Audi 3.0L TFSI (2013 Audi S4) oil choices in Canada

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Nov 20, 2015
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Canada
Hello,

I just ran out of my stock of Castrol Syntec 0w40 and need to find a new oil as this one is not available anymore.

I live in Quebec, Canada and temperature goes down to -30c in winter, hence why I was running 0w40.

Now I can find either :
Castrol 5w40
PP Euro 5w40
Motomaster OEPlus 5w40
Motomaster OEPlus 0w40

Motomaster oils I think are rebranded Shell Helix Ultra. I compared to PP Euro and the specs dont seem to match. Any input on that?

I dont care about the brand, more about the performance. I read HTHS is important, high Noack, low Noack, Full saps, mid saps, etc and I can't find all those informations for the oils I am looking at.

Can anyone help me out please?

Also debating 0w40 vs 5w40. I park my car in a garage all week long and only use it the weekends where it will be parked outside. Is a 0w really necessary?

Right now I am going towards the Motomaster 0w40 unless I can get close/better specs on a different easily available oil.

Thanks
 
 
Pennzoil makes a 0w40
Can't find it around here.

Motomaster 5W-40 is what I'd choose.
Why 5w instead of 0w?

Yep read that already. That's how I found out about Motomaster oeplus.
 
Forget about the grade, the listed HT/HS or anything else except the required approval for your vehicle. Also at -30C an oil with a winter rating of 5W or 0W will both be pumpable but a 0W rating is preferable.
 
Forget about the grade, the listed HT/HS or anything else except the required approval for your vehicle. Also at -30C an oil with a winter rating of 5W or 0W will both be pumpable but a 0W rating is preferable.
That's why I was using a 0w40 castrol. Now if I have easy access to either 0w40 and 5w40, besides around 5 viscosity less at 40c and .5 at 100c, how the remaining specs compare?

I was actually trying to find if anyone has the specs to be able to compare correctly as I'm not able to find them.
 
By "specs" do you mean the typical values listed on a PDS? The specifications, licenses and approvals the oil has are listed on the container.

I don't put a lot of value into a PDS as I'm unable to predict the future performance of a motor oil based on those values. Maybe you are, but I have to go by the approvals.
 
By "specs" do you mean the typical values listed on a PDS? The specifications, licenses and approvals the oil has are listed on the container.

I don't put a lot of value into a PDS as I'm unable to predict the future performance of a motor oil based on those values. Maybe you are, but I have to go by the approvals.
Yes I'm talking about noack, hths, viscosity index, etc.

But you're right. I'll stop over thinking this and just go with my initial plan : oeplus 0w40. It should even be better than my previous castrol by having a better api rating.
 
Yes I'm talking about noack, hths, viscosity index, etc.

But you're right. I'll stop over thinking this and just go with my initial plan : oeplus 0w40. It should even be better than my previous castrol by having a better api rating.

I would bet the OEPlus Euro 0w-40 is Pennzoil Platinum. The market for 0w-40 oils in Canada is quite small, hence Castrol discontinuing 0w-40 Edge in Canada, and Pennzoil 0w-40 I have never seen in the wild. The Motomaster stuff comes on sale every couple weeks.

Another option is Mobil 1 0w-40 (Porsche A40 rated). Readily available at Canadian Tire and PartSource and comes on sale every couple weeks as well.
 
I would bet the OEPlus Euro 0w-40 is Pennzoil Platinum. The market for 0w-40 oils in Canada is quite small, hence Castrol discontinuing 0w-40 Edge in Canada, and Pennzoil 0w-40 I have never seen in the wild. The Motomaster stuff comes on sale every couple weeks.

Another option is Mobil 1 0w-40 (Porsche A40 rated). Readily available at Canadian Tire and PartSource and comes on sale every couple weeks as well.
I'm not a fan of that oil. Maybe it's just in my mind but I prefer to find another one. OEPlus 0w40 will be my next choice. I'll stock up on the next sale.
 
Motomaster oil is on sale this week at Canadian Tire. I bought 3 jugs of 0w40, that's good for my next 2 oil changes.

What had me wondering are the approvals. I can see A40 and LL01 on the 5w but not on the 0w. I compared viscosities between the 2 and at 40c there is a difference of 8. Is this enough to make a noticeable difference in cold cranking? Pour point is -48 vs -45. Not a huge difference there either. 5w40 is also 2$ cheaper.

What do you guys think about this?
 
Motomaster oil is on sale this week at Canadian Tire. I bought 3 jugs of 0w40, that's good for my next 2 oil changes.

What had me wondering are the approvals. I can see A40 and LL01 on the 5w but not on the 0w. I compared viscosities between the 2 and at 40c there is a difference of 8. Is this enough to make a noticeable difference in cold cranking? Pour point is -48 vs -45. Not a huge difference there either. 5w40 is also 2$ cheaper.

What do you guys think about this?
I don’t think the Motomaster has any verifiable approvals. It doesn’t show up on any manufacturer list.

And do you need an oil with a 0W winter rating? Are you starting unaided at below -30?
 
Motomaster oil is on sale this week at Canadian Tire. I bought 3 jugs of 0w40, that's good for my next 2 oil changes.

What had me wondering are the approvals. I can see A40 and LL01 on the 5w but not on the 0w. I compared viscosities between the 2 and at 40c there is a difference of 8. Is this enough to make a noticeable difference in cold cranking? Pour point is -48 vs -45. Not a huge difference there either. 5w40 is also 2$ cheaper.

What do you guys think about this?

If you are not in a situation where the oil temp will be under -35C (would probably need to have a car sit in that temp consistently for at least a day) the 5w is just fine.
 
I live in Canada. During winter we can see many days in a row at less than -20c. Car sits in the garage tho.

I am just wondering if I should go back to Canadian Tire and return the 0w40 Motomaster to get Motomaster 5w40 instead.
 
If you are not in a situation where the oil temp will be under -35C (would probably need to have a car sit in that temp consistently for at least a day) the 5w is just fine.
Eh, my criteria is a bit stricter on it than that. -35C is the pumping limit temp for the 5W-xx Winter designation, and oils are allowed to slip a grade in service. CCS is tested at -30C and I've started, unaided, in below -30C with 5w-30 that had a few miles on it and I didn't think it was going to start (Pennzoil Ultra in our old Expedition) it rolled over so slowly. Conveniently, this was at a hotel in Quebec and the vehicle had sat overnight.

Ergo, my threshold for a 0w-xx would be -30C if I had to choose, but I generally just err on the side of caution and run a 0w-xx regardless, then I don't have to worry about it.

I would bet the OEPlus Euro 0w-40 is Pennzoil Platinum. The market for 0w-40 oils in Canada is quite small, hence Castrol discontinuing 0w-40 Edge in Canada, and Pennzoil 0w-40 I have never seen in the wild. The Motomaster stuff comes on sale every couple weeks.

Another option is Mobil 1 0w-40 (Porsche A40 rated). Readily available at Canadian Tire and PartSource and comes on sale every couple weeks as well.
Yup, that's the easy default up here for an excellent 0w-40 that has a long list of approvals and is readily available and can even be had on sale, it's a no brainer.
 
If we go by the idea that MM OEPlus is a rebottled PPE, then the 0w40 is also A40. The latest spec sheet of PPE 0W40 is not A40 approved but the few years older one is. I don't think an improved formula is less stout than an older one.

Maybe I'm wrong?
 
If we go by the idea that MM OEPlus is a rebottled PPE, then the 0w40 is also A40. The latest spec sheet of PPE 0W40 is not A40 approved but the few years older one is. I don't think an improved formula is less stout than an older one.

Maybe I'm wrong?
How are we arriving at the newer formula is improved even though it dropped A40?
 
Why wouldn't it be equal or better than the old one?

The spec sheet is the same between the 2015 one and 2020, but the 2020 don't have A40 anymore. It's probably just a marketing gimmick or Shell not paying for the test any more.
 
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