24wheeler

Honda's tend to be bought by gentle, steady, retired folk around here and they do tend to burn oil as a result. As a result? Yes. Honda engines, just like BMW and VW/Audi engines are made of hard wearing durable materials, real quality stuff, which needs to be driven reasonably hard to bed in, certainly not gently driven over the first few thousand miles. In fact Honda engines are the sportiest of all engines as a species, being generally very high revving with maximum power and torque both peaking at very high revs. Very much a young man's engine. Give a new one to a boy racer and you can guarantee an engine that performs to its potential and doesn't use a drop of oil. As long as it is reasonably serviced it will just go on and on with no problems.

DUTCH VanAtlanta

I beg to disagree.

I only buy new cars. These have included Honda, MB, Porsche, Audi and VW.

For the first 1000 miles I am easy on the engine - no hard acceleration, no high speeds, no long periods of constant speed and no trailer pulling. The oil and filter gets changed at 1k-2k miles. I, then, start to use the power. Oil and filter are changed at 5k miles and every 5k after that. None of those engines (a dozen or more in the last 25 years) has used any oil after the initial 1k-2k miles.

YMMV, but that is my experience.

24wheeler

I would agree with the way you run it in apart from I would prefer to load it moderately, but that doesn't mean revving it too high in the first 1000 miles. I would certainly not change the oil that soon on any modern car unless specified in the official schedule. European supplied Audi vehicles have a variable service schedule with no early first oil change. The oil in my Audi gets changed every 15000 to 16500 miles. I have a friend who had a diesel Allroad and he ran it for 200,000 miles with oil changes every 20,000 miles, which actually came up every 10 to 11 weeks, and its engine was as good as new when he sold it as far as anyone could tell and never needed any top-ups.

DUTCH VanAtlanta

MB used to have a sealed and no service for life recommendation on their auto trannies. "Life" far too frequently seemed to end shortly after the warranty expired; so they have now changed their recommendation: fluid and filter change at 40k miles (60k km).

My cars may not need oil change and filters every 5k miles, but it makes me happy - especially on the new diesels with oil specifications formulated with far less additives to protect the DPF. Less additives = more wear; which, for me, means 5K oil changes w/filter.

24wheeler

They don't have less additive, they have different ones. They still pass the same tests to meet their long-drain performance specification but are of low sulphated ash and phosphorous.
I do not believe that MB have lowered transmission oil change intervals in Europe other than to specify a change at 100,000 miles where they did say 'life' before. They will last for between 150,000 to 200,000 miles with an average driver without changing the oil but the oil does start to go out of specification at around 100,000 miles. I intend to change the oil in my ZF, which is also 'sealed for life' at around 90,000 miles whether it needs it or not, just like you, because it will make ME feel better.
I know of no wear issues with engines on the flexible drain interval and most engines, unless neglected, and with a bit of luck, last longer than the economic life of the car. Most are scrapped for reasons other than mechanical wear, mainly age related to crash damage, general wear and cost of parts like brakes and exhausts, or just pure lack of any value due to age and no demand. This is a particular problem with larger cars.
I have an Isuzu currently that is 18 years old and is quite roadworthy but is surplus to requirements due to my father's old age and him being stopped from driving. It is mechanically very good but it has a value of £200 as scrap plus the residual value of its road tax. All those oil changes and now it will be sold for some parts and the crusher.

ezgo

No problem with q7 nor the a8 but the a4 do burn about 1qt every 5 to 6 thousand miles.

Maui19

I can't believe that oil consumption number either: a GALLON of oil every 1,300 miles is ok!?

I have only needed to add oil to my Q7 twice. Both times were within a week of getting my oil changed, so I'm guessing the mechanics didn't allow for the extra oil needed when changing the oil filter.

pchansen

3.3 qts/1000 miles is NOT normal for any engine! If I had to guess, I'd would say the valve guides are shot. Now you have cats working overtime scrubbing the exhaust and eventually with this much oil being burned, you ruin the cats as well. My 4.2 burns about .5 quart/5000 miles. If you can document your oil consumption and oil changes, I would be all over Audi for a NEW engine and NEW catalytic converters.

heatonrx

Sorry was to be 0.33 qts not 3.3!

5audi

I have the same engine. First 5K no problem. Ever since first oil change, been adding a quart about every 1800 miles. Will be contacting the dealer soon.