Castrol TXT 5W-40, 9988 miles, 04 Jetta TDI

[marco246]

Wife's car with 19978 miles total, 9988 on the oil, which is VW 505.01 rated. No make-up oil added. Oil changed 1 AUG 06. New oil is the same Castrol TXT 5W-40. Over the life of the car I have added about 1/2 oz. of PS (white) additive per gallon of diesel fuel. MPG runs between 45 and 51 with 47/48 being most typical. Car was driven conservatively except for having been flogged one day at an SCCA driver's clinic by enthusiastic daughter. Analysis by Blackstone.

THE NUMBERS:

Aluminum-----6
Chromium-----2
Iron--------59
Copper-------9
Lead---------5
Tin----------0
Molybdenum---1
Nickel-------1
Manganese----2
Silver-------0
Titanium-----0
Potassium----2
Boron--------0
Silicon------5
Sodium-------2
Calcium---2780
Magnesium---12
Phosphorus-771
Zinc-------939
Barium-------0

SUS [email protected]
Flashpoint---460 F.
Fuel--------- Antifreeze---0.0%
Water--------0.0%
Insolubles---0.4%

BLACKSTONE COMMENTS: Nice general improvement in wear. A lot of these wear levels were a little higher than last sample, though they can still be considered improved since this oil was run a lot longer. The improvement is a good sign that the engine is pretty much past wear-in and free of any mechanical problems. The oil was still in pretty good shape too. The TBN was still strong at 5.9, so there is plenty of active additive left. 1.0 is too low. The cSt viscosity at 100 deg C. was 12.9. No fuel or antifreeze was present. We like the looks of this engine at 19,978 miles.

MY COMMENTS: This is the longest OCI I've ever run on any engine. I'm old-school but am grudgingly coming to recognize that modern oils can provide adequate lubrication over sustained periods in some applications.

 

[marco246]

OOPS! Posted by mistake in the gas section. Moderator--please move to diesel!

 

[pitzel]

Yeah those diesels do shed lots of iron during the initial break-in phase.

Typically the TDI engine does not reach peak compression until you have ~100k miles on it. So it still has plenty of ways to go before it is fully broken in.

Unless you have warranty concerns, a 15k interval should be very appropriate given the test data presented.

 

[Dominic]

10K is what is spec;d in the owners manual, FWIW

 

[marco246]

pitzel & Dominic,

Thanks for the observations. I'll probably continue with 10K OICs until 60K, when the warranty is up, then maybe try a lighter viscosity oil and/or extended intervals.

 

[TooSlick]

Marco246,

The ONLY benefit of using the thinner, 0w-30, VW 506.01 oils is fuel efficiency - regardless of the nonsense you may have read on the TDI Forum. If anything the heavier 5w-40/VW 505.01 lubes will provide better wear protection, particularly for the bearings and rings/cylinders. Since you live in a tropical climate, you'll see little if any benefit by going to VW 506.01. It's interesting that the latest VW 504.00/507.00 specs once again call for thicker, ACEA A3/B4 type oils with HT/HS viscosities > 3.5 Cp @ 150C.

Results here look fine for a new PD/TDI engine. The Fe and bearing wear should come down after you have at least 30k on the motor.

TS

 

[marco246]

TS,

Thanks for the insight. Going to a lighter oil (506.01) might be moot, anyway, since one seldom encounters 0W-30 of any kind here. Guess there's no demand. I've seen 0W-20s and I use a 0W-40 in another car. Saw a single dust-covered bottle of old SJ Mobil 1 0W-30 a few weeks ago in a Napa store, but it's a rarity on my island.

Cheers, Mark

 

[TooSlick]

Take a look at the recent post by Tornado Red with a 0w-30, VW 506.01 lube and you'll see what I mean....

TS