To Change or Not Change... That is the Question!

[Silber Igel]

I've just retired. For the last 3 years our trusty 01 Turbo Beetle has carried me back and forth to the salt mine. I've probably put on about 12,000 a year and the car now has 54,000 on it. I've used 5W-40 Valvoline Synpower since it was new and OAs at 30,40, and 50K have been excellent with 10,000 mile changes. Also, OAs continue to show no mechanical problems.

Now that I'm not driving the car as much, wouldI be best advised to:

A. Continue to drive it and change the oil at the next 10k interval (approximately 5,500 miles from now); or,

B. Do an early O & F change to dump all the "dirty" stuff (with 4,500 miles on it) and start fresh? And then use a more conservative OC interval?

 

[benjamming]

12k miles a year seems to be low mileage to be doing 10k mile OCI. How many miles were put on per trip?

What do you estimate your mileage rate will be now that you're driving it less? Will it be driven 1/week but 100 miles per time or what?

 

[jthorner]

It sounds like what you were doing was working fine for you. I would go with a 10k mile/1 year interval on the same oil. If you end up driving less than 10k miles per year, just change it annually.

If you new lifestyle results in extreme amounts of short-trip driving then you might fall back to a 5,000 mile/6 month plan.

John

 

[ruking77]

Answer A for sure!

No real need to change early unless you put yourself in the "severe" category: like 10,000 trips of one mile each.

Actually if you want to continue with 5w40 I would recommend Mobil One Truck and SUV. I use it for up to 25,000 mile OCI's in a 2003 VW Jetta TDI (pushing 50,000 miles). As you probably have heard, TDI's are a lot harder on oil than gassers. Mobil One 0w40 is also good. Change it a min of 10,000 miles or 15,000-20,000 will do actually just fine.

Happy retirement to you!

[ March 09, 2005, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: ruking77 ]

 

[Silber Igel]

Thanks Guys!!!

Well the OC interval worked out to 10K and probably 10 months. The least miles per trip was 27 one way.

The Mobil truck forumula doesn't meet the ACEA A2/A3 requirements if I recall. Its a great oil for heavy trucks and oil burners, no doubt about it. VW advises a 5W-40, ACEA A2/A3 oil. Mobil's 0W-40 meets that standard, and I've given that a 10K test as well. It also works great.

I'm not sure how many trips or miles per trips I'll be making in the future. Certainally, several a week and everything is at least 10 miles or more away so it shouldn't be a severe service.

I like the idea of hanging in until the next 5k rolls over or one year, which ever is first.

Cheers!!!

 

[ruking77]

I recall my VW Jetta owners manual being quite literally all over the map when it came to oil specs and oil viscosities. The bottom line is after a lot of reading research (VW dealers are virtually useless: as even they use the so call incorrect oil), the 5w40 and the 0w40 came to the fore (Mobil One). Just be glad you do not have a PD TDI engine!! There are only two "spec" oils that are so called ok for them Motul and Castrol VW 505.01.

 

[SPITMAN]

If you go with the recommended once a year OCI change your oil out in the spring time as you live in a cold climate and run a higher chance of contaminating the oil during the winter driving months. Always use a good quality synthetic as well with that 1.8T -- keeps the turbo happy.

 

[Silber Igel]

Thanks Spitman!!! That is an excellent suggestion!!! Sort of a spring house cleaning for the oil sump!!!