Audi A1 and oil changes
Discussion
My wife's car and new in 2024. she doesn't do many miles and the car will be three years old before the service indicator says its time for an oil change, I prefer to change the oil at the main dealer on my cars and do it every 12 months.
The Audi dealer has said that she should wait, the oil will be fine. I think they are wrong.
I would welcome your opinions.
The Audi dealer has said that she should wait, the oil will be fine. I think they are wrong.
I would welcome your opinions.
Well, let's say she does about 2,000 miles a year. Is that,
(a) a mile to the station every morning and a mile back from the station every evening? (Cold engine, oil getting significant fuel contamination and water condensation.)
or
(b) 100 miles on the motorway once a month? (Not many cold starts and and a nice, hot engine.)
There's a massive difference.
Use cycle is IMO they key to oil change interval on low mileage cars. I don't rush to frequent oil changes but 2 years has been my maximum time interval on any car.
If she's on (a) you can IMO improve the situation by taking the car for a good hot run every now and then.
(a) a mile to the station every morning and a mile back from the station every evening? (Cold engine, oil getting significant fuel contamination and water condensation.)
or
(b) 100 miles on the motorway once a month? (Not many cold starts and and a nice, hot engine.)
There's a massive difference.
Use cycle is IMO they key to oil change interval on low mileage cars. I don't rush to frequent oil changes but 2 years has been my maximum time interval on any car.
If she's on (a) you can IMO improve the situation by taking the car for a good hot run every now and then.
normalbloke said:
K87 said:
Thank you both for your helpful replies.
The car is going on for a cracked washer fluid container, I will ask for an oil change on 0-20 oil.
0-20? Jeez, I d be doing it every month The car is going on for a cracked washer fluid container, I will ask for an oil change on 0-20 oil.
It is a worry, I have a classic bike that takes straight 50W, the difference is unbelievable
K87 said:
I understand and agree your point but 0-20 is the recommended oil and as the car is under warranty I had better keep to the 0-20 oil.
Also correct; stick to the factory oil specification. Check and top it up as required, change it every year. Will be spot on.Edited by K87 on Monday 1st December 19:52
Thinner grade oil is appropriate with auto-stop/start and turbo technology. The components get lubrication much faster that they would with thicker grade oils. Problems start when rings / stem seals wear and you have to choose between thicker oil or faster lubrication...
I'd echo what's been said - change oil at least every 12 months on anything with a turbo. My Q5 gets oil every 8000 miles / 9 months, regardless of mileage - it's in warranty so goes to an Audi dealer. Effectively over-serviced based on the schedule, but that's not going to break the warranty. Similarly, my 987 that should me 'minor' every 2 years, 'major' every 4 years gets a minor every year, and a major every 2 years.
Modern service schedules are designed to bring down the cost of a fully maintained lease deal, nothing more. They are not good for the mechanical life of your car.
I'd echo what's been said - change oil at least every 12 months on anything with a turbo. My Q5 gets oil every 8000 miles / 9 months, regardless of mileage - it's in warranty so goes to an Audi dealer. Effectively over-serviced based on the schedule, but that's not going to break the warranty. Similarly, my 987 that should me 'minor' every 2 years, 'major' every 4 years gets a minor every year, and a major every 2 years.
Modern service schedules are designed to bring down the cost of a fully maintained lease deal, nothing more. They are not good for the mechanical life of your car.
I appreciate that mine is an old fashioned view but I like the idea of running in a new engine and then changing the oil, following the manufacturers spec and then adhering to the service intervals with due regard as to how the car is used.
At the end of the day, I play safe, I would rather have fresh and clean oil in circulation rather than listen to a service receptionist tell my wife that she is not going to book the car in for an oil change because the service light has not lit up and that Mrs K87 should therefore wait as the oil will be fine.
At the end of the day, I play safe, I would rather have fresh and clean oil in circulation rather than listen to a service receptionist tell my wife that she is not going to book the car in for an oil change because the service light has not lit up and that Mrs K87 should therefore wait as the oil will be fine.
Been reading this with interest as I recently bought my first ever new car. Audi RS3 ,now completed just over £1k miles. When I dipped the oil it looks like new , golden and translucent on the stick. I know “looks” don’t tell the full story and I will monitor the colour closely but at the min I expect one year (roughly 3k miles) before change is nessessary. Audi recommend yearly/9K changes so well inside recommendations so little to be concerned about. Good luck with car.
Polome said:
Been reading this with interest as I recently bought my first ever new car. Audi RS3 ,now completed just over £1k miles. When I dipped the oil it looks like new , golden and translucent on the stick. I know looks don t tell the full story and I will monitor the colour closely but at the min I expect one year (roughly 3k miles) before change is nessessary. Audi recommend yearly/9K changes so well inside recommendations so little to be concerned about. Good luck with car.
Thank you.Not particularly relevant but when we collected the new car I checked the oil level, it needed a litre to bring it up to level.
Mrs K87 had a Golf before the audi and I was in the habit of checking the oil every two weeks, the Audi used oil for the first 2000 miles and needed a litre or so, it has now settled down, if I could give you a piece of advice on the RS3 it would be to get into a routine of checking the oil with the car on level ground and to have a quality oil of the right grade ready for any top up.
I really don't like oil spills on an engine block and the 0-20 oil flows too easily, Fairy Max Power washing up liquid has a non drip cap, a sort of one way valve, a thoroughly washed and dried bottle can be filled with oil and be drip free over the oil filler and squeezed when needed.
K87 said:
Took the car in for an oil and filter change to Audi, shocked at the price of £330.
It didn't help when the dealer damaged the car and then tried to invoice us for the repair and kept the car for 48 hours,
All the VW Group seem to have gone mental on servicing - my wife's Karoq is on a service contract that apparently doesn't include spark pugs even though the schedule called for them. Dealer wanted £175 to change them.It didn't help when the dealer damaged the car and then tried to invoice us for the repair and kept the car for 48 hours,
The Audi wouldn't have got 3yrs before service - the max time interval is 2yrs. Did the car come back set to fixed interval servicing, so 365 days to next service?
How long are you likely to keep the car? If you're not going to keep it for ever, then the over-servicing is benefiting future owner, not you.
Sheepshanks said:
All the VW Group seem to have gone mental on servicing - my wife's Karoq is on a service contract that apparently doesn't include spark pugs even though the schedule called for them. Dealer wanted £175 to change them.
The Audi wouldn't have got 3yrs before service - the max time interval is 2yrs. Did the car come back set to fixed interval servicing, so 365 days to next service?
How long are you likely to keep the car? If you're not going to keep it for ever, then the over-servicing is benefiting future owner, not you.
That s normal for them, the service plan seems to be the bare minimum, however I bet if you have no service plan they would be hounding you to change them and saying your warranty is void if you don t The Audi wouldn't have got 3yrs before service - the max time interval is 2yrs. Did the car come back set to fixed interval servicing, so 365 days to next service?
How long are you likely to keep the car? If you're not going to keep it for ever, then the over-servicing is benefiting future owner, not you.
Oh and £175 is about right, most are £20 each and 30/45mins to change.
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