Audi A4 B8 2011 TDI 2.0 (8K0) problem with engine oil MMI

[Deleted User]

Hi there!


I have a question about this car- bought it last year and it has been such a refreshing change from my mondeo which just kept on breaking down! I know that this A4 doesn't come with a dipstick and I have already sent for a 03L115611E dipstick which is what, according to the forums, should provide me with a fairly accurate reading.


Here's the problem:


I'd driven about 3000 miles before realizing that this car 'can consume up to 0.5l/1000km' - the MMI display bar went empty at this point, but the text next to the bar stated 'Oil level OK' and no oil warning lights came on. I topped it up with 600ml of engine oil just in case.


Checked the oil level (using the MMI) again a few days later and the bar was full, with the text stating, as before, 'Oil level OK'. Since the car is still under warranty I had someone from Audi come round and check my oil level - he used a calibrating dipstick and found the level to be _below_ the recommended range (which is 24mm-44mm), therefore I topped it up by another 400ml of engine oil.


My worry is that I may have been driving around with 1l less than the recommended amount of engine oil and that no warning lights have lighted up despite this.


I booked the car in to the Audi garage - their feedback:


- the MMI is just a guide, go with the engine oil warning light not the MMI (and this is confirmed on page 192 of the user manual 'The oil level display is intended solely for information purposes. An oil level warning will appear in the instrument cluster if the oil level is too low')


- the oil level warning light should come on at a lower oil level (that is, much lower than the recommended minimum calibrating level of 24mm), but because Audi do not say at which point the warning light should come on, they have no other way of checking this.


- there were no faults codes in their diagnostic check


So I am concerned about driving around with engine oil below the 'min' level (or perhaps I am getting this 'minimum of 24mm on the calibrating dipstick' thing completely wrong...), though Audi are reassuring me that everything is 'OK'...

Anyone here know much about calibrating dipsticks or Audi A4 B8s? Any comments much appreciated! Thanks :j

maninthestreet

Calibrating a dip stick? There must be a whole somewhere in the engine bay to stick the dip stick in.

LandyAndy

No help to the OP but !!!!!!!!!! Who thought doing away with the dipstick was a good idea?

molerat

LandyAndy wrote: »

No help to the OP but !!!!!!!!!! Who thought doing away with the dipstick was a good idea?

Someone very clever ........... but, as is often the case, very little common sense.

GolfBravo

LandyAndy wrote: »

No help to the OP but !!!!!!!!!! Who thought doing away with the dipstick was a good idea?

The new technology is more "impressive" than the old dipstick.

A piece of metal replaced with multiple sensors and electronic circuitry. The sensors don't even work properly until the oil reaches full operating temperature (some city-driven cars never reach it). So you just have to wait for the low oil level warning light. And then guess how much oil to put in. Crazy stuff.

gastroboy

I have the same car as you but my oil level indicator on the MMI never went below full. However, when I took it in to service the servicing guy told me off for not topping up the oil rather than wait for it to go down. I had no warning lights come up and the MMI never said anything other than full. I miss the old days when you just pulled out the dipstick to check.

LandyAndy

Lol. Next thing to go. User accessible bonnet catch

jaybeetoo

LandyAndy wrote: »

Lol. Next thing to go. User accessible bonnet catch

I think they tried that on the A2!

jaybeetoo

LandyAndy wrote: »

No help to the OP but !!!!!!!!!! Who thought doing away with the dipstick was a good idea?

The same person who thought it was a good idea to remove the spare wheel and give you a bottle of chemicals and an electric pump instead?

forgotmyname

Bit like some cars having a warning light to say the engine has boiled itself dry and has now cooked itself to death. Instead of a gauge where you can see its a bit warmer than normal i will pull over and check it BEFORE any damage has been done.