just bought a new car!

[thelobster]

What oil do you guys thing is the best for my car?

1. 2009 Audi A4 Quattro, inline 4, 2.0 turbo

2.Manual states Audi oil standard is VW 502 00 and viscosity grade is SAE 5w40 BUT 5w30 or 0w-40 is also ok to use.

3. I live in Southern California

4. I like to drive the car pretty hard/fast

5. most drive is short trips to work and play

6. No known problems except the car is notorious for burning oil (Don't know if my car does it yet) and supposedly Audi's have sludge problems.

7. Would like to use synthetics with 5-7k oil change intervals. Would also like the car to run as smooth as possible. In my old Lexus is300 i changed to German Castro and loved it but I don't know if it would be ok to use the 0w30 GC in my Audi.

Let me know what you oil gurus think, whats the best oil for me? THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: thelobster

4. I like to drive the car pretty hard/fast

5. most drive is short trips to work and play

6. No known problems except the car is notorious for burning oil (Don't know if my car does it yet) and supposedly Audi's have sludge problems.

7. Would like to use synthetics with 5-7k oil change intervals.


Syns, 5K max interval (turbo). Perfect!

 

[dtt004]

Hi.

Follow the oil change intervals specified for your car inside the owner's manual. This is always a safe option.

I believe that a synthetic can go longer than 5-7000 miles, but that is up to your driving style and operating conditions.

The manual specified 5w30 as being adequate to use. 0w30 should not be a problem because it maintains its grade viscosity at operating temperature. The only thing different is cold cranking viscosity.

If the car is burning oil, then obviously that's bad. Every car burns oil by design, but it's highly dependent on the pistons, piston rings, cylinder wear, and driving style. If a car is burning a quart every 2000-3000 miles, then that's ok. Burning at a faster rate means there could be something wrong inside the engine.

Every car will sludge if not taken care of. However, you don't seem to have that problem because you are intent on changing oil AND you surf this website :] hahaha

The bottom line:

I would recommend anything that meets the owner's manual specifications. Conventional or synthetic it doesn't matter too much. They are all well-developed these days and can handle plenty of operating conditions.

Tell us how you like the A4 after living with it. I've never owned one. However, your old car, in my opinion was one of Toyota's all time greats. The 2JZ-GE is a super-smooth and linear motor. There's torque everywhere. Weight distribution is spot on for a car like that, maybe a bit forward inclined. However, I really like the steering feel of the car compared to the new IS series.

Only gripe is the tach is not big enough. hahaha. But it revved really smooth. Man, everything about Toyota motors are just smooth. hahaha

 

[Brons2]

You will want an oil with a very low NOACK for the 2.0FSI. Redline 5w40 sounds about right.

 

[bkbenjy]

GC, Mobil 1 0w40, PP. I've used these oils in a 1.8Turbo GTI with great results.

 

[sciphi]

Synthetic due to the turbo, and 5k change intervals because of the short trips.

 

[hate2work]

Make sure you choose an oil that's on the official VW 502 approved list. There are several on the list but many are hard to find in NA.

I would run Mobil 1 0W-40 in that car if it were mine.

http://www.audiusa.com/etc/medialib/cms4imp/audi2/aoa/company/aoa-specific.Par.0023.File.pdf

 

[Steve S]

What does the owners manual recommend for the oil type and the oil change interval? 5 to 7k oil change intervals seem short for a syn oil. Do you have some kind of service record? was the car a lease vehicle?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
What does the owners manual recommend for the oil type and the oil change interval? 5 to 7k oil change intervals seem short for a syn oil.

Regardless what the owner's manual recommends, this engine being direct injected suffers from serious valve deposit issues. As far as I know, running very long OCIs isn't the best thing for it. Low NOACK oil as previously suggested is probably a good idea.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: thelobster

6. No known problems except the car is notorious for burning oil (Don't know if my car does it yet) and supposedly Audi's have sludge problems.

Burning oil and sludge aren't really serious problems on this 2-liter turbo, but valve deposits, on the other hand, is another story. Do some reading about typical issues related to direct injection engines.

 

[thelobster]

Thanks for all the great replies, lots of things to learn on this board. I think im going to go with german castro or Mobil 1 0w-40. Which one do you guys think would be better?

 

[SteveSRT8]

I'm thinking the cuban castro is more authentic.

Seriously, the Mobil 1 0W-40 is generally a great choice, and easier to find in my area.