Well my trusty 1.9TD Octavia II Estate has gone and now have a 1.8TSi Estate which is a lot thirstier on fuel but nice to drive.

 

Just taken it for a 2000 mile round trip to France camping and have a question/concern about oil level I hope someone can answer/reassure.

 

New oil went in at my local garage before we set off and before the journey back I checked the oil and topped up with 250ml.  Thinking back now the check was from cold, (the manual just says switch off engine and wait a few minutes - no mention of operating temperature etc), and not that long after moving it so may have been a false low reading?

 

Now I'm home I've checked again expecting a similar drop but I reckon it's a tiny fraction over the max, although my garage reckons it's absolutely spot on, (although that was at most 60 seconds after the engine was off).  I've probably removed 100ml though with all the dipping I've been doing :-)

 

Now I'm concerned that I may have run it over the max especially with all the warnings about the cat but there are five possibilities I can think of:

1. It has used a little or no oil, wasn't up at the absolute max to begin with, and my 250ml has just taken it to the level it is currently at now.
2. It was at max to begin with and used say approx 125ml on the way down/whilst there and the same on the way back and may have run for a while with approx 125ml too much.
3. It was 125ml over to begin with, used 125ml each way and ran for a bit with approx 125ml over both there and back.
4. It was 250ml over to begin with and used that amount both on the way down and the way back.
5. It didn't use any on the way down but somehow used the extra 250ml on the way back.

I guess (1) is the most likely, (2) and (3) probably isn't enough over to be be a concern?, and (4) and (5) aren't likely.  I didn't measure before we set off and I only normally do small local mileages, (hence the move away from diesel), so probably won't know for quite a while how much oil it really does or doesn't use or definitively which of the above are true.

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

As long as it is between the min and the max whether the engine is hot or cold - that is the main thing.

 

Opinions vary on here as to whether its best to check the oil level with a cold, warm or hot engine.

 

As I understand it the manual recommends to check it hot, but only after leaving the oil to settle back into the sump for a few minutes.

 

If the dealer says it's spot on then I wouldn't worry.

I learnt very early in my 1.8TSi ownership that the dipstick oil level is VERY sensitive to gradient.  Make sure the car is parked dead level when you check it - pointing downhill lowers the level on the dipstick, pointing up hill raises it.

 

If the dealer says it's spot on then I wouldn't worry.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not so worried about the current level - if it's over then it's by a very small amount; it's the not knowing whether I may have gone a little over when I topped up or how far over would risk being a problem.  If the level stays fairly constant over the next few thousand miles then it was probably below the max from my garage before the journey and me topping up.

 

Will have to wait and see I guess.  If I remember right the car was levelish and a decent amount of the hatch marks on the dipstick were visible, although it wouldn't have had a long time for any coldish oil to drain back.

Edited 29 August, 201312 yr by hitthenorth

Use a spirit level and im not kidding...

Oil consumption on mine is half a litre per 4000 miles which is fine by me

some say less others more

Get a remap and really enjoy the Tsi