Do all B7's have an oil level sensor?

[NM07]

Hi all,

I was wondering if there is a way to tell if my S-Line has an oil level sensor? I never let it get to the point where it would come on, and to be honest it barely uses a drop of oil between services and have never had to top it up, but it got me wondering if they were standard fitment? My S-Line was pretty poverty spec when I first got it, and didn't have DIS (so no bulb warnings etc).

Any insight would be great!

 

[Charlie Farley]

Both oil level sensor and oil pressure sensor.
Both are only activated by the sensor itself so you don't get an actual oil level display , only a warning lamp when it reaches the min level, or min oil pressure.

 

[Charlie Farley]

You really don't want to be seeing either lamp to be honest.

 

[NM07]

Ah that's good to know, thank you Rob So it's standard for all models then?

 

[Charlie Farley]

standard engine fitment across b7 platfrom.

 

[NM07]

It's a shame it doesn't give you a readout, just a low level alarm. My old 2001 Peugeot 406 had an oil level readout and it was really handy! Saved getting oily fingers

 

[Charlie Farley]

It does, the dipstick..lol, which is by far the most reliable method by a long way, the dipstick doesn't lie.

 

[Charlie Farley]

It's a shame it doesn't give you a readout, just a low level alarm. My old 2001 Peugeot 406 had an oil level readout and it was really handy! Saved getting oily fingers

You need to get mucky hands.

 

[NM07]

I do agree it's the most reliable way, but was always nice to have some reassurance every time you started about what the level was! The display wasn't very advanced in the 406 but it got the job done

 

[Charlie Farley]

looks alright to me.

 

[B7Tourer]

Even the Renault Kangoo 4X4s, I bought new in 2004 and again in 2007 (For work I promise, great cars though, even if you did look like postman pat haha) had the same digital oil level readout - B7s are basic especially in S-line form. The B7 dipstick is incredibly hard to read and there was a revision too - 1000 miles after every service, I would get a low oil warning. I bought the revised dipstick and have never had the problem since. TBH as long as you add oil immediately when you see the low level warning there is usually no problem, as long as it's not constant topping up. My high mileage old 2.0TDI uses very little oil or virtually any water still and once I added oil (about 1/2 to 1 litre) it never was needed again.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Oil consumption in B7 variants can vary wildly depending on engine type, how it's driven and age.
Audi quote and i can safely say they are not wrong, consumption can be upto 0.5ltr per 620 miles (1000Km), and that is more so in the 2.0tfsi based variants if you drive them properly, pootle around they will use less.
Nature of the beast really.

 

[tr7]

They all have sensors thankfully.

Will even tell you if the sensor isn't working! Ask me how I know..

Got this warning on setting off and about 250 mile journey from home..

In this case, it was the sensor itself in the bottom of the sump so replacing it solved it straight away. I did have a momentary panic that it was in fact the hex bar/oil pump saga but thankfully not.

As for this one

The Oil level Min advisory one/top up advice I've only even seen after a particularly long stretch at pace when crossing europe back from Le mans a few years ago.

So rest assured there is multiple type of warning and the car is always checking.

I also might be completely wrong. But from the level the sensor triggers the advisory I believe it took the full 1L top up I had in the car.

So basically when you see the light on the car. It's then (roughly) 1L to bring


And I think.. if you're super curious. VCDS should be able to give you a reading about the Oil Level from the sensor. It's just not available in the cluster

 

[tr7]

Thinking about this event here again and it's reminding me of what was going through my mind in a potentially pressured situation (especially with the cargo I had onboard), and maybe worth considering for some of you that do miles or simply good practice.

When I was in the middle of nowhere Spain, late at night.. and I got the Oil Min warning

At this point I had no idea if I had a mechanical issue, or if the car simply needed a top up. And being far far away from home only added to it.

(As I had no idea while on this journey that lets just say I had been 'pushing' the car for long stretches on the motorways to 'shorten' the 1,000 mile+ journey)

Now when I topped it up, I was lucky there was a Repsol station near and open and I immediately bought another 1L castrol to replace it.
But maybe it's even later. Maybe they're closed. Or maybe there's nowhere near you. Or maybe when you get there they're out of stock of the spec oil for your car. All potential headaches.


I think this applies anywhere, but especially on big journeys.

Basically, if I wasn't able to immediately pull over and buy another 1L top up, this is what I came to.

This is the crucial part. I would have only topped it up with 50% of the 1L leaving me another 50% if I 'needed it'.


As at this point, especially late at night on the road I had no idea if I now had a mechanical issue, and the car was burning oil.
Or if it simply just needed a top up after 1,500 miles+ in 24hrs driving ( and it had been a while since it needed it)

I had no idea, and although I didn't actually 'want to find out'.. if I was going to 'find out' there was an issue, I wanted to know a) sooner b) have more left to buy me time.

As the theory was.

If I filled it up and put 100% of the oil that I had in the topup in.
The time when that would become clear. Would be when the oil was on the Min again. And which at that point, I would have no oil to top up it with at all. (And now could be 2am on a Spanish highway in the dark) Or maybe you're just miles away from a garage that you trust to look it over.

But I would have Zero oil to put in and get the warning light out and maybe it's not ideal to stop wherever you are at that point.

So if you only top up 50% or a portion of the oil that you have. If you leave yourself some 'for later'.

Then if the warning came on again. Firstly, you would know you have a problem that needs addressed, sooner.
And, you would have oil to get the light out, enough into the engine to be safe level, and Know to stop driving.

And maybe if in that case was burning oil, not leave you stranded potentially in the middle of no where.

You would have at least some oil, to get you home or at the least somewhere safe to stop.

So if in doubt, don't use "all" your oil.

 

[B7Tourer]

Yes, I never put in 1 full litre straight away - it's rarely needed and over filling is as bad as too little. I've only had the low oil warning light after a service and that was due to the dipstick, that has since been changed for the revised one - not had it since on very high mileage too.

 

[Charlie Farley]

do you check your oil level when cold or hot?

 

[Charlie Farley]

I make a habit of checking when warm, leave the engine to stand for approx 15mins then check, synthetic oils do expand a bit when hot so if it's on max when cold it may rise a bit more when hot, not a great deal but i'd rather be just below max than over it.

 

[B7Tourer]

do you check your oil level when cold or hot?

I have always added no more than between 1/2 to 3/4 litre of oil, after the level warning has appeared, since I know from observation even at 230K+ mileage my engine uses no more than 1 litre of oil every 6K and have never seen it reappear again. I check the level next day when cold (I've never relied on level readings in any car when hot) too but as I said, for me the dipstick has always been hard to read and prior to changing it for the revised one was inaccurate anyway.

I should add this car has rarely if ever in my hands been above 3000rpm (except before an MOT) and gear changes are always just slightly above 2K. It would undoubtedly use a good deal more oil, with such an age, if it were.

 

[tr7]

Interesting related thread I found thought I'd share

Talk of B7 oil and VCDS

oil level warning light - AudiWorld Forums

VAG-COM Discussion - oil level warning light - My 2007 Audi A4 2.0 tdi sometimes reports low oil level. The oil level is at the max, sensor in the oil pan is new, wiring harness is OK and the hood switch is working OK. When hooked VCDS to the car I found oil level under engine (01), group 29 and...

www.audiworld.com

I found these both interesting

and this comment

"We European use metric for ever, I thought I would be better understand if I'll use your units.
If I am exact the workshop used 5L oil canister (castrol edge), and they gave me back almost empty canister. By the spec's 2.0TDI engine takes 4.3L of oil, 3.8L with oil change and 4.1L with oil and filter change, so there is definitely enough oil."

I have seen the 3.8L referenced and the above makes sense

4.3L Oil Capacity
4.1L for Oil + Filter change
3.8L for Oil only change

(Who doesn't change the filter with the oil?!?)

 

[Charlie Farley]

I've seen that before , just not sure when.
I'm off out to the old bus now and plugging in vcds to see what occurs.