouds of smoke that would follow you about. Every turbo I’ve ever seen had a return, normally direct into the sump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toRXUJedAvo gives an idea of the oil flow through a turbo (and that’s fitted with a 1.5mm restrictor to reduce flow)

.

Alias_Omega

The car will have an 'oil ok' sensor on the dash, which pops up on ignition.

Myself, i think this is enough these days, as the times ive checked the oil level against the car readout, its been pretty bob on.

The only problems ive had is when its dropped down to 2 marks,and the car has been parked half on the kerb,the oil sensor cant read the level,and fires up the service light. Moving the car onto the flat for 5mins helps clear the light, followed by a top up when at home.

I would be asking the dealership, how the car went from being full of oil to being below the minimum level within 500miles.

Obviously before you collected the car, the car had some form of service which would of had oil & filter.

Take the car back, and run if for another 500miles, see how it performs then. My bet is the monkey forgot to put a new seal on the sump plug,of failed to top it up to the max.