Low oil level on 2022 Superb 2.0 TDi - should I be worried

[gtludwig]

I got my brand new my Skoda Superb 2.0 TDi Combi in July 2022 and have been really happy with it. It has now some 18,000 km. Neither me or my missus are "adventurous" drivers, never forcing the engine to any sort of extreme and normally drive close to or under the speed limit.

 

On March 2023, the check oil level warning came on. Never having owned a diesel car before and a brand new for that matter, I figure this could be a normal issue of parts adjusting and arranged a visit to the dealership to have it seen. Upon collecting the car, the mechanic told me that new engines burn a litre of oil every 5,000 km.

 

At the time, the car had some 10,000 km, I figured that was roughly what happened.

 

In May 2023, car had 11,000-ish km and I was booked for service where oil was changed.

 

Now, late October 2023, the check oil level also came on, this time I went to a motor factor and got a litre of 0W20 fully synthetic oil to top up. I was shocked when all the bottle went in!

 

From now on, I will always have a bottle of oil in the car or in the house for the next time the check oil level warning comes on, but I wonder if I should be worried about this.

 

Cheers,

[Stonekeeper]

I would check the oil level with the dipstick at least once a month rather than wait 5 months for a warning message coming up.

[310golfr]

i have the same tdi engine and same year car, registered april 2022,  so a good comparision

i've just done a diy oil and filter change 3 days agp at 9000 miles ; [ around 14500km ] 

oil level had dropped to close to the min level on the dipstick , i never had to  top up over the 9000 miles done.

i've had vw tdi engine cars since they first came out , [probably 30 years or so ago] and  i find they can loose a little bit of oil when new but it then settles down to almost zero after you put a few miles on them.

 

keep your eye on things, but you might find that things  will settle down after a few more miles

 

the one thing i have noticed with the latest new tdi evo engines, is that they feel lively right from new, previous tdi engines always needed to do around 8000 - 10000 miles before they loosened off but that is not the case with these new engines

[Ootohere]

@gtludwigWelcome.

 

If you never dipped the oil after the car was serviced you have no idea if they put enough oil in at the service.

 

& if you read the owners manual or that mechanic / tech / fitter did you would see what it says in manuals about the first 5,000 km and may use more oil.  And about 0.5 litres 1,000 km.    So he reads it wrong or you heard wrong.  Same stuff printed in manuals for decades for all VW group engines petrol or diesel. 3 to 12 cylinder. 44 kW up to whatever.  In the owners manuals on Driving in, or as many talk about Running in. 

 

 

Edited 3 November, 2023 by Rooted

[Breezy_Pete]

10 hours ago, gtludwig said:

I was shocked when all the bottle went in!

Where was the level on the dipstick before and after this top-up?

It sounds as though you may never have looked at the dipstick?

[gtludwig]

Thanks for the input, guys!

Yes, I was gullible enough when I collected the car from service at the dealership they put in the correct quantity of oil and never checked the dipstick. I will not do that mistake again.

[J.R.]

4 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Where was the level on the dipstick before and after this top-up?

It sounds as though you may never have looked at the dipstick?

Like my pal who put in 2.5 gallons of oil when he did an oil change on his Marina having to cycle to Halfords in town twice for the subsequent ones before the engine, that right I said engine and not sump was full! 😯

 

And his mistake only dawned on him after he had started it, someone told him about a thing called a dipstick, he found it and removed it and oil started squirtinging out of the hole 🤣

 

His father left his mother when he was young, he was the oldest child so became the father figure for the family but had never had any male role models or mentors poor chap.

[Legacy]

It'd definitely be best to keep an eye on the dipstick at regular intervals and not trust that the dealership has done the job properly (or at all....)

 

Mine is a '21 2.0 TDi Combi with 50,000km and has never needed a topup between services.  The oil level drops slightly between services but that's it.  Engines and usage differ so it's not really a straight comparison but that's my experience.  Skoda have a fairly generous window for oil consumption but it'd be a good idea to start logging consumption so that you know if there's an issue or not.  It'll also help to bolster your case if you decide to make a warranty claim.  Make sure that your top up oil meets the required spec and keep the receipts.

 

As a matter of interest, what way do you use the car?  Short trips, urban usage or rural driving?

Edited 3 November, 2023 by Legacy

[gtludwig]

28 minutes ago, Legacy said:

It'd definitely be best to keep an eye on the dipstick at regular intervals and not trust that the dealership has done the job properly (or at all....)

 

Mine is a '21 2.0 TDi Combi with 50,000km and has never needed a topup between services.  The oil level drops slightly between services but that's it.  Engines and usage differ so it's not really a straight comparison but that's my experience.  Skoda have a fairly generous window for oil consumption but it'd be a good idea to start logging consumption so that you know if there's an issue or not.  It'll also help to bolster your case if you decide to make a warranty claim.  Make sure that your top up oil meets the required spec and keep the receipts.

 

As a matter of interest, what way do you use the car?  Short trips, urban usage or rural driving?

Thank you very much for your input.

Mostly urban usage with the occasional short trip.

[EnterName]

18 hours ago, gtludwig said:

I got my brand new my Skoda Superb 2.0 TDi Combi in July 2022 and have been really happy with it. It has now some 18,000 km. Neither me or my missus are "adventurous" drivers, never forcing the engine to any sort of extreme and normally drive close to or under the speed limit.

 

On March 2023, the check oil level warning came on. Never having owned a diesel car before and a brand new for that matter, I figure this could be a normal issue of parts adjusting and arranged a visit to the dealership to have it seen. Upon collecting the car, the mechanic told me that new engines burn a litre of oil every 5,000 km.

 

At the time, the car had some 10,000 km, I figured that was roughly what happened.

 

In May 2023, car had 11,000-ish km and I was booked for service where oil was changed.

 

Now, late October 2023, the check oil level also came on, this time I went to a motor factor and got a litre of 0W20 fully synthetic oil to top up. I was shocked when all the bottle went in!

 

From now on, I will always have a bottle of oil in the car or in the house for the next time the check oil level warning comes on, but I wonder if I should be worried about this.

 

Cheers,

Have you actually checked the oil level with the dipstick?

It is possible to put too much oil in and cause problems.

 

[gtludwig]

Yes, @EnterName. I have checked the oil level before and after the top-up.

 

Before the top-up, the level was in the region c in the diagram @Rooted sent above.
After it was on the region b.

[EnterName]

1 hour ago, gtludwig said:

Yes, @EnterName. I have checked the oil level before and after the top-up.

 

Before the top-up, the level was in the region c in the diagram @Rooted sent above.
After it was on the region b.

Groovy! Hopefully it won't need topping up too often. 👍

[KeteCantek]

I always check after a service that the oil level is correct. And also to have a baseline of what it is so next time I check, I get an idea if there is a change and how much. 

 

[brettikivi]

mine likes to drink around 1l per 15000km. Serviced in Feb, the low oil pinged a month or so ago, I added and then again. I will try to keep an eye on it... but it's done 180000km, 2018, 110kW and it sees lots of long trips with decent average speeds (100km/h). I figure this amount of consumption is OK, if a little higher than the Octys I'd driven before. 

[Micky 32]

I have the bitdi  240bhp engine that has now done 190,000 miles. I change the oil every 10,000. The dipstick never drops below the max mark.

[youngtimer]

A friend is supplied with a new diesel Superb or Octavia every six months through her work.

Since last year, both cars needed top ups before being replaced. I checked them and found oil was very low.

Her employer wasn't impressed either !

He later told her that the factory doesn't put much more than the minimum. This was from a dealer.

 

[Ootohere]

I hope that she is better at her job than car maintenance and checks!

I hope she does check under the bonnet and check and set tyre pressures or have someone do it & not just wait or expect warning on the dash. 

 

Her employer should be less than impressed with her and how she treats the vehicles, and the employer should be making sure that someone is doing training, maybe th3 fleet manager,  and also talking to the supplying dealers about speaking to their employees to be talking to customers at hand over and explaining about oil . 

 

They put in enough fluids & these should be checked at the Dealership / PDI, so a Car Dealer or Drug Dealer might well know there is not that much oil in.

They know that those doing the PDI should not be trusted and a 6 month old car should be getting oil checked, 

when NEW and after that as per the Owners Manual lets you know.

Edited 26 November, 2023 by Rooted

[youngtimer]

Thank you Rooted, her employer needs to step up i agree.

Her manager collects from dealership then she collects from manager.

I thought the information might explain the original post.