VW TDI Spec Oil 505.01

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nick1994

$100 site donor 2024
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
16,645
Location
Phoenix, AZ
My aunt has a 2004 VW TDI with 152k miles, always serviced at the dealer with 10k miles OCI with synthetic. I've noticed the last 2 changes the paper says it is VW 504/507 oil. Is this oil spec back to the 505.01 it requires? I asked the service guy who has managed the service on her car for all these years and he said 507 back specs and works in this car. Is this true? Also the service sticker in the windshield says 5w30 on this oil change but the old ones used to say 5w40. Did they mess up?
 
The TDI forums seem to shy away from 505.01 oils. Apparently they cause premature cam wear -- I haven't followed the issue closely, but there is a lot of discussion around it. They seem to stick with 5w40 diesel truck oils.

A 504/507 oil would work just fine. There are a few 5w30s with that approval (they are thick-30s, along the lines of Castrol Edge 0w30).
 
The car will only be dealer serviced, she won't budge on it and they treat her well in the service department.
 
No, not move on. Im asking if they used the wrong oil. What's wrong with that?
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
No, not move on. Im asking if they used the wrong oil. What's wrong with that?

If they put in that oil, they are the only ones servicing it, and it suffers premature oil-related failure, then it is on them. If she will not go elsewhere, I see no point in stressing about it.
 
505.01 is what is specced for PD diesels in the UK

Since that spec was introduced the only PD's that have had top end issues were ones that were serviced with the wrong oil

Lots of vehicles used the PD engine, the early 1.9 version and the later 2.0

Everybody that I knew that had a PD engines Ford Galaxy, made in the same plant as the VW Sharan and Seat Alhambra till the joint venture ceased in around 06/07, used 5w40 though.

East to find as most oil manufacturers helpfully label it up as PD oil!


Could the issue be more to do with the 5w30 being a little on the thin side when the engine is hot.

But as already said as it has been dealer serviced from new any issue related to oil will be the responsibility of the dealer


I would ask for 5w40 to go in next time though

Has worked fine so far
 
Diesel dilution is the enemy here. Hence a 5W-40 with 505 01 is a good choice for PD engines.

The approval tests are ran on PD engines but the drive cycle doesn't really generate massive levels of fuel dilution like is seen on some road cars
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
504/507 is the current VW diesel spec. Sleep tight, the car is in good hands.


Yes, it is the current spec, but with a lower TBN, the next question would be.... is the 10,000 mile OCI still suitable? For that.... it needs UOA's to be done.
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
504/507 is the current VW diesel spec. Sleep tight, the car is in good hands.


But doesn't this spec relate to later Common Rail engines?

Surely they have different oil needs?
 
VAG has made it unnecessarily complicated, and it's their own doing, but it's no wonder the dealerships are confused too.

The PD motors (2004-2005.5 TDIs in N. America) require 5w40 oil certified 505.01. It says so right in the owner's manual, and probably on the oil cap as well. The confusion started when VW later (2006 or after) began certifying many 5w30 oils as 505.01. It still doesn't change that your PD motor requires the 5w40 flavor. Again, says so in your owner's manual. Adding to the confusion, VW's next diesel oil certification requirement was 507.00, which VW eventually started also saying was indeed backward compatible with 505.01. But 507.00 only comes in 5w30, so again, it is not suitable for a PD motor that requires 505.01 in the 5w40 weight. And I am not aware of any VW car sold in North America that requires 505.01 that allows 5w30 weight, so that adds to the confusion. But your car still requires 5w40.

Bottom line is 5w30 eats cams in PD motors. Don't use it or let the dealership put it in your aunt's TDI with the PD motor. I wouldn't bother arguing with the dealership about whether it is the correct oil or not. It is futile. They feel it is. VWoA probably agrees. But 5w30 will kill the cam. There is even a separate VAG part number for the 505.01 in 5w40: G-052-167-M2. It's a Castrol. Just have your aunt tell the dealership that is what she wants in her car and don't argue about the 5w30 505.01 or 507.00 oils. You have to spoon feed the VW dealerships... you will probably teach the parts department something new when you give them the part number.

That's if she insists on having the car serviced at the dealership. That Castrol 5w40 product the VW dealerships use is fine, but there are many other excellent 5w40 oils certified 505.01 that are readily available including Pentosin, LubroMoly, etc. Also, many TDI owners with the PD motor over at tdiclub.com have found great luck with some 5w40 diesel oils not certified by VW at all, including Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck, Shell Rotella T6, Mobil 1 ESP Formula M, Schaeffer 9000. Those would all be much much better than using a certified 505.01 that is 5w30. The key is 5w40.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Zambee500
VAG has made it unnecessarily complicated, and it's their own doing, but it's no wonder the dealerships are confused too.

The PD motors (2004-2005.5 TDIs in N. America) require 5w40 oil certified 505.01. It says so right in the owner's manual, and probably on the oil cap as well. The confusion started when VW later (2006 or after) began certifying many 5w30 oils as 505.01. It still doesn't change that your PD motor requires the 5w40 flavor. Again, says so in your owner's manual. Adding to the confusion, VW's next diesel oil certification requirement was 507.00, which VW eventually started also saying was indeed backward compatible with 505.01. But 507.00 only comes in 5w30, so again, it is not suitable for a PD motor that requires 505.01 in the 5w40 weight. And I am not aware of any VW car sold in North America that requires 505.01 that allows 5w30 weight, so that adds to the confusion. But your car still requires 5w40.

Bottom line is 5w30 eats cams in PD motors. Don't use it or let the dealership put it in your aunt's TDI with the PD motor. I wouldn't bother arguing with the dealership about whether it is the correct oil or not. It is futile. They feel it is. VWoA probably agrees. But 5w30 will kill the cam. There is even a separate VAG part number for the 505.01 in 5w40: G-052-167-M2. It's a Castrol. Just have your aunt tell the dealership that is what she wants in her car and don't argue about the 5w30 505.01 or 507.00 oils. You have to spoon feed the VW dealerships... you will probably teach the parts department something new when you give them the part number.

That's if she insists on having the car serviced at the dealership. That Castrol 5w40 product the VW dealerships use is fine, but there are many other excellent 5w40 oils certified 505.01 that are readily available including Pentosin, LubroMoly, etc. Also, many TDI owners with the PD motor over at tdiclub.com have found great luck with some 5w40 diesel oils not certified by VW at all, including Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck, Shell Rotella T6, Mobil 1 ESP Formula M, Schaeffer 9000. Those would all be much much better than using a certified 505.01 that is 5w30. The key is 5w40.


Thanks! It does say in the owners manual to use 5w40 but 5w30 is allowed. The next oil change I will have her have them use 5w40 because I already went in and asked what oil they used and they said 507 5w30 and that it back specs. Vey frustrating.
 
I have a 460.000Km 1.9 tdi PD 105BHP
Had it from new.

30.000Km OCI, Car makes 65.000KM a year.
(10ppm diesel)

Most of the time on VW507.000 5W30 XL-III Valvoline, never had one problem with this engine, original camsaft,turbo,egr.
Car runs perfectly fine, no oil consumption or smoke.
 
First of all, the Castrol 505.01 oil the dealerships used to use in PDs is garbage. They call it synthetic, but it is actually a synthetic blend and does not have to temperature stability to properly protect the turbo. I used Motul 505.01 oil, which is a Group III synthetic before I switched to Mobil 1 TDT.

Next, 507 oil was long ago declared suitable for PD engines in place of the 505.01. I used a 507 5w-30 Motul oil for about 15,000 miles back around 2009. I noticed improved fuel mileage. I was concerned about issues being raised about the oil being too thin and switched to the Mobil 1 TDT.

I think the 507 oil is okay, depending on her driving habits, except for the fact she lives in Phoenix. That is some very hot conditions and should call for a heavier oil. VW dealers have been carrying the 507 oil only for PDs for several years now and I would think if there were cam wear issues like we saw with Castrol 505.01 we would have heard more about it.

Mine is at 158,000 with original cam still. BEW engine.
 
Well, I can´t help being alarmed every time I hear someone telling that a 504.00/507.00 5W-30 oil, is not suitable for the PD engines and that the cam will suffer with that choice.
frown.gif


I am relatively calm with my choices on motor oil, and I´ve been using M1 ESP Formula 5W-30 in the latest 28000 miles, and I will try the LM top tec 4600 5W-30 next time, but I always get assaulted by this thought of doing something terribly wrong to the engine.
My ATD has now around 88000 miles and never gave me any engine problems, and I´m praying to remain like that.

FWIW, before I did this choice, I´ve contacted VW about it and their answer was:

"
Ref. no.: VW-2010/12-074469
21 January 2011



Dear Mr.
confused.gif
,

Thank you for sending us the vehicle identification number of your Golf.

We like to inform you that you can use oil that corresponds to the following specifications:

- 507 00 / 504 00
- 506 01 / 506 00 / 503 00

We hope that we have been of assistance and wish you always good motoring with your Volkswagen Golf.

Yours sincerely,
grin.gif


Volkswagen AG
38436 Wolfsburg
Tel +49 (0) 1805 865579*
Fax +49 (0) 1805 329865*
Mail to [email protected]
Homepage http://www.volkswagen.de

0,14 €/Min. aus dem dt. Festnetz, max. 0,42 €/Min. aus den Mobilfunknetzen

"

I truly hope that the 507.00/505.01, 5W-30 oils, don´t harm my engine.
 
Last edited:
Truth be told, the VW 507 certified 30 weight oils are all on the "thick" side, bordering on a 40 weight. Under typical use they tend to resist shearing down too much.
 
To the OP...for what it's worth I had an experience with a local BMW dealer which unsettled me a bit.Went in for an oil top off (covered under the warranty)...they were cool about it..."I'll be back in a minute",said the tech.He comes back with a bootle of Castrol which was *not* LL-04 (BMW's diesel spec).I had to point out to him that mine was a diesel.However,it must be said that VW dealers in the US are far more accustomed to servicing oil burners than are BMW dealers.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top