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Ask the shop(s) if they can physically check if the VW502 approval is stated on the back side label.

agree, it's not worth the risk, however low the probability - mild hybrid 3L 6 cyl turbo diesel - I dread to think the replacement cost. I'll find an oil that has the approval. cheers (y)

Ah good point - it was approved when I bought it, or at least when it was bottled. The other options I have in the stash which have LL04 approval (on the bottle) are : Shell Helix HX8 ECT 5W30. (non GTL I believe) Gulf Formula ULE 5W40

Why do you have to wait for a service to rotate the tyres? It's an easy job. I only rotate once - I measure the wear regularly and when the combined wear of front and rear reaches ~6mm (adjusted depending on new tyre tread depth) I rotate them. That way the tyres reach 2-3mm at roughly the same...

The factory fill is still in the engine. I'll be changing in the next few weeks to Shell Helix Ultra 0W-30 ECT (C3 / LL04)

Well that's a good point because my X6 owner's manual states "The viscosity classes SAE 0W-20 and SAE 5W-20 are not suitable for diesel engines"

Oh dear, think they might have overlooked the weight distribution of a mid engine car.

done it regularly - I don't have space between the side of the car and the garage wall to place the jack perpendicularly

Yea it's free as long as you're prepared to wait 2.5 years. You have to plan your ailments well in advance here!

Diesel currently averaging £1.72 / litre equivalent to $8.50 / gallon here in the UK

What's the point of the yellow bucket when he lets the oil run down the outside :unsure:

I would categorize both the UOAs and VOAs that I have conducted as a hobby rather than anything of particular value with respect to engine maintenance. I find it interesting to see how viscosity changes and TBN depletes over the interval but I have never taken action on any of the analyses. Like...

If you are committed to 3,000 mile OCI, I would buy the cheapest one

There is a more recent data sheet for the Motul Specific dated April 2020. Surprise - the HTHS is 2.6 ! There are quite a few changes in other values too, such that it almost looks like a different formulation e.g. TBN higher by 1.3 and pour point higher by 7C. It still states alignment with...

It's always difficult to draw conclusions from viscosity loss figures without seeing the full UOA e.g. how much was due to fuel dilution? I recently posted a UOA from the Mini on the forum a few weeks ago - here is the same info (left column) with the VOA added (middle column). This 12,286 mile...

Yes, D2896 is referenced on all the tech sheets

Many of the ACEA C3 oils, e.g. those with VW 504/507 approval, have low starting TBNs and are suitable for extended drain / variable service intervals. I found a few oils claiming A3/B4 specification that don't have the minimum TBN requirement of 10 - highlighted in red in the table below which...

I've run that exact Fuchs XTL in the Audi for a few thousand miles and I've run various releases of the Shell Helix Ultra 0/5W-30 (AG, AV-L, AB-L, ECT etc) in just about all cars I've owned in the last few years. Shell UK have a distribution agreement with EuroCarParts and sometimes (less often...

All new BMWs / Minis sold in Europe are fitted with particulate filters, including petrol engines and even the high end M models. The oil requirements as per owners manual are therefore all low/mid SAPS C3 categories. The range of permitted grades is quite broad - 0W/5W - 20/30/40. The LL01...