'01 Jetta 1.8T with Valvoline 5W30 fossil oil

[Gary Allan]

You could consider an double dose Auto-Rx treatment. I think 5-6oz/quart is max recommended. As I may have said, this eliminated a moly formation that was leeching for a very long time in my jeep engine. Lots of noise went with it. I had between 150-200ppm of moly in UOA when the oils that I ran for 20k miles had no moly in them

I did the double dose because I didn't want to take the time to do the regular treatments ..so I did it in about 2000-2300 miles (split about down the middle) instead of taking 5500-6000 miles. It did a good job ..or at least everything I intended it too. I needed to get back to my 0w-10 ASAP. I take too long to rack up mileage for testing.

I didn't have any serious sludge issues. I just had a slug of moly that sank out in my pan and filter (or wherever else it decided to). The engine was totally clean through the valve cover opening. So, YMMV

 

[wolfc70]

What did it look like when you pulled the valve cover? Was there signs of sludge? 1.8t's that have sludge for longer periods usually have lower oil pressure, starving the top end and damaging valve guides/seals. I would use any top line syn oil, 1.8t engines can really be hard on oil.

Make sure you changed the "L" hose on the PCV system, if this is plugged, you will have higher oil consumption, but not quite a quart to 1000 miles. You may have multiple issues going on here.

Turbo shaft end play does not check shaft seals. 125K is nearing the end of a K03's life. Check the exhaust side, you may find that everything is loaded up with carbon, explaining the oil loss and boost issues.

 

[Newtonville]

If it were my engine, first I would start with an old fashioned compression check, vacuum guage, oil pressure, etc. also looking for blue smoke, especially after coasting then hard acceleration, and at startup. Then work from there to find the reason for the oil use. I had a Honda Accord once, and it was valve stem seals causing the clouds of blue smoke behind, not that this is the case here.

 

[addyguy]

Get the dino 5W-30 out of the engine, pronto.

Either of the oils you have will work well. In future, you want to stick with an oil that has a HT/HS value of more than 3.5 - ACEA A3.

I 'think' synthetics are a better used in a turbo; but if you want to use chaeper dino oils, use a 15W-40 HDEO (Diesel) oil. It will protect well also.

 

[JonT718]

The oil pickup tube was replaced at 104k miles when I first brought the car. The oil pan and valve cover had varnish indicating the previous owners either were not keeping up with regular OCI's and probably used fossil oil. The pickup tube didn't have any debris but the varnish is indicative of prior neglect. Since then I've been using syn oil up until recently.

At the next oil change I will be dumping the fossil oil and will be using M1 0W-40 and will be dumping in some seafoam as well. Not sure if I will do AutoRX quite yet as I am not sure if its safe to do so?

 

[Gary Allan]

If you had the pan down and there were no visible tar like formations, you're fine from a sludge standpoint ..at least up until that time. Varnish is a byproduct of many things, many that are unavoidable from a practical standpoint for many owners. Most of population doesn't have a career in spot removal on engine internals.

I wouldn't add SeaFoam to M1 0w-40. Much of it will volatilize (probably) ..so I'm just being nitpicky ..but it is sorta like using A1 on Kobe beef (I think this has been mentioned before).

That said, if that's what you want to do ..then do it. I don't have the issues using Auto-rx "in line" since its constituents are esters and two of them are primary base stock and friction modifier for top end oils like Redline.

 

[wolfc70]

Originally Posted By: JonT718
The oil pickup tube was replaced at 104k miles when I first brought the car. The oil pan and valve cover had varnish indicating the previous owners either were not keeping up with regular OCI's and probably used fossil oil. The pickup tube didn't have any debris but the varnish is indicative of prior neglect. Since then I've been using syn oil up until recently.

At the next oil change I will be dumping the fossil oil and will be using M1 0W-40 and will be dumping in some seafoam as well. Not sure if I will do AutoRX quite yet as I am not sure if its safe to do so?
ARX works great in the 1.8t, many people on Passat World had success in stopping the sludge. The Jetta's never had the sludge issues, mainly due to a larger sump than the Passat/A4 applications (longitudinally sp?) Some people had so much sludge they were getting low oil pressure warnings. The ARX seemed to help revive the motors. As for varnish, these engines produce that in spades. Replace the whole PCV works every two years, this will drastically reduce the varnish build up. With most of the sludge cases, the heads/valvetrain took the brunt of the abuse. Damaged valve guides and cam lobe wear is very common if neglected.

Hope this helps!

 

[kbuzbee]

Originally Posted By: JonT718
Not sure if I will do AutoRX quite yet as I am not sure if its safe to do so?


I have the 2002 model of your 1.8T. Always ran syn. M1 til recently now 3 OCIs of RP 5W40. Before switching to the RP I did a ARX + rinse cycle. Was a little worried about sludge though I didn't have any indications. Didn't hurt. May have helped.... Just FYI. If I were you I'd ARX not Seafoam it.

Ken

 

[Bugzii]

Just curious... Jon, any news about the elevated levels of Copper and Lead? Could it be the turbo bearing? Have you checked the PCV?

I have a 2001 1.8T New Beetle (APR 1 Bar at 50k) with now 165k. The car was bought new and I've used various Mobil 1 SS since 25k, changing every 7500-9000 miles. Oil consumption has always been 1-1.5 Qt for each interval depending on the type of driving and season. I've recently replaced the Cam Chain Tensioner and related gaskets. With the valve cover removed, there was no varnishing on the valve-train and very little varnishing on the inside surface of the valve cover. I've done 2 ARX treatments but not sure if it helped anything. The turbo oil return line is still original.

I wouldn't use dino oil for long-term in this engine.

 

[JonT718]

wolf: Thanks for the tip but I think I may stay away from ARX for now until as it seems this motor just eats up any kind of oil. I just switch the Rotella 5W40 Syn and am seeing pretty good results (see below)

Bugzii: See below =) My PCV system is fine as I replaced the upper/lower hoses last year as well as putting in a new PCV "T" adaptor. Unfortunately I didn't buy the car new and can't speak about what the prior OCI we're but I suspect they weren't very often. I'm worried the ARX might dislodge something large enough to block the oil line filter? But I have installed a magnetic drain plug (which does pick up some stuff).


***************

Just wanted to follow up this post with my most recent OA, I switch over to Rotella T 5W40 and it seem's to have made a huge difference compared to the dino 5W30 oil. You can also see the high levels of Zinc and Magnesium which is attributed to the high detergent content of the Rotella oil.

However, I am still burning through 1qt of oil every 1k miles. I suspect it to be oil blowing past the turbo and being combusted. I will (when it gets warm) probably take apart the inter-cooler and see if any oil is trapped there.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Some 2-cycle oil in the gas will reduce consumption at 500:1. Cheap too.

 

[wolfc70]

I bet your turbo is on its way out. If you notice oil in the intercooler, some (about a half cup) is normal, anything more and you have turbo seal issues. A K03 seems to last 100-150k miles depending on use/abuse. Weeping seals is a known issues with high mileage, as is lower boost pressures from carbon build up on the exhaust side, the carbon restricts exhaust from hitting the turbine efficiently.