2018 Audi A5 Sportback - LM Leichtlauf 5W40 w/Ceratec @ ~58k odo/3.2K OCI

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kosmaras

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Jun 23, 2022
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Purchased this A5 Sportback with about 50k from an Audi dealership. Service records perfect per Audi (10k oil changes). Did the LM Proline flush before filling with LM 5w40 and Ceratec.

Concerned that they glossed over the slightly elevated Al PPM when compared to the averages considering this UOA only had 3,200 miles on it.

Car is tuned with IE stage 1 software and no other modifications.

Thoughts?
 

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BS did not gloss over the Al. They won't flag it until it's x2 the average or thereabouts. Your iron wear rate 5.219 is on the higher side & appears to be a bit above avg for this eng. Maybe a few more uoa will help determine if this is going to be normal for your engine or come down a bit inline with the Universal averages. Since it's "tuned" it may be that this engine will show some above avg wear rates. Overall doesn't look terrible just not great either.
 
fantastic said:
BS did not gloss over the Al. They won't flag it until it's x2 the average or thereabouts. Your iron wear rate 5.219 is on the higher side & appears to be a bit above avg for this eng. Maybe a few more uoa will help determine if this is going to be normal for your engine or come down a bit inline with the Universal averages. Since it's "tuned" it may be that this engine will show some above avg wear rates. Overall doesn't look terrible just not great either.
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I appreciate the input! I wasn't aware they needed to be that much higher than avg to flag it as a potential area of concern - good to know.

After I did the ProLine flush and then pulled the filter (had 8.3k on it from when the oil was changed last at the dealer prior to my ownership), cut it open and was surprised by the amount of metal was in there. I chalked it up possibly to the engine flush moving some break in material out that was stuck? When I changed during this sample collection, I pulled the filter and it was MUCH cleaner after the 3,257 OCI than the first time I pulled it. Hopefully it doesn't continue. Engine sounds healthy and runs strong.

During that 8.3k OCI, the car was also in for a cam girdle reseal and a HPFP and follower replacement.

Here are some pictures from the 8.3k OCI filter shortly after I bought the car.
 

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Yeah that filter looks dirty for sure. It could be from the flush but we don't know yet until more oil analysis trends. And the 3k filter is going to be cleaner than an 8k filter. Thanks for sharing the filter media. 👍
 
You need several of these (at least 3!) to say anything at this point. The viscosity is really low (to me) for this oil and it's probalby jsut fuel and BS doesn't test directly for it...but 390 flash point isn't bad. More likely some of the flush + oil mix wasn't drained out fully. Again...need a few of these in a row to start putting trends/averages together. The metal could be problematic - that's a lot. Also, I do the same thing to hold open my filter on my work bench :ROFLMAO: . Keep on it and do a few more of these looking at the filter each time to form an opinion. I have had aluminum in my filter from a timing chain tensioner that was shot on the same gen VAG 4-cylinder. You can find my post on it here with a pic of the filter as well as Al UOA data linked below. Mine Al was higher than yours (got over 10). I could hear my tensioner hitting the cover so keep that in mind...so the increasing Al with a lot of data before to have a baseline/normal plus the noise said take it in!

Aluminum flecks in oil filter

Cut open my Mann oil filter for my Sportwagen today after changing the oil at about dead-on 5K miles/3 mos. Last UOA showed increased aluminum numbers, it was a mid-OCI UOA after a trip down to GA for a VW event where it was used hard on the roads with "dragon" in the name. Quite shocked to see...
bobistheoilguy.com

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TiGeo said:
You need several of these (at least 3!) to say anything at this point. The viscosity is really low (to me) for this oil and it's probalby jsut fuel and BS doesn't test directly for it...but 390 flash point isn't bad. More likely some of the flush + oil mix wasn't drained out fully. Again...need a few of these in a row to start putting trends/averages together. The metal could be problematic - that's a lot. Also, I do the same thing to hold open my filter on my work bench :ROFLMAO: . Keep on it and do a few more of these looking at the filter each time to form an opinion. I have had aluminum in my filter from a timing chain tensioner that was shot on the same gen VAG 4-cylinder. You can find my post on it here with a pic of the filter as well as Al UOA data linked below. Mine Al was higher than yours (got over 10). I could hear my tensioner hitting the cover so keep that in mind...so the increasing Al with a lot of data before to have a baseline/normal plus the noise said take it in!

Aluminum flecks in oil filter

Cut open my Mann oil filter for my Sportwagen today after changing the oil at about dead-on 5K miles/3 mos. Last UOA showed increased aluminum numbers, it was a mid-OCI UOA after a trip down to GA for a VW event where it was used hard on the roads with "dragon" in the name. Quite shocked to see...
bobistheoilguy.com

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I appreciate your response! I have seen your post history while thumbing through the UOA section :D

I was alarmed when I saw the amount of metal in the filter...I was honestly expecting a lot more wear metals in my analysis based on what I saw in the filter. If it ends up being a long term catastrophic issue, I have already told myself it's worth putting an engine in this car. I bought it in September (at the peak of the market), and it is a very unique spec (1 of 79 in this combination for 2018). I love the car and plan to keep it regardless of any mechanical failures...I'm quite capable and do almost every repair myself.

What's interesting is Alex (from Legit Street Cars) - in one of his recent videos he mentions back when he was a MB technician, they would open every customer filter during oil changes and more often than not, there was a decent amount of metal in the filter. Hopefully I don't have to do any serious work like an engine replacement...for a while.

I will continue sending samples in to see how things trend.
 
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