2000 A4 1.8T Quattro

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Mud

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The larger oil filter is a must, like the MAHLE/MANN 068 115 561. This was noted in past 1.8 TSB's. You can buy them on-line for about $6 - excellent filter. Increases oil capacity by something like half a quart I think.

Info from this site led me to use M1 0W-40 at 4.5 to 5K OCI's. I also use 8 oz of Lube Control at each new oil change. Castrol Syntec 5W-40 is also a popular choice here.

You do NOT need to do the 3K OCI - as a past 3K junkie I have kicked the habit thanks to the info here.

Daughter's car is an '02 A4 1.8T.
 
Judging by the chipped comment from 150-200 hp jump you have the 1.8T. So first off I would Auto-RX that engine and then make you use the large oil filter. A 0w-40 or 5w-40 synthetic will do that engine nicely. Do not use anything other than synthetic in that motor (especially if you chip it) unless you using Auto-RX (max 2k in engine). Use whatever you can find locally to buy oil, funny enough is the oil 0w or 5w-40 I can find locally is Amsoil.

When you chip you should upgrade your vacuum hoses and Diverter valve to handle the extra boost. And use synthetic! These engines are notorious for sludging, just do a search.
 
If it was my Audi, I think I'd Auto-RX it to get a nice baseline clean engine, then run Castrol Syntec 0w-30 (a.k.a., "German Castrol", or simply "GC") on a 5,000 OCI.
 
At that intended OCI, you can use just about any old synthetic and do nicely. With a 3k OCI, you can use M1 0w-40 with complete confidence and get good revs.

But for longer OCIs, the ones I like in chipped/modded turbos right now are Delvac 1 and RL 10w-30. Both are very shear and temperature stable and clean like he**. The RL should spin the turbo quicker than the Delvac, but you pay for the privilege.

Any of those three, and the GC already mentioned, would be my short list. All would be suitable year-round where you live. All but the 0w-40 would be fine for far longer OCIs than you're contemplating.

But whatever you run, ARX that puppy first. And you already know to run Mann or Mahle filters.
 
Hey guys. New here and reading lots of info. Great stuff but rather confusing to a noob like me.
Am buying an A4 with 56K mi on a replaced motor(no history on what was being run through it or how it was driven). I'd really like opinions as to what oil I should use based on my specific situation. Which is: Car is not currently chipped but probably will be later(150hp for now/200hp later), I live in Cincinnati(moderate temps with some pretty cold winters), I drive an 1 1/2 each way for work but only go to work a couple of times a week, so most of my driving is around town. I don't drive very aggressively and plan on changing the oil every 3K miles(may seem too frequent to most here but old habits die hard). I wonder about synthetics vs dino sense I plan on changing so frequently anyway. 5w-30 fall/winter/spring and 5w-40 for the heat of summer? What do you think? Also when I chip it will I need to re-think everything? Thanks and this is a great site!!!
 
For an Audi 1.8T that has a rebuilt motor, I'd use synthetic, especially if your going to chip it. Chipping those with the wee little K03 trubocharger will create enormous heat as it takes some serious rpm on such a small turbocharger to put out enough air volume. K03s are practically out of their efficiency range with a chip. You can bet that the previous motor probably bit the dust from dino and too long a drain interval.
 
Thanks for all the input. Drew, the motor isn't a rebuild. It's a replacement motor out of a 2000 Passat that had been totaled. Some lady bought the A4 with 45K on it and in 1yr & 3mnths it had 83K on it. She apparently didn't do much in the way of oil. She traded it in and a guy bought it and motor blew the next day. My mechanic friend bought it and dropped the Passat motor in it.
Wouldn't an 0w-40 be overkill in my region of the country? How about the benefits of better mpg with a 5w-30 and 5w-40 in summer? Any real logic or need for this? If I read correctly, most of you think that with the turbo's heat even without the chip, a 40 would better handle it?
 
You can run stuff like GC 0w-30 or M1 0w-40 all year long without a problem, chipped or not. You're not going to see any noticeable mpg difference between xw-30 and xw-40 oils - so switching back and forth doesn't make any sense, IMO.

Definitely use the larger filter that others suggested to increase system's oil capacity (it's only 3.7qt on a stock A4, but somehow on a Passat it was about 4qt, not sure how - larger oil pan?).

And since you don't know the previous engine history, running some ARx first is probably a good advice.

And you do not want to use dino oil in this engine, even if you were to change it every 1K miles. Dino just can't stand up to the high temps and is much more prone to coking in the turbo cooling lines. This is a sludge-prone engine and dino oil is partly to blame.

You also need to take proper care of the turbo by not running it hard when cold and not shutting it off right after a spirited drive, but you probably knew that already. This is even more important once you chip it.
 
High revving smaller displacement turbos are a bit of a balancing act when it comes to oil selection.

You want sufficent bearing and upper cylinder protection and good thermal and shear stability. The 1.8t places some added emphasis on this stability due to its sump size. But you don't want it too thick or turbine spool up time will be compromised and you'll also be wasting power moving the oil.

The rule of thumb for maximum yet safe performance is just enough film strength to provide sufficient protection, but no more. That's why the 0w-40 is a really nice oil - while it holds up. And that's why of all of them, the RL is the pick of the litter in this application, as it perfectly balances those competing considerations across longer OCIs in a thinner (i.e. more free revving) grade. But it is sooooooo expensive.

I would not run M1 5w-30 in that engine.
 
Great! Thanks again. One last question...I assume 0w vs 5w for colder climate but does this visc make a difference with engine wear during starts? I guess I'm asking if there is enough of a difference in the two that over time I would notice any real differences in engine wear? Probably thinking into it too much but I'm just learning.
 
The thinner the better at start up. It can't get through the galleys fast enough.

Only in the most general sense can a 0w or 5w be considered "thinner" at colder temps than a 10w.

Bear in mind that the advertised viscosity is not always a good indicator how an oil will behave at differing real-world temperatures.

The advertised viscosity in a multiweight is based on but two temperature points, only. The plot of viscosity to temperature is not linear, and some 10w-x oils will flow better at some colder temps than some 5w-x oils will. It is very formula specific.

When you're dealing with full synthetics, the cold flow differences at most U.S. winter temps between a 10w and a 5w are generally not that severe. You need to get REALLY cold before the differences become apparent. Dinos are a whole different story.
 
quote:
The thinner the better at start up. It can't get through the galleys fast enough.
Click to expand...
Audi engines have oil retention valves in the heads. Some oil remains near the engine uppers. I wonder whether or not a 0W-X oil will drain faster through those valves than a 5W-X oil. The same may apply to the hydraulic lifters, which retain oil after the engine is turned off.
 
This high rpm engine performs best using a xw-30 synthetic. I'd run the Mobil 1, 10w-30 Extended Performance in this application year round. It's technically a bit too thin to meet the VW 502.00 specification (HT/HS of 3.2 Cp), but it works just fine here.

At temps > 0F, this 10w-30 will pump as well as the Mobil 1, 0w-40, due to the slope/shape of the viscosity/temp curves for the two oils....



Tooslick
 
Wow guys! so much info but good to learn. After checking out this site as well as some audi fan sites I'm probably gonna go with Mobile1 0w-40 or Mobile1 5w-40T&SUV. Am also going to run auto-rx through it first, get a UOA and then set my OCI(guessing it will fall between 3-5K). Now have said all that, please help me choose between the two. I'm not dumb but can't nail down noticable differences(to my uneducated eye).
 
quote:
Originally posted by moribundman:
Audi engines have oil retention valves in the heads. Some oil remains near the engine uppers.
Click to expand...
It's more important that it get to the mains quickly, as that is generally the source of all rod and upper cylinder lubrication.
 
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