What oil and filter for VW Passat 2.8 V6?

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poison

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It is my wifes 2000 Passat V6. It has 50,000 miles on it. The valve cover gaskets have been replaced twice and today we just had the catalytic converter replaced; I think all the oil it burned before the valve cover gaskets were replaced must have been the cause of the catalutic failure. This is all under warranty, at least. She does LOTS and stop and go/city driving, and sometimes idles a lot if the baby falls asleep in the car when it is hot. We are in LA, so temps get high. A couple times per month she'll hit the freeway for an extended period of time. She doesn't warm the car up in the morning (in fact the manual says specifically not to idle to warm up, but to immediately drive away and baby it until warm). I have run Valvoline Synpower, Mobil 1, and Valvoline dino, all 10-30, and K&N or Mobil1 filters. It has burned the synthetics, but the valve covers were bad too. Now I think it is all fixed. So what would be your recommendations? Rotella 5/40 Synthetic? I was tempted to buy that and throw it in my Impreza last night. Thanks for any help! Nate
 
A valve cover gasket leak is unlikely to have anything to do with a catalytic converter failure. A head gasket leak might have that consequence, but not a valve cover gasket. I don't have an answer to your main question though as I'm not a VW driver these days. John
 
How could a leaky valve cover gasket lead to oil burning up in the cat? More like oil running down the block and dripping on the exhaust manifold. 5W-40 would be a fine choice, and I'd get either an OEM VW filter, a Mann, Mahle, Bosch, or Mobil 1 filter. I have no experience with the K&N oil filter.
 
I have the same 30V V6 in my Audi A4. I run M1 0W-40 and OEM (Mann) filter. I order mine from Clair Parts online. It's the -J filter, which is a 2yr/30km filter. A little shorter and a little fatter than the old -D version. I run the 8000mi interval that the computer keeps track of.
 
That engine like 40 weight oil. I use Mobil Delvac 1300S 15w-40 most all year, then M1 5w-40 SUV for winter.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys, I appreciate it. I am not sure why the valve cover gasket keeps going. I also am not so mechanically inclined, so my theory about the cats needing replacement is, I'm sure, wrong [Wink] . I am glad to see that a 40w is the right choice. I am running 10/30 Mobil Drive Clean Newer Vehicle now but have not had a chance to see if it is consuming oil. Wouldn't 15/40 be a little thick on startup, or just be a bad idea in a car that is still under warranty that is 'supposed' to take 10/30? If not, then I might try the Delo or Delvac. the Rotella Synthetic 5/40 is just as easily available...
 
I'm running German Castrol in my 2.8 and it really runs smooth. It's a thick 30w. Doesn't seem to consume much at all. My enging is still new, but it may have used .25 quarts in 4k miles. But that or a 40w should work great for you. I tried 15w-40 for a day and while it was smooth it also dragged the motor down and I couldn't live with the loss of power.
 
DCO is the worst oil I have ever used in terms of consumption. That combined with overfill might have toasted your cats. 15w is fine on start-up, not really thick until it is below +10f to +20f. Chevron Delo 15w-40 meets the generic Euro ACEA A3 spec which is the starting point for all mfg specs. All you need is an API SJ or SL oil for warranty purposes. I would dump that DCO for ANY 15w-40. 15w-40 is made from thicker base and will not shear to a 20 weight like that 10w-30 will. 15w-40 has tonnes of detergents too. Delvac 1300S has a TBN of 12 and a HT/HS rating of 4.3, sweet. PS it's not 40w, it's 40 weight with a 15w (winter) cold-cranking rating. It's a common typo. [ July 29, 2004, 12:15 AM: Message edited by: Audi Junkie ]
 
pull your pcv valve and shake it. if it doesn't click replace it. if it does then put it back. If you don't want to buy another one, then spray some carb cleaner or brake cleaner in it to dissolve sticky stuff.
 
quote:
Wouldn't 15/40 be a little thick on startup
I see that you are in Southern California. I would have no worries about 15W-40 on startup there. Maybe if you were in Calgary, Canada [Smile] . John
 
quote:
pull your pcv valve and shake it. if it doesn't click replace it. if it does then put it back. If you don't want to buy another one, then spray some carb cleaner or brake cleaner in it to dissolve sticky stuff.
I'm not sure the 30v engine has a regular PCV valve. My 12v has only a very simple but effective silicone flap valve in the bottom of the plenum chamber. That thing is maintenance-free.
 
Wow, cool. glxpassat, the GC is a thick 30w? That might not be a bad idea, I'll have to see if I can find it. AWDJunkie, by DCO you mean the Drive Clean, right? I have a question for you about the 15/40's: you say they have tons of detergents; well, if those oils, though they say for gas or diesel, are designed for diesel, wouldn't the detergents or additive packages be different than for a gasoline only oil? I mean, they may be compatible, but are they ideal? Would the additives be different than a gas engine needs, though not necessarily harmful? Samman23, why check my PCV valve? And to show my n00bness, what does my PCV valve do, and how can I find it [Eek!] ? Feel free to award the n00b prize of the day...
 
GC is only at Autozone. Be sure it says 'made in Germany' on the back. Another option if you are not interested in real long OCI's is a 2:1 mix of Delo 400 15w-40 with Havoline 5w-20, which are both made by Chevron. This would make a light weight 10w-40. Diesel oil that is SL rated is fine for your car, it's just you are paying more for the extra detergents. It will keep your motor very clean. the PVC valve allows crankcase blow-by gas to be sucked back into the intake. That keeps pressure from building up inside the motor. I like GC alot, but since my car is still under warenty I have to do 5k changes so GC is a little over-kill. Castrol makes a 10w-40 blend that is A3 rated that is inexpensive and would probably work great in our 2.8 for 5k oci's.
 
I use Delvac 1300S in my 30V and highly recommend it. http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/NAUSE2CVLMOMobilDelvac1300Super.asp Recommended for use in high performance diesel applications including the latest turbo-charged, low emission engines designs, including those featuring EGR technology On highway applications operating in both high speed/high load and short haul pick-up/delivery Off highway applications operating in severe low speed/heavy load conditions Recommended for use in high performance gasoline engines and mixed fleet operators Diesel-powered equipment from American and Japanese OEMs On highway heavy duty trucking and off highway including: construction, mining, quarrying, and agriculture Transmissions requiring Allison C-4 (SAE 15W-40 Grade) Typical Properties Mobil Delvac 1300 Super SAE Grade 10W-30 15W-40 Viscosity, ASTM D 445 cSt @ 40ºC 74 123 cSt @ 100ºC 11.5 15.6 CCS, cP, ASTM D 5293 6500 @ -25ºC 6000 @ -20ºC MRV, cP, ASTM D 4684 24,000 @ -30°C 29,000 @ -25°C HTHS @ 150ºC, cP, ASTM D4683 3.5 4.3 Viscosity Index, ASTM D 2270 145 133 Sulfated Ash, wt%, ASTM D 874 1.3 1.3 Total Base #, mg KOH/g, ASTM D 2896 12 12 Pour Point, ºC, ASTM D 97 -30 -30 Flash Point, ºC, ASTM D 92 229 230
 
FWIW I am using 15w-40 in one of our cars and there is 0 start up clatter. I think a good choice given your city/idling requirements. Also second the PCV cleaning/replacment. If partially/fully clogged it will blow out your gaskets and sludge up the motor. BTDT.
 
OK, I will try the Delvac next time. About the PCV valve, is that something I can pull and check myself? If so, can someone provide an explaination and/or pics? Thanks. Nate
 
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