2006 Golf TDI - 30k km OCI, 161k km on vehicle

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Took this oil sample before changing my timing belt at 161k km - a few notes:

Yes, the distance on this sample was 30k km (18,657 miles) and 11 months in the sump. I installed the DG Bypass filter with the Amsoil 2µm EaBP90 filter about 2 months into this OCI. During these 11 months I commuted through the snow & ice of winter and the blistering heat of summer, drove back & forth between Chicago & Baltimore about 7 times including pulling a one-ton UHaul trailer back to Chicago at 70 mph the entire way. I keep my oil level topped up to 3 - 5 cm over the 'full' bend in the dipstick when checked cold - comes down to the top bend when running.

Oil additives: I mixed about half a tin of Lubro-Moly MoS2 and half a bottle of ZDDPlus with a gallon of Schaeffer 9000 and used that for the 1.5 liters of top-up oil during this OCI. This might explain the slightly elevated sodium level, as would the installation of the bypass filter midway thru the OCI.

Fuel: Roughly B20ish while in the Mid-Atlantic from splash-blending Sam's Club diesel with Baltimore Biodiesel Co-op B100. B11 exclusively when back in the Land of Lincoln.

My thoughts? Great UOA. Long OCI, very low wear metals, plenty of active additive, strong TBN retention. Schaeffer 9000 is doing nicely with the Dieselgeek Bypass filter and running the snot out of the car.


20110114_uoa.png
 
I don't understand - what was the oil used?

I see you used Schaeffer 9k and additives as top-off, but what was the original fill?

Looks great for 18k, and could have eaasily gone a lot, lot longer with a TBN of 6.2.
 
Originally Posted By: addyguy
I don't understand - what was the oil used?


Schaeffer 9000 5w40 (as indicated in my sig). I cut off the top part of the report when taking a screenshot, and would have edited my original post to make it clearer had I not missed the edit timer while correcting some spelling.

So here's what I would have added:

Oil used: Schaeffer 9000 5w40 CJ-4, which thankfully is not formally approved to VW 505.01 - it 'meets or exceeds', anyone familiar with the cam-grinding BEW engine will be glad it handily exceeds that specification.

Filters: German-made Hengst Energetic full-flow (bought from AutoZone in a STP filter box), Amsoil EaBP-90 bypass (from the excellent Dieselgeek bypass filter kit).
 
Nice looking report.
Schaeffer's Full synthetic 9000 5-40 is an excellent oil that I think goes underated.
 
Originally Posted By: salesrep
Nice looking report.

Thanks!

Originally Posted By: salesrep
Schaeffer's Full synthetic 9000 5-40 is an excellent oil that I think goes underated.

Gee, why?
56.gif
I think it's performing very well considering this OCI is twice what I normally run and has half the wear metals.

Funny that almost no one knows about Schaeffer... when I changed my timing belt in my buddy's heated garage (with a lift! in January!) about 15 of his other friends wandered in the garage, picked up the jugs of Supreme 9000 5w40 and asked aloud, "What the heck kind of oil is this?!".

It is gaining traction on TDIClub, though. There's several folks besides me running this oil in the cam-grinding PD engine and all appear to have good success with it. And most of the six leaker owners I know of are aware that it's one of the few oils that can stand up to the HPOP/HEUI shearfest.
 
Looking at all UOAs I think that moly doesn't help much this engine but higher ZDDP + bypass helped a lot!

Great UOA ;-)

ps. I would try API SL / CI-4+ oil (higher ZDDP) instead of CJ-4 one (designed for new diesels with DPF)
 
Originally Posted By: wlyszkow
Looking at all UOAs I think that moly doesn't help much this engine but higher ZDDP + bypass helped a lot!

Great UOA ;-)

ps. I would try API SL / CI-4+ oil (higher ZDDP) instead of CJ-4 one (designed for new diesels with DPF)


That's what it looks like and the VW TDI's did have an issue with the lower Zinc levels of the latest oils, although most of the trouble was caused by cheap 5/30 oils that sheared down to 20 grades by the end of the OCI. 5/40 is a good choice for this engine, although it would be interesting to see how an HM 5 or even 10/40 stands up, as they have plenty of Zinc.
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: salesrep
Nice looking report.

Thanks!

Originally Posted By: salesrep
Schaeffer's Full synthetic 9000 5-40 is an excellent oil that I think goes underated.

Gee, why?
56.gif
I think it's performing very well considering this OCI is twice what I normally run and has half the wear metals.

Funny that almost no one knows about Schaeffer... when I changed my timing belt in my buddy's heated garage (with a lift! in January!) about 15 of his other friends wandered in the garage, picked up the jugs of Supreme 9000 5w40 and asked aloud, "What the heck kind of oil is this?!".

It is gaining traction on TDIClub, though. There's several folks besides me running this oil in the cam-grinding PD engine and all appear to have good success with it. And most of the six leaker owners I know of are aware that it's one of the few oils that can stand up to the HPOP/HEUI shearfest.


One thing I don't like about the oil, is that it has very low Zinc levels, it should be pushing the edge of the certification boundary at 1000 (I think), but it's some way below that figure which might be why adding Zinc seems to help.
UOA results for TDI's are very odd sometimes because only the boy racers seemed to get trouble with the move to 5/30 and low Zinc levels, when other cars that led a more gentle life did not show bad UOA results and no real difference as regards the old 5/40 high Zinc figures.
To give you an example my Zn from using LM High Tech Synthoil 5/40 in a 1.9TD Volvo was 1049 at 10K km (Severe service OCI) and the VOA of the oil is 984 (The increase is due to evaporation loss of basestock etc). So I don't think I will use Shaeffers oil as it seems to be short on Zinc, like some supermarket oil, although they are often short on everything. Although the oil is also low on Ca detergent, there is no real risk of sludge looking at the TBN and insolubles.
 
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Originally Posted By: wlyszkow
Looking at all UOAs I think that moly doesn't help much this engine but higher ZDDP + bypass helped a lot!

Great UOA ;-)

ps. I would try API SL / CI-4+ oil (higher ZDDP) instead of CJ-4 one (designed for new diesels with DPF)


Good idea, but for some reason folks will credit the oil with the figures when the real star of this VOA is the bypass filter. I suspect that if an oil with more Zn had been used the Zinc additive would not have been required and the Moly made no difference.
VW don't make the best diesels in long life terms and they are fussy about which oil is used, sometimes in viscosity terms (40 better than 30) and sometimes as regards Zinc content.
I don't understand why Blackstones are concerned about a potential coolant leak, because I am fairly sure the VW coolant has a few Potassium based compounds in it in addition to Sodium ones. Most oils have some Na for anti foam agents and many cans of snake oil have fairly high levels.
 
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Well -w40 oils are not less and less common in European turbo diesels.

Peugeot, Citreon , Volvo, Ford and even Renault all largely use 5w30 for their diesels.

Some are A1/B1 A5/B5, some A3/B3/B4 and some C3.

I have no UOA results to share but the number of very high mileage modern diesels around these days would certainly indicate there is nothing wrong with 5w30 oil.

I would also argue about VW making the best diesel engines as far as longevity goes.

Ford were not threatened with legal action a few years ago due to the I reliability of the Passat being used by Lewis Day.

I believe that a lot of the problems are not sorted withthe advent of the later CR engines.

The caveat with that is the 2.4 tdci engine which can be troublesome under certain usage profiles.

Mainly Ambulance use and Taxi use.

The engines tend to need replaced at around 240/250k under Ambulance use, sometimes a little sooner and in Taxis they have top end and camchain issues.

But recent Ford diesels (developed with PSA Group) are some of the best in years.

Though the old 1.9 Tdi engines and 1.9 pd engines were very long lived, not matched by the later 2.0 at least initially.

Note the Police in the UK regularly put 200k on Ford Focus diesels in three or four years.

I would have no issue choosing a Ford/PSA diesel over any German made diesel.

The Police also use BMW diesels in the UK. But they are rather fragile and do have issues even though they are very powerful and relatively economical.

I wouldn't have one with over 150/60k though, too fragile for my liking.
 
Originally Posted By: wlyszkow
ps. I would try API SL / CI-4+ oil (higher ZDDP) instead of CJ-4 one (designed for new diesels with DPF)


Non-CJ4 oil is not terribly easy to get, and I already have several gallons of Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40 ready to go as I got it for approximately half its normal price... some of it is still CI-4 rated - maybe one out of the four gallons I have?

Originally Posted By: VTS16
oil level 3-5cm ABOVE the max on the dipstick ????????????
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!exclamationpoint

Sometimes it's more convenient to just dump in a full quart and not have a partial bottle laying around. Crank doesn't hit the oil even at that level and I don't Autocross or race the car. It's an economical commuter, family hauler & light duty tow vehicle only.

Originally Posted By: skyship
...it would be interesting to see how an HM 5 or even 10/40 stands up, as they have plenty of Zinc.

Originally Posted By: skyship
One thing I don't like about the oil, is that it has very low Zinc levels...


VOA shows 1219 ppm Zinc. How is that a 'low level'?

I don't have access to proven high mileage 5w40 diesel-rated oils in the PD TDI engine and with Chicago's climate I will not use 10w40 oils.

Originally Posted By: skyship
but for some reason folks will credit the oil with the figures when the real star of this VOA is the bypass filter.


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I changed both at the same time and the combination seems to work well for me. Not interested in uninstalling the bypass filter to find out if that's what's helping. Will be switching over to M1 TDT in the next year or so, so maybe in 2 years I'll have a UOA that will help show if it's the oil or the filter... or maybe TDT will work just as well or better.

But maybe, just maybe - the additives are the real star of my sump. THE HORROR... THE HORROR
 
Originally Posted By: JustinC
do you mean 3-5 MM over the full mark? 5cm is about 2 inches.


I'm aware of the difference in millimeters or centimeters - the metric system is my preferred system of measurement.

Yes, I have run the oil level up to five centimeters over the full mark. No, I did not have oil foaming or other issues. Your mileage may vary, past performance is no guarantee of future gains, dealer retains all rebates, void where prohibited by law.
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Yes, I have run the oil level up to five centimeters over the full mark. No, I did not have oil foaming or other issues. Your mileage may vary, past performance is no guarantee of future gains, dealer retains all rebates, void where prohibited by law.


I have done this as well, without any apparent problems. I don't think I'd want to go a full quart/liter more than needed to reach the full mark, but an extra half-quart is fine IMO.
 
I wouldn't overfill my engine, it takes longer for the oil to reach temp so short runs would be worse for the engine.
 
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