My neighbor is changing his own oil for the first time. Car has 135k and is using 1 quart every 3k. 50/50 hwy/city driving and the manual calls for 5W-40. Calling on my fellow VW experts/owners for an oil recommendation to give him. Car is in Virginia and doesn't see temps below 0 but hot summers. Looks like it has seen Castrol Syntec in the past.
03 Passat 2.8 oil recommendation
- Thread starter HARTZSKY
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Mobil 1 0W-40 is pretty popular with German cars.
I have an 03 Passat 2.8. Any 502 rated oil will be fine, but if consumption is an issue, Pennzoil Platinum 5w-50 from NAPA has run great in mine, although it doesn't have the 502 approval. It will slow down the consumption after a few thousand miles. If he wants to stick with a 40w, the Pennzoil Ultra 5w40 is nice, just hard to find. Mobil 1 0w-40 is a good choice as well and is easy to find.
One issue your friend needs to be aware of is the correct amount to use. My owners manual states 5.7 quarts, but there was a TSB that came out stating our motors should use 6.5 quarts.
The oil pump is mounted at the front of the motor and if I only have 6 quarts in the sump, my oil pressure gauge starts jumping around when going up and down hills. So even though it will look over-filled, he needs a minimum of 6.25 quarts to bring it to the bottom of the orange indicator (that's where my gauge behaves itself).
One issue your friend needs to be aware of is the correct amount to use. My owners manual states 5.7 quarts, but there was a TSB that came out stating our motors should use 6.5 quarts.
The oil pump is mounted at the front of the motor and if I only have 6 quarts in the sump, my oil pressure gauge starts jumping around when going up and down hills. So even though it will look over-filled, he needs a minimum of 6.25 quarts to bring it to the bottom of the orange indicator (that's where my gauge behaves itself).
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Mobil 1 High Miles 10w-30
Originally Posted By: glxpassat
I have an 03 Passat 2.8. Any 502 rated oil will be fine, but if consumption is an issue, Pennzoil Platinum 5w-50 from NAPA has run great in mine, although it doesn't have the 502 approval. It will slow down the consumption after a few thousand miles. If he wants to stick with a 40w, the Pennzoil Ultra 5w40 is nice, just hard to find. Mobil 1 0w-40 is a good choice as well and is easy to find.
One issue your friend needs to be aware of is the correct amount to use. My owners manual states 5.7 quarts, but there was a TSB that came out stating our motors should use 6.5 quarts.
The oil pump is mounted at the front of the motor and if I only have 6 quarts in the sump, my oil pressure gauge starts jumping around when going up and down hills. So even though it will look over-filled, he needs a minimum of 6.25 quarts to bring it to the bottom of the orange indicator (that's where my gauge behaves itself).
Hey, thanks alot for the advice. We went to the parts store and he saw Amsoil 5W-40 and said "I heard this stuff is good, lets go with it." He didn't care about the price, so we filled the crankase with 6 1/2 quarts of Amsoil 5W-40 with a Purolator Classic filter.
I have an 03 Passat 2.8. Any 502 rated oil will be fine, but if consumption is an issue, Pennzoil Platinum 5w-50 from NAPA has run great in mine, although it doesn't have the 502 approval. It will slow down the consumption after a few thousand miles. If he wants to stick with a 40w, the Pennzoil Ultra 5w40 is nice, just hard to find. Mobil 1 0w-40 is a good choice as well and is easy to find.
One issue your friend needs to be aware of is the correct amount to use. My owners manual states 5.7 quarts, but there was a TSB that came out stating our motors should use 6.5 quarts.
The oil pump is mounted at the front of the motor and if I only have 6 quarts in the sump, my oil pressure gauge starts jumping around when going up and down hills. So even though it will look over-filled, he needs a minimum of 6.25 quarts to bring it to the bottom of the orange indicator (that's where my gauge behaves itself).
Hey, thanks alot for the advice. We went to the parts store and he saw Amsoil 5W-40 and said "I heard this stuff is good, lets go with it." He didn't care about the price, so we filled the crankase with 6 1/2 quarts of Amsoil 5W-40 with a Purolator Classic filter.
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
Well, once we got the oil done, I asked him when was the last time he checked the air filter and he didn't know. So I pulled it and it was falling apart as I pulled it out. Had to of been in there atleast 100k. Leaves and dust were the worst I've seen in an air filter. Maybe that part of the reason he was losing oil over time, I don't know. Anyway, went back to store and threw in a Purolator Classic air filter and hopefully it will help, it has to.
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
Well, once we got the oil done, I asked him when was the last time he checked the air filter and he didn't know. So I pulled it and it was falling apart as I pulled it out. Had to of been in there atleast 100k. Leaves and dust were the worst I've seen in an air filter. Maybe that part of the reason he was losing oil over time, I don't know. Anyway, went back to store and threw in a Purolator Classic air filter and hopefully it will help, it has to.
Wow, there's no telling how bad his gas mileage must have been with a filter that clogged. There is a spring loaded trap door in the floor of the air box that will open if the need for air is great enough, but it's unfiltered air. You may want to mention the fuel filter to him as well...
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
It may be with an automatic, but with a manual 5 speed it turns 3200 rpm at 80mph. My Honda's 3.5 v6 automatic turns about 2500 at that speed.
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
It may be with an automatic, but with a manual 5 speed it turns 3200 rpm at 80mph. My Honda's 3.5 v6 automatic turns about 2500 at that speed.
I pulled an air filter last year data coded 1992 in a 1991.
A few things I noticed with the oil filter. The filter on the car was a cheaper, no name brand. It had 6 holes on the flow end versus 8 on the Purolator (pretty sure, atleast 2 more holes on the Purolator.) The Purolator was also about an inch shorter than the existing filter we pulled off. Any ideas on those 2 differences?
Originally Posted By: HARTZSKY
A few things I noticed with the oil filter. The filter on the car was a cheaper, no name brand. It had 6 holes on the flow end versus 8 on the Purolator (pretty sure, atleast 2 more holes on the Purolator.)
The number of holes is meaningless. The 6 holes on the previous filter may have been slightly larger and thus had the same overall area as the 8 holes on the Purolator.
Quote:
The Purolator was also about an inch shorter than the existing filter we pulled off. Any ideas on those 2 differences?
The old filter may have been an oversized one.
A few things I noticed with the oil filter. The filter on the car was a cheaper, no name brand. It had 6 holes on the flow end versus 8 on the Purolator (pretty sure, atleast 2 more holes on the Purolator.)
The number of holes is meaningless. The 6 holes on the previous filter may have been slightly larger and thus had the same overall area as the 8 holes on the Purolator.
Quote:
The Purolator was also about an inch shorter than the existing filter we pulled off. Any ideas on those 2 differences?
The old filter may have been an oversized one.
Originally Posted By: glxpassat
It may be with an automatic, but with a manual 5 speed it turns 3200 rpm at 80mph.
That does not necessarily mean it's hard on oil.
It may be with an automatic, but with a manual 5 speed it turns 3200 rpm at 80mph.
That does not necessarily mean it's hard on oil.
There is a "shorty" filter that is just like the large ones, but shorter. iirc, it was for an app where the big filter would not clear a subframe, circa 1995.
Rotella T6. That's what I run on our Jetta and it's been great.
If it's having consumption issues, I would try Mobil 1 HM 10w40 unless it gets well below freezing where you live. I don't think 1qt every 3k is horrible though. I'd monitor it closely.
Mobil 1 5w50, PP 5w50, or Castrol Syntec 5w50 might work but that could be pushing it a bit.
If you want to stay with 5w40, there's always stuff like Rotella T6 and Mobil 1 TDT.
Mobil 1 5w50, PP 5w50, or Castrol Syntec 5w50 might work but that could be pushing it a bit.
If you want to stay with 5w40, there's always stuff like Rotella T6 and Mobil 1 TDT.
Originally Posted By: HARTZSKY
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
Well, once we got the oil done, I asked him when was the last time he checked the air filter and he didn't know. So I pulled it and it was falling apart as I pulled it out. Had to of been in there atleast 100k. Leaves and dust were the worst I've seen in an air filter. Maybe that part of the reason he was losing oil over time, I don't know. Anyway, went back to store and threw in a Purolator Classic air filter and hopefully it will help, it has to.
I'll bet his cabin air filter (pollen filter) has also never been changed.
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's one of the easiest engines on oil that I know of.
Well, once we got the oil done, I asked him when was the last time he checked the air filter and he didn't know. So I pulled it and it was falling apart as I pulled it out. Had to of been in there atleast 100k. Leaves and dust were the worst I've seen in an air filter. Maybe that part of the reason he was losing oil over time, I don't know. Anyway, went back to store and threw in a Purolator Classic air filter and hopefully it will help, it has to.
I'll bet his cabin air filter (pollen filter) has also never been changed.
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