[JP6544]

During my first 10k I noticed my oil level was low, I'd been towing (after the 6000 break in period). The car had the add 1/2 qt oil light show up.

I thought maybe it was towing that caused the issue and added a 1/4 qt of oil b/c I couldn't find the exact spec oil (it was a Castrol formulated for VW). It pulled the amount up to range. I was due for a change so I went ahead and scheduled my first maintenance.

When I picked it up it was at max. Now after 2 months and 2k miles it is 3-4 notches down from full.

Is this normal?

 

[ConservativeConsumer]

No, it is not normal. You should have checked with your dealer when you had warning light on. Your car is on warranty - make it their problem.

 

[T-Reguan]

Be ready to hear a speech on how it is normal for a turbocharged engine to consume 1qt. every 1200 miles. Don't buy their BS and push for a solution.

How did you break it in, soft or hard?

 

[Niner]

Interested, what were you towing, where were you towing it, how fast when towing, how fast when not towing, total odometer miles, and total miles towed on the odometer?

I broke mine in soft, didn't start towing until 4500 miles, and tow 4200 pounds wet, with big frontal area of a travel trailer pushing lots of air, all the time, at around 55 mph. I'm at 17000 miles, and haven't noticed my oil level move one bit.

 

[Niner]

Has anyone ever seen a "add half a quart of oil" light go on, because your oil is low?

 

[nickm]

Has anyone ever seen a "add half a quart of oil" light go on, because your oil is low?

How is the guage calibrated anyways? I see a min and max level then a number of bars...I am down 1 bar but oil change is coming up within 500 miles (I am running short OCIs - 6K miles). I would assume distance between min and max equals 1L?

 

[Niner]

How is the guage calibrated anyways? I see a min and max level then a number of bars...I am down 1 bar but oil change is coming up within 500 miles (I am running short OCIs - 6K miles). I would assume distance between min and max equals 1L?

One bar is probably a 1/4 to a 1/3 liter. Min and max is probably closer to 1.5 1.25 to 1.5 liters. I dropped 1 bar in 9,850 miles, about 3000 of that was trailering in winter and spring with my 4000 pound travel trailer.

I drive my motor very lightly during warm up... always, until the temp needle is straight up, about 165-170F on my scan gauge. Of course, in another 3 miles or so, it finally shows about 198-200F on the gauge. These motors run about 7-10F hotter than my old 2002 A4 jetta tdi.

BTW, the oil capacity on the 2013 was dropped about .8 or 1 liter from the 2009-2012 CATA North American Motor. Oil filter was changed too, it's half the size of the older one. Like 7.3 liters versus 8.3 liters. Check your Owners manual for oil capacity on your 2013.

 

[chrisw]

Has anyone ever seen a "add half a quart of oil" light go on, because your oil is low?

No, I checked my oil level and saw that I was down a little. Then I realized I park on a slight incline..

 

[SamTrooper]

be very careful with how and when you check it. if the level reader reads the level on an incline it will show low, even later on when your driving and it might cause you to over fill. I noticed this recently on my trip out east it showed low, but it's probably because I was parking on a slope every day. once I parked it flat and turned it on and off a couple times it showed full again.

 

[SamTrooper]

How is the guage calibrated anyways? I see a min and max level then a number of bars...I am down 1 bar but oil change is coming up within 500 miles (I am running short OCIs - 6K miles). I would assume distance between min and max equals 1L?

here is what the ssp says

 

[ConservativeConsumer]

here is what the ssp says

Funny, but unless I am completely off the grid, I recall that the picture in my Manual (2012) shows only three intervals A, B and C, where A is perfectly good level (within one notch down from the max), C is very low (one notch from the bottom) with urgent “add oil” recommendation and B is normal level within which one may add oil up to 1Q. If my recollections are correct, then each bar is equal ~1/8 of a quarter.

I have never had oil lower than one bar down from maximum per 10K. My driving is ¼ towing boat trailer on the highway, the rest split ~ equally between normal highway and city driving (without trailer).

P.S. In addition to requirement having car leveled when checking oil on Infotainment System screen, the Manual also says that engine shall be warmed up (to its optimum operating temperature).

 

[nickm]

Thanks for posting the graphic...so it looks like min to max = 1L and each bar = 125mL.

Niner interesting that oil capacity dropped and that the filter is 1/2 ?!?!?!?!? the size. WOW. I wonder why the oil capacity drop?

 

[JP6544]

Here's my readout after the morning commute 25 miles. I had done the flat surface two minute wait before checking. The car was not started so the little we engine light was on, it goes off after the system check so its normal. P.S loving the MPG =D.

The break in was normal something in the manual said less than 3kRPM's for first x miles. I followed that but don't remember what it was offhand. I'd push the car, but not past the RPM limit.

 

[SamTrooper]

My very first oil change I was down about that much but that was only for the first oci. after that it used zero oil. I would say a small amount of oil usage wouldn't be anything to worry about during initial break in.

 

[JP6544]

Thanks Sam. after reading the towing discussions I saw mention of additional fans to cool. While my engine never went past the mid on the heat gauge, I'm wondering if the hitch the dealer installed didn't get the accompanying cooling upgrades. However it looked like in that discussion north american eggs were supposed to already have that upgrade, it didn't look to clear if they all had it or only ones from the factory with the bar attached. Is there a way to tell if the cooling was upgraded? I thought maybe that could be a contributing factor.

Before the first oil change that meter went to the bottom 1 or 2 bars and told me to add oil. This is how much has dropped since then.

 

[SamTrooper]

I don't think that the cooling really is relevant to this issue, keep a close eye on it check it a couple times a week and it might just jump back up to full. This is why I bought the dipstick just to be sure I've got oil in there.

 

[RDub7]

Conservative Consumers graphic confirms what I have already known: that each tick (of 8 ticks) on the on board oil level reader is 1/8 of a liter or 33.8 oz/8 = 4.23 oz per tick.

So one can approached this from an extremely OCD (TOP TOP TOP) to devil may care (add one liter) attitude.

During slightly aggressive break in (ZERO to 10,000 miles (first service interval) I ran the engine to 75% to sometimes 85% of redline (5,100 rpm redline) or up to 3,825 (4,300) rpm: both on acceleration and deceleration. The indicator seem to indicate a (total) consumption of up to 4 ticks or 9.7 oz. aka slightly more than half a quart (61% of a qt).

So to me, it is no big deal. I can understand it would drive some FOLKS CRAZY. I happened to "top" it, by back filling app 10 oz of VW 507.00 5w30 oil (which incidentally the graphic says NOT to do).

The truth is it really did not matter either way as the TDI engine (actually almost EVERY engine) is designed to run with a (certain amount of ) variance. Conservative Consumers graphic indicates VW considers than variance @ 1 L or 33.8 oz. (which I also have known) So no harm no foul.

The 2nd service interval showed almost no consumption (1st tick or 4.23 oz) as does the upcoming 3rd interval.

 

[nickm]

JP - hitches are installed at port - not at the factory; hence the reasoning why NAR Tregs already have max cooling regardless of if equipped with hitch or not.

 

[JP6544]

Thanks everyone for the help. Really like this forum!

 

[T-Reguan]

The oil level screen is a virtual dipstick and represents one quart of oil so add oil accordingly.

As far as a break in goes I personally prefer a hard break in. Did that on my both new Tiguan (15k miles so far) and Touareg (10k miles so far) and so far didn't have to add any oil. My wife did a soft break in on our b8 a4 and that thing was burning one qt per 5k miles.