Good oil for lightly driven '09 Passat?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Messages
491
Location
PA
Hi all. This Euro oil stuff is new to me; all help appreciated.

My lady friend's father has an '09 Passat, 2.0 Turbo. He does not drive much any more; when he does it is all in town. Once in a blue moon someone else will drive the car on a highway trip.

It needs either a top-off or better yet an oil change. I just want to know what is the best oil to get---and what is the best weight---considering the car is not driven very much. I spent some time researching VW 502 specs and the like, but I always come here to get advice straight from the experts.

Thanks much.
 
Last edited:
502.00 approved oil is your safest bet. M1 0w-40 meets the spec and is priced reasonably at Walmart. I would probably go with that.

Word of caution though: these engines don't like to be driven lightly. Get ready for some valve cleaning down the road.
 
Thanks. I am curious as to why M1 5w-40 meets the MB 229 spec, but apparently not the (less stringent?) VW 502 spec.

Either 5-W or 0-W would work for our climate, but I kinda scratch my head over that one.
 
Originally Posted By: faramir9
Thanks. I am curious as to why M1 5w-40 meets the MB 229 spec, but apparently not the (less stringent?) VW 502 spec.

M1 Formula M 5w-40 and M1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 were designed specifically for MB/Chrysler, if I'm not mistaken, hence the only MFG spec they carry is MB 229.5 and 229.51, respectively.

My guess is that M1 Formula M 5w-40 would work in your 2.0T VW engine just fine though; however, the only place you can find this oil is at MB dealerships and it's likely more expensive than M1 0w-40.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: faramir9
Thanks. I am curious as to why M1 5w-40 meets the MB 229 spec, but apparently not the (less stringent?) VW 502 spec.

M1 Formula M 5w-40 and M1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 were designed specifically for MB/Chrysler, if I'm not mistaken, hence the only MFG spec they carry is MB 229.5 and 229.51, respectively.

My guess is that M1 Formula M 5w-40 would work in your 2.0T VW engine just fine though; however, the only place you can find this oil is at MB dealerships and it's likely more expensive than M1 0w-40.


Ah, so "Formula M" is not just clever-sounding marketing. Thanks. If we go with M1 it will be 0w-40.
 
Other readily available 502.00 oils include: Castrol 0w-40, Castrol 0w-30, Castrol 5w-40. None of them are as competitively priced as M1 0w-40 though, unless you catch them on some major sale.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
502.00 approved oil is your safest bet. M1 0w-40 meets the spec and is priced reasonably at Walmart. I would probably go with that.

Word of caution though: these engines don't like to be driven lightly. Get ready for some valve cleaning down the road.


This.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Word of caution though: these engines don't like to be driven lightly. Get ready for some valve cleaning down the road.

I don't think the fear mongering is necessary. Most North Americans drive there cars lightly, even sports cars.
Better advise would be that it's a good practice even with cars that are driven lightly to still be rev'd close to red line in a lower gear on occasion once up to temperature.

If intake valve deposits are an issue with this engine I'd suggest using an oil with a very low deposit rating such as Castrol Edge 5W-30.
In a spec 502.00 oil, I wouldn't use anything heavier than M1 0W-40 which means no other 40 grade oil.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Better advise would be that it's a good practice even with cars that are driven lightly to still be rev'd close to red line in a lower gear on occasion once up to temperature.

From what I've read, it takes more than just occasional rev up to red line. But maybe the owners of such engines can chime in. We've got quite a few of them here.
 
As an aside, on the subject of valve deposits, the BiL has Vectra with the 2.2 direct injected petrol engine and we have been putting 5w40 Castrol Edge that is also low saps, C2 or C3 I can't remember which one off hand

Use of reduced SAPS oil is straight from Vauxhall/Opel (GM in US)

He has had no engine related issues apart from the usual fuel pump and fuel regulator issues that these engines have.

He bought it at 3yrs old with 16k on the clock! Yes really.

Last time I checked a few months ago it was about to tick over 70k

He has owned it for just over 2 1/2 yrs now and it has been a decent car, I can do an oil change in it without jacking it up as the filter is a cartridge mounted up top.

Oil that comes out is usually fairly clean, except the time he let it go well past 15k

I am sure this car had one of the 20k or 24month service intervals back in '08 when it was new.

I can get 12 litres of Castrol Edge for this from Costco for £90 or £75 when they have a sale on, two filters are under £10 (Hengst, Made in USA)

So two oil changes for approx £42/50 which I don't think is bad

Obviously US members will think it pricey, but those two changes do the entire year, come to think about it, should be due soon.
 
Castrol doesn't sell a low-SAPS oil in the US, unless I'm forgetting something. I guess a VW dealer might sell it though since that's what the diesel engines call for. Mobil has their 5w30 ESP though. Then there is the readily available Valvoline Synpower 5w-40 which is mid-SAPS.

But I do like the idea of using low SAPS and low TEOST oil in DI engines, personally. You just need to be cognizant of oil change intervals given our fuel quality here in the US.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Word of caution though: these engines don't like to be driven lightly. Get ready for some valve cleaning down the road.

I don't think the fear mongering is necessary. Most North Americans drive there cars lightly, even sports cars.
Better advise would be that it's a good practice even with cars that are driven lightly to still be rev'd close to red line in a lower gear on occasion once up to temperature.

If intake valve deposits are an issue with this engine I'd suggest using an oil with a very low deposit rating such as Castrol Edge 5W-30.
In a spec 502.00 oil, I wouldn't use anything heavier than M1 0W-40 which means no other 40 grade oil.


Castrol Edge 5W30 first is not Low SAPS oil, second, it is too thin for any European car.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Castrol Edge 5W30 first is not Low SAPS oil,

I think CATERHAM was referring to the TEOST high temp deposit test, not low SAPS classification.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Castrol Edge 5W30 first is not Low SAPS oil,

I think CATERHAM was referring to the TEOST high temp deposit test, not low SAPS classification.


Ah OK, well regardless. 5W30 Edge on my scale goes along with Olive Oil in Wal Mart!
 
Install an oil pressure gauge and you'll see just how heavy even a "light" A5/B5 5W-30 is in a European car. The European manufacturers just like to have a very high viscosity reserve for a number of reasons plus the reduced oil consumption associated with high rpm high speed driving that we don't do here.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
My guess is that M1 Formula M 5w-40 would work in your 2.0T VW engine just fine though; however, the only place you can find this oil is at MB dealerships and it's likely more expensive than M1 0w-40.

It definitely looks that the M1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 is a dealer only thing (or an OCD only thing) since it's only available up here in 208 litre drums. That's a lot of oil.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
My guess is that M1 Formula M 5w-40 would work in your 2.0T VW engine just fine though; however, the only place you can find this oil is at MB dealerships and it's likely more expensive than M1 0w-40.

It definitely looks that the M1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 is a dealer only thing (or an OCD only thing) since it's only available up here in 208 litre drums. That's a lot of oil.

Just to clarify, I was talking about the non-ESP Formula M which is only available from the dealers here in the US. The ESP Formula M on the other hand is available at retail level: PepBoys, Amazon, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Castrol Edge 5W30 first is not Low SAPS oil,

I think CATERHAM was referring to the TEOST high temp deposit test, not low SAPS classification.


Ah OK, well regardless. 5W30 Edge on my scale goes along with Olive Oil in Wal Mart!


Castrol Edge 5w30 is low saps in the UK, it is not the lowest, but is C3.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top