Old seals

[shortyb]

Strange-ish question for oil use in my 2010 VW Passat with 165K on the clock. OCI coming up and like clockwork, she starts a couple drips on the garage floor when the weather turns colder. Warmer weather on current couple OCIs of 10W-40 Valvoline Maxlife (red bottle), nary a drop. Colder weather, starts the annoying drip. Yeah, yeah, should probably replace the upper timing cover seal along with the valve actuator magnet o-ring (the internal one) where the leak is most likely coming from, but...... Castrol 0W-40 would drip even in the dead of summer. No Maxlife in the stash right now, but do have plenty of Castrol 5W-40 (new SP formula) and Mobil 1 0W-40. My thoughts are which would be "better" on the ancient seals and slow/stop the drips. The Castrol with it's PAO, or the M1 with the ANs? I know the PAO content of the Castrol is there, but don't know if the percentage is significant enough to affect the old seals. I believe ANs supposedly kinder on them, but then deal with faster shear (maybe) and valvetrain noise? M1 has always been "noisier" than the Castrol in my VWs. Ah, first world problems.

 

[Lubener]

Generally, thinner oil will leak past worn seals easier than thicker oil. In your area, I don't see a reason why you can't run your present high mileage 10w-40 oil all year round. That oil should be good down to consistant temperatures around +5 degrees (F).

 

[shortyb]

Generally, thinner oil will leak past worn seals easier than thicker oil. In your area, I don't see a reason why you can't run your present high mileage 10w-40 oil all year round. That oil should be good down to consistant temperatures around +5 degrees (F).

I can, and I do. Its just that I have to order the Maxlife since no where around here dedicates shelf space to oddballs like that. Wanted to use something now that would suffice and not cause it to leak more. I get that neither of these 2 are considered "high mileage" per se, just which would play nicer with the old seals for the time being.

 

[RooflessVW]

Give it the Castrol and a can of LM Motor Oil Saver

 

[wlk]

I would up your stash and add a can of LM Motor Oil Saver with either as I have had good luck with LM MOS reducing leaks in a few motors.