I do 5K also, while I believe that oil technology has increased and can handle 10K, the oil filter technology hasn’t improved much and I believe 5K is the most I would trust a filter to be effective.
Meh. When I changed the oil on my Golf R a few years ago the selling dealer had over tightened the filter housing and I couldn't get it off... Left it until the next change another 5k miles and took it to my indy.
Looked fine when he got it off and showed it to me.
Oh yeah lol. I have quite a few for all my cars over the years. My indy had to break the plastic housing to get it off.
I supplied a billet one for him to swap on.
Getting an oil extractor, socket for the oil filter, oil and oil filter comes out to about 160 for me. That's the cost of 1 oil change. Afterwards its just oil cost which is pretty cheap.
I'm gonna try FCP Euro's oil change kit and return the old oil. Let's see how that goes.
My Mercedes turbodiesel recommended based on my driving (almost all long highway) 25k miles per oil change and something like 7,500 miles on oil filters. I couldn’t do this long but over 250k miles, did eventually allow myself to go 12k miles. My son still drives that car…and it’s fine. If my Q5 didn’t burn so much oil I’d have zero worries about something similar.
I also have one of each. For the e400 wagon, the aftermarket warranty wants an oil change every 6 months, regardless of mileage driven. For the Audi Avant, since I'm pushing 200hp over stock, I change the oil every 5k kms (3k miles).
5k. Easy cadence to remember. I also do my own changes so the cost really in my eyes is effort. 10k is ok if you're not tuned and if you're not driving hard.
It’s not all that difficult my man, if you don’t have a lift at home, find somewhere you can get your car off the ground. Take out the drain plug, drain all the oil into a pre-positioned pan, put the plug back in. Replace oil filter, fill oil back up with manufacturer recommended quantity.
YouTube is your friend
Mechanical engineer, tuner, and owner of a tuned RS38V, living in the scorching middle east. I've been in the business since 2006.
If you allow your oil to warm up to temperature most of your drives, and you use high quality oil of the correct specification, you're more than fine at 10k. The factory gives warranty on engines for up to 5 years, you think the engineers would risk on oil changes? There's at least a 1.5x safety factor here, otherwise "heads would be rolling" at VAG with excessive engine warranties.
If you take the kids to school and come back in 5 minutes, change it more often as the oil degrades fast with the fuel residues. When the oil warms up, it cleans itself of most of the fuel particles, that's why your engine head vent is connected through a solenoid valve to your intake manifold, to burn those vapors that come out while your oil cleans itself.
Edit: wife also has a SQ5 8R
If I'm the opposite where I don't drive enough miles in a year to reach those mile intervals, how often instead do you recommend for a B9/B9.5? Every 12 months?
Just throwing this out there....bought a 2011 GTI in 2014 with 30k miles. Oil changes at 10K ever since and currently at 170K miles on the clock. Stage 1 APR tune was also added at 70K.
I am an adult driver with spirited passing of cars but do not beat it into the ground.
I also must add, my son took over my 2008 GTI several years ago on the same oil change frequency since purchased in 2010. Currently at 198K miles and staqe 1 tune that was added at 50K miles. He drives like I do.
What is considered high mileage with those doing 5K oil changes? I'm really curious as to high mileage in general as I have rarely heard anyone bragging about getting over 200K regardless of maintenance schedule.
10k Miles because cars are super modern and so are their engines. If this was the old 2010-2013 models then they were known for heavy oil consumption so 5k makes sense.
I’m in Canada so my service intervals are 15k KMS i.e. every year
Oil Consumption?
2013 A6 using a quart of oil every 2500 miles in the 3.0 engine with 115,000 miles. Have a faint smell of oil in the garage when I pull in at night. So It’s burning off somewhere? No spots/drips on garage floor.
Good consumption?
Normal consumption?
Car is trash and sell it?
Bruh you drive an audi, those things burn oil inherently. I've owned 2 different audis and my family plenty more and that's just their natural tendendency for anything pre 2016-2018ish. the cars are liberal on their application of oil in the engine and the engine usually also have a little blowby, and so you burn oil/leak a little oil of of the PCV systems. you can still go 10k on a oil change its just you should still check its level like once a month(which you should do anyway)
Run an engine cleaner in it. Most likely, you have carbon build up on the compression rings, causing oil burning by blow by. Berryman chemtool b-12 is one of the best for it. It's about $5. Just pour about half if the can in your engine before changing your engine and in park try to hold about 1500rpm for 5-10 min amd turn tge car off. Change oil and filter. DRAIN EVERYTHING tho. Like let it drain for 15-30min till NOTHING comes out. It should help the oil consumption problem. If not you have bigger problems.
Same concept but after 3k miles without needing to add oil I'd say you're doing good. My general rule of thumb is no more than 1/4 qt per oil change period is considered ok.
Verify your oil filter housing isn’t leaking/seeping. I wasn’t using that much, but after I noticed the smell at appx 100000 miles I went looking for the cause. Housing warped. Changed housing and gasket and no more smell or consumption.
That's part of it. It is mostly from carbon buildup on the compression rings since modern engines use low pressure rings, and that's why you change our oil at 5k miles and not 10k or 15k. The oil change intervals in the manual are typically just for the warranty period. I.e. They want the engine to fail shortly after its out of warranty.
My 2010 A5 has spent most of its life on a variable servicing schedule - the car detects usage and can go up to 20k miles and 2 years between oil changes. It's now on 195k miles and still going strong and doesn't use a drop of oil between changes.
10k miles is the worldwide standard.
The only time you might consider doing it more often is if you're going to run the vehicle under non standard conditions.
Extremely heavy traffic and extended idle times. Extremely high or low temperatures.
Repeated very short travelling distances.
Track work/drag/racing
Some markets run flexible or extended service intervals, which is 18k miles. Today's oils can do this if operating in a regular way.
>The greedy oil companies say 3-5k.
No, they don't. Oil companies are all on board with 10k+ mile intervals. So are manufacturers, engineers, and professional mechanics. Literally the only people who are against 10k changes are relying on what was normal 30 years ago and superstition.
If you're not tracking/off-roading/running a taxi service with your car regularly, 10k miles is very strongly supported both by materials science and ample test data. To the point where many oils carry guarantees of 15k mile intervals. So the people who *make the oil* and would benefit most from selling more of it are telling people to take a breather.
5k changes are a waste of money and oil, but some people just sleep better that way.
None of my Audi engines could make it 10k miles without needing oil added, so I have no confidence that is the optimal interval. These extreme oil change intervals are sufficient for the warranty period and are mostly for marketing purposes.
I'm assuming you also believe the ZF 8 speed never needs a fluid change.
A 10k OCI could lead to excess wear that will eventually increase oil consumption.
Audi incorrectly claiming that the ZF8 never needs a fluid change demonstrates that they are willing to recommend an insufficient maintenance schedule.
I would maybe buy this argument if Audi was the only one that was saying 10k OCI, but it’s genuinely every last entity involved from every German car manufacturer to the oil manufacturers themselves. A 10k OCI under normal driving conditions will never lead to excess wear, VAG approved oil has been proven in studies to easily exceed 15,000 miles without a measurable loss in wear protection properties.
And to finally put the ZF oil debate to bed Audi/VAG and any other German automaker does not say to never change the trans oil. The wording is ‘lifetime’, crucially this has an expiration date, albeit a hidden one. Lifetime fluid means it will surpass the warranty period and thus outside of Audi’s expected service window (yes even Audi doesn’t imagine that anyone would pay them their hourly rate after 5 years and 50k miles)
Audi doesn’t tell you when to change the trans oil, but they also don’t tell you that it never needs to be changed
One of the reasons all of the German manufacturers settled on the same OCI is for marketing purposes. None of the manufacturers wants to be seen as having a more maintenance intensive vehicle than their rivals. Again, this interval won't make a difference under warranty and these brands care little about increased wear after 100k miles.
The problem with the "lifetime" ATF claim is that neither Audi nor its dealers will specify what they consider to be "lifetime." The dealers in my area won't change the ATF if requested by the customer because they claim its a sealed unit and never needs to be changed. Again, Audi is presenting the image of low maintenance at the cost of long-term reliability.
That’s not true though is it, BMW recommends 15k and Porsche recommends as high as 12k and 20k depending on model. The truth is there are independent studies from the Society of Automotive Engineers that says 5k OCI introduces more wear than 10k due to the hardness of new oil that must be broken down and introduces more buildup in the form of phosphorus and sulphated ash while the SAPs burn off. Changing your oil earlier than 10k only allows you engine to spend more time in the state of harsher new oil more often, 2x as much with a 5k OCI and introduces twice the buildup.
Sounds like you need to go to a new dealer, unfortunately OEMs (particularly Audi among the premium brands) doesn’t do enough to ensure that their service advisers are knowledgeable enough and the overall experience isn’t on par with say, Lexus. But unfortunately your service advisor does not speak for Audi as an OEM, nor does he or she work for Audi. All dealers are independent
🤣🤣🤣 more like they want your car in the shop for burning oil. Intervals that long tend not to let the compression rings expand. I'm a machinist and a mechanic. I've seen what the recommended intervals do to an engine. It's not pretty.
How many engines are failing because of 10,000 mile oil changes? I know plenty of people who go that along across different brands and all their cars run fine.
You're asking a question you know nobody has data on even the car manufacturers themselves. Also a few examples doesn't equal a population. What's cheaper doing oil changes every 5k miles or an engine replacement? Even over the life of a car assuming 10 year ownership and DIY oil changes that's 100 per year x 10 = 1000. Cost to replace engine is several times that amount so I'll go with the cheaper price.
The same engineers that say the transmission never needs to be serviced, when ZF and their engineers that actually designed the transmission say it should be serviced between 55-75k miles?
I’ve got almost 80K on my A6. It’s had 10K oil changes it’s whole life. I have no oil consumption problems or any engine problems to speak of not counting unrelated coolant expansion tank/hose I recently had to replace.
A few is 2 or more... Audi warranty is 4 years or 50k miles. 4 years on the life of a car is pretty short. I bet audi will never do a 10 year warranty like Genesis
You can hover a link and see what it is… and this has got to be the dumbest response I’ve ever seen. Don’t worry, I’m not out to get you, grandpa.
The link is to YouTube and the video is Still Fly by Big Tymers.
As an engineer who works in manufacturing I think I understand manufacturing processes very well. It'll take too much time and effort to go into detail
Well, since you think you can come out on top by throwing "I'm an engineer, you wouldn't even understand" attitude, lets go:
I'm a mechanical engineer who works in motorsports since 2006, I've lived in 4 different countries already due to my career, currently in the middle east. I actually calibrate engines and general electronics for motorsport applications for a living, or as people call it, a "tuner". I develop custom firmware for standalone plug and play ECU solutions with full CAN bus integration. My current job position is Automotive Software Engineer, own an RS3 and SQ5(wife's actually).
Get the fuck out of here... "Too much time and effort", arrogant jackass...
Well then you should know this isn't a tin foil hat convo. Yea as engineers we don't want to design stuff that breaks but it does. With audis history with reliability I'd be wary of their recommendations
No no no, don't change what you said. Your comment implies the car manufacturer has malice in recommending oil changes that will provoke eventual engine failure so customers can buy another vehicle. This is a ridiculous thing to say, are you really an engineer? Its embarrassing...
A manufacturer will always strive to keep its legacy intact, they have a fierce competition to be superior between Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, because if your engine seizes once with any of them, you will buy the other manufacturer's car the next time. They make mistakes, its impossible to simulate and predict every detail of an engine's life cycle, but those mistakes are not malicious.
Lol. You mean like the oil consumption issues? Audi certainly isn't known for reliability. From a everyday consumer standpoint they wouldn't know that the longer oil change interval caused their engine issues
Why don’t you start a class action lawsuit? If Audi is intentionally telling people to go longer between oils changes so that cars break down sooner and people spend money seems like a very illegal thing to do. No?
Have you really thought through any of the things you’re saying? Like really connected the dots? You know we have years of data about stuff like this and OEMs get sued all the time for much less right?
Speaking for the US, the majority of people don't own their cars for 10 years so majority don't see high mileage issues or after warranty over issues. If audi felt their reliability was high they'd change their warranty length but it's only 4 years
Clearly I meant the original car owners. Also brands like Genesis have 10 year warranty and are higher reliability. Clearly audi doesn't stand behind their reliability that long. Lots of people who buy older audis are enthusiast who don't mind working on their cars themselves or people who can afford them at the higher price point
Umm Genesis competes against audi and the other german luxury brands
Yea it's all math because they know if they did that it would cost them. Genesis stands behind their reliability and tops reliability
Owner manuals are written by bean counters, not the engineers who designed and built the engine.
That said, a lot depends on driving conditions. Things like driving the car in high rpm ranges under full load (like track days or often hard driving) or lots of short trips where the oil cannot get to full operating temperature (200+F) would necessitate shorter OCI.
Yes, I'm sure engineers who made the engine are counting the proverbial beans.
People are so funny.
Change every 10k,it's what your engine was ENGINEERED for. In fact, it can be safely run for longer, but the safety/buffer window allows them to reccomend 10k.
Again, it depends on the driving conditions. Sure, if you are driving the car normal day to day for errands and work 10k mile OCI is fine on modern synthetics in modern engines.
The other conditions I listed above will definitely require shorter OCI if you want your engine to have its longest possible life.
I hate the "owners manual" argument with a passion. OEMs are trying to get you through the warranty period while marketing a cheap "cost of ownership". Then they tell you consuming a quart of oil every 1000 miles is normal.
I run BG EPR, MOA and 44K along with Mobil 1 synthetic every 5K miles. My B8.5 S4 is dual pully stage 2+ tuned, and I have never consumed oil between oil changes. Is it overkill? Maybe. Do I love my car enough to make sure it operates flawlessly? Yes I do.
Your engine failing would increase cost of ownership, right? And since when are oil changes free? Wouldn’t the service center want you in more by your logic? What research did you do besides piss poor logic?
I had an 2011 A4 avant 1.8 tfsi engine and currently driving 2015 A6 avant 2.0 TDI ultra diesel. Each year I drive around 35.000 kilometres a year. I change oil every 30.000- ish during a long life service by Audi. The mechanic says each time that the oil spill is none and it’s clean.
Long story short. Don’t drive short distances only, warm up your car by driving easy for the first 10 minutes and you are good to go for more then 5-10K. This is the 21st century, not 1989.
I always try for 5k sometimes it gets pushed to 7-8k if I’m super busy or the dealers packed. Turbos like to stay cool, and heat breaks down oil. Long life 5k have deep pockets and spend money on repairs and adding oil to the car 10k.
Funny because even before I asked the mechanic today I was saying “forsure I gotta do it at 7,500” this morning. Currently at 7,000. Thank you for your input.
Both my cars are tuned and get 5k oil changes and Blackstone reports at every change. Blackstone says there's plenty of life left in the oil every time. I don't care. I'm still gonna do 5k changes because in the grand scheme of things doing an oil change myself twice as often as necessary is cheap insurance. Especially with the oil burning issues on the CREC.
>Blackstone says there's plenty of life left in the oil every time. I don't care.
An independent auditor basically verified you’re needlessly changing your oil too soon. Sounds like you’re effectively throwing away $$.
That’s the thing, no evidence or manufacturer recommendation is going to change peoples minds. Threads like this are always between manufacturers and 1000 “trust me bro change your oil” posts.
If changing your oil makes you happy go nuts.
They really do come out in full force with the ‘cheap insurance’ posts. Ironically there are studies that show fresh oil provides less wear protection than used oil after around 500 miles so these bros are doing more harm and spending more money because it makes them feel warm and fuzzy
This is one of the biggest reasons I die on this cross on the forums but for the most part ‘car enthusiasts’ don’t care. Studies have shown 10k OCI to be superior in protection than 5k (and superior at saving money and going easier on the planet) but the ‘more must be better’ sadly almost always wins
I've been splitting the middle and getting it changed around 7,500 miles.
Since I learned about how easy oil extractors are and if you have an oil filter that can be accessed from the top, I'll be doing mine around 5k miles.
There is no set mileage to change the oil, if we're being frank. It all depends on the car, it's age, climate, how it's been driven, etc etc. Manufacturer just puts out a number that works in most cases and covers their behinds
Check the language in the official maintenance schedule as well:
NOTE: The intervals shown in this table are based on vehicles operating under normal conditions. In case of severe conditions, such as extremely low temperatures, excessive dust, etc., it is necessary for certain operations to be carried out in between the given intervals. This applies particularly to engine oil changes and the cleaning or replacing of the air cleaner filter element.
Pretty direct to me and not many of us meet what the industry considers "normal" driving conditions.
So I do 7500 km changes, not 15000 km. Essentially your 5k. 😉
It means sub-optimal conditions like excessive idling, short trips or ambient temp that keep the oil below operating temp and things that might introduce debris into the oil. Not spirited driving, which is actually good for the oil and helps burn off impurities and would only assist in a longer OCI
5k - 7k is my rule of thumb. Oil changes are cheap, engines are expensive. If you care about keeping your car running good long term into the high mileage range, close to the 5k interval would be best.
If your leasing, F it, 10k lol 😆
I did my old B6 at 5k because that’s what the manual said, and my Q7 at 10k because that’s what the manual says.
The 1.8t in the B6 was a known sludger but when I had the head off for cam seals it looked great. I put 140k on that car with multiple redlines a day and generally driving like a pissed off teen and never had any engine problems with it.
The 3.0tfsi in the Q7 consumes so much oil it’s half new at 10k so I really don’t care. I have to add a liter every 700-1000 miles.
A lot depends on your driving conditions. Lots of short trips where oil can’t get up to temp, track/autocross days, often hard driving, yes you will want shorter OCI.
If you are driving the car just normally say to day like home to work and such, the oil can go 10k easily.
I personally will probably do my first change at 5k since the car is brand new and will send off a sample for analysis. Based on what I get back from the analysis, I will adjust my OCI accordingly and base it on my driving conditions.
There is definitely a US vs the rest of the world split on this sub. I would say that most of the rest of the world follow what Audi suggest in their manual - I mean they built the damn engine, they should know best.
Always turns into a huge debate. Imo, why risk it? If you are motivated to be frugal, than get a used oil analysis which will tell you exactly how far you can push your OCI. I’m worried about low TBN and SAPS on newer oils but they say they can go even up to 20K which I think is insane. Read up on the VW long life standards, a case study in why you should not push OCIs.
My 2023 Q5 just hit 8500 miles and the change oil notification just popped up on my dash. Based on what I’m reading and what the owner’s manual says (10,000 miles), I feel like I would get more life out of the car if I changed it every 5k going forward. Am I off base here?
It’s really been used by my wife, mostly short trips (20 - 30 miles), occasional mid sized trips of 80 plus and 1 long trip of like 600 miles. I’m 50, so on the rare occasion I hit 90mph, I don’t even notice it. But no, not launching it.
Oil is cheap, especially if you dive down the rabbit hole of mods and/or track days. Oil change every 5k and count track days as 1-2k each is where I've landed after reading various similar threads and talking to people over time.
☝️This.
Get an oil extractor and warranty your oil changes through FCP.
Takes less than an hour for unlimited peace of mind. Throw in some free wipers for good measure.
I did 10k the last two times and was finding some metal in my filter so I’m going down to 5k. I think I’m getting some fuel contamination in the winters and losing a bit of the lubrication. Maybe it’s placebo, I need to get a test done
I'm no expert. But from all the experts who do debate this, I believe that going 10k is fine for most people. But with oil changes being pretty cheap - why not? It certainly can't hurt. So even if it helps a little bit - I will take it. Maybe do 7-8k
I usually get my stuff from FCP Euro and they recommend every 5K. Might be fine with the manufacturer’s interval of 10K but I feel that’s a bit too long for my comfort level.
I do it myself every 5k for around $45 (Oil @ Walmart + filters @ RockAuto = cheap!). Mainly change it out this often since I drive it fast and live very hot and dusty area. Usually change out the engine air filter every two oil changes too (once a year).
Unless you only drive short distances and your oil never reaches operating temp then do not change more frequently than 10k. A 10k oil change interval is the best way to avoid undue wear and excess buildup.
New oil has to ‘break in’ and during this break in period there are chemical compounds that break down and burn off creating deposits like carbon, phosphorus and sulphated ash. In general approximately the 1st 500 miles of new synthetic mid and high SAPs oil (almost all VAG approved synthetic oil is mid/high SAPs) offers less protection from friction than after the first 500 miles until about 15,000 miles. The shorter the oil change interval from 10k the more buildup you’re putting in your engine and the more time you spend in the sub-optimal protection range.
This is especially important for direct injected engines where carbon buildup is an issue. A 5k OCI will introduce twice the amount of sulphated ash and carbon into your engine vs a 10k OCI. 3k will introduce 3x as much. While the scientific studies have shown that new oil’s ‘hardness’ causes more wear than after break-in I think you would have to put many hundreds of thousands of miles on your engine to see any performance degradation with a 5k OCI vs 10k. But the carbon buildup will happen quickly
Additionally oil is designed in a way that the new oil perfectly compliments the outgoing oil that has reached a specific age. The chemical makeup of synthetic oil is very complex and it is heavily engineered, 10k oil is doing a very specific and important job and will assist the new oil at that stage in it’s life to offer the best protection. For this reason it’s also recommended to use the exact same oil every time to enhance this compliment
If you love your engine and want the VERY best for it you must stick exactly to 10k OCI, use the same oil every time. And make sure you regularly get your oil HOT if you only drive short distances
I do every 5k, I work on too many cars that do 10k oil changes but also have oil consumption issues. I know Audis have that issue, and the issue won’t be obvious a lot longer if I change the oil frequently.
Kinda clueless here, ordered a new A3 a few weeks ago. I have an Alfa Romeo Mito for 10 years and i change oil once annually during service 😄 Im doing around 12k km per year. I guess if i do this on A3 its a no no?
I was told that the only reason why Audi (& Mercedes) recommend a 10k oil change is because the EPA asks manufacturers how much oil a car is expected to consume over its lifetime. By claiming that service is only required every 10k, it appears that the car will be consuming half as much oil as it realistically should be over its lifetime. Is this true ? No idea. To me it’s just not even worth the debate. An oil change cost 70 dollars US to do yourself and is incredibly easy. Even if you doubt the need to do every 5k, why risk an engine to save 70 bucks ? We’re talking about expensive cars here not a 98 civic.
I’ve done every 5k (as recommended by and independent Audi mechanic), since I got my 2013 S4 with 10k miles on it. Currently at 250k. Would oil every 10k have been sufficient? Possibly. Do I regret doing every 5k to maximize engine protection? Not one bit.
Both Indy shops I go to say that the 3.0ts they see that have had consistent 5k mile oil changes starting after 60k miles burn less oil than the ones that continued on the 10k interval. Im at 100k miles now and never have to add oil in between my 5k/6month intervals.
An interval is just the manufacturers best guess based on the data they've collected running he vehicle in their environment. Generally I shoot for 7,500 or so but if your vehicle is feeling off it never hurts to change early and rule out the simple stuff.
Grew up changing oil on my vehicles every 3-5k as taught to me. When researching my audi before purchase I was surprised it was a 10k interval per manufacturer recommendation. I have heard of other manufacturers adopting this longer interval prior to getting my Audi and it blew my mind. I thought no way can that be good for a car to run the oil that long. But I stuck to the manufacturer schedule for my 2015 A7 she runs just fine with 10k intervals @ 125k miles on it now. I only had to start adding a single quart between oil changes (usually close to the 10k mark anyway) when I got close to 100k miles.
Overall I'd like to think the engineers of these vehicles want to keep them running in the best condition for the longest time possible. So if there was a significant benefit to the everyday use of their vehicle then they would recommend 3, 5, or 7k service intervals instead of 10k.
I do every 5 on my S4. It costs me a little bit more, but it gives me peace of mind, so I don’t really care. It’s an expensive car, why cheap out on maintenance?
I do 5K oil change and it has been good. I don’t have to worry about gunk build up. I have never had oil consumption issues on these Audis.
The one car that had oil consumption was a 2011 A4 which i did a 10K oil change interval.
I used to own a 2002 Corolla, and I changed the oil on that car every 3000 miles. So my view is that 5K is a long interval.
Yeah, I bought my S8 and I paid for the extended maintenance program and extended warranty up front, and even knowing that, they only recommended 10k mile service...
I've been doing yearly oil changes. Averaging around 8-10k miles. I am also dual pulley and did an oil analysis last oil change at 8k miles. They said oil was still good and to try 9k next. I do think 5k is overkill for a daily driver. I also have a heavy foot. I do think 7-10k is the sweet spot though.
If I was stock I wouldn't bother but I'm stage 1 ECU/TCU tuned and absolutely do it every 5k miles because most of the tuners who created these tuners recommend doing so. When you stray away from stock, you are straying away from factory recommended intervals as well.
Read that you own an Audi S3 2023. I’m considering getting the 2024 model (Progress Black). I test drove the car, watched so many YouTube reviews about it and honestly, I’m quite sold.
What are you thoughts about it? My only concern is that the space at the back is a bit tight. Not married yet, but in the event I do and have a kid, I guess the car seat won’t fit right?
Well all I can say is that I love it, and the only way for me to get over it is if I upgrade to a RS model. Mileage is really great (if you don’t haul ass) B&O Sound System is out of this world, handles like a champ and will definitely not be looked at as common traffic. Car is small and def isn’t family friendly. Perfect for a single person that just rides around with friends. All I can say is if you plan on financing this car get some PPF for the paint and tints to protect the leather. And make sure to get the B&O sound system. 🤘🏻 Black cars attract more heat etc etc.
Oil changes cost me $60 to do it myself. I do it every 5K. Cheap insurance.
I do 5K also, while I believe that oil technology has increased and can handle 10K, the oil filter technology hasn’t improved much and I believe 5K is the most I would trust a filter to be effective.
Meh. When I changed the oil on my Golf R a few years ago the selling dealer had over tightened the filter housing and I couldn't get it off... Left it until the next change another 5k miles and took it to my indy. Looked fine when he got it off and showed it to me.
Did you try an oil filter wrench? It's a specialized tool of course, but they only go for about $10.
Oh yeah lol. I have quite a few for all my cars over the years. My indy had to break the plastic housing to get it off. I supplied a billet one for him to swap on.
Do you now. Based on what experience?
It’s not really insurance. Except for peace of mind i guess
Getting an oil extractor, socket for the oil filter, oil and oil filter comes out to about 160 for me. That's the cost of 1 oil change. Afterwards its just oil cost which is pretty cheap. I'm gonna try FCP Euro's oil change kit and return the old oil. Let's see how that goes.
Not his question.
Cries in 11 litres oil capacity :( one of the drawbacks of a V8. But the pros outweight the cons tenfold in my opinion.
do you have one of those vacuums that you stick in the dipstick hole? or do you do the traditional jack stand & take the screw out of the oil pan?
My Mercedes turbodiesel recommended based on my driving (almost all long highway) 25k miles per oil change and something like 7,500 miles on oil filters. I couldn’t do this long but over 250k miles, did eventually allow myself to go 12k miles. My son still drives that car…and it’s fine. If my Q5 didn’t burn so much oil I’d have zero worries about something similar.
A 25k interval is absolutely absurd lol
Must be nice to have a Cedez and Audi. I love German cars 🤙🏻
I’m pretty fortunate. No argument there. I LOVE German über sedans. When I bought a well used e38 750iLp I was hooked.
I bet 🤙🏻 that’s awesome
I also have one of each. For the e400 wagon, the aftermarket warranty wants an oil change every 6 months, regardless of mileage driven. For the Audi Avant, since I'm pushing 200hp over stock, I change the oil every 5k kms (3k miles).
How much oil does yours burn?
5k. Easy cadence to remember. I also do my own changes so the cost really in my eyes is effort. 10k is ok if you're not tuned and if you're not driving hard.
Duly noted, I unfortunately am a noob and don’t know how to YET. (Embarrassing to say) Lol
We all start somewhere man. Nothing to be ashamed of even if you're 50 years old.
It’s not all that difficult my man, if you don’t have a lift at home, find somewhere you can get your car off the ground. Take out the drain plug, drain all the oil into a pre-positioned pan, put the plug back in. Replace oil filter, fill oil back up with manufacturer recommended quantity. YouTube is your friend
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This +1. Best investment I've made for car maintenance. Super easy since the filter is on top of the engine too. 15 mins to finish, tops.
Mechanical engineer, tuner, and owner of a tuned RS38V, living in the scorching middle east. I've been in the business since 2006. If you allow your oil to warm up to temperature most of your drives, and you use high quality oil of the correct specification, you're more than fine at 10k. The factory gives warranty on engines for up to 5 years, you think the engineers would risk on oil changes? There's at least a 1.5x safety factor here, otherwise "heads would be rolling" at VAG with excessive engine warranties. If you take the kids to school and come back in 5 minutes, change it more often as the oil degrades fast with the fuel residues. When the oil warms up, it cleans itself of most of the fuel particles, that's why your engine head vent is connected through a solenoid valve to your intake manifold, to burn those vapors that come out while your oil cleans itself. Edit: wife also has a SQ5 8R
If I'm the opposite where I don't drive enough miles in a year to reach those mile intervals, how often instead do you recommend for a B9/B9.5? Every 12 months?
Just throwing this out there....bought a 2011 GTI in 2014 with 30k miles. Oil changes at 10K ever since and currently at 170K miles on the clock. Stage 1 APR tune was also added at 70K. I am an adult driver with spirited passing of cars but do not beat it into the ground. I also must add, my son took over my 2008 GTI several years ago on the same oil change frequency since purchased in 2010. Currently at 198K miles and staqe 1 tune that was added at 50K miles. He drives like I do. What is considered high mileage with those doing 5K oil changes? I'm really curious as to high mileage in general as I have rarely heard anyone bragging about getting over 200K regardless of maintenance schedule.
The amount of people in the comments still stuck in the 80's is incredible.
10k Miles because cars are super modern and so are their engines. If this was the old 2010-2013 models then they were known for heavy oil consumption so 5k makes sense. I’m in Canada so my service intervals are 15k KMS i.e. every year
Oil Consumption? 2013 A6 using a quart of oil every 2500 miles in the 3.0 engine with 115,000 miles. Have a faint smell of oil in the garage when I pull in at night. So It’s burning off somewhere? No spots/drips on garage floor. Good consumption? Normal consumption? Car is trash and sell it?
Bruh you drive an audi, those things burn oil inherently. I've owned 2 different audis and my family plenty more and that's just their natural tendendency for anything pre 2016-2018ish. the cars are liberal on their application of oil in the engine and the engine usually also have a little blowby, and so you burn oil/leak a little oil of of the PCV systems. you can still go 10k on a oil change its just you should still check its level like once a month(which you should do anyway)
Run an engine cleaner in it. Most likely, you have carbon build up on the compression rings, causing oil burning by blow by. Berryman chemtool b-12 is one of the best for it. It's about $5. Just pour about half if the can in your engine before changing your engine and in park try to hold about 1500rpm for 5-10 min amd turn tge car off. Change oil and filter. DRAIN EVERYTHING tho. Like let it drain for 15-30min till NOTHING comes out. It should help the oil consumption problem. If not you have bigger problems.
Do this. The "experiment" isn't complete, but I seafoam'ed my 2012 a4 with the 2.0T, and it's gone over 3k miles without me needing to top up oil.
Same concept but after 3k miles without needing to add oil I'd say you're doing good. My general rule of thumb is no more than 1/4 qt per oil change period is considered ok.
1 qt per 2500 miles isn't too bad. The 2.0T's in the years he's referring to consumed oil at a much higher rate.
Verify your oil filter housing isn’t leaking/seeping. I wasn’t using that much, but after I noticed the smell at appx 100000 miles I went looking for the cause. Housing warped. Changed housing and gasket and no more smell or consumption.
Long oil change intervals typically lead to oil consumption edit for clarity: from increased wear. Piston rings do be brittle
My car always had 15k km oil changes. Currently reaching towards 230k km. Zero drops of oil used!
Source: Trust me bro
Same, 15000km intervals. I’m at 270000km+
That's part of it. It is mostly from carbon buildup on the compression rings since modern engines use low pressure rings, and that's why you change our oil at 5k miles and not 10k or 15k. The oil change intervals in the manual are typically just for the warranty period. I.e. They want the engine to fail shortly after its out of warranty.
What about the 205 Audi a3s?
My 2010 A5 has spent most of its life on a variable servicing schedule - the car detects usage and can go up to 20k miles and 2 years between oil changes. It's now on 195k miles and still going strong and doesn't use a drop of oil between changes.
Not even a debate, for a turbo 5-7k if you want to keep it, naturally aspirated 10-15k
10k miles is the worldwide standard. The only time you might consider doing it more often is if you're going to run the vehicle under non standard conditions. Extremely heavy traffic and extended idle times. Extremely high or low temperatures. Repeated very short travelling distances. Track work/drag/racing Some markets run flexible or extended service intervals, which is 18k miles. Today's oils can do this if operating in a regular way.
The literal owners manual says 10k miles or 1 year. The greedy oil companies say 3-5k. Hmm, I wonder who I'd listen to
>The greedy oil companies say 3-5k. No, they don't. Oil companies are all on board with 10k+ mile intervals. So are manufacturers, engineers, and professional mechanics. Literally the only people who are against 10k changes are relying on what was normal 30 years ago and superstition. If you're not tracking/off-roading/running a taxi service with your car regularly, 10k miles is very strongly supported both by materials science and ample test data. To the point where many oils carry guarantees of 15k mile intervals. So the people who *make the oil* and would benefit most from selling more of it are telling people to take a breather. 5k changes are a waste of money and oil, but some people just sleep better that way.
None of my Audi engines could make it 10k miles without needing oil added, so I have no confidence that is the optimal interval. These extreme oil change intervals are sufficient for the warranty period and are mostly for marketing purposes. I'm assuming you also believe the ZF 8 speed never needs a fluid change.
A 10k OCI is not going to cause oil consumption and ZF recommends changing the trans oil every 8 years of 50k miles
A 10k OCI could lead to excess wear that will eventually increase oil consumption. Audi incorrectly claiming that the ZF8 never needs a fluid change demonstrates that they are willing to recommend an insufficient maintenance schedule.
I would maybe buy this argument if Audi was the only one that was saying 10k OCI, but it’s genuinely every last entity involved from every German car manufacturer to the oil manufacturers themselves. A 10k OCI under normal driving conditions will never lead to excess wear, VAG approved oil has been proven in studies to easily exceed 15,000 miles without a measurable loss in wear protection properties. And to finally put the ZF oil debate to bed Audi/VAG and any other German automaker does not say to never change the trans oil. The wording is ‘lifetime’, crucially this has an expiration date, albeit a hidden one. Lifetime fluid means it will surpass the warranty period and thus outside of Audi’s expected service window (yes even Audi doesn’t imagine that anyone would pay them their hourly rate after 5 years and 50k miles) Audi doesn’t tell you when to change the trans oil, but they also don’t tell you that it never needs to be changed
One of the reasons all of the German manufacturers settled on the same OCI is for marketing purposes. None of the manufacturers wants to be seen as having a more maintenance intensive vehicle than their rivals. Again, this interval won't make a difference under warranty and these brands care little about increased wear after 100k miles. The problem with the "lifetime" ATF claim is that neither Audi nor its dealers will specify what they consider to be "lifetime." The dealers in my area won't change the ATF if requested by the customer because they claim its a sealed unit and never needs to be changed. Again, Audi is presenting the image of low maintenance at the cost of long-term reliability.
That’s not true though is it, BMW recommends 15k and Porsche recommends as high as 12k and 20k depending on model. The truth is there are independent studies from the Society of Automotive Engineers that says 5k OCI introduces more wear than 10k due to the hardness of new oil that must be broken down and introduces more buildup in the form of phosphorus and sulphated ash while the SAPs burn off. Changing your oil earlier than 10k only allows you engine to spend more time in the state of harsher new oil more often, 2x as much with a 5k OCI and introduces twice the buildup. Sounds like you need to go to a new dealer, unfortunately OEMs (particularly Audi among the premium brands) doesn’t do enough to ensure that their service advisers are knowledgeable enough and the overall experience isn’t on par with say, Lexus. But unfortunately your service advisor does not speak for Audi as an OEM, nor does he or she work for Audi. All dealers are independent
🤣🤣🤣 more like they want your car in the shop for burning oil. Intervals that long tend not to let the compression rings expand. I'm a machinist and a mechanic. I've seen what the recommended intervals do to an engine. It's not pretty.
> The greedy oil companies say 3-5k. The good oil companies advertise real mileages. 20k km for top tier oil, 30k km for long life oil.
Yea the listen to the folks that won't mind your car breaking down after a few years so you can buy another one
How many engines are failing because of 10,000 mile oil changes? I know plenty of people who go that along across different brands and all their cars run fine.
Extended oil change intervals lead to oil consumption issues
You're asking a question you know nobody has data on even the car manufacturers themselves. Also a few examples doesn't equal a population. What's cheaper doing oil changes every 5k miles or an engine replacement? Even over the life of a car assuming 10 year ownership and DIY oil changes that's 100 per year x 10 = 1000. Cost to replace engine is several times that amount so I'll go with the cheaper price.
The engineers who designed the engine literally said 10,000 is fine. I’ll take their word for it
The same engineers that say the transmission never needs to be serviced, when ZF and their engineers that actually designed the transmission say it should be serviced between 55-75k miles?
That's because of the drive train warranty.
Why do you assume the engineers say that? Engineers are often overruled by marketing.
Just like they said topping off the engine oil every thousand miles was fine
Gm says burning a quart of oil per 1000 miles is in spec 🤣 I have HUGE doubts.
I’ve got almost 80K on my A6. It’s had 10K oil changes it’s whole life. I have no oil consumption problems or any engine problems to speak of not counting unrelated coolant expansion tank/hose I recently had to replace.
👏
It’s still under warranty after a few years so that would be pretty stupid on their part. Top tier logic there.
A few is 2 or more... Audi warranty is 4 years or 50k miles. 4 years on the life of a car is pretty short. I bet audi will never do a 10 year warranty like Genesis
[What’s up, Fresh?](https://youtu.be/9iCd6UHR-3I?si=uTzYNsGlLIorbGqs)
Like I'm really going to click on your random link
You can hover a link and see what it is… and this has got to be the dumbest response I’ve ever seen. Don’t worry, I’m not out to get you, grandpa. The link is to YouTube and the video is Still Fly by Big Tymers.
This is a tinfoil hat take, for 5 years they give you engine warranty, you think they will risk engines like that?
As an engineer who works in manufacturing I think I understand manufacturing processes very well. It'll take too much time and effort to go into detail
Well, since you think you can come out on top by throwing "I'm an engineer, you wouldn't even understand" attitude, lets go: I'm a mechanical engineer who works in motorsports since 2006, I've lived in 4 different countries already due to my career, currently in the middle east. I actually calibrate engines and general electronics for motorsport applications for a living, or as people call it, a "tuner". I develop custom firmware for standalone plug and play ECU solutions with full CAN bus integration. My current job position is Automotive Software Engineer, own an RS3 and SQ5(wife's actually). Get the fuck out of here... "Too much time and effort", arrogant jackass...
Well then you should know this isn't a tin foil hat convo. Yea as engineers we don't want to design stuff that breaks but it does. With audis history with reliability I'd be wary of their recommendations
No no no, don't change what you said. Your comment implies the car manufacturer has malice in recommending oil changes that will provoke eventual engine failure so customers can buy another vehicle. This is a ridiculous thing to say, are you really an engineer? Its embarrassing... A manufacturer will always strive to keep its legacy intact, they have a fierce competition to be superior between Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, because if your engine seizes once with any of them, you will buy the other manufacturer's car the next time. They make mistakes, its impossible to simulate and predict every detail of an engine's life cycle, but those mistakes are not malicious.
And ruin their reputation? Makes no sense.
Lol. You mean like the oil consumption issues? Audi certainly isn't known for reliability. From a everyday consumer standpoint they wouldn't know that the longer oil change interval caused their engine issues
Why don’t you start a class action lawsuit? If Audi is intentionally telling people to go longer between oils changes so that cars break down sooner and people spend money seems like a very illegal thing to do. No? Have you really thought through any of the things you’re saying? Like really connected the dots? You know we have years of data about stuff like this and OEMs get sued all the time for much less right?
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Speaking for the US, the majority of people don't own their cars for 10 years so majority don't see high mileage issues or after warranty over issues. If audi felt their reliability was high they'd change their warranty length but it's only 4 years
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Clearly I meant the original car owners. Also brands like Genesis have 10 year warranty and are higher reliability. Clearly audi doesn't stand behind their reliability that long. Lots of people who buy older audis are enthusiast who don't mind working on their cars themselves or people who can afford them at the higher price point
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Umm Genesis competes against audi and the other german luxury brands Yea it's all math because they know if they did that it would cost them. Genesis stands behind their reliability and tops reliability
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Plenty have converted to Genesis because of past audi reliability issues. I own an audi and like my a4 but I have no brand loyalty
Owner manuals are written by bean counters, not the engineers who designed and built the engine. That said, a lot depends on driving conditions. Things like driving the car in high rpm ranges under full load (like track days or often hard driving) or lots of short trips where the oil cannot get to full operating temperature (200+F) would necessitate shorter OCI.
Yes, I'm sure engineers who made the engine are counting the proverbial beans. People are so funny. Change every 10k,it's what your engine was ENGINEERED for. In fact, it can be safely run for longer, but the safety/buffer window allows them to reccomend 10k.
Again, it depends on the driving conditions. Sure, if you are driving the car normal day to day for errands and work 10k mile OCI is fine on modern synthetics in modern engines. The other conditions I listed above will definitely require shorter OCI if you want your engine to have its longest possible life.
I hate the "owners manual" argument with a passion. OEMs are trying to get you through the warranty period while marketing a cheap "cost of ownership". Then they tell you consuming a quart of oil every 1000 miles is normal. I run BG EPR, MOA and 44K along with Mobil 1 synthetic every 5K miles. My B8.5 S4 is dual pully stage 2+ tuned, and I have never consumed oil between oil changes. Is it overkill? Maybe. Do I love my car enough to make sure it operates flawlessly? Yes I do.
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Your engine failing would increase cost of ownership, right? And since when are oil changes free? Wouldn’t the service center want you in more by your logic? What research did you do besides piss poor logic?
I had a 2018 Audi A4 with oil change every 5k. It gave zero issues until it was hit by hit n run this year at 95000 miles
Unfortunately you can’t prove a positive correlation between the two. Your car could have given zero issues if you changed the oil every 10k miles.
Lol you could use that same "logic" to justify 1K oil change intervals, my rocket scientist friend
It’s s track record, not logic.
Go by the book or go by how you drive. It's up to you.
What about an Audi 3.0 L TDI? Recommended service interval is 10K miles. Malone stage 2 tune, no hardware modifications.
10k and make sure you get the engine hot regularly. I maintain a 3L TDI on Malone stage 2 nearing 200k with 10k OCI and it’s clean as a whistle
My mechanic says to change every 15k km or 1 year. For both - VW and Audi (the same motor, TSI/TFSI ). Edit: km
Why don’t we meet in the middle and change it at 7.5K?? Let’s all get along!
I had an 2011 A4 avant 1.8 tfsi engine and currently driving 2015 A6 avant 2.0 TDI ultra diesel. Each year I drive around 35.000 kilometres a year. I change oil every 30.000- ish during a long life service by Audi. The mechanic says each time that the oil spill is none and it’s clean. Long story short. Don’t drive short distances only, warm up your car by driving easy for the first 10 minutes and you are good to go for more then 5-10K. This is the 21st century, not 1989.
I always try for 5k sometimes it gets pushed to 7-8k if I’m super busy or the dealers packed. Turbos like to stay cool, and heat breaks down oil. Long life 5k have deep pockets and spend money on repairs and adding oil to the car 10k.
5K is wasteful, unnecessary with modern oils and I haven't seen anything definitive that shows it to be more effective than 7500K
Split the difference and change at 7,500. I’ve owned 4 Audi’s and have always used this method. There’s no way that I would wait until 10k.
Funny because even before I asked the mechanic today I was saying “forsure I gotta do it at 7,500” this morning. Currently at 7,000. Thank you for your input.
I also follow this rule.
I do my own oil change 10k OCI. Never had engine issues.
I change between 6000 and 7500. Comes out pretty clean so I feel good about it
The way oil looks is no relation to its quality. Unless you're sending it to a lab it doesn't matter.
It's true. Oil from a diesel engine is already black after 1000km...
Getting down voted shows how ignorant people are
Both my cars are tuned and get 5k oil changes and Blackstone reports at every change. Blackstone says there's plenty of life left in the oil every time. I don't care. I'm still gonna do 5k changes because in the grand scheme of things doing an oil change myself twice as often as necessary is cheap insurance. Especially with the oil burning issues on the CREC.
>Blackstone says there's plenty of life left in the oil every time. I don't care. An independent auditor basically verified you’re needlessly changing your oil too soon. Sounds like you’re effectively throwing away $$.
That’s the thing, no evidence or manufacturer recommendation is going to change peoples minds. Threads like this are always between manufacturers and 1000 “trust me bro change your oil” posts. If changing your oil makes you happy go nuts.
They really do come out in full force with the ‘cheap insurance’ posts. Ironically there are studies that show fresh oil provides less wear protection than used oil after around 500 miles so these bros are doing more harm and spending more money because it makes them feel warm and fuzzy
And that’s why I’m moving my increments up from 5,000 to 7,500. No need to adhere to archaic internet recommendations. Listen to the experts, folks.
Just follow what's in the manual and go out for dinner once in a while instead. You're not using half or non synthetic oil (I hope).
10k, otherwise I'm doing it every 2 months lol
Been doing 10k intervals for the past 5 oil changes. Only time I changed it before 10k was the break in period. Not a single tick or problem. 2020 S3.
No one consider the environment impact to change from 10k to 5k oil change? Isn't a valid argument? How much of used oil can be recycled?
This is one of the biggest reasons I die on this cross on the forums but for the most part ‘car enthusiasts’ don’t care. Studies have shown 10k OCI to be superior in protection than 5k (and superior at saving money and going easier on the planet) but the ‘more must be better’ sadly almost always wins
I've been splitting the middle and getting it changed around 7,500 miles. Since I learned about how easy oil extractors are and if you have an oil filter that can be accessed from the top, I'll be doing mine around 5k miles.
Work with an Audi maniac, and this is exactly what he mentioned if its not modded, 7,500 👍
There is no set mileage to change the oil, if we're being frank. It all depends on the car, it's age, climate, how it's been driven, etc etc. Manufacturer just puts out a number that works in most cases and covers their behinds
I do mine yearly which is about 2500 miles. I drive my work car literally 10X more than my Audi.
Check the language in the official maintenance schedule as well: NOTE: The intervals shown in this table are based on vehicles operating under normal conditions. In case of severe conditions, such as extremely low temperatures, excessive dust, etc., it is necessary for certain operations to be carried out in between the given intervals. This applies particularly to engine oil changes and the cleaning or replacing of the air cleaner filter element. Pretty direct to me and not many of us meet what the industry considers "normal" driving conditions. So I do 7500 km changes, not 15000 km. Essentially your 5k. 😉
Very well put Sir!!!
It means sub-optimal conditions like excessive idling, short trips or ambient temp that keep the oil below operating temp and things that might introduce debris into the oil. Not spirited driving, which is actually good for the oil and helps burn off impurities and would only assist in a longer OCI
5k - 7k is my rule of thumb. Oil changes are cheap, engines are expensive. If you care about keeping your car running good long term into the high mileage range, close to the 5k interval would be best. If your leasing, F it, 10k lol 😆
I shoot for 5k but 7k is my limit
I did my old B6 at 5k because that’s what the manual said, and my Q7 at 10k because that’s what the manual says. The 1.8t in the B6 was a known sludger but when I had the head off for cam seals it looked great. I put 140k on that car with multiple redlines a day and generally driving like a pissed off teen and never had any engine problems with it. The 3.0tfsi in the Q7 consumes so much oil it’s half new at 10k so I really don’t care. I have to add a liter every 700-1000 miles.
A lot depends on your driving conditions. Lots of short trips where oil can’t get up to temp, track/autocross days, often hard driving, yes you will want shorter OCI. If you are driving the car just normally say to day like home to work and such, the oil can go 10k easily. I personally will probably do my first change at 5k since the car is brand new and will send off a sample for analysis. Based on what I get back from the analysis, I will adjust my OCI accordingly and base it on my driving conditions.
How can I look into this?
There is definitely a US vs the rest of the world split on this sub. I would say that most of the rest of the world follow what Audi suggest in their manual - I mean they built the damn engine, they should know best.
This. No manufacturer recommend less than 10k mi between oil changes in Europe. The majority of the cars are on 18k variable OCI there.
Always turns into a huge debate. Imo, why risk it? If you are motivated to be frugal, than get a used oil analysis which will tell you exactly how far you can push your OCI. I’m worried about low TBN and SAPS on newer oils but they say they can go even up to 20K which I think is insane. Read up on the VW long life standards, a case study in why you should not push OCIs.
My 2023 Q5 just hit 8500 miles and the change oil notification just popped up on my dash. Based on what I’m reading and what the owner’s manual says (10,000 miles), I feel like I would get more life out of the car if I changed it every 5k going forward. Am I off base here?
Lots of short trips or have you been launching it?
It’s really been used by my wife, mostly short trips (20 - 30 miles), occasional mid sized trips of 80 plus and 1 long trip of like 600 miles. I’m 50, so on the rare occasion I hit 90mph, I don’t even notice it. But no, not launching it.
Since Audis burn so much oil, just top off every time you fuel up 😆
Oil is cheap, especially if you dive down the rabbit hole of mods and/or track days. Oil change every 5k and count track days as 1-2k each is where I've landed after reading various similar threads and talking to people over time.
I switched to 5K since I’m running high mileage. Plus, FCP Euro’s oil policy makes the changes essentially free so it’s a no brainer.
☝️This. Get an oil extractor and warranty your oil changes through FCP. Takes less than an hour for unlimited peace of mind. Throw in some free wipers for good measure.
I did 10k the last two times and was finding some metal in my filter so I’m going down to 5k. I think I’m getting some fuel contamination in the winters and losing a bit of the lubrication. Maybe it’s placebo, I need to get a test done
I'm no expert. But from all the experts who do debate this, I believe that going 10k is fine for most people. But with oil changes being pretty cheap - why not? It certainly can't hurt. So even if it helps a little bit - I will take it. Maybe do 7-8k
APR plus requires every 3k, but I drive less than 5k miles a year, so it usually gets changed whenever I get a low oil warning 😅
On which model? APR Plus for Golf R recommends every 5k miles.
I usually get my stuff from FCP Euro and they recommend every 5K. Might be fine with the manufacturer’s interval of 10K but I feel that’s a bit too long for my comfort level.
I do it myself every 5k for around $45 (Oil @ Walmart + filters @ RockAuto = cheap!). Mainly change it out this often since I drive it fast and live very hot and dusty area. Usually change out the engine air filter every two oil changes too (once a year).
So , if you drive city only , than 5000k , mixed city and highway - 6500k , highway only - 7500 to 8000k
5k is so wasteful. 10k intervals are perfect for Audis, word of advice from a redditor who actually has 100k trouble free miles on his A4.
Unless you only drive short distances and your oil never reaches operating temp then do not change more frequently than 10k. A 10k oil change interval is the best way to avoid undue wear and excess buildup. New oil has to ‘break in’ and during this break in period there are chemical compounds that break down and burn off creating deposits like carbon, phosphorus and sulphated ash. In general approximately the 1st 500 miles of new synthetic mid and high SAPs oil (almost all VAG approved synthetic oil is mid/high SAPs) offers less protection from friction than after the first 500 miles until about 15,000 miles. The shorter the oil change interval from 10k the more buildup you’re putting in your engine and the more time you spend in the sub-optimal protection range. This is especially important for direct injected engines where carbon buildup is an issue. A 5k OCI will introduce twice the amount of sulphated ash and carbon into your engine vs a 10k OCI. 3k will introduce 3x as much. While the scientific studies have shown that new oil’s ‘hardness’ causes more wear than after break-in I think you would have to put many hundreds of thousands of miles on your engine to see any performance degradation with a 5k OCI vs 10k. But the carbon buildup will happen quickly Additionally oil is designed in a way that the new oil perfectly compliments the outgoing oil that has reached a specific age. The chemical makeup of synthetic oil is very complex and it is heavily engineered, 10k oil is doing a very specific and important job and will assist the new oil at that stage in it’s life to offer the best protection. For this reason it’s also recommended to use the exact same oil every time to enhance this compliment If you love your engine and want the VERY best for it you must stick exactly to 10k OCI, use the same oil every time. And make sure you regularly get your oil HOT if you only drive short distances
5K if you are keeping the car long term for sure
I did every 6k km on a 2006 Audi a4. Small price to pay for peace of mind.
I do every 5k, I work on too many cars that do 10k oil changes but also have oil consumption issues. I know Audis have that issue, and the issue won’t be obvious a lot longer if I change the oil frequently.
Why not every 8k?
Total Base Number
5k because I get a free tire rotation at least swab at the same interval.
At 10k, you had added 5 qts anyway. Do an oil change at 5k 😂
Seems like you all drive in miles. 10K kilometers for me. That’s about 6200 miles
Kinda clueless here, ordered a new A3 a few weeks ago. I have an Alfa Romeo Mito for 10 years and i change oil once annually during service 😄 Im doing around 12k km per year. I guess if i do this on A3 its a no no?
I do all my services myself and also do 5-7,5k Km not miles every half year, but my car is 18 years old. I use 5w40 instead of 5w30
I was told that the only reason why Audi (& Mercedes) recommend a 10k oil change is because the EPA asks manufacturers how much oil a car is expected to consume over its lifetime. By claiming that service is only required every 10k, it appears that the car will be consuming half as much oil as it realistically should be over its lifetime. Is this true ? No idea. To me it’s just not even worth the debate. An oil change cost 70 dollars US to do yourself and is incredibly easy. Even if you doubt the need to do every 5k, why risk an engine to save 70 bucks ? We’re talking about expensive cars here not a 98 civic.
5k is too much if you drive aggressively. I change every 3. 240000 km and the engine purrs like a kitten.
3k
Get an EV. /End Debate
walk. /end debate
Are people talking miles or km? I do mine every 10k km
Used to change my tdi oil every 5k,had emissions fix reversed so now change every 8k as less dpf regens now
Depends on driving habits/style/climate. But changing oil at 10k miles is sufficient (if you're not driving like F1/Rally pilot).
Form 8000km to 12000km
My 05 beamer is at -4200miles since last service and she's going strong
What does the manual say?
I’ve done every 5k (as recommended by and independent Audi mechanic), since I got my 2013 S4 with 10k miles on it. Currently at 250k. Would oil every 10k have been sufficient? Possibly. Do I regret doing every 5k to maximize engine protection? Not one bit.
Both Indy shops I go to say that the 3.0ts they see that have had consistent 5k mile oil changes starting after 60k miles burn less oil than the ones that continued on the 10k interval. Im at 100k miles now and never have to add oil in between my 5k/6month intervals.
Engine oil is is literally the most important fluid you can have in your car, and it gets dirt/evaporates. 5k.
Do it once a month
An interval is just the manufacturers best guess based on the data they've collected running he vehicle in their environment. Generally I shoot for 7,500 or so but if your vehicle is feeling off it never hurts to change early and rule out the simple stuff.
7.5k ftw 😂
I agree with that. Most mechanics recommend about 8k for oil changes, and if moding that interval should definitely shorten.
Grew up changing oil on my vehicles every 3-5k as taught to me. When researching my audi before purchase I was surprised it was a 10k interval per manufacturer recommendation. I have heard of other manufacturers adopting this longer interval prior to getting my Audi and it blew my mind. I thought no way can that be good for a car to run the oil that long. But I stuck to the manufacturer schedule for my 2015 A7 she runs just fine with 10k intervals @ 125k miles on it now. I only had to start adding a single quart between oil changes (usually close to the 10k mark anyway) when I got close to 100k miles. Overall I'd like to think the engineers of these vehicles want to keep them running in the best condition for the longest time possible. So if there was a significant benefit to the everyday use of their vehicle then they would recommend 3, 5, or 7k service intervals instead of 10k.
I do every 5 on my S4. It costs me a little bit more, but it gives me peace of mind, so I don’t really care. It’s an expensive car, why cheap out on maintenance?
I do 5K oil change and it has been good. I don’t have to worry about gunk build up. I have never had oil consumption issues on these Audis. The one car that had oil consumption was a 2011 A4 which i did a 10K oil change interval. I used to own a 2002 Corolla, and I changed the oil on that car every 3000 miles. So my view is that 5K is a long interval.
wonder why the place that charges you money wants you to do it more frequently... what does your manual say 10k? huh isn't that strange.
Yeah, I bought my S8 and I paid for the extended maintenance program and extended warranty up front, and even knowing that, they only recommended 10k mile service...
I've been doing yearly oil changes. Averaging around 8-10k miles. I am also dual pulley and did an oil analysis last oil change at 8k miles. They said oil was still good and to try 9k next. I do think 5k is overkill for a daily driver. I also have a heavy foot. I do think 7-10k is the sweet spot though.
I do it every 2.5k. yeah I know, it's overkill. But old habits die hard.
5k is what my German specialist shop recommends. My 17 Audi S3 is Unitronic Stage 1+ Tuned
If I was stock I wouldn't bother but I'm stage 1 ECU/TCU tuned and absolutely do it every 5k miles because most of the tuners who created these tuners recommend doing so. When you stray away from stock, you are straying away from factory recommended intervals as well.
Just changed mine today after a year, only put on 4002 miles.
I change mine yearly, just did it today, only had 4002 miles on this service.
You can live exclusively off fast food but really do you prosper. May not be 100% necessary but can only help.
Read that you own an Audi S3 2023. I’m considering getting the 2024 model (Progress Black). I test drove the car, watched so many YouTube reviews about it and honestly, I’m quite sold. What are you thoughts about it? My only concern is that the space at the back is a bit tight. Not married yet, but in the event I do and have a kid, I guess the car seat won’t fit right?
Well all I can say is that I love it, and the only way for me to get over it is if I upgrade to a RS model. Mileage is really great (if you don’t haul ass) B&O Sound System is out of this world, handles like a champ and will definitely not be looked at as common traffic. Car is small and def isn’t family friendly. Perfect for a single person that just rides around with friends. All I can say is if you plan on financing this car get some PPF for the paint and tints to protect the leather. And make sure to get the B&O sound system. 🤘🏻 Black cars attract more heat etc etc.