Oil Specs for New VW/Audi gas engines

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
VW, Audi and Castrol in 2002 completed extensive real world testing of long life oils over five years including three years in England. Tests involved low use cars not reaching operating temperature at each drive cycle and high speed Motorway type operations covering an annual distance each month. It was designed to confirm the 30kkms (petrol engines) and 50kkms (diesel engines) oil drain intervals

VW503 petrol and VW506 quality standards resulted then. VW506.01 was conceived then too after wear tests measured at one millionth of a millimeter per hour confirmed their requirements were met.
Castrol's SLX Longlife2 was the end result

Time has moved on relentlessly since

Regards
Doug

 

[99]

Mori- no hard feelings. I think we both made our points. If I ever have engine problems that are oil related and they deny any warranty coverage, I will surely show whoever I need to show at VW the owner's manual stating what oils can be used. I doubt anything will ever happen though. Peace.

 

[moribundman]

No problem, 99.

 

[TooSlick]

The VW 500.00, 501.01, 502.00 standards all require a high temp, high shear viscosity of at least 3.5 Cp @ 150C. The ACEA A2 and A3 specs also require a high temp, high shear viscosity of 3.5 Cp.

By contrast, SJ rated xw-30 oils sold in North America only require a HT/HS viscosity of 2.9 Cp, since they are biased toward high fuel efficiency and not optimized wear protection.

It's NO accident those specs are listed in the order they are.... That is a prioritized list by order of preference - ie VW prefers you use an oil that meets one of their three specs, or at least something that meets the generic A3 or A2 spec. (Note that A3 is preferred over A2 since it also carries the long drain spec). An SJ rated, SAE 5w-30 oil is simply not going to provide the same protection.

I really would go with the 15w-40 (probably Delo 400), if I was to run conventional oil in my two Audis. Here in Alabama I'd probably use the 15w-40 year round....

Tooslick

 

[thunderchild]

After all the reading I have done here and what Audi member club people are saying, I should run my M1 T&S 5w-40 year round. Would it be too much to run a 15w-40 in the summer and the 5w-40 in the winter?

 

[williar]

I'd NEVER run the 15w40. I'd run the 5w40 year-round, if you want to go the T&SUV route. Myself, I prefer GC or M1 0w40.

 

[DR Racing]

The German car oil wars are about mainly two things, German arrogance and the API inability to come up with a good three tier oil rating system. Dan

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
Dan - after working with German Engineers over many decades I tend to "lightly" agree with you on the "arrogance" bit! They do respond to logic and performance though let me assure you - well at least the older ones do!!

The API is driven by people with a vested interest and until recently were reactive rather than pro-active. The catasrophic diesel engine/oil issues of the 1980-90s helped change their attitudes. Thank you Cummins (L10/M11)!!!
The formation of ACEA was probably the best thing that could have happened to jolt the API onto a pathe into the real world

Regards
Doug