Long Life Service?
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dan_b
A2OC Donor
In essence, a better quality oil is used which permits longer servicing periods, but it is combined with oil quality monitoring by the engine management system, so it will tell you how many miles until the next service. Because it's monitoring the engine oil quality, it is able to adjust the service mileage interval based on your driving style. If you do lots of long motorway miles, the service interval will be longer. If you do lots of short, cold-engine urban journeys, the service interval will shorten itself because this type of driving stresses the engine more.
My car is on the long life service, it's up to 90,000 miles now and the engine internals are in very good condition (had to take the cam cover off recently to fix something so was able to have a look).
Some people also do a fixed interval service but use the Long Life service oil! The Audi Long Life Service oil is very good quality indeed.
My car is on the long life service, it's up to 90,000 miles now and the engine internals are in very good condition (had to take the cam cover off recently to fix something so was able to have a look).
Some people also do a fixed interval service but use the Long Life service oil! The Audi Long Life Service oil is very good quality indeed.
Black Pearl
Member
I've just posted a similar question under someone else's oil query, but after reading these posts wondered.
If you do lots of shorts journeys, I do and only rack up 6K a year, could the service interval on longlife actually be shorter than on an annual fixed service?
Also wondered, as I mentioned in the other post, what is the difference in cost of oil, fixed Vs Longlife. I think I paid about £14 a litre for a top up bottle a few month back.
If you do lots of shorts journeys, I do and only rack up 6K a year, could the service interval on longlife actually be shorter than on an annual fixed service?
Also wondered, as I mentioned in the other post, what is the difference in cost of oil, fixed Vs Longlife. I think I paid about £14 a litre for a top up bottle a few month back.
Mr K
Member
No, Longlife has a minimum mileage of 9k miles and max time of 2 years for the TDi. Those in the know recommend annual oil changes even if you use Longlife-spec oil. Annual changes are recommended if you do mainly short journeys.
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Black Pearl
Member
So actually, Yes! Longlife can actually have a shorter life than the standard annual service.
Standard annual service, 12 months or 12k miles.
Longlife, can be as low as 9k miles!
Mr K
Member
ElsaWin manual says standard annual service is 15k km or 9k miles (9300 miles to be precise). Is it 12k for petrol cars?
Just to share some information:
When I was a student I worked in a Tribology lab. over 2 summer. Interesting, but messy job. Anyway, we had the contract to monitor the oil quality of a local bus fleet. Every 2 weeks a sample of oil was removed and given to us. Each sample was put through a spectrometer and viscometer at least. Depending on the results a further test for flash-point was also done.
Despite great advances in the almost 20 years since I did that job I suspect that is still the only way to truly monitor oil quality.
The great advantage being, the oil was only changed when truly needed and based on its actually quality and not a generic formula.
When I was a student I worked in a Tribology lab. over 2 summer. Interesting, but messy job. Anyway, we had the contract to monitor the oil quality of a local bus fleet. Every 2 weeks a sample of oil was removed and given to us. Each sample was put through a spectrometer and viscometer at least. Depending on the results a further test for flash-point was also done.
Despite great advances in the almost 20 years since I did that job I suspect that is still the only way to truly monitor oil quality.
The great advantage being, the oil was only changed when truly needed and based on its actually quality and not a generic formula.
Try contacting someone like: http://www.theoillab.co.uk/
There was a (heated) debate about oil condition sensors in this thread - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=10581&highlight=oil+sensor
Audi do fit oil condition sensors on later cars and I'd guess it started on new models introduced after 2003.
My 2001 TDi was on longlife service intervals when I bought it but I used to change the oil and filter myself after 12 months. The service indicator was not reset and with fresh longlife oil in the sump - guess what, the mileage indicator continued to count down as normal.
Even if the A2 has an oil condition sensor I firmly believe its important on older cars (A2's are all at least 5 years old now) to change the oil on a yearly basis or 10k, which ever comes first.
Cheers Spike
Audi do fit oil condition sensors on later cars and I'd guess it started on new models introduced after 2003.
My 2001 TDi was on longlife service intervals when I bought it but I used to change the oil and filter myself after 12 months. The service indicator was not reset and with fresh longlife oil in the sump - guess what, the mileage indicator continued to count down as normal.
Even if the A2 has an oil condition sensor I firmly believe its important on older cars (A2's are all at least 5 years old now) to change the oil on a yearly basis or 10k, which ever comes first.
Cheers Spike
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Thanks for the link Spike, interesting reading.
Taken from a Mercedes forum it's been said that the key parameter controlling service intervals are:
Time (from vehicle's clock in cluster)
Speed (from ABS/4ETS control system module via CAN)
Coolant temperature
Load signal
Engine rpm (from engine control module via CAN)
Engine oil temperature
Engine oil correction factor
Engine oil level (from analog oil level sensor via engine control module and CAN)
How this translates to an Audi A2 is debatable, but interesting none the less to me
Taken from a Mercedes forum it's been said that the key parameter controlling service intervals are:
Time (from vehicle's clock in cluster)
Speed (from ABS/4ETS control system module via CAN)
Coolant temperature
Load signal
Engine rpm (from engine control module via CAN)
Engine oil temperature
Engine oil correction factor
Engine oil level (from analog oil level sensor via engine control module and CAN)
How this translates to an Audi A2 is debatable, but interesting none the less to me