Audi Q5 doesn't have a dipstick...

[Thermo1223]

I found this out because my rental is a Q5 and the oil level warning went off in the dash. States to add a maximum of 1 qt. of oil which I plan to do. The conversation with Enterprise made gave me pause as the person on the other end had no idea the vehicle should have had an oil change at 10K. He stated it's first oil change was due at 20k which is false. SO this may be a thing now for luxury cars. I doubt they'll remove them on a cheaper economy cars but for the crowd that wants nothing to do with car maintenance, buy a Q5 or the like.

 

[edyvw]

I found this out because my rental is a Q5 and the oil level warning went off in the dash. States to add a maximum of 1 qt. of oil which I plan to do. The conversation with Enterprise made gave me pause as the person on the other end had no idea the vehicle should have had an oil change at 10K. He stated it's first oil change was due at 20k which is false. SO this may be a thing now for luxury cars. I doubt they'll remove them on a cheaper economy cars but for the crowd that wants nothing to do with car maintenance, buy a Q5 or the like.

Now? You are 17 years late.
In case of Audi, there is tunnel, but dipstick is not added. One can get for $18 and add it. It is not to save money but bcs. vacuum purposes.

 

[Thermo1223]

Now? You are 17 years late.
In case of Audi, there is tunnel, but dipstick is not added. One can get for $18 and add it. It is not to save money but bcs. vacuum purposes.

I've read but never seen one in the wild till now. So I'll admit, I've been sheltered. LOL

The vacuum makes sense as I've noticed it on my VW having ridiculous vacuum on the crack case at idle.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yup, i had to buy a dipstick for wife's Q5. No big deal. The digital oil level in the computer seems to be accurate.

 

[MRC01]

They trust something as important as engine oil to an electronic sensor and indicator lights? Sensors and indicators can fail, but a dipstick is simple and doesn't lie. My airplane has fuel gauges but I always stick the fuel tanks (and engine oil!) before flight.

 

[Quattro Pete]

They trust something as important as engine oil to an electronic sensor and indicator lights? Sensors and indicators can fail, but a dipstick is simple and doesn't lie. My airplane has fuel gauges but I always stick the fuel tanks (and engine oil!) before flight.

A dipstick is useless if the owner never bothers to look under the hood.

 

[ecotourist]

The conversation with Enterprise made gave me pause as the person on the other end had no idea the vehicle should have had an oil change at 10K. He stated it's first oil change was due at 20k which is false.

This sounds a bit like the conversation I had with a rental car agent in Nova Scotia. My rental car was asking for an oil change. "No need..." the agent said, she "... had checked the oil level herself and it was fine."

Not completely clueless (she at least knew how to check the oil level and that a certain oil level had to be maintained), but semi clueless.

What are you supposed to say? It was a teachable moment. But it's not my job to teach motor mechanics to rental agents. So I said nothing.

 

[Leo99]

I wouldn't add oil to a rental car except in very extenuating circumstances. Like the light was on and I needed the car for 1000+ more miles.

 

[JavierH19]

why waste the time and money to put a quart into a vehicle a rental company owns. let em blow the engine and pay for it.

 

[MRC01]

A dipstick is useless if the owner never bothers to look under the hood.

An owner like that is the dipstick!

 

[PimTac]

why waste the time and money to put a quart into a vehicle a rental company owns. let em blow the engine and pay for it.

It would be the common courtesy to call the agency and tell them so they can make the decision. Just like calling them if something is not right on the car. I had to do that once with brakes. The agency (Hertz) quickly got me another car.

 

[Quattro Pete]

An owner like that is the dipstick!

That may be, but it's becoming a reality these days. My guess is that outside of BITOG, many new car owners almost never peek under the hood.

 

[MRC01]

why waste the time and money to put a quart into a vehicle a rental company owns. let em blow the engine and pay for it.

Once a rental I was driving was low on oil. I bought a quart, added it, kept the receipt, and the company thanked me and deducted the cost from my rental bill. Simple and courteous.

 

[RooflessVW]

That may be, but it's becoming a reality these days. My guess is that outside of BITOG, many new car owners almost never peek under the hood.

And to be fair, you don't really have to.

Take it in when the light comes on and 99% of cars will last until the owner is bored.

 

[carviewsonic]

Several years ago I added a quart to a rental Passat 1.8 turbo I had rented the day before. I was annoyed they would let it out without checking the oil, but the few dollars and a few minutes didn’t bother me at all. Put approx 1000 enjoyable miles on it during a sight seeing vacation.

 

[The Critic]

@53' Stude will tell you that this isn't normal practice at Enterprise. The car should not be serviced this infrequently.

 

[opus1]

It would be the common courtesy to call the agency and tell them so they can make the decision. Just like calling them if something is not right on the car. I had to do that once with brakes. The agency (Hertz) quickly got me another car.

Exactly. I don't remember if it was Hertz or Avis but somehow I got a car that went out 2 quarts low. I bought oil at the station when I gassed up and fortunately thought to ask for a receipt which came in handy at the return counter when I mentioned that the car was low on oil when I got it. They reimbursed me since I was able to prove both that the car was still 'low' (above the 'add' mark but just barely) and that I'd purchased oil while I had the car in my possession.

 

[JohnnyG]

What light?

 

[edyvw]

That may be, but it's becoming a reality these days. My guess is that outside of BITOG, many new car owners almost never peek under the hood.

These days? It is reality for a long, long time.
Electronic measurement is better as it doesn’t depend on pressure to warn driver.

 

[Astro14]

Neither of my 2005 Mercedes have a dipstick.

The Packard* doesn’t either.

Not exactly a new thing.


*It has a mechanical gauge. Visible from outside the engine. Dipsticks were for lesser cars.