Exxon 5w30 +arx, 1575 mi, Audi a4 1.8t

[alchu]

1997 Audi A4 1.8t Quattro

Oil: ~4.2 qts Exxon superflo 5w30
Make up(due to filter leak): .5 quart M1 0w30
Time on Oil: 2 months
Lab: Blackstone

Purchased car at 64,800 mi, service history all done by Audi. Old size OEM filter on car. Switched to larger sized OEM oil filter, changed to Exxon Superflo and added 1 bottle Auto-RX. 10 miles later, noticed oil leak at filter - not tight enough. Refilled w/ .5 qts Mobil 0W30, and 2 oz Auto-Rx. No additional oil needed. This is the end of the ARX "clean" cycle @ 1500 miles. Replaced w/OEM filter and 4.5 qts Rotella T 5W/40 had this oil already on hand, will switch back to Exxon or similar for 2nd clean/rinse phase. Worried about sludge in this "sludge prone" engine.


Aluminum 2
Chromium 0
Iron 3
Copper 2
Lead 0
Tin 1
Molybdenum 85
Nickel 0
Manganese 0
Silver 0
Titanium 0
Potassium 0
Boron 11
Silicon 9
Sodium 7
Calcium 1447
Magnesium 36
Phosphorous 590
Zinc 627
Barium 0
TBN 3.1
SUS Vis @ 210 F 52.9
Flash (F) 365
Fuel % >0.5
Antifreeze % 0
Water % 0
Insolubles % 0.4

 

[alchu]

whoops..

MI/HR ON UNIT: 66,540

 

[technica]

This the second time I've read "this sludge proned engine". I used to own a TT and honestly I have never heard this motor to be sludgy. Either way I love the 1999-2001.4 A4's. I'd love to pick up a used one, in the 1.8T quattro 5speed trim.

 

[alchu]

With the older filter, capacity on the b5 a4 and passat 1.8t was suposedly around 3.7qts oil. combine that with a hot turbo engine and 10,000mi OCIs, these engines are starting to sludge up and fail...

 

[John_E]

"This the second time I've read "this sludge prone engine." I used to own a TT and honestly I have never heard this motor to be sludgy."

Where have you been? As alchu notes, the A4s and Passats have 4-quart sumps and pandemic turbocoking of the oil. Read the horror stories on passatworld.com and vwvortex.com. With urban driving, dino oil, and a 5k mi / 8k km OCI, coke formation is almost guaranteed in these engines.