Oil for '01 VW Lupo GTI

[Tommiee]

Hello there oil experts.

This is my first post, reading around now for a few weeks and now ready to ask some questions.

I'm from Holland so my english isn't perfect, excuse me for that!


I've got a '01 Volkswagen Lupo GTI. 1.6 16v engine with standard 125 horsepower.

Done some little performance improvements like a spaghetti manifold, Cold air intake and a sports catalic converter. Runned it @ the dyno and pushing out 152 HP atm.

Next week i'm bringing it to the chiptuning to maximize the ECU's potential with the mods, looking towards 160/165 hp.



I'm running Total Quartz 9000 5W40 now, because i can get this cheap at my work, and i believe it's a fine oil. Only thing i don't like is that it isn't a Fully synthetic oil.

Almost any oil can go in my engine according different oil search websites
Allowed according the total website:

QUARTZ 9000 5W-40
QUARTZ 9000 ENERGY 0W-30
QUARTZ INEO LONG LIFE 5W-30
QUARTZ 7000 10W-40 ( only between - 15 and +15 celcius )
QUARTZ INEO MC3 5W40
QUARTZ INEO 504/507 5W-30
QUARTZ 9000 ENERGY 5W-40
QUARTZ INEO MC3 5W-30

Brand doesn't bother me, but the Total will be the cheapest way to go. I can get the 5W40 and others for $5.14 per litre.

I'm a sporty driver, it redlines past 7500 RPM, and it goes there often.
Ofcourse i drive the car very soft until the engine oil has reached the right temperature.


Hope that you guys can suggest me the right oil. Engine is running very smooth.

115k miles on it.

Thanks in advance


Edit: I forgot to mention that i've used Petronas Syntium 0w30 last winter, used a little bit more oil, but a more silent valvetrain the firt 2 seconds @ cold start.

 

[Ibrahim]

You need ACEA C3 & VW 504/507 spec oil.

QUARTZ INEO 504/507

 

[Tommiee]

Could you explain why?

I've never seen any minimum specifications for my engine, except for a minimum of ACEA A3..

 

[Quattro Pete]

It's not a DI engine, so it appears ACEA A3 oil should work. However, it is true that all the European websites I looked at (Mobil1, Castrol, Opie Oils) seem to be recommending 504/507 oils for your application. These are low(er) SAPS oils which should theoretically help reduce deposits due to lower sulfated ash content.

How often do you change your oil, Tommiee?

 

[Tommiee]

I change my oil @ 10k kilometres maximum ( 2x a year. Right before the winter then the 0w30 comes in , now just 3 weeks ago thanged it again to 5w40 )

More likely OCI are around 8000km.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Honestly, I wouldn't have a problem running that Quartz 9000 5w-40 all year long, especially since you can get it at a good price. I wouldn't even bother with the 0w-30 for winter. I mean, you're not in Alaska.

And if it's a 0w-30 that meets ACEA A3, then it won't be notably thinner anyway.

Are you experiencing any problems that make you question your oil choice?

 

[Tommiee]

Just to give you an image of the car

And with the winter wheels

Just like to show you my 'little' one!

 

[Quattro Pete]

That is cute! VW should really rethink their stance on not offering the smaller cars in the US. Alas, buyers in America expect a small car to be inexpensive, and that may be a tough proposition for VW in the US, where Golf and Jetta are already pretty inexpensive (relatively speaking), so the expectation would be that a car like Lupo should be even cheaper.

Did you modify the hood (around headlights)?

 

[il_signore97]

I think your plan is just fine. The Total Quartz 9000 5W40 that you use in the warmer months would be my choice, especially since you can get it cheap. You're not pushing the OCI limit either, so it's base oil composition really shouldn't matter to you as long as it does the job well.

And I would also agree with your choice of 0W30 for the cold winter months. No sense trying to start the car in very cold weather with overly thick oil in there.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Tommiee]

Quattro pete,

Thanks! Yes the hood is modified to give it a little agressive look. Unfortunately the car wasn't so cheap because it's pretty unique in the GTi edition. Only 20 of them are here in holland.

People didn't bought it back then because of the price. Full option like mine, except for the sunroof, it costed a big fat 30.000 euro's.

Bougt it 2 years ago, the car is from oktobre 2001. Still had to pay 10k euro's. FYI, a normal 1.4 16v lupo with airco did around 3,5k euro.

But it holds his value very good, so it was worth the money!
And with the weight of only 910 kilogram it likes to sprint at the traffic lights. Not really a highway car btw, little bit to noisy and nervous.

 

[Tommiee]

Il signore, thanks for your advice!

 

[fdcg27]

This little thing is cute and no doubt fun to drive.
At around a US ton and with 125 BHP, this little guy would be a pocket rocket.
It would eat an NA Mini or Fiat 500 for lunch.
The hood mods would not be considered agressive in America.
Finally, those who complain about high prices for used Hondas and Subarus in the US should check out the price paid for this used VW in Holland.
Still, a 7500+ redline would be fun.
Too bad VW doesn't see fit to bring in something like this instead of the kinda lame Beetle.

 

[HyundaiGuy]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
This little thing is cute and no doubt fun to drive.
At around a US ton and with 125 BHP, this little guy would be a pocket rocket.
It would eat an NA Mini or Fiat 500 for lunch.
The hood mods would not be considered agressive in America.
Finally, those who complain about high prices for used Hondas and Subarus in the US should check out the price paid for this used VW in Holland.
Still, a 7500+ redline would be fun.
Too bad VW doesn't see fit to bring in something like this instead of the kinda lame Beetle.


Correction: it would eat a NA Fiat 500 for lunch. It would be a flip of the coin between the Lupo and the 500T. The Abarth would kill the VW.

I do agree that Europe gets all of the "cool" VWs though. A shame.

 

[Tommiee]

Stock i would doub if it would get killed by the abarth!

Stock it just differs 10hp and the abarth is a little bit heavier.

Mini cooper S isn't that fast as is should be.. they all have sone kind of obesitas. Just too heavy for their size! Stock Mini cooper S isnt a problem to kill at the traffic lights.

That is the advantage of the 6 speed transmission in the lupo, it is really short.. ( 3000 rpm @ 60 MPH ), but that makes it a bit nervous on the highway..


But the oil guys, the oil! Whats on your mind?

 

[Tommiee]

Still thinking of going to 0w40 or 0w30..

Some guys told me NOT to do this, because they say the protective film of a 0Wxx oil isn't as strong as a 5wxx oil.

I think it's bull, but i'm not the expert in here so i'll leave it up to you guys.

ps. i don't bother switching to another brand if it gives me a real benifit. But oil is so expensive here in holland! Mobil 1 5 litre jugs are around 100€ here. ( around 130 US dollars! )

 

[fdcg27]

What does VW recommend?
You could use any oil that meets VW's certs.
I'd be inclined to recommend M1 0W-40 for all year use, but at the 5X the US market price, I think I'd be looking at Total oils instead.

 

[Tommiee]

VW doesn't recommend anything except for minimun ACEA A3..

But because there are some modifications done, i don't know if it's neccesary to upgrade to another spec oil.

Looking towards 160HP naturally aspirated out a 1.6 engine after the chiptuning.

 

[Novart]

Nice car Tommiee, it would be interested to compare your with mine...

 

[Tommiee]

The Colt GTi isn't is? Classmate of mine got one also. Depends on the speed to start the sprint, but they're pretty equal!

 

[il_signore97]

Originally Posted By: Tommiee
Still thinking of going to 0w40 or 0w30..

Some guys told me NOT to do this, because they say the protective film of a 0Wxx oil isn't as strong as a 5wxx oil.

I think it's bull, but i'm not the expert in here so i'll leave it up to you guys.

ps. i don't bother switching to another brand if it gives me a real benifit. But oil is so expensive here in holland! Mobil 1 5 litre jugs are around 100€ here. ( around 130 US dollars! )



A good synthetic 0W40 or 0W30 is not going to differ much from a 5W40 or 5W30 (assuming that they are all ACEA A3 rated with minimum HTHS values of at least 3.5 cP). At full operating temperature, the film thickness (or operational viscosity in the bearings) is determined by the HTHS value mainly, not the grade of the oil that is printed on the bottle. So any ACEA A3 rated oil should ensure that you get a minimum HTHS value of 3.5 cP.

Now obviously some oils are more shear stable than others, and that totally depends on how they are formulated. For example, Mobil 1 0W40 relies on high viscosity index base stocks to achieve its 0W40 rating, and thus their newest formulation is very shear stable. It would be a great choice for all year usage.

However, again, since you get Total lubricants for a cheap price, and they carry the necessary specifications for your car, I would not hesitate to continue using the 5W40 that you currently use.

The main difference between the 5W40 and other oils such as 0W40 and 0W30 (ACEA A3 rated) will be their performance in extreme cold (such as a cold start after sitting outside all night at -20 C). These oils will be less viscous at cold temperatures, but still protect at higher temperatures, and as such, they are ideal for winter or year-round use. But they may possibly come at a much higher price than you currently pay.