1 Litre oil top up every 2 months sound right?

[bobotheclown]

a message appears on the dash telling you to check the oil.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

TT, i'm well aware that american fuel isn't good enough to run lean burn mode

Exactly - but if you read most interweb sites - they don't even know the nitty gritty detail of lean burn.

But you just can not yet admit to yourself, and state 'lean burn mode is completely DISABLED in North American cars'!

but saying american tuners don't include lean burn mode for EU based cars is wrong

No it isn't.  Like I said, there was some blatant BS from one of those US tuners, who stupidly stated he could get hold of 'British' VW maps - yet when questioned about is numpty claims, fcuked off and was never seen again to 'fight his corner'. 

At the end of the day, US tuners develop their maps for their own market - their own fuels, their own lower quality oils, their own driving styles (which generally include an auto gearbox), and their own environmental conditions.  And let us just 'pretend' for one minute that they can get hold of an EU map - they certainly can NOT get hold of UK/EU fuels, and they can NOT consider UK/EU driving styles or environmental conditions.

I'm not going to quote from what was said exactly because i can't be bothered doing a search

What else can you 'not be bothered' to correctly research! 

but I remember it being said on here some months ago that Regal used their own car (demo RSS) for the development of Giac UK software and they didn't modify the lean burn part of the file, why would they need to?

Erm, Regal used the GIAC software purely as a development for their racing car - not road car (in the same racing series which Superchips tried to claim they were the only permitted ECU tuner!  ).  Race cars have considerably different needs and requirements compared to road cars.  And if 'Regal' then redeveloped the GIAC software, then it is no longer 'GIAC' is it! 

Awesome work very closely with APR in house with their software development so who does that leave?

As with Regal, if Awesome fiddle with the APR codes, then it aint APR, it is an Awsome code.


Stick with someone like Revo, who have a substantial 'Revo-owned' R&D facility here in Blighty, who have unrestricted access to proper EU cars (and not just an EU map on a US car - which would be the best possible scenario - even if the yanks could overcome the immobilser lock), British fuel, FSI-specific engine oils, British weather, and British driving habits.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

the oil warning light just appeared at 8890 miles. topped it up with the 1 liter 5w40 that came with the car. Service warning has appeared. I need to get it serviced in the next 500 miles or 120 days. Oh well.

Jeeeezz, Bobo.  Don't you regularly use your dipstick?    It really aint good to rely on the oil warning lamp. 

[Teutonic_Tamer]

In regards to warming her up........
When warming up do you mean starting the engine and leaving it idle until the engine warms up - since some people state this is best for the engine. Or can you drive as soon as you start up, but with a 'light foot' until the engine is warm - when you can then become a crazy maniac?!

You can start it up and just leave it to idle - it doesn't really do any harm - but the 'tree huggers' state this isn't the most environmental way of doing it.  And letting it idle doesn't actually warm up the gearbox and axle oils. 

As others have said, just drive it carefully until the engine is at normal operating temperature - which means not only the engine coolant, but also the engine oil.  But by the same token, don't drive off immediately after releasing the starter motor.  Ideally, you should just let it idle for at least 30 seconds before even touching the accelerator pedal - and on really cold days, let it idle for about 90 seconds.  This not only allows full oil pressure, and full oil flow in the top of the engine around the valve gear, but also allows the exhaust cats to correctly reach operating temperatures (so that you don't get gassed by the rotten egg smell if you immediately reverse off your driveway).

My own personal routine - start the engine, let it idle for 30-90seconds whilst putting on seatbelt, specs, lights, heated seats, etc.  Then drive off in D mode, using no more than half throttle and no more than 3,000 rpm.  Keep like this until temp guage is at normal, wait another 2 minutes or so for the oil to get hot (or about another 5-8 minutes in my RS4 - well it does have 10 litres of oil in the sump, not a mere 4.6 litres like the GTI  ).  Only after that, to I progressively increase the throttle openings and engine revs.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Would the RON fuel type matter in oil consumption??
I always try to use super unleaded-99% RON. Not this 97% super unleaded!?.

I was originally just going to say 'no'.  But you got me thinking . . . .

The higher the octane fuel, the longer the engine can operate in stratified (lean burn) mode.  Lean burn combustion temperatures are much higher than stoichiometric combustion temperatures.  So maybe these higher temps might actually cause an increase in oil consumption?

So there - yet another Teutonic_Tamer reason why you should only use LongLife oils - because these were specifically designed for the FSI engines, whereas the T&D oils (502.00 and earlier) were not.   

[Teutonic_Tamer]

In regards to warming her up........
When warming up do you mean starting the engine and leaving it idle until the engine warms up - since some people state this is best for the engine. Or can you drive as soon as you start up, but with a 'light foot' until the engine is warm - when you can then become a crazy maniac?!

I take it easy until the temp guage has been at the 90 mark for a few minutes, normally takes aoround 10 mins to fully warm up, I believe its pretty bad for a car to be warmed up without driving, in fact i think it may state not to do this in the manual somewhere.

It isn't really 'bad' for the car - it is just environmental issues/reasons which prefer you to warm the car whilst actually driving.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Not knowing this information about the loss of oil, i checked my ed30 this evening. the level is right in the middle of min-max. Is it ok there or should i try keep it more towards max?

I've only owned the car for 1000miles@18k, so cant really comment on oil consumption just yet.

Ideally, you should keep the oil level as close to the max as possible - and this is crucial if you drive the car hard.  Because if the oil level is low, and you go round a corner hard, or accelerate hard, then those forces (lateral or accelerative) can cause the oil to 'slosh' away from the oil pick-up in the sump, and cause temporary loss of oil pressure.

[bobotheclown]

the oil warning light just appeared at 8890 miles. topped it up with the 1 liter 5w40 that came with the car. Service warning has appeared. I need to get it serviced in the next 500 miles or 120 days. Oh well.

Jeeeezz, Bobo.  Don't you regularly use your dipstick?    It really aint good to rely on the oil warning lamp. 

I am not very mechanically minded that's why I joined this forum to great advice. Will keep an eye on it in the future. Cheers.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Obviously a light does come on to warn of low level in your oil but you should never get that low in the first place. I check my fluid levels on coolant oil etc every 2 weeks or so, some say it should be done weekly.

<fx/on - the 'Stig' mode>
some say it should be done weekly,
others say every month,
but the Teutonic_Tamer does it daily!
<fx/off>

[bobotheclown]

Hope you're feeling better T_T.

I vaguely remember you were ill a few weeks ago.