[Rajamass]

Hi All

I own a VW Passat (North America) 2022 Limited Edition Model. I will soon be writing a detailed ownership experience. But for now, I need some advice regarding the low engine oil warning. It has a 2-liter TSI engine with a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The car is nine months old and has currently driven 6559 miles (~10555 Kms). In the last week of May, when the car was around 4000 miles (~6437 Kms) mileage, I got a low engine oil warning on my MFD and VW phone app. I checked the oil level and found it to be less than the suggested marking on the dipstick. I scheduled a visit to the nearest authorized dealer and the service engineer thoroughly checked the car. He said everything looked good and no leakage was observed in the engine and has topped up the engine oil under warranty. I asked them why the service advisor told me that sometimes the cars are shipped with half engine oil, and then during the delivery, the dealer has to fill it before selling, which they might have missed. This convinced me, and I did not bother about it. But today, I again got a low engine oil warning error, and when I checked, it was similarly low and around the same level as I had found it in the first instance.
During the first warning, Unfortunately, I can't get the appointment quickly to get it checked. I need to travel around 300 miles this Saturday for a short trip. Is it safe for the engine to travel with low oil? I am worried about what could go wrong with the new car, the first service of which is yet to be done. Kindly advise me.

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by Rajamass

Hi All

During the first warning, Unfortunately, I can't get the appointment quickly to get it checked. I need to travel around 300 miles this Saturday for a short trip. Is it safe for the engine to travel with low oil? I am worried about what could go wrong with the new car, the first service of which is yet to be done. Kindly advise me.

Why don't you simply top-up the engine oil (same specification as mentioned in user manual)? its a safe practice.
VAG cars are known to consume some engine oil but you can get it checked upon return.
I won't advice driving car with low engine oil.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by Rajamass

During the first warning, Unfortunately, I can't get the appointment quickly to get it checked. I need to travel around 300 miles this Saturday for a short trip. Is it safe for the engine to travel with low oil? I am worried about what could go wrong with the new car, the first service of which is yet to be done. Kindly advise me.

Please do not drive on low oil, as it could prove to be far more disastrous and expensive than simply topping it up yourself before the trip, and then getting the car checked later just to be safe. VW's TSI engines (especially the earlier ones) are known to consume some oil, mostly in the first few thousand miles. Is the 2.0 TSI in your car the EA888 Gen-3B? The third generation of VW'S TSI engines have an updated piston ring design to stop potential carbon buildup from blocking the oil control ring's passages, in an effort to stop oil from entering the cylinders and reducing consumption. The first and second generation are more prone to this issue, since they were shown to have a faulty piston and oil control ring design. For peace of mind as well as the detection of any possible future issues (and hopefully getting such an issue fixed under warranty), I'd advise you to get your car checked after your trip.

[McLaren Rulez]

It's a VW so it's almost expected to consume oil excessively

Keep some spare oil in the boot and top up (don't over top-up though) yourself when the light comes on. You don't need to visit the dealer for this.

If you've already travelled on low oil and gotten away with it, don't worry too much but avoid doing this in the future since it can seriously damage the engine.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Rajamass

...2-liter TSI engine...
...when the car was around 4000 miles (~6437 Kms) mileage, I got a low engine oil warning...
...today, I again got a low engine oil warning error...

The VW 2.0 TSi / TFSi engines seem to have lots of anecdotal evidence worldwide on the Internet about oil consumption ranging from 500-1000 ml per 1000 km of driving. Look up the following links - 1 (Excessive engine oil consumption in the VAG TSI engines), 2, 3.

Check that there are no obvious oil marks on the underbody / engine from any leaky oil seals or gaskets; you might want to ask your service engineer to remove and inspect the spark plugs for signs of excessive oil consumption. A sooty tailpipe or oil spots on the bumper may also point to excessive oil consumption.

[Rajamass]

Update

I called up the nearest VW dealer and explained the situation. They were kind to understand and offered me top-up today itself under warranty. The service advisor told me it's a known issue in several vehicles, and VW does not suggest anything other than topping up the oil unless there is an engine light on in the instrument cluster or some leak observed. According to him, the low oil warning is quite common in most VW TSI engines, particularly in the Jetta's 1.4 TSI engines. He assured me a thorough check in the first service due in Oct or 10000miles mark.

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

Why don't you simply top-up the engine oil (same specification as mentioned in user manual)? its a safe practice.
VAG cars are known to consume some engine oil but you can get it checked upon return.
I won't advice driving car with low engine oil.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am a bit hesitant to do this as I had no experience, but then I realized today that it's a pretty simple procedure.

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Please do not drive on low oil, as it could prove to be far more disastrous and expensive than simply topping it up yourself before the trip, and then getting the car checked later just to be safe. VW's TSI engines (especially the earlier ones) are known to consume some oil, mostly in the first few thousand miles. Is the 2.0 TSI in your car the EA888 Gen-3B? The third generation of VW'S TSI engines have an updated piston ring design to stop potential carbon buildup from blocking the oil control ring's passages, in an effort to stop oil from entering the cylinders and reducing consumption. The first and second generation are more prone to this issue, since they were shown to have a faulty piston and oil control ring design. For peace of mind as well as the detection of any possible future issues (and hopefully getting such an issue fixed under warranty), I'd advise you to get your car checked after your trip.

Thanks for your advice

Yes, the engine is E888 Gen 3 but not sure of the subtype (B, etc.). It has two injectors, one direct injection and another port fuel injection. We own a Vento 1.2 TSI (+DSG) in Bengaluru driven 60000kms and never had this issue (could it be due to lack of oil level sensor?).

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

It's a VW so it's almost expected to consume oil excessively

Keep some spare oil in the boot and top up (don't over top-up though) yourself when the light comes on. You don't need to visit the dealer for this.

If you've already travelled on low oil and gotten away with it, don't worry too much but avoid doing this in the future since it can seriously damage the engine.

I will keep some oil in the boot for long trips. Even the VW technician suggested this.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

The VW 2.0 TSi / TFSi engines seem to have lots of anecdotal evidence worldwide on the Internet about oil consumption ranging from 500-1000 ml per 1000 km of driving. Look up the following links - 1 (Excessive engine oil consumption in the VAG TSI engines), 2, 3.

Check that there are no obvious oil marks on the underbody / engine from any leaky oil seals or gaskets; you might want to ask your service engineer to remove and inspect the spark plugs for signs of excessive oil consumption. A sooty tailpipe or oil spots on the bumper may also point to excessive oil consumption.

Thanks for the additional links. The link you shared dates back to 2010! As you said, it does not seem to be something new. I found that other manufacturers like Honda, GM, etc., operating in the US have this oil-burning issue in more recent models. I will also check for the soot in the exhaust.

[Rajamass]

Today

I checked my VW manual for the low engine oil warning information. They have mentioned that it is pretty normal for an engine to consume 1litre per 1200miles (or 2000kms) and can be higher in the first 3100miles (or 5000kms). I