I've still got a lot of posts to reply to but have been quite busy lately and of course been glued to the news all week.
Mike-- *chuckles loudly* hey! c'mon, I might break 2,000 this week-end! ...we'll see, that will be a milestone! :-b
Billy-- nope, haven't heard that. I'll have to listen more closely next time I'm at the pumps.
Let me ask the oil question that I wanted to ask last week: I've heard differing opinions on whether our cars come from the factory with a synthetic fill. The owner's manual recommends and states that the original fill is 0W-30. Billy, you stated that 0W-30 only comes in synthetic which I also thought. If this is true, then why will the dealers use dino oil when taking it to them for the free maintenance services? ...does this make any sense? If our cars come with synthetic oil from the factory then I'd have to think that the factory should also dictate to their dealers that synthetic be used throughout the free-maintenance period. What's going on here? Why should I have to bring my own Mobil1 when going in for my first service? Can anyone shed some light on this???
Well Mike, I'm trying all I could to stop putting that many miles on the car.....just couldn't do it. Rocco, maybe you and I should trade cars every 6 months. That way we can even both of them out :> Wow breaking 2000 miles? You got quite a lot to catch up.
Rocco, well again I've never seen synthetic comes in 0W30 weight. THe Castro dino my service dept put in is of 10W30 weight. I hope they'll switch to 5W30 when it's winter time. Well the reason why they put synthetic on the first round....all I can think of is because the new engines endure much more wear and tear than broken-in engines so the synthetic oil should be able to work well even after all the junk and crap come out into the oil. Don't have a better explanation. But definitely the manual said we can use 0W30 or 5W30 in our engines.
Hi all- My 1.8T quattro is all of 3000 miles old (still in diapers, actually), and I wanted to post a few comments. Basically, I LOVE this car (previous was a '88 Prelude), with a few minor quibbles. I love the general way it feels, very tight and safe. Great power, but a bit of turbo lag. Love the 5 speed, too. Road feel is excellent, seats are comfy, but I'd prefer a bit more steering boost at low speeds (I'm a one-finger parking lot kind of guy, but not with the A4). Dashboard and instruments are a pleasure to look at, but no change cup?? No rear cup holders?? Only one easily accessable front one?? And who thought up the wacky switches on the cruise control and intermittent wipers? Can you say 'unintuitive'? Sorry guys, time to get into any recent Japanese car and just copy those controls verbatim. And why no 'accessory' position to listen to the radio or open the garage with the engine off? Basic stereo is decent, but I blew out one speaker after 2 weeks (any suggestions on upgrading the speakers?). And did anyone actually drive the car with the sunroof all the way open before they started building them? The headliner vibrates so much below 50 mph that you can feel it in your kidneys. I know I can half-close the roof to stop it, but I really shouldn't have to. While it may sound like I'm bitching about the car, nothing could be further from the truth. I love my car. It's just that it's _sooo_ close to being a 5 out of 5. It doesn't need more features, just better, more thoughtful execution of some of the ones already there. I know some of these issues are being addressed in the 2002 model, but.... I don't have one of those ;-)
When the ignition is off just press the radio 'on' switch and it will come on (stays on for an hour).
When you take your car in for first service, mention the headliner vibration problem with the sunroof open. I haven't experienced any problems like you describe on my 2000 A4 1.8T (is the deflector coming up when the sunroof opens?).
Having moved from Saab to Audi, the intermittent wipers were intuitive to me but the auto speed controls were reversed (took some getting used to). My other problem with Audi's cruise control is sometimes turning on the 'brights' when setting the cruise speed.
By the way, on the 2002, things like the cup holders, cruise control switches, and other convenience issues I've heard mentioned here have been improved (supposedly). It's nice to see that the design team agrees with you (maybe they read this forum too).
P.S. I think controls on Japanese cars are intuitive to people who are used to driving Japanese cars ...
I've been out of town for the past week -- more on that in a minute -- but after hearing the tragic news from New York/Washington/Pa., I was so glad to see my buddies back on the board here. I assume that none of you were directly (you know, personally) affected by the tragedy and am so glad about that. I was in Yellowstone Nat. Park (Old Faithful Inn) when the news broke, which was very disconcerting and bizarre because there were no TVs there. Managed to find a TV in a motel lobby in Jackson Hole, about 45 minutes south, and I just got home today. Have hardly had time to think about my A4 or to read the posts from the past week. Looking forward to reading more about the Quattro Challenge when things slow down a little, but in the meantime, man, it's so good to be home. And so good to find out that you all are OK.
Karen-- It's good to hear you're okay too! Sorry to hear that you evidently had to cut your vacation short because of the events of last week. Did you take your A4 on the trip? Didn't sound like you did. But if not, it must've been difficult to fly back home both from the standpoint of physically having difficulty finding a flight and emotionally having to actually fly. As was said, we have got to show those that were behind these attacks that we will continue with our lives ...working, going to school, travelling including flying, attending sports events, spending our money, buying stocks, buying cars --making America whole again with all the strength that we as Americans have always had. Although our hearts will ache for a long time for those innocent civilians who lost their lives along with the courageous New York City public servants whom sacrificed their lives while trying to save others and all of their families and loved ones, we must show that Americans will not cave in to these cowardly "evil doers." Let's all have patience and faith in our leaders that we will win the war against terrorism!
whew! Okay, I'll now get off my patriotic soap box and get back to talking about cars!
Marty-- hmmm, yeah, I agree with the cruise control switch ...one of the most ergonomically deficient that I've seen on a vehicle. True, Japanese vehicles, for the most part, definitely have the best designed controls for the cruise control function. And I didn't realize until you mentioned it that the Homelink controls do not work without the ignition switch being on. To tell you the truth, I haven't even programmed the Homelink yet ...still using my own original door opener.
Billy-- My oil question was not really a question of weight/viscosity but type of oil... synthetic vs. dino. And no question as to the fact that synthetic is "better" than dino both as the original fill and for subsequent changes but the question is: why wouldn't Audi require their dealers to replace the factory fill synthetic with the same during the free-maintenance period? To me, it just doesn't make sense to go back to dino oil when the cars come from the factory with synthetic. As for viscosity, 0W-30, according to Mobil, is engineered for both extremes in temperature range. It claims it is beneficial for both extrememely hot temperatures (400 degrees F. I believe I read on their label) and extremely cold contditions (-65 degrees F. ...can't remember exactly if those are the correct temperatures they had on their labels but next time you're in Target, etc., take a look at a bottle of 0W-30). Because of what Mobil states, I'm going to use 0W-30 all year around.
Rocco, no, I didn't have the A4 with me, although I would have loved to have tried it on the Beartooth Highway leading into Yellowstone. I rented a Chevy Prizm (aka Corolla), which was actually a pretty decent little cheapo car (decent handling, good gas mileage, good visibility, comfortable seats); it was better than most cars I've rented. Saw only one A4 in Yellowstone/Jackson Hole/Montana, and it was trapped in a herd of SUVs, RVs, and pickup trucks.
I lucked out on flights coming home Saturday -- managed to get on both of the flights that I had booked months ago. And yeah, making the decision to fly home was kind of difficult, but part of my decisions was exactly what you alluded to: I thought that by flying, we'd be expressing a teeny bit of defiance or resolve to the terrorists. I think these guys really want to disrupt the country, and I think it's important that we show resolve and courage in everyday ways, without taking stupid risks. (And I realize that some people would think that flying at all right now is a stupid risk. To each his own.)
And now -- shifting back to trivial subjects -- you say that the Homelink controls don't work unless the ignition is on? Does that go for programming the Homelink too? When I couldn't program mine, I just figured that my garage-door opener was too old. Will try again....
Karen-- Good for you! At first I thought I'd be sort of hesitant to fly until they get more security measures in place but if it got right down to it, I'm sure I wouldn't hesitate to go ahead and travel right now if I had to.
Yeah, when programming the HomeLink transmitter, the ignition switch has to be on. I don't believe you'll have any difficulties programming it even though your door opener is old ...I'd have to assume that the HomeLink would accept the codes regardless. Let us know how it goes. I'm going to try to fool around with mine sometime this week now that we're talking about it and it's on my mind.
No luck: I tried programming the HomeLink (with ignition on), but struck out. The little lights all flashed the way the instructions said they would, but the signal didn't "take." So then I called the company that installed my garage-door opener, which is probably 15-20 years old. A guy there said that these new systems are often incompatible with old garage-door openers. Using the old clip-on opener is not a big deal; I'm just surprised that new HomeLink-type technology can't override the coding in old garage-door systems.
The car was running; I followed the instructions in the driver's manual but still couldn't get the signal to "catch." When the guy at the company that sells garage-door openers told me that the problem was incompatibility with an old garage-door system, I thought he might just be trying to sell me a new one. But since that conversation, I've found out that my parents have the same problem with their new I30. It's not a big deal; it's just kinda disappointing.
Karen-- Does your opener have "rolling codes?" I just played around with mine and at first it didn't work but when I followed the directions for programming with rolling codes, I finally got it to work. The only thing that I couldn't make it do is turn on and off the opener's lights independently as I can do with the opener's own remote ...my remote has three buttons so I have one button open one door, another button open the other door and the third button turns on and off the the lights on the selected opener ...but I wasn't able to get HomeLink to accept the code for turning on and off the light yet.
If your opener has "rolling codes" (codes that change each time the remote is activated ...however, I can't remember when this technology was introduced. My opener is about 10 years old but I think the rolling code technology was around even before that so yours still might possibly have this technology.), you'll see a button on the head of the opener. Push this button once (do not push and hold) then come back to the car and push and release the appropriate button on your HomeLink either 2 or 3 times. This has to be done after you've already followed the original programming steps.
*laughs* --but yeah, actually, my opener's own remote fits relatively perfectly right in front of the ash tray and blends in nicely with the decor of the interior and I tend to prefer that location anyway so I don't see what the big deal is about the HomeLink anyway.
I wanted to thank everyone for their answers and comments. I read the majority of your postings before finally deciding on an A4. Negotiated last Monday and picked up my Santorin Blue 1.8T last Wednesday.... absolutely LOVE IT!!! Thanks again and keep on communicating.
Brian-- *hoh* yeah, yours was one of the posts that was on my list to respond to but I still haven't gotten around to. So you got the one with the sport package? ...didn't have the Xenons though, eh? So you'll now have to start shopping around for a good winter tire combo but it will be worth the sacrifice for the superb handling characteristics of the sport package. Let us know what you do concerning the winter tire/wheel issue ...and continue to post your impressions of your new ride!
Billy -- I finally had a chance to check out all the info you posted about the Quattro challenge. Sounds like a blast -- thanks!!
Rocco -- Nope, my garage-door opener doesn't have rolling codes -- but I think AoA should hire you as a customer-service troubleshooter!
Finally had a chance to drive my 3-month-old A4 today, after being away from it for a week. What a great car. The highways were full of dumptrucks for some reason, so I'd hang back until a stretch opened up next to one of them, then I'd go blasting past. That turbo kick makes it hard to believe you're in a 4-cylinder. Then I'd hit the winding, hilly roads near home and get little boosts from the Tip, which I'm more and more impressed with. I always said I'd never go back to an automatic, but this is so much more versatile than most automatics. What a great car.
Accutally I didn't go w/ the Sport Pkg....I decided that because I live in the Northeast it wouldn't be worth the trouble of having to buy an extra set of tires and rims and then change them twice a year. I also wasn't thrilled about my wife trying to park next to the curb w/ the 17's...she has a Jeep and I don't know how long it would take her to adjust.
Brian-- ok, good... yeah, most of us here don't have the sport package. I've always said that if I had to do it all over again that I'd get the sport package but I seem to be growing more satisfied with the ride and handling characteristics of the stock set-up as time passes. I'm still just a bit disappointed at the body roll but maybe I'll just add heavier sway bars at some point. I'm also thinking of someday going to 16" rims and slightly sportier tires ...maybe when the time comes to replace the original Goodyears and using the original rims for snow tires. I don't know yet --but at the dismal rate that I'm piling on mileage, that could be in another ten years! *lol* :-b
Karen-- hehehehe...
Oh, and talking to my parents yesterday, they seem to be leaning toward buying another Accord!!! *argh*
Hi to everyone. We bought our 2001.5 A4 2.8 Q 5-speed (celebration, xenon, bose, leather, ski sack, etc) in late August and just returned from a long 2 week vacation in Myrtle Beach (15 hour drive). The car performed exceptionally well, excellent acceleration, solid sure grip, the best ride I have ever experienced in a car. Ya, the kids didnt have "mini-van" leg room in the back seat, but they were very comfortable (slept most of the way!). Gas mileage was very good, but the most surprising aspect was the amount of trunk space, far more space than anticipated. We love this car. One minor complaint, for some strange reason, the armrest will from time to time "drop" to its lowest adjustable height. Very strange. Has this happened to anyone else? PS - We too opted to not go with the sport package due to change over of rims, etc.
I have a 3 month old 2001.5 A4 1.8T with only 1500 miles. At my normal rate of driving, I'll have it 6 months before hitting 5000 miles. The service schedule is for 5000 miles or 6 months. So, when service is due, I'll only have about 3000 miles on the car. Is this too early to change to a synthetic oil(Mobil 1 5W-30)? I'd love to get a synthetic on board so I can add a chip and not endanger the turbo anymore then possible. Thanks for all your feedback on this topic. Tom.
Tom-- I'm currently going through this same scenario you're mentioning and if you've been reading my last few posts you can see that I've been seeking the same type of answers to the questions that you've asked. I have had my car for 6 months now and have less than 2,000 miles on it. I've been calling dealer's service departments all day today to see if I can find some accurate information. The dealer that I bought the car from told me that the car comes from the factory with synthetic oil. One other dealer backed this up and another dealer told me that the car comes from the factory with dino oil. From what I can gather from the AudiWorld site, all 2001 1.8T's come from the factory with synthetic. The owner's manual also implies that it comes with synthetic in that it does state that the factory fill is 0W-30 which we believe only comes in synthetic grade. As I told Billy a few posts back, I believe I'm going to use Mobil1 0W-30 all year around because I don't see where it is necessary to use any other viscosity for Mobil states that 0W-30 protects well at both extremes in temperatures and afterall it does come from the factory with this viscosity. All dealers told me that they use dino oil when servicing the car under the free-maintenance program unless you specify and pay for synthetic. And obviously you can bring your own. All the dealers told me that I should bring my car in for servicing at 6 months even though I have less than 2,000 miles on it to keep the factory warranty valid. So with that said, I have to assume that our cars come from the factory with synthetic and it's obviously okay to change that factory fill at any time with synthetic (but especially at 6 months regardless of the mileage).
From what my dealer has told me, everything in your post is correct, and I would follow your dealer's advice. Stay with the 0W-30 oil (or at least over the winter) and save some money by purchasing it at Walmart. The dealer will charge you more than twice as much. Filter and labor are free, of course.
P.S. I have an '01 allroad, but the advice is the same. While at the dealer initiation for the allroad, my service tech was told directly by the Audi trainers that the car is filled with 0W-30 at the factory, and so I'm sticking with the same stuff, figuring they know what's best.
For my '98.5 A4 2.8Q, on the other hand, I've been using Mobil 1 5W-30 - no problems after 31,000 miles. With the turbo engines I believe the 0W-30 oil would add some measure of extra protection at startup and during warmup.
Joel-- Thanx for your response! Your comments are appreciated. The question that now remains is why I keep hearing people say that they use 0W-30 in the winter and 5W-30 or 10W-30 in the summer. From the research I've done, I can't understand why 5W-30 or 10W-30 will protect any better than 0W-30 at high ambient temperatures than using 0W-30. Maybe if one were towing a trailer or racing a high-tech vehicle in 100 + degree temperatures then they may want to consider maybe 15W-50 but for the average passenger car, I can't imagine that anything other than 0W-30 would be needed IMO. That is why I'm considering using 0W-30 all year around. Am I making any sense or am I missing something here?
The label on a bottle of Mobil 1 gives the temperature extremes in which it protects. From what I can remember, I think it's -65 degrees F. to 400 degrees F. This would seem to substantiate the reasoning that anything but 0W-30 would not be necessary. Here is the page that Mobil states that 0W-30 "...offers unsurpassed protection if you drive during extreme-temperature conditions." http://www.mobil1.com/products/trisynth/oil_0w30.jsp
Any other comments from anybody to back up my reasoning to use 0W-30 year around? TIA
I'm going in for my 5k service tomorrow morning. I bought 4 quarts of Mobil 1 0W-30 last night. That's what I'm going to run year-round, too. I'm like you in the fact that it came from the factory with 0W-30 synthetic, so that's what I'll put in it.
I drive kind of hard, too. So I'll be happy with a little extra protection under extreme conditions (i.e., my right foot).
...don't put too much of that stuff on your right foot --I find that it really messes up the floor mats.
But hey Mike, can you take a look at the labels on those bottles you bought and post the temperature range it states? I can't remember exactly what it said but I think it was -65° F. to 400° F. Can you confirm this for me? TIA
25 new messages since Sunday.....oh yeah, keep it up guys! Kinda surprised when I was back from a business trip again. Got a rental Mustang this time.....minimal traction on this RWD vehicle.....wet pavement, traction on, and the backend still liked to come out and scared my girlfriend a few times.
About the armrest, yes it happened to me twice. I have it at the 2nd notch and without even applying full pressure on it, it can drop a notch or 2. I've also heard similar comments on AudiWorld so I guess it's *normal*. Sigh.
About the oil, yeah I agree with what Rocco had found out.....the car comes with 0W30 and it gotta be synthetic. I also plan to keep the engine running 0W30 all year round and that's why I was so pissed when I found out that they put in the dino Castro 10W30 or 5W30 instead of the Mobil1 0W30 I brought. Right now she's at 9400 miles and I guess it's about time to call in for the 10k service.....my dealer needs about 3 weeks to schedule an appointment if I need an Audi loaner.
Karen, thanks for the comment about the Quattro Challenge. I meant to tell y'all what we did in each event but I guess those pictures with the guys' comments said it all. The Lakes Area Quattro Club (Milwaukee, WI and Chicago) will host a Big Brother/Big Sister Charity fall drive through Wisconsin and we'll start from an Audi dealership in Milwaukee. They will also have a 02' A4 there so I'd assume it will have a sticker on it. Will let you guys know what the MSRP is if there is a sticker.
Speaking of which, we got some detailing products for free at the Quattro Challenge and one of them is the wheel cleaner. I highly recommend it after using it. It's easy, just spray it on and wait 15 sec and hose it off. It gets rid of the brake dust like nothing else. It even takes off brake dust off the balancing weight on the outside of the rims without rubbing or touching it.
jarb1-- sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Welcome to the forum! Good to hear that you had a nice trip. Out of curiosity, what kind of gas milage did you get with the 2.8? ...if you could translate that into our "gallons" (mpg) measurement; or a rough guess of mpg if you can. And I haven't had the armrest problem yet. I'll have to take a look at it because I too think I keep it on the lowest setting.
Here is the link at ClairParts that also gives the Audi part number of the wheel cleaner or you can navigate through the AoA site to find the "car care products" section:
The AoA web-site describes it as follows: "Alloy Wheel Cleaner 18 oz. Safe for all wheel surfaces, simply spray on/hose off. Recommended for all factory wheels."
AoA "Collections" prices it at $5.00 and at ClairParts it's $5.95. I haven't figured out the shipping difference yet nor have I checked a local dealership to see what they charge. I'll have to do some more reseach on this. --or I could find my way to the next Quattro Challenge and get it for free! ...that sounds like a much better idea. :-b
What color is the Mobil 1 synthetic? It's clear, isn't it?
The reason I ask is because I just picked up my car. They say they used my oil, but I checked it and it's colored slightly brown (which could just be the residue from the old, dirty oil), but also, they did not leave me with a partial quart of the Mobil 1 I supplied. There should have been 1/3 of a quart left.
I hate to say it, but I'm wondering if one of two things happened: 1. They overfilled my engine with the oil I provided, or just threw away the partial quart (although I don't know why they'd do that), or 2. One of the techs pocketed my oil and put in dino.
How can I tell I've got Mobil 1 in there?
(I know I sould anal, but my car also came back with some extra mileage on it and all I sent it in for was the 5k service - it shouldn't have had any extra miles on it).
Yup.....Scirocco got it right. It's the official Audi Alloy Wheel Cleaner. And yeah, you better off getting the free stuff at a Quattro Challenge near you :>
Ahh there it is on the webpage. I thought they wouldn't put the Chicago event there since it's mostly identical to the one in Toronto.
Just scheduled my 10k service for 2nd week of October. See if they can solve that fuel filler door lock sound.....it sounds like the vacuum line that controls that lock doesn't work right. It can still manage to unlock that door but the hissing sound is not right.
The Mobil1 synthetic looks a little bit brownish, but definitely not deep brown rusty color. I got some left in a bottle in the trunk of my car. I'll take a look after work and can tell you what color it is. I saw the tech to put in my oil at the 5k service (after they screwed up and I needed to bring my car back) and I checked the color on the dipstick after they redid it.
Well honestly I don't know how we can make sure they put the right oil in unless you send a sample of the oil in the engine to the lab for analysis. Some others can shed a light on this topic?
You should be able to tell whether they overfill or not by the dipstick. I didn't tell them to give me the partial quart but they did put it into a plastic bag and seal it off nicely and gave it back to me. Maybe we should tell them to give us the remaining quart next time.
How much is the extra mileage? They also rotate tires at the 5k service so MAYBE the tech was just roadtesting your car and make sure he/she put the tires on alright. By the way, did they rotate the tires on your vehicle?
Learn something new everyday, I guess, and that applies to all of us.
I'll have to look at the receipt again (it's in my car), but I don't think they rotated anything. Just oil/filter change, and inspected the fluids. It was only 5 miles, but I can tell whoever drove it was driving like a bat out of hell. I cannot think of any reason for them to be out driving my car. I'm almost at the end of my tank of gas and I reset the mpg meter every fillup. The avg. mpg went down by .4 mpg in those 5 miles. (from 23.1 to 22.7). I know from my own experience that that only happens in that short distance when you're really getting on it. It's OK for me to do that because it's my car. It's not their car. I also know that's not enough time to warm the car up, unless it happened right when I brought the car in (engine was cold when I picked it up). And I doubt anyone bothered to cool the car down.
I will check the level on my way home. They brought up the car with the engine running, so I couldn't check it on the spot.
Like I said, I know I'm being anal, but people who don't respect other people's stuff really irritate me.
Mike-- I know you were addressing Billy so sorry for buttin' in but what do you mean by clear?? I've used Mobil 1 in the past for 2 other cars I've owned and never have I considered it "clear" ...meaning the color of water??? or clear meaning transparent? It is the color of normal oil but transparent like most other oils. If the oil on your dipstick is opaque and dirty looking, I'd suspect that it hasn't been changed. From my past experiences, freshly changed oil should be transparent looking on the dipstick for at least 100 miles, especially on a fairly new engine, IMO. Yesterday, I was going to suggest that you do what I plan to do but didn't get around to it: leave a note for the tech on the steering wheel or dash that you want the empty bottles returned to you with the fouth one 1/3 full reminding them that the fill capacity is 3.7qt, stressing to them not to overfill. On the note, I'm planning to write the mileage so that they're aware that I'm aware of how much mileage is on the car. Also, I usually try to scratch the date of when the last filter was installed (this being the delivery date in our case) on the oil filter itself so I can identify if the filter has actually been changed. In the past, I've had dealers not change the filter hoping that wouldn't catch it and when I bring it to their attention they say "ooops, sorry, we forgot, we'll change it right now."
How you can tell if the oil has actually been changed is a tough question without actually going out and getting an oil analysis done immediately. Anybody have any input on this???
The oil was changed - I can tell that for sure. My old oil was quite dirty and dark colored. But due to the lack of a partial bottle in my car, I'm wondering if I got my Mobil 1, or if I got dino, or if I got more Mobil 1 in there than I should have (plus maybe a little dino if they put 4.3 quarts in instead of the 3.7). I'll check the filter as well. That should be easy to tell. An old filter will have road dirt and grime on it, a new one won't.
I didn't open the bottle of syn up (should have, but didn't), but from the outside, the synthetic looked almost transparent, not the light brown color of other oil. My eyes could have been deceiving me, though. Should have opened it. This is the first time I've ever used synthetic oil.
I will warn them next time about joyriding my car. It won't happen again. I thought that with a dealer that sells S4's and A6 2.7T's and A6 4.2's and S8's that nobody would bother with my little A4 1.8T. I guess I was wrong.
In the past, I've had dealers actually clean off the old filter so that it would "look new" --I'd like to use some profanity here but I know I can't on this forum ...and lo-and-behold, there were my scratch marks on the filter which they didn't even notice. So my hunch, is that maybe the filter wasn't changed. That would definitely make the oil darker and dirtier looking even if the Mobil 1 was used.
I know the Mobil1 that I was using a few years ago was brown in tint and not the color of water but that was the 10W-30 weight; I haven't actually seen the new 0W-30.
The maintenance manual does recommend or I guess I sould say "dictate" a tire rotation at the 5k/6 mos. service interval, however, I can't see where this would have any effect on any warranty issue that may crop up even if it wasn't done ...IMO, tire rotation would only pertain to tire wear issues I would think. In fact, I think that I'm going to ask that my tires not be rotated because of my low mileage.
My oil is definitely overfilled. I think they just dumped all 4 quarts in.
Looks like I'm going back. What were the issues with overfilled oil? I know it was doing something, but I don't know what (And I'm too lazy to scroll back and find it).
Mike-- I remember reading numerous posts over at AudiWorld about dealers overfilling the oil. It sounds like a common problem even though there has been a TSB issued on it warning that it could cause engine damage. The things I've heard is that it creates foaming, causes detonation problems that could foul spark plugs and of course can damage the catalytic converter.
How did you come to the conclusion that it was overfilled? ...because they didn't return the 1/3 quart? I wonder if 1/3 quart will do any severe damage? The logical way of doing it would be to put 3 quarts in then start the engine, shut it off and then measure it ...then add more accordingly --it's always better to underfill than overfill; underfilling will not cause any damage and you then have the opportunity to add more. Where on the dipstick does the oil measure? One of the suggestions that I remember reading over on AudiWorld is to take a pump from a liquid soap dispenser and attach some plastic or rubber tubing to the end and pump some of the excess oil out. Now I don't know if you'd pump it out through the fill hole or the dipstick tube ...I'd suspect that the dipstick tube would make the most sense. I'd think that's all the dealership will do when you take it back in to complain ...they'll just "suck" some of the oil out and send you on your way.
I'm actually thinking of either doing my first oil change myself or taking a Bosch oil filter and my own Mobil 1 to my own mechanic and have him do it. Another reason is that I have to make an appointment so far in advance at the local dealerships and the dealership that I bought the car at is almost 100 miles away.
Thought I'd post here to answer your question. I had a deposit down on a silver, auto, Quattro A4 1.8 a few weeks back. Car was loaded - MSRP $31490 and they agreed to sell at $300 over invoice ($28.7K OTD) which is a great deal....HOWEVER,
They were selling real cheap because Rod East has sold the Audi dealership to Cavender who will use there Olds facility off 410/Bandera. Was concerned about maint coverage and if the there would be new mechanics, free loaners, etc....no one could answer so got cold feet. Should be in place in 2 weeks so will check them out. As the only Audi dealer around want to make sure they're set up properly, etc...
and in the mean time, some jerk (hit and run) backed into the left rear of my Volvo so will have to get that fixed before I can sell!...now I'm kicking myself in the [non-permissible content removed].... (-....
sorry to hear about your oil change...hope they sort it out OK....
I checked the oil after the car sat yesterday afternoon. It's about 1/3 of an inch above the full line. I'm calling the dealer today to give them a chance to remedy it. It needs to be fixed soon, though. I don't want to damage my car.
I'm gonna let the service manager hear it this afternoon, though.
If you can picture the dipstick and how it kinks about 1/4-1/3 inch above the full mark (the full mark being the top of the hash marks on the dipstick). My oil comes up to where the dipstick kinks. I'm no mechanic, but I'd be willing to bet they just dumped all 4 quarts in.
You wouldn't happen to have the number of the overfilling TSB, would you? I'd like to be able to show my service guy the actual TSB so he can't try and bluff his way out.
Sorry yesterday it was a bit hectic and I forgot to check the color of the oil for ya. Yeah as Rocco said, the oil should be transparent yet light brown in color.
As for the overfilling, just go back to the dealership and pull the dipstick and told them they screwed up. One question though, when you check the dipstick, did you run the car for a while? And you checked it on level ground? Cuz once I checked it and whether or not you park the car on level ground makes a big difference. I'm sure you did, just making sure. Speaking of which I gotta check my oil which I didn't do in the past 2k miles.....oops. Should not burn as much oil as the first 5k miles tho.
Comments
You may hit 10,000 before I get to 5,000 and before poor 'rocco gets out of his break-in period
Mike-- *chuckles loudly* hey! c'mon, I might break 2,000 this week-end! ...we'll see, that will be a milestone! :-b
Billy-- nope, haven't heard that. I'll have to listen more closely next time I'm at the pumps.
Let me ask the oil question that I wanted to ask last week: I've heard differing opinions on whether our cars come from the factory with a synthetic fill. The owner's manual recommends and states that the original fill is 0W-30. Billy, you stated that 0W-30 only comes in synthetic which I also thought. If this is true, then why will the dealers use dino oil when taking it to them for the free maintenance services? ...does this make any sense? If our cars come with synthetic oil from the factory then I'd have to think that the factory should also dictate to their dealers that synthetic be used throughout the free-maintenance period. What's going on here? Why should I have to bring my own Mobil1 when going in for my first service? Can anyone shed some light on this???
--'rocco
Rocco, well again I've never seen synthetic comes in 0W30 weight. THe Castro dino my service dept put in is of 10W30 weight. I hope they'll switch to 5W30 when it's winter time. Well the reason why they put synthetic on the first round....all I can think of is because the new engines endure much more wear and tear than broken-in engines so the synthetic oil should be able to work well even after all the junk and crap come out into the oil. Don't have a better explanation. But definitely the manual said we can use 0W30 or 5W30 in our engines.
Billy
My 1.8T quattro is all of 3000 miles old (still in diapers, actually), and I wanted to post a few comments. Basically, I LOVE this car (previous was a '88 Prelude), with a few minor quibbles. I love the general way it feels, very tight and safe. Great power, but a bit of turbo lag. Love the 5 speed, too. Road feel is excellent, seats are comfy, but I'd prefer a bit more steering boost at low speeds (I'm a one-finger parking lot kind of guy, but not with the A4). Dashboard and instruments are a pleasure to look at, but no change cup?? No rear cup holders?? Only one easily accessable front one?? And who thought up the wacky switches on the cruise control and intermittent wipers? Can you say 'unintuitive'? Sorry guys, time to get into any recent Japanese car and just copy those controls verbatim. And why no 'accessory' position to listen to the radio or open the garage with the engine off? Basic stereo is decent, but I blew out one speaker after 2 weeks (any suggestions on upgrading the speakers?). And did anyone actually drive the car with the sunroof all the way open before they started building them? The headliner vibrates so much below 50 mph that you can feel it in your kidneys. I know I can half-close the roof to stop it, but I really shouldn't have to.
While it may sound like I'm bitching about the car, nothing could be further from the truth. I love my car. It's just that it's _sooo_ close to being a 5 out of 5. It doesn't need more features, just better, more thoughtful execution of some of the ones already there. I know some of these issues are being addressed in the 2002 model, but.... I don't have one of those ;-)
My $.02
When you take your car in for first service, mention the headliner vibration problem with the sunroof open. I haven't experienced any problems like you describe on my 2000 A4 1.8T (is the deflector coming up when the sunroof opens?).
Having moved from Saab to Audi, the intermittent wipers were intuitive to me but the auto speed controls were reversed (took some getting used to). My other problem with Audi's cruise control is sometimes turning on the 'brights' when setting the cruise speed.
By the way, on the 2002, things like the cup holders, cruise control switches, and other convenience issues I've heard mentioned here have been improved (supposedly). It's nice to see that the design team agrees with you (maybe they read this forum too).
P.S. I think controls on Japanese cars are intuitive to people who are used to driving Japanese cars ...
whew! Okay, I'll now get off my patriotic soap box and get back to talking about cars!
Marty-- hmmm, yeah, I agree with the cruise control switch ...one of the most ergonomically deficient that I've seen on a vehicle. True, Japanese vehicles, for the most part, definitely have the best designed controls for the cruise control function. And I didn't realize until you mentioned it that the Homelink controls do not work without the ignition switch being on. To tell you the truth, I haven't even programmed the Homelink yet ...still using my own original door opener.
Billy-- My oil question was not really a question of weight/viscosity but type of oil... synthetic vs. dino. And no question as to the fact that synthetic is "better" than dino both as the original fill and for subsequent changes but the question is: why wouldn't Audi require their dealers to replace the factory fill synthetic with the same during the free-maintenance period? To me, it just doesn't make sense to go back to dino oil when the cars come from the factory with synthetic. As for viscosity, 0W-30, according to Mobil, is engineered for both extremes in temperature range. It claims it is beneficial for both extrememely hot temperatures (400 degrees F. I believe I read on their label) and extremely cold contditions (-65 degrees F. ...can't remember exactly if those are the correct temperatures they had on their labels but next time you're in Target, etc., take a look at a bottle of 0W-30). Because of what Mobil states, I'm going to use 0W-30 all year around.
--'rocco
I lucked out on flights coming home Saturday -- managed to get on both of the flights that I had booked months ago. And yeah, making the decision to fly home was kind of difficult, but part of my decisions was exactly what you alluded to: I thought that by flying, we'd be expressing a teeny bit of defiance or resolve to the terrorists. I think these guys really want to disrupt the country, and I think it's important that we show resolve and courage in everyday ways, without taking stupid risks. (And I realize that some people would think that flying at all right now is a stupid risk. To each his own.)
And now -- shifting back to trivial subjects -- you say that the Homelink controls don't work unless the ignition is on? Does that go for programming the Homelink too? When I couldn't program mine, I just figured that my garage-door opener was too old. Will try again....
Yeah, when programming the HomeLink transmitter, the ignition switch has to be on. I don't believe you'll have any difficulties programming it even though your door opener is old ...I'd have to assume that the HomeLink would accept the codes regardless. Let us know how it goes. I'm going to try to fool around with mine sometime this week now that we're talking about it and it's on my mind.
--'rocco
If your opener has "rolling codes" (codes that change each time the remote is activated ...however, I can't remember when this technology was introduced. My opener is about 10 years old but I think the rolling code technology was around even before that so yours still might possibly have this technology.), you'll see a button on the head of the opener. Push this button once (do not push and hold) then come back to the car and push and release the appropriate button on your HomeLink either 2 or 3 times. This has to be done after you've already followed the original programming steps.
*laughs* --but yeah, actually, my opener's own remote fits relatively perfectly right in front of the ash tray and blends in nicely with the decor of the interior and I tend to prefer that location anyway so I don't see what the big deal is about the HomeLink anyway.
--'rocco
--'rocco
Rocco -- Nope, my garage-door opener doesn't have rolling codes -- but I think AoA should hire you as a customer-service troubleshooter!
Finally had a chance to drive my 3-month-old A4 today, after being away from it for a week. What a great car. The highways were full of dumptrucks for some reason, so I'd hang back until a stretch opened up next to one of them, then I'd go blasting past. That turbo kick makes it hard to believe you're in a 4-cylinder. Then I'd hit the winding, hilly roads near home and get little boosts from the Tip, which I'm more and more impressed with. I always said I'd never go back to an automatic, but this is so much more versatile than most automatics. What a great car.
Accutally I didn't go w/ the Sport Pkg....I decided that because I live in the Northeast it wouldn't be worth the trouble of having to buy an extra set of tires and rims and then change them twice a year. I also wasn't thrilled about my wife trying to park next to the curb w/ the 17's...she has a Jeep and I don't know how long it would take her to adjust.
Karen-- hehehehe...
Oh, and talking to my parents yesterday, they seem to be leaning toward buying another Accord!!! *argh*
--'rocco
--'rocco
P.S. I have an '01 allroad, but the advice is the same. While at the dealer initiation for the allroad, my service tech was told directly by the Audi trainers that the car is filled with 0W-30 at the factory, and so I'm sticking with the same stuff, figuring they know what's best.
For my '98.5 A4 2.8Q, on the other hand, I've been using Mobil 1 5W-30 - no problems after 31,000 miles. With the turbo engines I believe the 0W-30 oil would add some measure of extra protection at startup and during warmup.
The label on a bottle of Mobil 1 gives the temperature extremes in which it protects. From what I can remember, I think it's -65 degrees F. to 400 degrees F. This would seem to substantiate the reasoning that anything but 0W-30 would not be necessary. Here is the page that Mobil states that 0W-30 "...offers unsurpassed protection if you drive during extreme-temperature conditions." http://www.mobil1.com/products/trisynth/oil_0w30.jsp
Any other comments from anybody to back up my reasoning to use 0W-30 year around? TIA
--'rocco
I drive kind of hard, too. So I'll be happy with a little extra protection under extreme conditions (i.e., my right foot).
But hey Mike, can you take a look at the labels on those bottles you bought and post the temperature range it states? I can't remember exactly what it said but I think it was -65° F. to 400° F. Can you confirm this for me? TIA
--'rocco
I'm definitely going with 0W-30 Mobil 1 for at least the forseeable future.
zach
About the armrest, yes it happened to me twice. I have it at the 2nd notch and without even applying full pressure on it, it can drop a notch or 2. I've also heard similar comments on AudiWorld so I guess it's *normal*. Sigh.
About the oil, yeah I agree with what Rocco had found out.....the car comes with 0W30 and it gotta be synthetic. I also plan to keep the engine running 0W30 all year round and that's why I was so pissed when I found out that they put in the dino Castro 10W30 or 5W30 instead of the Mobil1 0W30 I brought. Right now she's at 9400 miles and I guess it's about time to call in for the 10k service.....my dealer needs about 3 weeks to schedule an appointment if I need an Audi loaner.
Karen, thanks for the comment about the Quattro Challenge. I meant to tell y'all what we did in each event but I guess those pictures with the guys' comments said it all. The Lakes Area Quattro Club (Milwaukee, WI and Chicago) will host a Big Brother/Big Sister Charity fall drive through Wisconsin and we'll start from an Audi dealership in Milwaukee. They will also have a 02' A4 there so I'd assume it will have a sticker on it. Will let you guys know what the MSRP is if there is a sticker.
Speaking of which, we got some detailing products for free at the Quattro Challenge and one of them is the wheel cleaner. I highly recommend it after using it. It's easy, just spray it on and wait 15 sec and hose it off. It gets rid of the brake dust like nothing else. It even takes off brake dust off the balancing weight on the outside of the rims without rubbing or touching it.
Billy
Billy-- Have you seen the write-up and pics posted on the AoA site of your Quattro Challenge? http://www.audiusa.com/news/events_qc_chicago_main.htm
jarb1-- sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Welcome to the forum! Good to hear that you had a nice trip. Out of curiosity, what kind of gas milage did you get with the 2.8? ...if you could translate that into our "gallons" (mpg) measurement; or a rough guess of mpg if you can. And I haven't had the armrest problem yet. I'll have to take a look at it because I too think I keep it on the lowest setting.
--'rocco
http://www.clairparts.com/shop/boutique.cfm?do=buy&&pid=482
The AoA web-site describes it as follows: "Alloy Wheel Cleaner 18 oz. Safe for all wheel surfaces, simply spray on/hose off. Recommended for all factory wheels."
AoA "Collections" prices it at $5.00 and at ClairParts it's $5.95. I haven't figured out the shipping difference yet nor have I checked a local dealership to see what they charge. I'll have to do some more reseach on this. --or I could find my way to the next Quattro Challenge and get it for free! ...that sounds like a much better idea. :-b
--'rocco
The reason I ask is because I just picked up my car. They say they used my oil, but I checked it and it's colored slightly brown (which could just be the residue from the old, dirty oil), but also, they did not leave me with a partial quart of the Mobil 1 I supplied. There should have been 1/3 of a quart left.
I hate to say it, but I'm wondering if one of two things happened: 1. They overfilled my engine with the oil I provided, or just threw away the partial quart (although I don't know why they'd do that), or 2. One of the techs pocketed my oil and put in dino.
How can I tell I've got Mobil 1 in there?
(I know I sould anal, but my car also came back with some extra mileage on it and all I sent it in for was the 5k service - it shouldn't have had any extra miles on it).
Ahh there it is on the webpage. I thought they wouldn't put the Chicago event there since it's mostly identical to the one in Toronto.
Just scheduled my 10k service for 2nd week of October. See if they can solve that fuel filler door lock sound.....it sounds like the vacuum line that controls that lock doesn't work right. It can still manage to unlock that door but the hissing sound is not right.
Billy
Well honestly I don't know how we can make sure they put the right oil in unless you send a sample of the oil in the engine to the lab for analysis. Some others can shed a light on this topic?
You should be able to tell whether they overfill or not by the dipstick. I didn't tell them to give me the partial quart but they did put it into a plastic bag and seal it off nicely and gave it back to me. Maybe we should tell them to give us the remaining quart next time.
How much is the extra mileage? They also rotate tires at the 5k service so MAYBE the tech was just roadtesting your car and make sure he/she put the tires on alright. By the way, did they rotate the tires on your vehicle?
Learn something new everyday, I guess, and that applies to all of us.
Billy
I will check the level on my way home. They brought up the car with the engine running, so I couldn't check it on the spot.
Like I said, I know I'm being anal, but people who don't respect other people's stuff really irritate me.
How you can tell if the oil has actually been changed is a tough question without actually going out and getting an oil analysis done immediately. Anybody have any input on this???
--'rocco
I didn't open the bottle of syn up (should have, but didn't), but from the outside, the synthetic looked almost transparent, not the light brown color of other oil. My eyes could have been deceiving me, though. Should have opened it. This is the first time I've ever used synthetic oil.
I will warn them next time about joyriding my car. It won't happen again. I thought that with a dealer that sells S4's and A6 2.7T's and A6 4.2's and S8's that nobody would bother with my little A4 1.8T. I guess I was wrong.
I know the Mobil1 that I was using a few years ago was brown in tint and not the color of water but that was the 10W-30 weight; I haven't actually seen the new 0W-30.
The maintenance manual does recommend or I guess I sould say "dictate" a tire rotation at the 5k/6 mos. service interval, however, I can't see where this would have any effect on any warranty issue that may crop up even if it wasn't done ...IMO, tire rotation would only pertain to tire wear issues I would think. In fact, I think that I'm going to ask that my tires not be rotated because of my low mileage.
--'rocco
Looks like I'm going back. What were the issues with overfilled oil? I know it was doing something, but I don't know what (And I'm too lazy to scroll back and find it).
Rocco? Billy?
How did you come to the conclusion that it was overfilled? ...because they didn't return the 1/3 quart? I wonder if 1/3 quart will do any severe damage? The logical way of doing it would be to put 3 quarts in then start the engine, shut it off and then measure it ...then add more accordingly --it's always better to underfill than overfill; underfilling will not cause any damage and you then have the opportunity to add more. Where on the dipstick does the oil measure? One of the suggestions that I remember reading over on AudiWorld is to take a pump from a liquid soap dispenser and attach some plastic or rubber tubing to the end and pump some of the excess oil out. Now I don't know if you'd pump it out through the fill hole or the dipstick tube ...I'd suspect that the dipstick tube would make the most sense. I'd think that's all the dealership will do when you take it back in to complain ...they'll just "suck" some of the oil out and send you on your way.
I'm actually thinking of either doing my first oil change myself or taking a Bosch oil filter and my own Mobil 1 to my own mechanic and have him do it. Another reason is that I have to make an appointment so far in advance at the local dealerships and the dealership that I bought the car at is almost 100 miles away.
Anyway, keep us posted, Mike.
--'rocco
They were selling real cheap because Rod East has sold the Audi dealership to Cavender who will use there Olds facility off 410/Bandera. Was concerned about maint coverage and if the there would be new mechanics, free loaners, etc....no one could answer so got cold feet. Should be in place in 2 weeks so will check them out. As the only Audi dealer around want to make sure they're set up properly, etc...
and in the mean time, some jerk (hit and run) backed into the left rear of my Volvo so will have to get that fixed before I can sell!...now I'm kicking myself in the [non-permissible content removed].... (-....
sorry to hear about your oil change...hope they sort it out OK....
I'm gonna let the service manager hear it this afternoon, though.
You wouldn't happen to have the number of the overfilling TSB, would you? I'd like to be able to show my service guy the actual TSB so he can't try and bluff his way out.
Here is an old thread that I ran into at AudiWorld that I'm sure you can relate to:
http://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/131471.phtml
...hope that link works.
--'rocco
As for the overfilling, just go back to the dealership and pull the dipstick and told them they screwed up. One question though, when you check the dipstick, did you run the car for a while? And you checked it on level ground? Cuz once I checked it and whether or not you park the car on level ground makes a big difference. I'm sure you did, just making sure. Speaking of which I gotta check my oil which I didn't do in the past 2k miles.....oops. Should not burn as much oil as the first 5k miles tho.
Billy