GC 0w30 (green), 7300 miles, 01 VW Golf

[Patman]

Here are the latest oil analysis results from my Mom's 2001 VW Golf



Analysis by Wearcheck Canada


7300 miles on oil
June 2006 to June 2008 (2 years!)
63,300 miles on the car
GC 0w30 (M04 batch, green formula)
VW OEM oil filter
2.0L gas engine
Lots of short trips
4.5L oil capacity
2L of makeup oil added




Iron 14
Lead 6
Aluminum 4
Copper 17
Chromium 1
Tin 0
Silver 0
Titanium 0
Nickel 0

Silicon 9
Potassium 0
Sodium 0
Boron 1
Barium 0
Calcium 3148
Magnesium 148
Moly 3
Phosphorus 846
Zinc 1073
Sulfur 3003

Fuel Glycol 0
Water 0

Oxidation 72
Nitration 64
Sulfation 51
*the three values above are NOT percentages*




Viscosity 12.2 cst at 100c


TBN 5.33
TAN 3.24


This is the second oil change I've done on my mom's car since she bought it in July 2004, and the second run with green formula GC. Since she doesn't drive all that much, I figured a two year OCI was sufficient (especially since the 2L of makeup oil helps replenish the engine with fresh oil) and this UOA proves it once again.

I refilled it again with more green formula GC! Believe it or not I've still got a small supply of it. I won't need to switch this car over to gold formula GC until 2012.

 

[addyguy]

Looks great - I'm especially impressed w/the viscosity - you'd think that two years of short trips, and the more-than-likely fuel dilution would have an effect on that, but its rock steady!

Going to try for three years?

 

[Cutehumor]

wear looks good for two years. can't wait the TBN with 2 years of short trips

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
wear looks good for two years. can't wait the TBN with 2 years of short trips


I'm confident it'll look good, as the previous 2 year run it ended up with a TBN of 4.9! The makeup oil on that one was around 1.5L I believe, which certainly helps boost the TBN.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Looks great - I'm especially impressed w/the viscosity - you'd think that two years of short trips, and the more-than-likely fuel dilution would have an effect on that, but its rock steady!

Going to try for three years?


It's certainly crossed my mind, the past two UOAs show the oil to still be in great condition.

Even though this car sees a lot of short trips, I think this 2.0 engine heats up the oil pretty quickly so that helps a lot. It also helps that during the winter months I borrow this car a lot whenever there are big snowstorms, and I've got a 46 mile round trip to work so it heats up the oil very good.

It'll be very interesting in the future to compare these UOAs to the newer gold formula of GC. But that's quite a few years away, especially if I go to a three year OCI!

 

[daman]

2L of makeup oil is allot,,thats almost half a oil change!!!!,
TBN better be good..

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: daman
2L of makeup oil is allot,,thats almost half a oil change!!!!,


These 2.0L VW engines are notorious oil burners, and to use only 1L every 3000 miles or so isn't anywhere near as bad as I've heard. A friend of mine bought a new 2.0L Jetta a few years ago and it was burning one quart every 1000 miles! He ended up getting the VW dealer to rebuild his engine under warranty, and that one burned almost as much. He got rid of it.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Patman

These 2.0L VW engines are notorious oil burners, and to use only 1L every 3000 miles or so isn't anywhere near as bad as I've heard. A friend of mine bought a new 2.0L Jetta a few years ago and it was burning one quart every 1000 miles! He ended up getting the VW dealer to rebuild his engine under warranty, and that one burned almost as much. He got rid of it.

Really?,,wow that would be hard to get used too,dunno if i'd be
waisting my good GC in her then..

 

[Patman]

Considering the low mileage she does in the car, adding one bottle of GC per year for topup isn't too big of a deal. I think GC is a perfect fit for this engine, VW calls for 5w40, so I wouldn't want to run a thinner 30wt that would just burn even more oil.

 

[daman]

Mabe try a nice 5w40 RTS or T&SUV(thick 30w) or TDT

 

[Patman]

None of those are available here in Canada.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Patman
None of those are available here in Canada.
\
Keep forgetting your in Canada.

 

[Patman]

The lab ran the TBN and TAN tests today, the TBN was 5.33! TAN was 3.24.

 

[Drivebelt]

Excellent report. Thanks for posting that Patman.

I agree with your assessment that draining a good quality synthetic after only 3- 4k miles and one year doesn't make sense when these oils are capable of going more than double that mileage with good results.

I'm doing a similar thing with a 5W-30 conventional (Group II+) oil. After a year with the oil, in the fall of 2007 my 1987 Jetta only had ~ 2400km (1500 miles) on the oil. I thought -- there is no way the oil is done. So I left it in and am approaching almost 2 years on that 5W-30 (last change Aug 8, 06). I am currently at 4500km (2800 miles).

I don't know if I'll quite make the full 2 years -- getting the itch to change the oil.

 

[Cutehumor]

I gotta give you props patman. I can't do two years. The results definitely say your not doing anything wrong. The TBN is excellent for a short tripper

 

[jaj]

Originally Posted By: Patman
None of those are available here in Canada.


Well, I saw M1 5w-40 TDT at a North Vancouver WalMart recently - much to my surprise. After all XD-3 0w-40 is a pretty good choice too.

However, Green GC is working just fine (I just ran out of it on one of our family cars) so if you've got it, use it!

 

[Patman]

I think the XD 0w40 would be much too thick for a short tripper like this. GC seems to have just the perfect viscosity for this particular engine under these driving conditions.

 

[addyguy]

Maybe XD-3 0W-30, then? Just try it, to see how it compares to the GC? They are very similar oils - 12.0cst, PAO-based, 0W-30 synthetics - it would be interesting to see how they comapre in the same run!

 

[Steve S]

Can't ask for more !