Can anyone help explain engine oil level acting like magicians rabbit .

Car stood at airport for 10 days during recent hot weather .Engine started OK but sounded like it was on choke

Engine very noisey . Stop engine . Check oil level,  absolute zero on dipstick waited 15 minutes to see if any in at all ,

No oil on floor no signs of leaks . Oil level raised to just on bottom of hatched area .Start engine drive gently one mile

to service area to use toilet facilities and buy oil to top up .After 20 minutes recheck oil level  SURPRISE  SURPRISE

FOUND IT BACK TO LEVEL IT HAD BEEN TWO WEEKS EARLIER . Can understand showing lower level after start up

but totally baffled by disappearing off dipstick  . No mechanical problem with dipstick ,and yes it was fully inserted in hole  

and after driving 30 miles home oil level still ok   .   Is there any thing that provides priority to oil flow to camshaft area which

may have become gummed up ??? . 2010 model 103000 from new no previous problems oil consumption 3 ltr in 100,000 miles

One owner one driver .

Noisy engine on start after being stood 10 days is probably the chain tensioner had slackened off and/or oil filter drained down. Known issue on 1.2/1.4 tsi camchain engines. Camchain was rattling and trying to jump a sprocket, lucky escape you turned engine off in time. Did you leave the car parked in gear? Dangerous for these engines as can force the chain tensioner to release.

 

As for oil levels, this should be measured very specifically, car on perfectly level ground, engine at normal operating temperature and after engine switched off at least 5 minutes.

 

Not sure why oil levels seemed to do a disappearing trick as described, perhaps the Oil filter is incorrectly fitted, known issue, sometimes the fitter forgets to remove the wide oil filter O ring seal that can detach when changing the filter and it gets left in hiding under black oil, and new filter fitted so two seals sitting on top of each other.  Result, low oil pressure and flow and oil draining down when stood. The level you saw off the stick because the filter was actually full of oil. Then later when hot and stood, it drained down and gave you a higher level on the stick but not actually the correct reading.

 

Recommend you check the oil filter is fitted properly, doesnt have the two seals instead of one and is not over tightened as that can alsi lead to drain down when stood as the seal is distorted.

 

Requires the filter to be removed, fortunately easy to do on this engine, but requires a cup socket to aid removal as fitters almost always overtighten.

 

See here for more (applies to 1.2tsi and 1.4tsi camchain engines, similar oil filters but not same part number....)

 

 

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/457359-12-tsi-intermittent-oil-pressure-warning/

 

Edited 5 July, 20196 yr by xman

9 hours ago, xman said:

Did you leave the car parked in gear? Dangerous for these engines as can force the chain tensioner to release.

 

 

 

How does that work please?

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

How does that work please?

 

Leaving the car in gear, then if  the car rolls/pulls back even slightly will force the engine to turn backward. The return, tensioner side of the chain is placed under far higher tension than it would see even when running and pushes the guide and hydraulic tensioner back, the feeble internal ratchet unable to stop it and possibly being stripped. Meanwhile the leading , driven side of the chain goes loose, there is no tensioner on that side, so the chain will eventually simply hang down off the lower sprocket. 

 

The chain will therefore remain loose until oil pressure is established and the tensioner retensions, if the chain is loose enough the lower sprocket will skip over the chain or throw it off.

 

If you need to park in gear, chose a forward gear if facing downhill or reverse if facing uphill, so any movement is always going to turn the engine in the correct forward direction.

 

This is a uniquely cam chain design problem, cambelts do not suffer from this due to radically different tensioning arrangements. 

 

Hope that explains.

Yes thankyou!

 

I thought it could either be someone stalling the car in gear and the engine stopping in the wrong position or the vehicle rolling.

Thanks for such a detailed reply ,   Yes it had been parked in gear ,on level or slightly down hill in 1st  .Always a chance of some muppet giving it a nudge as parking bay size

and gangways quite tight . Been parking in gear to reduce corrosion on rear discs which was a problem from 2yr old stage . Rear discs and pads now done 60 , 000mls

front discs and pads 48,000 mls .

As they say  ANTICIPATION IS BETTER THAN PERSPERATION .

Did an oil level check today immediately after stopping  so everywhere filled showed level 10 mm lower than when cold .

 

JUST OUT OF INTEREST WHAT SORT OF MILEAGE D O THESE ENGINES RUN TO  ???

 

Having now gone over the 100k miles mark ,  trying to decide if to keep it or change it before I start spending money on it .

Tyres , Brakes and Two front Shock Absorbers only spend so far .