Q5 Bob

What do you do if you need warranty work, recall etc.?

Bob Petruska

Well you just removed the special break in oil that helps seat the piston rings properly to prevent oil burning......I hope that you are lucky!!!

motoguy128

+1 on break-in oil. maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't, maybe 1000k is enough breakin, but some engine wear is good.

You also introduce potential contaminants. Changing is a necessary evil, but ideally, fluids would never break down and everything would remain sealed. Auto assembly areas are practically clean rooms where they fill these systems.

Cooling system and brakes are best left sealed until they much be changed.

Changing transmission and differentials is just a waste of money.

I could see doing it early at maybe 30k. But I wouldn't change the coolant until the recommended. I think it's 5 years or 60k or 75k. Can't remember.

To each their own.

sszyma

Oil burning is hit or miss. Worst case I burn oil and pull the engine at some point and rebuild. I've done this on track cars more times than I can count. When I bled the brakes you would be suprised at the air content on the factory fill!

sszyma

Even if you don't change fluid its a good idea to free all the fill plugs so down the road they can easily be removed again.

DimaA6_ABC_Kiev

My dealer told me there is no any special break in oil, engine already went through break in using external electrical motor.

sszyma

Blackstone analysis seems to agree with this statement.

Bob Petruska

the Audi factory fill in most petrol (gasoline) engines is...........

503.01 spec, Castrol SLX Professional Powerflow Longlife III, 0W-30 this oil was a joint development between VW/Audi and Castrol to break in engines properly, it has a controlled wear
to seat rings properly.

Most dealers in the US then change oil with Castrol Edge Syntec 5W-40 which has more lubrication properties due to the higher viscosity and doesn't match the better ring seating
of the previous Powerflow oil type.

The Powerfllow may also contain more zinc and phosphorous which helps lubricate certain engine parts.

ex-quattro PETE

Bob, what is the source of this info?

Bob Petruska

From VW engineering (Euro) back in 2011. I worked for Fairchild Semiconductor as a new product development engineer in automotive electronics (mostly ignition), remember the big 2002 ignition failure problem, wasn't Fairchild electronics, it was Motorola. VW/Audi was our biggest customer and I had a lot of good contacts with that engineering group. When the big Audi problem of engine oil burners developed I asked why is this happening, as I had a relative with an oil burner, of course they wouldn't give me a reason as I didn't have a need to know. I did ask if there is a special break in oil factory fill and the above was what they told me. From what I gathered also is that VW/Audi 2.0L engines had low tension rings installed and the cylinder walls had only a very slightly honed cross-hatch pattern to almost none. It just never worked properly to seat rings to the cylinder wall out of round flaws as would happen with a more aggressive cross-hatch pattern. Ever notice that owners who had the piston/rings replaced in an oil burner engine immediately state that their fuel mileage decreased, this is due to the dealer's more aggressive cross-hatch honing and higher tension rings during the rebuild increasing friction. I wouldn't be surprised if the TSB for the piston/ring change calls for conventional dino oil to seat things quicker. I will find out if dino oil is used, I have a good contact for that. I'm not sure what the current factory cross-hatching pattern is like but all I know is that my 2014 2.0L consumes almost no oil between oil changes. I drive my new cars like I stole them from day one. The day I left the dealer I got on I81 and ran the **** out of that engine at red line, up/down shift all the way home. I have built many engines in my life and always break them in with this technique and was always successful. As stated in an above post the engine is prerun at the factory with an electric motor to break it in somewhat. If you ever look at the production line video, the assembled vehicle is placed on a dyno chassis at the end and the engine is ran at redline for a fairly long time. If it didn't break then, it's not going to break for the owner no matter how he breaks it in.