VW dealership, questionable recommendation online

Status
Not open for further replies.

wemay

Site Donor 2023
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Messages
17,196
Location
Kendall, FL
The manual clearly states the oil must be VW 508.00 spec which yes, is a 0W-20. All VW 508.00 oils are 0W-20 but very few 0W-20 oils have the spec. If top off is needed and this spec isn't available, other oils, including VW 504.00, A3/B4 or SN can be used. These constitute various viscosity (but only 1/2 a quart may be used).

How many dealerships in general do you think get "official recommendations" wrong?
And if they do, and put the wrong oil in your vehicle how can they deny warranty for oil related issues?


20191229_084242.jpg
 
There's a REALLY big difference between 508.00 and SN specs! Hopefully the 508.00 is worth what it costs, a casual search seems to indicate $15/qt. to $75/jug is the range.
 
Like you heard me gripe for months, Dealer put 502 5W40 spec in mine. I bought some 508 and had then install it and I watched and "helped".
Stlll waiting for car to recover. Lots of vibration and low fuel mileage now. I even Ran a bit of Gumout PEA did nothing.

If they are pinching pennies they will run whats in their bulk tank.

Just ask to them to witness the OC. My service writer had no issue with this request.

The factory stuff is was good for 5k if you have same formulation as what was in my sump originally.

But my car was assembled in Mexico yours possibly Tennessee?

Bizol Mexico? Pemex? Imported BP Castrol?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
There's a REALLY big difference between 508.00 and SN specs! Hopefully the 508.00 is worth what it costs, a casual search seems to indicate $15/qt. to $75/jug is the range.

autohauz has Total 5L jug for 46 bucks.

But Many VW buyers get the maintenance package.
that pay for wear items and service.

Oil is good for 10K miles so that only 1 or 2 OC a year for most folks

Subaru dealer thieves charge about 100 buck for a synthetic OC in my wifes impreza. So I do it.
 
Funny that recommendation is wrong as the C20 / 508.00 oil is A1/B1

But typical. Subaru was saying for a while that you MUST use subaru synthetic oil then they had to pull back from that position.

I bet a an EP synthetic ILSAC would meet the VW spec.

Why not. Its low HTHS.

Now you are just considering turbo deposits (TEOST) and EP adds
that are boosted in premium EP SN oils. SHold be adequate.

And If the engine explodes on non 508 oil its likely a poor design.
 
Last edited:
Yes, that is what the owner's manual says. Does VW actually test your oil if there is an engine failure? Or, do they just look for the UV dye? I'm currently running Castrol Professional OE LL IV. I ran Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 for the second 5,000 mile run. I will run the current oil for 10,000 miles and change. I will continue to do this. With the cost of 508.00/509.00 oils being so high, I cannot justify changing it any sooner. I just hope VW has done enough testing on this oil. I have some reservations about running 0W20 oils in turbocharged 4 cylinder engines. We will see.
 
It essentially has the same 2.0 as many VWs that have been perfectly happy running on oils with the VW502 00 or 504 00 approvals for years. Lowering the viscosity to 0W20 is just an emissions lowering/fuel economy improving move. Plenty with GTIs are happily running 5W40 VW502 00 oils in their 508-required 2.0s. But yes, that bit on the dealer's site is incorrect.
 
Originally Posted by MParr
Yes, that is what the owner's manual says. Does VW actually test your oil if there is an engine failure? Or, do they just look for the UV dye? I'm currently running Castrol Professional OE LL IV. I ran Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 for the second 5,000 mile run. I will run the current oil for 10,000 miles and change. I will continue to do this. With the cost of 508.00/509.00 oils being so high, I cannot justify changing it any sooner. I just hope VW has done enough testing on this oil. I have some reservations about running 0W20 oils in turbocharged 4 cylinder engines. We will see.


How did the M1 ESP feel in that engine? Fuel Mileage hits?

Should be fine.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by MParr
Yes, that is what the owner's manual says. Does VW actually test your oil if there is an engine failure? Or, do they just look for the UV dye? I'm currently running Castrol Professional OE LL IV. I ran Mobil 1 ESP 5W30 for the second 5,000 mile run. I will run the current oil for 10,000 miles and change. I will continue to do this. With the cost of 508.00/509.00 oils being so high, I cannot justify changing it any sooner. I just hope VW has done enough testing on this oil. I have some reservations about running 0W20 oils in turbocharged 4 cylinder engines. We will see.


How did the M1 ESP feel in that engine? Fuel Mileage hits?

Should be fine.

The engine seemed a little quieter on startup. That Budack Cycle engine sounds like a small Mitsubishi diesel on startup.
The fuel mileage didn't take a big hit, around 1mpg.
 
Originally Posted by wemay
How many dealerships in general do you think get "official recommendations" wrong?



In the recent past, I'd say nearly 100% of the local dealerships got it wrong. They were using bulk 5W-20 in everything including the diesels. It's no wonder they had a rash of PD camshaft failures.
 
Last European car I owned was a LeCar forty years ago. Always curious about a Golf. The Golf's discontinuance, Dieselgate and this oil b.s. makes me realize that I'll probably stay Korean until I die.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Like you heard me gripe for months, Dealer put 502 5W40 spec in mine. I bought some 508 and had then install it and I watched and "helped".
Stlll waiting for car to recover. Lots of vibration and low fuel mileage now. I even Ran a bit of Gumout PEA did nothing.



lolwut? This cracks me up. Your car doesn't have the flu, it doesn't need to recover.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite


Like you heard me gripe for months, Dealer put 502 5W40 spec in mine. I bought some 508 and had then install it and I watched and "helped".
Stlll waiting for car to recover. Lots of vibration and low fuel mileage now ...



You do realize that the 0w20 oil is roughly 40 x thicker at 32*f than at operating temperature, right ?

Based on what you are saying, your car should run poorly anytime the oil is cold. And, the oil takes 20 minutes or more to warm up to operating temperature.

So your car will run poorly MOST of the time, based on what you are speculating about the " thick ... " 5w40 causing problems.

Sorry, but any issues you think are caused by the oil are actually only IN YOUR HEAD. Or, most likely, caused by something else ...
 
Last edited:
in my 2001 wolfsburg 1.8T jetta i dumped the free dealer change they used + put in real synthetic PAO + Ester 10-30 that worked great until trade at 200 thou!! no engine issues + running great! prolly in about VW spec'd synthetic oil to combat sludge issues, i had NONE + the stealer NEVER serviced MY car beside the free oil changes for 2yrs- 24 thou that was finished in one year as i was driving a LOT
 
Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
This is the third ongoing VW "issue" thread today!

Threads like this are what keep me from ever owning one since my 84 Rabbit.
Too much nonsense for minimal returns.

If Walmart/CT cannot offer a variety of motor oils to choose from, then it's clearly too exotic for my tastes.
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
This is the third ongoing VW "issue" thread today!

Threads like this are what keep me from ever owning one since my 84 Rabbit.
Too much nonsense for minimal returns.

If Walmart/CT cannot offer a variety of motor oils to choose from, then it's clearly too exotic for my tastes.


No kidding ...

The whole must use a 508 spec oil, and you can't cheat because the oil is dyed blue / green, or else the dealer will KNOW you were using the " WRONG " oil when your engine fails and now the warranty is void, MIGHT be sort of reasonable on some 700 HP quad turbo hyper car ...

But on a 150 hp 1.4 L turbo generic VW sedan ?

No thank you.
 
Last edited:
I don't get the drama - you can buy Mobil 1 ESP 0W20 that has the VW508 00 approval at Walmart. I also don't get the alarmist folks that always chime in about warranties - the odds of a powertrain issue that would have VW dive into your oil type is so unbelievably small - [censored] many dealers are running good ole' 5W40 VW502 00 oils in the newer VWs that are calling for 0W20 VW508 00. You can buy Liquimoly Top Tech 6200 kits from the online Euro retailers - I found a kit for ~$70 including filter and drain plug delivered. It's not that much to take care of VWs...the maintenance is easy.

https://mobiloil.com/en/motor-oils/...CMbXlI-N3OYCFYbcswodtawOAA&gclsrc=ds
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
This is the third ongoing VW "issue" thread today!

Threads like this are what keep me from ever owning one since my 84 Rabbit.
Too much nonsense for minimal returns.

If Walmart/CT cannot offer a variety of motor oils to choose from, then it's clearly too exotic for my tastes.



Let us not forget Toyota sludge gate with their 3.0 and 2.2 engines back in late 90's early 2000's. Or the subsequent oil burning 1ZZ-FE and 2AZ-FE engines.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top