Considering a 2000 or 2001 A4 avant

[Arthur Marks]

The picture is at 40000 miles on a 2003, but the problem obviously already existed at the second oil change (the one that was 400 miles past the point where Audi would have covered it) where records show the oil light had come on and the oil pump was replaced. This was before Audi went to synthetic oil. You can say "neglect" all you want, but the problem exists on many 1.8Ts even when following the prescribed regimen, a regimen that Audi subsequently changed by switching to synthetic, doubling the size of the oil filter (and thereby increasing oil capacity as well) and shortening oil change intervals. Who's to say whether the various crankcase ventilation setups (or even unnoticed failure of one of the secondary air system's valves?) contribute to the problem. Driving patterns and perhaps climate may play a role. You are probably car savvy enough to know to use synthetic with a turbo and change it more frequently, but the average car owner would have just followed Audi's poor advice.

The last thing I heard was from one of the VPs at the dealer. He said he talked to the regional rep and was told that one of the problems with the engine is that it runs too cold to burn off sludge before it can accumulate. I had heard about the hot turbo, but this surprised me.

I know the previous owner, and when I was considering buying it he specifically asked the service manager whether the car had any problems. The mgr said it did not and that any problems would still be covered by the warranty. Anybody who worked on this car would have known this car had a sludge problem and at the very least would be able to say that oil related problems would not be covered.

They were also inconsistent in that they covered work like the replaced oil pump, but once admitting the sludge problem, they were even going to charge me over $300 to have the valve cover put back on so that I could drive it out of there. I had it towed out.

--Art

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Taka Mizutani 
  To: Arthur Marks 
  Cc: quattro at audifans.com 
  Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 12:43 PM
  Subject: Re: Considering a 2000 or 2001 A4 avant


  Wow, talk about neglect- the engine internals in our 52k mile 1.8T at the time the head was pulled had a very light varnish of oil on the inside of the valve cover and head, but nothing else. A testament to Mobil 1.

  Taka

   
  On 10/13/05, Arthur Marks <aamarks at cox.net> wrote: 
    In addition to what's been said about checking the oil change interval records to determine the likelihood of sludge, remove the oil filler cap and look inside. It's really that easy (assuming the seller hasn't taken any curative measures). I wish I had done this. I plan on writing up a page to tell my whole sludge story (and no, Audi did not cover it -- longest oil change interval by previous owner was 12400 miles. If you want to think well that's why and that a car changed at the 10000+ specified intervals is OK you'd be deluding yourself, but at least Audi should cover it in that case). For now have a look at my valve cover. 

    http://server5.theimagehosting.com/image.php?img=valve_cover_sludge_3.jpg

    --Art


    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Wallace White
    To: quattro at audifans.com
    Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 8:16 PM
    Subject: Considering a 2000 or 2001 A4 avant


    --snip--
    - 1.8T oil sludge: what oil regimen should I be looking for? 
    --snip--
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