Please come by to check out our new high tech equipment for tire service and alignment, also come and meet Paul are new tech with also over 30 Years of experience.
VW / Audi sludge problems
While the the 1.8T engines in Audi A4's, Audi TT, VW Passat, Jetta, Golf, New Bettle, are all very prone to sludge build-up, VW/AUDI does not have an extended warranty for them from the factory. The factory warranty is 4 year/50,000 miles. Although VW/AUDI now has 10,000 mile service intervals, oil changes can be done between "services", and should be done if the vehicle is driven in heavy traffic or mostly city driving. Also, VW/AUDI will only warrant an engine if the customer has proof of all their oil changes. As of 2004 all 1.8T engines must use synthetic oil and a bigger oil filter. So if you own one of these sludge-prone engines, what can you do? Obviously, Volkswagen Audi Group recommends that you use only VW/AUDI recommended oil, which is Castrol Syntec 5W-40. You should also keep up on your oil changes, we at Migeli's recommend every 5,000 miles. The most important thing for the VW or Audi owner is this: if the oil light comes on and beeps pull over and shut the engine down immediately. Many engines can be saved by this procedure, have the vehicle towed to a repair shop. Their standard procedure is to inspect the cam bearings; if they're not scored, the oil pan will be removed and cleaned out and the oil pickup tube will be replaced. They'll do an oil pressure test with a mechanical gauge, and hopefully all is well. Finally, the turbo will be checked for bearing free-play. The turbos run really hot even with proper oil and coolant supply - that's why you need a good quality synthetic in them, we at Migeli's like to use Mobil 1 or Amsoil 5w-40, We have customers with over 200,000 miles with problems.
What does the check engine light mean?
The check engine light looks different from car to car, but it's always orange color on the cars we repair. If the check engine light comes on solid (not blinking), you can continue to drive the car until you have a chance to bring it in. This does not mean you should ignore it, When the check engine light is on, the car is likely to be wasting fuel, polluting excessively, causing premature part failure, or perhaps all three. Driving around for a short time until you can set up an appointment is no problem, but continuing to drive for months or years is a bad idea. If the check engine light is blinking rhythmically, there is a problem the computer thinks may cause damage to your car. If you notice a blinking check engine light, you do not need to stop in the middle of the bridge and call a tow truck (like you would with an oil light), but you do need to stop driving as soon as practical. Whether the check engine light is solid or blinking, it's a good idea to drive gently.