Suggestion for 2.0 Jetta, non-turbo

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Alcibiades

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I need to make a recommendation to my brother for his 2001 Jetta. He lives in Rochester, NY, where it gets quite cold, with the frigid wind blowing from Lake Erie, so I want him to get a synthetic for cold starts and because most of his driving is city bound, though I think he does get it thoroughly warmed up fairly regularly. My thoughts were for M1 0W-40, Redline 5W-40, Amsoil 5W-40, or GC 0W-30.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

I know very little about VWs of the 2001 generation, except that they can be expected to burn some oil, and I have little experience with the kind of cold temps he sees. What do you think I should tell him?
 
Most VW 2.0s are serviced with a bulk API SM/GF-4 5w-30 oil, though they are supposed to be serviced with a VW 502.00 rated synthetic oil, or at least one that meets the generic ACEA A3/B3 specification.

However, none of the VW 2.0s on the road have had serious wear or consumption problems while running a bulk 5w-30, though this isn't to say that it's a good practice.

In the best interest of fuel efficiency, I'd be tempted to run a synthetic 5w-30, and watch for any abnormal oil consumption. If no abnormal oil consumption occurs, and an oil sample shows good results, then I would continue using it.

If you want the absolute "best," I'd use Redline 5w-30 or GC.
 
Castrol GTX HM 5w-30, 12cSt w/ 5w rating and HM adds. Is he going to do over 6000-8000 intervals? If not, synth is a waste. The VW 2.0 is not a delicate engine that needs thin girly-oil in winter. Here in PA, our BOSCH Center uses 15w-40 in them.
 
I been using Shell Rotella T 5W-40 synthetic in my mothers 01 Beetle. It doesn't burn any oil. You can pick up a gallon at Wally World for about $14.78.
 
Thanks for that info. I don't have the owner's manual so I was sort of just guessing.

I think I might just send him several quarts of GC and a couple of P1 filters for his birthday soon.

Out of curiosity, though, is no one enthusiastic about the Amsoil 5W-40? If not, why not? I was under the impression it is pretty good stuff.

Thanks again.
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Critic:

However, none of the VW 2.0s on the road have had serious wear or consumption problems while running a bulk 5w-30, though this isn't to say that it's a good practice.
Click to expand...
I strongly disagree and know many VW owners who would as well. My sister owns an '02 jetta and it would consume conventional oil like no ones business. I think its many of the NT 2.0's from '99 until '03 consumption issues. I tried quite a few different oils in her car to reduce the consumption, it consumed the least with syntec 5w-40 i purchased at the dealer (only place i could find it).
 
That's the impression I had, sxg6. I had almost forgotten about the Syntec 5W-40, but maybe that's what I'll go with, given the mercurial presence of GC on the market. If I remember correctly, it does meet the VW specs for that generation, plus he won't have to mail order it. I usually see it at AZ, though nowhere else around here.
 
I have a 2001 jetta. I have run M1 0w-40 for 63k miles on 8-10k intervals with no consumption and no problems. Easy to obtain and meets VW specs. Go to the search section plenty of post on this.
 
I would suggest the Valvoline MaxLife 5w-30 full synthetic which is currently free if you take advantage of the rebate. Otherwise a decent 5w-30 dino or blend would do fine. Shop for price, this motor is not particularly hard on oil.
 
Hi there,
You can check vwvortex.com forums on this particular model. The problem is that the tolerances on the engine are rather large.

I would recommend 5W30 or 10W year round and frequent topping. The turbo model has some major sludge issues with conventional oil but the 2.0 does not need any special oil. It is reputed that even if you **ss in it, it will run for 100K with no other oil change.

W115nut
 
Have him slip across the border into Canada and pick up a couple cases of Esso XD-3 0W-40. I'm pretty sure theres a dealer in Niagara Falls or St. Catharines. Shouldn't cost him more than US$4/quart.

Blend the stuff with some 15W-40 HDEO and you have yourself an excellent summer blend.
 
VW suggests a VW 502.00 oil for these engines, as has been mentioned before. This would indicate that a oil with a HT/HS of 3.5 or greater is preferred.

The wise choice would be the lightest oil that meets the 3.5 cP requirement. Just a couple of choices would be:

Castrol 0W-30
Mobil-1 0W-40
BMW 5W-30

As stated previously, this engine isn't picky about what you feed it.
 
Those links above really put the fear of *** in you huh? That's not necessary. If a VW 502 oil is not available, especially if you have a non-turbo charged engine, a SL grade oil can be used without any ill effects in your VW engine. Both of my wife's 2.0 VWs, a 01 Beetle and a 04 Jetta, state this in the owners manuals. I will say this though, if you have a turbo charged engine or the diesel engine, I'd use a VW spec oil in them.
 
I'd run the Amsoil 5w-30 instead of their 5w-40 in this application, considering the climate and driving conditions. The 5w-30/ASL has a VI of 185 and it's almost a 0w-30 in terms of cold pumpability.

FWIW, I've been using Amsoil in Vw/Audi engines for the past 26 years....

TS
 
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