Oil recommendations for my new used A4 1.8T

[TroyS]

Hiyas,
I just purchased a 98 Audi A4 with a 1.8T turbo motor, which has 87,000 miles on it. It runs really good, i ran it back to my home in Seattle from California with not a hitch. Seattle is a fairly cold climate most of the year and i will most likely do many, many short trips in 45ish ^F wheather. Im thinking synthetic would be the way to go, am i right? What weight should i use and how often should i change the oil?

Thanks for any help

[ January 17, 2006, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: TroyS ]

 

[aztec12]

regular valvoline max-life 10w30 every 4-5k miles

 

[grbr95]

Castrol GTX but of course

 

[JAG]

Search for this common topic and ignore the above 2 posts and you'll be good to go.
Here's a good resource for you as well. It applies to the 1.8T and some other VW/Audi engines.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1719541

[ January 17, 2006, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: JAG ]

 

[Mr Nice]

With any turbo engine you are gonna need a 'real' synthetic oil like Mobil 1, Amsoil, Redline, GC Syntec.

I wouldn't use dino oil in that car.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Your climate is not cold.
You need a programme to desludge that sludge-prone engine. MYSELF, I'd run a 1/2 quart of kerosene for 10 minutes and drain. Run some good dino with a bottle of auto-rx. Do a bunch of dino runs then look into an ester-based oil like Mobil 1 5w-40 SUV or Delvac-1. Another alternative is the "maintenance dose" of auto-rx, a few ounces every OC after the inital cleaning with a whole bottle.

 

[TroyS]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Audi-guy, couple questions for you.

What exactly do you mean by "dino runs"? I assume you mean put some dino oil in there just for cleaning purposes with the auto-rx, but how long should these runs be? Should i change the oil filter before hand each time?

Also, i ran across another thread here where a posted said he clogged his oil pump pickup screen after doing some sort of flush and had to replace his engine, is there much risk of damage using the kerosene? Would it be safer to skip the cleaning process?

[ January 17, 2006, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: TroyS ]

 

[Tones]

Valvoline Synpower 5W-40 is another often overlooked synthetic oil that might be good.

 

[The Critic]

quote:

---

You need a programme to desludge that sludge-prone engine. MYSELF, I'd run a 1/2 quart of kerosene for 10 minutes and drain. Run some good dino with a bottle of auto-rx.

---

Kerosene is a gamble IMO...especially w/such an expensive engine. Just run 1 bottle Auto-RX for 1500 miles with 15W40 conventional oil, and rinse for 3000 miles with 15W40 conventional oil.

After that, run Amsoil 5W40 or Truck and SUV 5W40 (if it ever comes back) for 7500 miles with a Napa Gold Oil Filter and send off the oil for analysis, to further "adjust" your interval.

 

[wavinwayne]

We need a VW-turbo-specific oil forum.

 

[Audi Junkie]

If your pickup screen clogs from a kero flush, it would have clogged anyways. Do the flush strong enough to get past clog-age. Any real damage would be if you drove it with low OP. Anyway, kero will soften sludge for the ARX to work on it better. That's how I'd do it. Quick & strong kero flush or two, ARX full strength with dino, rinse and then maintenance dose of ARX w/ dino or Mobil 1 SUV oil. Motorcraft has strong additives, use the 5w-30 or 10w-40, forget 15w-40 in cold temps.

 

[pitzel]

Whip across the border into Canada and buy some Esso XD-3 Full Synth 0W-40 would be my suggestion.

 

[lvporschepilot]

shell rotella t synthetic 5w-40. $14 a gallon and it has fantastic specs.

 

[glxpassat]

Also, if the timing belt has not been changed, do it yesterday!

 

[Mud]

What audiguy and glx said. Especially that timing belt! If it has not been changed at 87k miles, that 98 has the old style tensioner and it's a bomb waiting to go off. Audi/VW says belt replacement at 105K miles, but there have been too many cases of either tensioner or belt failure at the 60K-80K range. Equals bent valves or a busted piston if the belt breaks at speed. Do a search of Audi forums and you'll get the story.
We use M1 0W-40 or Syntec 5W-40 and the big Mann filter in our '02 A4 1.8T, 73,000 miles. OCI is never more than 4500 miles.
New timing belt/tensioners/water pump being installed this weekend too.

 

[audi_guy]

ditto the timing belt.

 

[turbodevil]

Agree with all synthetic/Mann reccomendations. I just finished running a double treatment of ARX and am now back on synthetic. I ran M1 xW30 for 50k miles before I learned about vw 502 spec. I now run Castrol Syntec 0w30 aka GC with a 3 oz ARX maintenance dose.

The timing belt job won't be cheap but it is much less expensive than a new engine - I am now on my third belt/tensioner. If you're a diy guy check out ECStuning for their "ultimate timing belt kit". Find a competent indie mechanic; check out your local forum on audiworld.com Enjoy the A4. Treat it well and it will treat you well.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Cheap filters with coarse media are good for ARX and general de-sludging. Advance still has 2 for 1. $1 per filter.

 

[audi_guy]

quote:

---

Use Mobil Delvac 15w40 or 10w30 (if you can find it) for the clean/rinse cycles.

---

I need to be more specific. Use Mobil Delvac 1300 Super 10W-30 or 15W-40 for the auto-rx clean/rinse. It is dino based which Auto-rx recommends for the fastest cleaning.

Devlac 1 which is synthetic. Don't know if it's PAO/Ester based or Group III so it's a surer bet with the Delvac 1300 for the auto-rx.

 

[John_E]

1) Study the coke/sludge issue on PassatWorld.com.
2) Use a 502.00-spec oil, on a 3k mi = 5k km OCI for mostly city driving to 5k mi = 8k km for open highway.
3) Use the biggest filter you can cram into your engine bay, such as a VW 068-115-561B or an even-larger Mann/Purolator L40316, if it will clear your left engine mount.
4) Do not believe the 105k mi = 170k km timing belt change interval; do it now, along with the water pump, hoses, accessory belts, thermostat, etc.
5) Your engine can pass the "flashlight through the oil filler hole" test and still have coke clogging the oil pump inlet screen. Test the oil pressure.