oil changes

[dpiggee]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum, but I have been checking things out since September, 2003. I have just purchased an RS6, and I am totally blown away by this car!!! I bought the car in Illinois, however, I live in Wisconsin. I also got an opportunity to meet one of your members while I was familiarizing myself with the controls. He was driving a silver beast and was as excited as I was!!! I have a question about oil changes. I read the scheduled maintenance booklet, and it indicates that oil changes are only needed every 5000 miles. Am I being paranoid, or shouldn't you change the oil more frequently on turbo-charged cars? Maybe every 3000 miles or so? Any advice would be appreciated. By the way, my RS6 is Mugello blue, with the warm weather package, and the sound enchanced exhaust. Thank you.


dpiggee

[nene]

I believe that according to Audi, the 'free' oil changes will part of the maintenance at 5k and every 10K miles after the 5K service. To tell you the truth, I did my 5K mile service with the odometer reading 7.3K miles, and it was fine. No oil missing, even though it's usual for Audi's to burn a bit of oil in their first 5K miles.

Changing the oil would probably depend on how hard you drive, if you track the car, or if you do any long commutes or occasional drives.

I plan to stick to the Audi maintenance schedule. Unless, I think I've driven the car too hard between maintenance schedules, or I do a long trip. I think what Audi recommends is fine.
It's important however to keep checking the oil level occasionally, to make sure that it has not gone down too low. Now that is very important.

[Erik]

Check the oil level, fill up if needed, and stick to the Audi schedule.

One thing you might want to add is an oil change for the tiptronic when you have your car in for service.

[Aronis]

I agree with frequent oil changes. I am not yet due for my first, but I bought a case of the proper oil from VW dealer (12 quarts) so that I have more than the one free quart on hand at home.

My dealer is 3 hours away, in Albany, so I will do my own oil changes. I will go for the first service at 5 K, and add Sat Radio along with the service (although I have seen posts about the Sat Radio Installation messing up the On-Star).

I am going to buy 10 filters, by the way, the oil filters for the A6 4.2 were 30 bucks or so each, and for the RS 6 they are only 11 bucks, so I am told.

The biggest pain about the oil change is that plastic shroud that covers the underside of the car. AND BE CAREFUL since the Auto Transmission plugs looks just like the engine oil plug!

My big concern with Dealer Service is MISTAKES. I had my 1997 M3 in for the 30,000 mile check which was only the second time I had the dealer service it. This was in the winter, so I was doing winter easy driving. In the early spring I began more spirited driving and heard lifter noise (YIKES), checked the oil, which was low, added TWO quarts, and did an oil change the next day in the driveway, of course it was snowing that day. I only got out 4 quarts, after having added two, it called for 7. I watched for ANY sign of a leak or burning and there were no signs. Checked the oil weekly for next few months, no drop. Bottom line, the EXPERT mechanic only put in 2 quarts! My stupidity for not checking the oil sooner, but it was only over a two month period. Of course they would not admit that such a thing could have happened, I just wanted the 5 quarts more oil that I paid for, the bastards.

Soooo, more frequent oil changes - more chances for mess up!

I read the comment about having the Tip Fluid changed as well! Watch out for that one. The only way to check the level is to put your finger up inside the transmission and 'feel' for it to see if the level is correct. There is NO ACCESS from the top, no easy way to add fluid, and no dipstick to check it! Sooooo if you trust them to change it frequenly, you may pay the big price of loosing your transmission. I had this happen on a Honda I once drove! too long of a story, but Shit Happens.

Stick to the recommended service plan.

Mike

[GoFastKindaGuy]

Yipeee! Another RS in Wisconsin. Sounds like you may have met my buddy, Rex. He bought a silver after he saw mine.

Stick to the oil schedule: 5K then 10K thereafter. Int'l Auto does good service in my experience. The only exceptions would be either a) heavy track driving or b) short, frequent starts and stops, where the engine fluids don't get up to temperature. Under the latter, fuel dilution of the oil can reduce the lubrication. It dilutes as the light ends of the gas (which invariable gets past the rings into the crankcase) don't boil out of the oil.

My 2 cents.:cheers:

[Bauer]

Hey guys-

I haven't look at the service schedule book, but my car says service in 500 miles which would put me at about 10,700 miles. I called the dealer to ask if an oil change would be done and they told me yes. So that means my car would be telling me every 5k for oil changes....I think I will confere with the service book.

Also, my thought is that 10k is too much, my oil looks fairly dirty at 5K....if it is 10k I think I am going to pay to do it every 5K. I would assume there is a difference depending on how you run the car as well.:cheers:

[Aronis]

For the most part, even a high performance car like the RS 6 should only need oil changes, as opposed to other adjustments.

The transmission fluid should rarely be a problem, although the service recommendation is to have it changed, probably at 50,000 miles. That system is a closed system, and the fluid should be good for a long time.

The oil changes are not difficult to do, and if you are a true car guy, you do it yourself! Like my M3 before, I intend to drive my RS 6 HARD and change the oil every 5 k. I did it more frequently in the M3, every 3,000, since it was infinitely easier to change the oil and filter in the M3, than the A6 line. The oil filter in the A6 /RS 6 is a pain to get to without a lift and it is parrallel to the ground, so it is still full of oil when you unscrew it! Read as MESSY.

Only three more months of winter roads, can't wait, tired of driving on ice/snow...

Mike

[Bauer]

and if you are a true car guy, you do it yourself!

Mike,

I have personally done much work on Audis. Replaced engines, transmission, rebuilt heads, replace suspension, breaks ect, ect...just about everything on an Audi. I do not change the oil or do any repairs to my cars anymore for lack of time. This does not mean I am not a "true car guy". On the contrary, I love cars especially Audi's and I consider myself a car guy in a big way.:cheers:

Hope your roads thaw quickly!!!

[Bauer]

Dealer changed my oil at 10K as part of regular maintence. I know there has been some going back and forth....sounds like the service interval on some of our cars my be programed differently.:cheers:

[Klint]

Originally posted by Aronis
For the most part, even a high performance car like the RS 6 should only need oil changes, as opposed to other adjustments.

The transmission fluid should rarely be a problem, although the service recommendation is to have it changed, probably at 50,000 miles. That system is a closed system, and the fluid should be good for a long time.

The oil changes are not difficult to do, and if you are a true car guy, you do it yourself! Like my M3 before, I intend to drive my RS 6 HARD and change the oil every 5 k. I did it more frequently in the M3, every 3,000, since it was infinitely easier to change the oil and filter in the M3, than the A6 line. The oil filter in the A6 /RS 6 is a pain to get to without a lift and it is parrallel to the ground, so it is still full of oil when you unscrew it! Read as MESSY.

Only three more months of winter roads, can't wait, tired of driving on ice/snow...

Mike

Mike,

You've just volunteered yourself for rs6.com's own step by step photo guide on how to change the oil/oilfilter on the rs6. ;)

Only kidding mate. :bye:

:addict:

[iconcls]

Being an old time turbo guy, old habits die hard, I'm doing mine every 5K; therefore, every other one will be on my dime.

[Bauer]

Icon-

It appears that I will be getting oil changes every 5K FREE as part of the regular maintence....atleast that is how tha car is programed....still have not looked at the book maybe I ll do that today:rolleyes: I guess some cars are programed every 10K an others are every 5K?????? Very strange.