So when I had my T2 engine rebuilt I had to frankenstein the thing back together with N/A housings and a N/A center iron. The problem I am having is that.... well according to the dipstick there is no oil in the engine!!!! There aren't any major oil leaks, it runs perfectly fine. I'll change the oil in her, leave her parked overnight, then check the oil and nothing. Not a drop on the stick at all, with no evidence of 4.5 quarts of oil all over the driveway, in the engine, or in the engine bay either. What gives?

 

Is there a bunch of smoke when you drive the car? Does someone not like you or likes to play jokes on you? lol

 

Turbos take 6 quarts!

 

Seriously?????? Wow, I was always told it was 4.5..... can somebody confirm this?

*goes home to check the FSM*

 

Add oil... if it isn't leaking it out, then you didn't put enough in when you filled it up. Did you check the oil level before driving the car? Running too little oil will not allow the oil to cool enough.

 

Here's the oil capacity as specified in the S4 FSM. You should be adding ~5 quarts during an oil change unless you manage to drain the entire oil cooler. The whole system holds 6.1 quarts. No difference between turbos and non turbos.

 

Keep in mind that different models had different length dipsticks. Can't remember a damn thing about them right now, but I'm sure that NA was longer than T2. Or maybe is was FB and FC. Ah hell. You know, I seem to recall that the NA is about a credit card length longer.

 

Cool, thanks for the inputs... I didn't want to overfill it, and now that I think about it I am using the turbo dipstick in a N/A center iron..... that may have something to do with it to? I'll switch dipsticks and see if that does anything.... and add a quart or so..... thanks again 7 club!

 

Oddly enough, i was having the opposite problem. My dipstick would always appear full even if the low oil light would start flickering.

 

what is this some kind of magic trick?!

 

oli fairies, dude. tricky oil fairies

 

what caused that?

 

I'm not very good on the technical mumbo-jumbo, but there is a spacer sort of thing on the NA center iron, that causes the dipstick to rest at a higher position than the turbo. Therfore the NA uses a longer dipstick. Using an NA dipstick on a turbo center housing will cause high indicated levels, when in fact it's not. Using a turbo dipstick on a NA iron will cause a low indicated level when it's actually high.

 

Dipsticks are different lengths. Just reinforcing what was said above a couple of times. Dipstick should match the intermediate housing.

NOT saying that the problem couldn't be a low oil level.

Measure it's length and post a result. From bottom end of the stick to where it rests on the intermediate housing. Someone will tell you which stick you have.