Could I use Mobil 1 Truck & SUV 5W-40 Motor Oil for my VW 1.8T ?

[PapaPrem]

Hi guys. This is my first post here. I must say, you guys have done a great job with all the excellent information on this board. I really have learned a lot in just the few days that I have been lurking around here.

I purchased a used 2000 VW Passat 1.8T a couple of months ago. I plan on getting my first oil change done on this car. I live in NY, and the weather is really starting to get warmer here. The manual for my car states to use a 5W-40 motor oil for the 1.8T Turbo engine. I was planning on going with either the Valvoline SynPower 5W-40, or the Mobil 1 Truck & SUV 5W-40 motor oil. I read that the Valvoline isn't a pure synth as it is mineral based where as the Mobil 1 is. However, is it safe to use the Mobil 1 Truck and SUV oil for my car? The labeling seems to make the oil targeted specifically for SUV's and Trucks. Also, the M1 SUV & Truck 5W40 oil does not have the VW 502.00 specification on it. This is where I am concerned. So I just need some advice on this. I'd appreciate your advice and suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Audi Junkie]

I have written about a million posts on this, here and on AudiWorld B6 Forum. You are looking at 2 way different oils. Synpower 5w-40 is an passenger car oil formulated from thin G2 basestocks and thickened a little more than the 5w-30...old news even in 1998 when it came out. Mobil "SUV" oil is, as you probally know, Delvac-1 -King of the diesel HDEO oils and very good for your engine, turbo, seals etc. Mobil 1 0w-40 has more specs and is a great oil, on the top 5 in my book, but D1/SUV is probally a better choice. Don't worry much about VW 502, all 5w-40s pretty much meet it, like Syntec from Belgium, Synpower and Kendall. Kendall meets VW 503.01 as well as M1 0w-40 the Long-Life spec. GC is the ultimate oil for your car, as it is Factory-Fill and is still #1 in my book. Saab Synth 0w-30 is only $3.75 on closeout, actually a Mobil Long-Life oil. A tad thin, but still thicker than regular 30 weight Mobil 1 and the 0w spec works well for your turbo.

My otc list would be:
GC
D1/SUV
M1 0w-40
Saab Synth
Kendall GT-1
Syntec 5w-50
Syntec Blend 10w-40

Do a search.

[ May 05, 2004, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Audi Junkie ]

 

[therion]

How would the Amsoil Series 3k 5w-30 work in this engine? I have a 2003 Audi A4.

 

[Tyrolkid]

Welcome Aboard, PapaPrem. Nice to see a fellow Queens VW owner!

I run a VW/Audi Performance shop, and have posted many oil analyses to this board using various oils in the 1.8T. My Redline 5w40 UOAs have been very good. M1 5w40 and GC are also excellent choices. Let me know if I can help with any other VW questions you might have.

-Mike P

 

[moribundman]

The 1.8T may fare slightly better with the GC 0W-30, which meets VW502. I'm mostly thinking of the turbo.

 

[Audi Junkie]

quote:

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I have a 2003 Audi A4.

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I had a 2002 A4, the second one my dealer delivered. I pre-ordered it without realizing the console was strangely oversized. The interior was designed by a woman, I dunno what happened there. I have owned almost all of Audi's B-cars. B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6 is the only one that has the bloated console. I am still bitter. My right knee was killing me, so I got rid of it in 6 months. Waiting to see what the B7 car is like, console-wise.

 

[moribundman]

You mean you have to wrestle the center console with your right knee? I've heard that complaint from some people before, but I don't have the problem. And I'm not exactly small at 6' and 185 lbs.

 

[Patman]

What about the Castrol 5w40? Nobody here yet has posted a UOA with this stuff.

 

[TooSlick]

I'd personally run the Mobil 1, 10w-30 in this motor for NY spring/summer/fall and I'd run their 0w-30 for the winter....I grew up on LI and am very familar with the climate in the N.E.

I have a 2002 Audi TT turbo, with the 1.8L, 225 Hp engine. It runs better with the 10w-30 - and now 0w-30 -Amsoil formulations than it did with their 10w-40.

I wouldn't switch to 5w-40 unless the engine is excessively worn. A 10w-30 will be more shear stable than a 5w-40 and will reduce your peak oil temps by 5F to 10F.

Try the Mobil 1, 10w-30 - it's good stuff

Tooslick
www.lubedealer.com/Dixie_Synthetics

 

[MikeW]

The Castrol 5w40 is probably the best oil for that engine, but cab be hard to find. Next after that would be the M1 0w40.

The M1 5w40 truck/suv may or may not be better than the 0w40. However M1 is not positioning it as a 'passenger car' oil and hasn't gotting the Euro car certifications for it. Since ExMob is positioning the 0w40 as their euro car oil, including getting all the various mfgr certs, and it is pretty widely available, I might just take their word for it and use that as a year round oil (especially in NY).

 

[williar]

I think the M1 5w40 may be a wee bit on the heavy side for this high-pressure oil system. M1 0w40, M1 0w30R, or GC 0w30 are better choices, IMHO. M1 0w30 (regular) is good wintertime & medium-duty oil, but I'd change it out at 5K miles as it's not a LongLife oil.

The M1 0w40 seems to work well for a 10K OCI in my 2.7t allroad; I'll run the GC next.

 

[PapaPrem]

Thanks Mike and everyone else for the welcome and awesome response to my questions. Much appreciated! My local VW dealer sells Castrol Synthetic 5W-40 for 6 bucks a quart. Would this be the same thing as GC (German Castrol)? When I called him, I asked him if it said "Made in Belgium" on the bottle, but he didn't know. He said that it meets the specified requirements for my 1.8T. One thing I am concerned about the Castrol oil is that I read that it produces ash which ultimately turns into sludge, where as the Mobil 1 does not. Nevertheless, it seems like the general concensus here is that the German Castrol is the way to go.

[ May 06, 2004, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: PapaPrem ]

 

[Quattro Pete]

The GC is the 0w-30 Castrol Syntec made in Germany.

The 5w-40 you found at the VW dealer is the Belgian Castrol. I guess we could call it BC to differentiate from the GC.

It's supposed to be a good oil too, but I don't think anyone has done a UOA on it yet.

By the way, I'm running M1 0w-40 in my 1.8T, but will most likely be switching to GC at the next oil change.

 

[Audi Junkie]

quote:

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I am concerned about the Castrol oil is that I read that it produces ash which ultimately turns into sludge, where as the Mobil 1 does not

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Will you please post where this has been determined?

I dunno about other guys here, but I'm pretty sick of this stupid and unfounded speculation, especially when it is repeated as fact.

Ask Mercedes about sludge, they lost a class-action lawsuit from their owners with sludged engines that supposedly ran Mobil 1.

 

[Eiron]

Correct, the MB issue was with dino, not M1. In a sense, you could turn it around & say they lost because they didn't run M1.

 

[Quattro Pete]

One of the guys on this forum from Australia got his engine sludged up by using Formula SLX 0w-30, but it was a long time ago. I think this is what others are referring to. Personally, this is just one isolated case so I wouldn't be too concerned.

As far as the MB lawsuit, it was regarding sludge that developed because MB told the customers to go by the "oil change" light in the dashboard that wouldn't turn on for 10K miles or more, but didn't tell them to use synthetic oil with that. I don't recall it having anything to do with M1.

 

[newtoncd8]

The 5w-40 you found at the VW dealer is the Belgian Castrol. I guess we could call it BC to differentiate from the GC. It's supposed to be a good oil too, but I don't think anyone has done a UOA on it yet.

I have 2001 Audi A4 (2.8L V6) and I just sent off a sample of GC 0W30 with just over 6700 miles on it. The results should be back early this week.

This interval has BC 5W40 and I am going to run it the full 10K and do an oil analysis then. I average about 1600 miles a month, so it will be awhile.

In case I need to add any, I am glad to hear the VW dealer sells it for $6 a quart...the Audi dealer charges $8.75 a quart!!

 

[newtoncd8]

I wish the Audi dealers would support that statement regarding the 5W40 oil. To maintain warranty, they say 10,000 mile oil changes are fine. So, I reckon I will change it out at 5K.....depending upon the oil analysis from the GC 0W30, I might put that oil back in or maybe it is time for Amsoil 5W40 or Mobil 1 5W40.

 

[Audi Junkie]

quote:

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BC 5W40 and I am going to run it the full 10K

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I would advise against that. BC has VW 502, 505 but not the 503.01 Long-Life spec. No Long-Life specs at all. It is a nice oil, but after 5k in my woman's CGT it is starting to burn off a lil. I've had that car for a long time, when it starts to burn oil, it is about 1000 miles from a change. Other oils last better, imo.