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Low Oil on borrowed car

Apparently she's scheduled for the 5000 mile service next week.

I'm on the insurance FWI, when she goes out of town she lets me drive it but I usually just park it at the office and keep riding my motorcycle.

I'm in Foster City BTW.
 
afm199 said:
Any labeled oil sold in America is cross compatible (meaning it will mix and work with other labeled oils). If the car is down a quart, one quart will do it a world of good. When you do an oil change, throw in the "right stuff" if you believe in it.
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Yes, conventional oil and synthetic oil will mix, just like olive oil will mix. However, it is not going to end well if that mixture is kept in there long term. It may not blow up in the 80 mile drive, but why bother with an unconventional oil mix for the sake of $25 in a borrowed vehicle?

I did state that any oil is better than no/low oil, but it appears in this instance the OP has choices, so why take unnecessary shortcuts to save $25? It's not like he's stranded on the side of the road and the corner gas station only has conventional/olive oil.

The A3 most likely has a turbo. That turbo spins very fast and creates lots of heat. A synthetic oil is needed to draw heat away and needs to withstand the higher temperatures without breaking down like a conventional oil will. If the A3 has a diesel engine, an even more specific synthetic diesel oil will be needed that has soot suspension properties, something a non-diesel or conventional oil may not have.

-I put the proper diesel specific synthetic oil in my turbo diesel Volkswagens (TDIs).
-I put conventional diesel specific oil in my 1989 Ford F350.
-Separately, if I had a gasoline vehicle, I would fuel it up with the recommended octane.
These points are just to illustrate that I don't just buy into the "it's more expensive, it must be better for my vehicles" line.

afm199 said:
If the car is burning oil it doesn't really matter that much, it's nicely contaminated anyway.
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The car could be low because it's burning it at a high rate, or it could be low because it's got a normal amount of consumption but the car hasn't been tended to in a long while. In either case, putting the proper oil in is the only "right" thing to do.

He's sick, just let him suffer/die. (drive it as is)
What? No, just give him some soup. That'll fix him. (random oil off the shelf)
No, no, he needs a call to the advice nurse and over the counter drugs. (proper oil)
Send him to the hospital in an ambulance. (dealership)
 
HappyHighwayman said:
Hope the 22 miles I put on it didn't hurt it.
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You probably came very close to completely grenading that motor. Be happy you stopped when you did. If the low oil light comes on you stop ASAP. If the oil pressure is low the engine is not properly lubricating itself. Think about the pressures generated in an ICE and speeds at which parts are moving against each other. If there isn't lubrication between those metal surfaces the engine will destroy itself in short order. As far as other damage I'm not sure. While you didn't seize the engine its possible that the heat/friction/grit generated may have damaged some of the bearings. The longevity of the motor may be compromised. I'd ask a trusted/skilled mechanic if the motor needs to be taken apart and inspected. If those damaged components are replaced now before the motor has some other catostrophic failure it might save the owner from needing to buy a new block.
 
Raz_Diesel said:
You probably came very close to completely grenading that motor. Be happy you stopped when you did. If the low oil light comes on you stop ASAP. If the oil pressure is low the engine is not properly lubricating itself. Think about the pressures generated in an ICE and speeds at which parts are moving against each other. If there isn't lubrication between those metal surfaces the engine will destroy itself in short order. As far as other damage I'm not sure. While you didn't seize the engine its possible that the heat/friction/grit generated may have damaged some of the bearings. The longevity of the motor may be compromised. I'd ask a trusted/skilled mechanic if the motor needs to be taken apart and inspected. If those damaged components are replaced now before the motor has some other catostrophic failure it might save the owner from needing to buy a new block.
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at the least, during the oil change I'd strain the drain oil in a paint strainer and cut the oil filter open and check for metal.

Then put the new oil in, drive it for 100 miles and do it again.
 
Crisis temporarily averted. Bought 2 quarts, put one in, started car, no light.

Keeping the other one handy though.
 
A3 is probably 5W 40 (hard to find unless you go to places like autozone). I suspect it is a turbo (known oil burners). Just top off the right oil or at least the closest to spec.

PS: Have been doing this for a long time on my passat.
PPS: Running dry on oil will kill your engine and require expensive repairs.
 
HappyHighwayman said:
Apparently she's scheduled for the 5000 mile service next week.

I'm on the insurance FWI, when she goes out of town she lets me drive it but I usually just park it at the office and keep riding my motorcycle.

I'm in Foster City BTW.
Click to expand...

is she hawt / Pics or didn't happen :twofinger
 
Oil Level indication and Oil Pressure light might not the same thing on these new fangled autos. IIRC there have been some models that have done away with the dipstick and replaced it with an idiot light.
 
Welcome to German engineering.

Just kidding.

Most supercharged or turbo 4 bangers tend to have a bit of blow-by and typically push more oil into the intake system through the PCV. That A3's intercooler and ducting is likely coated in half a quart of oil. The older the motor the more it needs supplemental lubrication between services.

That being said- the vehicle may have one or both, oil pressure sensors or oil level sensors. Only an Audi tech can tell you what it has and which one will set off said light. And some cars do not have dipsticks and the oil level is checked by a sensor and displayed in the cluster in a menu.

Basic solution- put a quart of oil in it as you did. The filler cap or a sticker on the radiator support will generally denote the recommended oil weight. Generally speaking a 10-30 is a good weight to use if you need a quick top off and you don't know the recommended weight as it hits the most likely middle range. Mixing oil (weights, brands, synth/non synth) is not really an issue if you just need a quick top off on a car that is consuming or leaking oil. Most German cars are a high capacity and can take anywhere from 6-12 qts depending on the engine to attain their longer service intervals. One qt of a slight difference won't do squat to it on a top off.

All the entries about flushes and dealer pricing are quite funny, but everything has a time and a place. Between the requirements for the franchise and those loan cars and pastries in the service department- costs are higher at a dealer, but the service quality should reflect that. Flushes- they can buy some time on a sludged engine, but much of the damage is already done. I have actually done the trans fluid flush on a number of customer's engines mainly because the sludging had caused heat and lifter tap issues. Synthetic ATF is about 30 weight oil, so you just let the car run at idle and get nice and warm for about 1/2 an hour- drain it and change the filter and put in fresh oil.

But back to the OP- top off the oil, say thanks for the ride, and advise your buddy they need to take the car in for regular service if they plan on keeping it on the road a long time.
 
Yeah, a number of the newer German cars have no dipstick. But I think the A3 still has one. And yes, an oil LEVEL light, and an oil PRESSURE light are different, and have drastically different consequences. An oil LEVEL light is more common on the higher end cars of a particular brand though.

But the bottom line is simple. You NEED to check the oil level ASAP. Since you added a quart, and the light went out, go straight to the closest shop and ask them to show you how to check it. Any decent shop will help you out, and an experienced set of eyes will be a benefit. (I'd prefer you went to a German shop... But any port in the storm will do at this point)

If it was an oil LEVEL light, you're probably good to go.
If it was an oil PRESSURE light, you're probably still a few quarts low on oil...
BUT!!!
To much oil in the engine is also very bad!

So check it, and verify the oil level, before you do anything else.
 
Thanks a lot!

They didn't have 5w_40 so I got 5w_30. As noted the 5000 miles service is next week so the oil I've purchased will hopefully get me through the night.

At least borrowing her car I only need to top off the tank vs. rental + fuel :) It's half full now so I'll owe her half a tank + 100 miles of driving fuel.

PS Is it obvious where the oil line is on the dip-stick? How high should it be?
 
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