O'Reillys 5w30 Full Synthetic caution

[dwe123]

Oil change in 2005 Passat 1.8t using O'Reillys 5w-30 Full Synthetic and wix filter. 66 degrees outside, RPM above 3k, 250 miles into trip engine shut down warning, low oil pressure. Oil level good, no foaming. Kept rpm below 3k, okay. 100 miles later, outside temp now 83 degrees, alarms again, can not travel freeway speeds. Limped in to oil change center. New change later no problems. Valvoline 5w-40, Mighty filter. Did oil viscosity drop or filter relief problem? Hard to say. Had similar problem when dealer used Dino oil w/o checking proper spec. Caused oil foaming and low oil pressure.

 

[bullwinkle]

Without a UOA it would be anyone's guess-has this ever happened with any other oil? Any oil temp gauge, was the oil overheated?

 

[SnowDrifter]

Mine specs a 40 weight oil. Says 30 weight can be used but gives caution in regards to doing so

Currently running rotella t6 in it and it seems happy

 

[Clevy]

Wow. My car sets off a cel if the oil is too thick,not too thin.
Interesting.
So obviously a 30 grade isn't thick enough at operating temps in your car,I'm going to guess that the vw spec has a minimum ht/hs value,and there isn't much of a tolerance for anything right on the edge.

 

[kschachn]

So...

No 502 requirement for your engine? I'm not a VW expert but how is it that you knew O'Reilly oil was being used and you knew it wasn't right, but it stayed in the engine?

Had similar problem when dealer "used Dino oil w/o checking proper spec"? It happened again with this oil? You seem to have a lot of oil related problems that you are aware of, yet continue to work around. Did the engine shut down the second time or just an "alarm"?

And it wasn't a similar problem with the dealer if that issue was oil foaming. If the dealer used the wrong oil that's a huge problem.

And you think that we should use caution when using that oil why?

Originally Posted By: dwe123
Oil change in 2005 Passat 1.8t using O'Reillys 5w-30 Full Synthetic and wix filter. 66 degrees outside, RPM above 3k, 250 miles into trip engine shut down warning, low oil pressure. Oil level good, no foaming. Kept rpm below 3k, okay. 100 miles later, outside temp now 83 degrees, alarms again, can not travel freeway speeds. Limped in to oil change center. New change later no problems. Valvoline 5w-40, Mighty filter. Did oil viscosity drop or filter relief problem? Hard to say. Had similar problem when dealer used Dino oil w/o checking proper spec. Caused oil foaming and low oil pressure.

 

[kschachn]

What would the UOA show?

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Without a UOA it would be anyone's guess-has this ever happened with any other oil?

 

[high_rpm]

@dwe123, what you are describing on you Passat sounds like the beginning of the classic VW 1.8T engine sludge.

There is probably just enough sludge covering the oil pickup that you are getting the oil light at higher rpm.

Very soon, you will get this oil light no matter what type of oil you use as the oil pickup screen becomes more blocked.

 

[bigt61]

Originally Posted By: high_rpm
@dwe123, what you are describing on you Passat sounds like the beginning of the classic VW 1.8T engine sludge.

There is probably just enough sludge covering the oil pickup that you are getting the oil light at higher rpm.

Very soon, you will get this oil light no matter what type of oil you use as the oil pickup screen becomes more blocked.


That's what I think too. The sustained highway RPM never gives the screen a chance to uncover itself like it might do in a more variable RPM situation. Likely the Full Synthetic caused some serious initial cleaning - loosening of debris from previous build up. I'd do some short drain intervals with dino for a couple of OCI's. Likely the situation will rectify itself as the engine gradually de-sludges. If the warning comes on again - pull over and shut off for a few minutes before proceeding.

 

[Phishin]

One word: KREEN

One thing I've also done in my K1500 is drain the oil while engine is HOT after fast highway run. Pour in kerosene or 50/50 mix of kerosene/toluene to the fill mark on dipstick. Let it sit over night.

Drain cleaning mix.

Fill with synthetic oil. Sludge mostly gone.

 

[SnowDrifter]

I change mine every 3k. Looks clean inside, no sludge to speak of. Slight varnish here and there but definitely no sludge.

What's your OCI look like?

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
What would the UOA show?

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Without a UOA it would be anyone's guess-has this ever happened with any other oil?
Viscosity breakdown (shearing), or excessive oxidation, or even water/coolant contamination.

 

[Dallas69]

Wouldnt this only clean out the pan and oil pump screen??

 

[tommygunn]

You're using the wrong oil in one of the worst modern engines.

VW usually has very specific requirements on things such as oil and fluids.

Your garden variety 5w30 does NOT meet the requirements! Not even synthetic versions. That 1.8T, like most European engines, needs a lot more than just API.

The 5w40 you replaced it with does meet the VW 502 requirements.

Valvoline does make a Euro 5w30, called MST 5w30, what you could use, but it is rare to find.

Walmart has M1 and Edge 0w40's that meet your requirements for a great price.

 

[fdcg27]

While you're right in that an API spec 5W-30 is not an appropriate oil for a turbo VAG engine, I don't think that this was the sole casue of the OP's problems.
The OP appears to have taken a rather casual approach to engine maintenance and has failed to pay attention to VW's oil certs in the past.
Sludge and a clogged oil pump screen?

 

[Nick1994]

You're seriously blaming O'Reilly Full Synthetic oil for having low oil pressure? Ridiculous. Your vehicle not only requires a VW 502 spec oil, but it's highly recommended in your owner's manual to use a 40 weight oil. What possessed you to buy a 30 weight in an oil that doesn't meet your spec, I have no clue.

You need to remember two things. 1. You drive a Volkswagen, there's no way of trying to avoid saving a couple bucks on anything. And 2, the cheap comes out expensive. Don't buy an oil simply because it's a couple dollars cheaper than another. Oil is cheap, engines are not.

Do your car a favor and buy Mobil 1 0w40 from now on.

 

[Apollo14]

 

[fdcg27]

There was a member here, long since banned, who showed good results with a number of VAG turbo engines using ordinary API spec syn 5W-30s.
Note that this was done on much shorter drain intervals than VW allows for, with meticulous attention to these shortened OCIs.
If the engine is clean and driven in typical moderate use, an oil carrying the appropriate VW cert is certainly prefered but may not be necessary.
Given the loss of oil pressure in highway use that the OP reports, I don't think that the oil used is his problem.
I'd consider dropping the pan, although that might not be all that easy on his Passat.

 

[antonmnster]

The only option is to pull the pan and replace the screen and clean out the pan. Bottle-based solutions aren't the best way to go.

 

[RD_3]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
You need to remember two things. 1. You drive a Volkswagen, there's no way of trying to avoid saving a couple bucks on anything. And 2, the cheap comes out expensive. Don't buy an oil simply because it's a couple dollars cheaper than another. Oil is cheap, engines are not.

Do your car a favor and buy Mobil 1 0w40 from now on.


x2

 

[kschachn]

I think the OP has left the building.