feisty

Why is the MMI oil level monitor considered unreliable when compared to a dipstick when other electronic monitors are well depended on?

jagtoes

I wouldn't consider it as unreliable but just as an alternate source to knowing oil level. As more and more car owners are less interested in maintaining their cars the need for idiot warning systems become evident.In Audi's case it's necessary so that when the car burns oil inside the change interval it requires someone to open the hood which has not become a normal event. Thus the MMI feature. As to the dipstick it is the mechanical method and not subject to a electrical or ECU malfunction. The next improvement would be for the MMI to automatically show oil level when key is inserted so that the owner doesn't have to go into the MMI to find the oil level screen.Then again if Audi designed an engine that didn't burn oil you wouldn't need either.

uberwgn

?????

johnny ro

Its unusable.

On my car it never shows any information when I want it.

Says add oil, I add, it takes a day or two to give a reading.

Pop hood, check dipstick, slam hood.

jagtoes

Either you have a bad sensor or you are not using the correct procedure to check the oil with the MMI. It usually takes between 30-60 seconds after you shut down the engine to get a reading. See what the OM says.

feisty

Actually every time I insert the dipstick to check the oil level reading mirrors the MMI. Sometimes the dipstick is harder to read (in direct sunlight) than the electronic gauge. On top of that the dipstick if left in the tube compresses the hood insulation trying to dent the hood.
Again the question is, how reliable is the MMI if checked correctly?

Brian Cecil

I ordered a dipstick for my new A4 prior to taking delivery nearly four years ago. My experience is identical to the quote above -- even to the point about the dipstick compressing the hood insulation. I trust the MMI on my car, and I follow the manual's directions on using it. The MMI also gives a good general (but not exact) reading of the oil level while the engine's running -- like in a parking lot or at a stoplight.

johnny ro

"data not available at this time"