A8OneDay

Has anyone experienced an oil sludge problem in the 3.0? I change my oil with synthetic and Audi parts only. My car has only 77,000 miles. The low oil pressure light came on and shortly after broke down on the side of the highway. I had it towed to Audi. The dealership is trying to tell me it is going to cost me $4700 and that it was my fault. They said this has been a problem in the 1.8 but not in the 3.0. I am trying to fight them on saying that there is some sort of underlying problem because I have always taken care of it and done exactly as the manufacturer has specified. Has anyone else had these problems? Any advice?

Magnetoz

if you use good oil with frequent changes, its unlikely to cause major damage... How long did you drive after the low pressure warning. You should have shut the car off immediately. If you continued to drive for any length then you are probably the cause of substantial damage, even if the car first malfunctioned.

I do everything i can to dissuade people from the 3.0. Do a search for "3.0 sludge".

Also, go somewhere else besides the dealer.

A8OneDay

It came on and less than 10 miles down the road it shut off. When I noticed it I slowed down to lower the RPMs. They also said there was a crack in either the case or shaft (cannot remember), is that something that was caused or could it be an underlying problem that was there before?

Magnetoz

cam shaft has been known to crack as a result of sludge.

A8OneDay

So is this a manufacturer's problem or mine? I cannot imagine it being it being my problem as the car does not even have 80,000 miles yet and I have diligently taken care of it according to Audi specifications. Does this happen a lot with the 3.0s?

Magnetoz

even if it is a manufacture defect, if you are out of warranty and there are no recalls, you're probably stuck with the problem.

Audi service intervals are notoriously inadequate on almost all models, and need more frequent oil and routine maintenance than recommended.

If you would have shut down the engine immediately upon the oil pressure warning, you might have saved yourself a lot of damage and possibly any chance to make a claim against the manufacturer.