Oil Recommendations for engine bout to hit 100k

[Monkey77]

Any recommendations for what type of oil to use once the engine hits 100k?
Or should I just stick to the OEM synthetic?
thanks in advance

[dougyfresh]

OEM Synthetic and OEM oversized oil filters.

5,000 mile interval


Works for me and I'm at 123k and counting...

[My OOOO My]

I'm at 107k+ and I use Mobil1 Synthetic 0W40 or Castrol Syntec 5W40

[vdubstreets]

yep i use castrol 5w40 too, its what they use at the dealership.

[A4Shizl]

I rock motul...

[gdawg'05a4]

German Castrol 0w-30 FTW!

[n7plus1]

amsoil euro formula 10w-40

[fitch303]

you could just listen to the dealership, don't waste your money and pay 90 bucks for audi to change your oil every 5k miles when the oil is good for 10k. Most of you complain about the "stealership" but then go and do this????

[gdawg'05a4]

Most change their own oil for a fraction of that.

[My OOOO My]

amsoil euro formula 10w-40

wow.... that is a thick grade you're using. why not use the Amsoil 5w40 euro formula?

[EUROaleksey]

5w-30 mobil1 is what I used always and I'm at 126,000... never had problems or any leaks.... should I start using 5w-40? or am I fine with what I've used so far?

[IceMole]

you could just listen to the dealership, don't waste your money and pay 90 bucks for audi to change your oil every 5k miles when the oil is good for 10k. Most of you complain about the "stealership" but then go and do this????

1 word: Sludge

[3ohAvant]

any VW certed oil (appropriate for your car) i forget if its 502.00 or 505.00...

use a 5w-40.

and yes, i would stick to a 5-6K interval. 3k is too short if you're using a good oil, and 10K is just asking for trouble.

[n7plus1]

wow.... that is a thick grade you're using. why not use the Amsoil 5w40 euro formula?

i stand corrected, it is 5w-40...thanks for the lookout

[n7plus1]

any VW certed oil (appropriate for your car) i forget if its 502.00 or 505.00...

use a 5w-40.

and yes, i would stick to a 5-6K interval. 3k is too short if you're using a good oil, and 10K is just asking for trouble.

its both 502 and 505

i would also run a engine flush before you start using synthetics, ie. amsoil engine flush

[akaEsCo01]

just in case anyone needs to know what oil to use, Approved Oil List. Any approved synthetic oil is fine for high mileage

[n7plus1]

^thanks...i never will know why amsoil isnt on that...

[3ohAvant]

^thanks...i never will know why amsoil isnt on that...

It costs A LOT of money to get certified. While you may meet the spec, you may not want to shell out the dough to get the cert. It doesn't by any means that a non-certed oil isn't any good, its just not certed. But an oil on that list will always be a safe bet.

[djs]

ELF 5W-40 is what I'm currently using. My mechanic, whom I trust with the life of my ride, told me that the ELF oil is a good "cleaning" oil. I switched at about 75k and am currently at 93k, I drain and swap the oil every 5k and replace the filter ever 10k on his advice. Two examples of the performance...

1) I had some signs of sludge and switched to ELF. 5K later I drained the oil and put ELF back in. 10k later I took it back to the shop for a filter change and he said he saw no signs of sludge whatesoever

2) Another member of our local Audi group switched to ELF in his B5. He often tracks his car and said after switching to ELF (After a few oil changes) he was running a full tick lower on his oil temp guage on track days

[My OOOO My]

ELF 5W-40 is what I'm currently using. My mechanic, whom I trust with the life of my ride, told me that the ELF oil is a good "cleaning" oil. I switched at about 75k and am currently at 93k, I drain and swap the oil every 5k and replace the filter ever 10k on his advice. Two examples of the performance...

1) I had some signs of sludge and switched to ELF. 5K later I drained the oil and put ELF back in. 10k later I took it back to the shop for a filter change and he said he saw no signs of sludge whatesoever

2) Another member of our local Audi group switched to ELF in his B5. He often tracks his car and said after switching to ELF (After a few oil changes) he was running a full tick lower on his oil temp guage on track days

Wow.... nice info.

I've wanted to use Elf but it is expensive. Local autoparts shop wants $49.95 for a 5 liter jug vs a 5 liter jug of Mobil1 0w40 for $34.95

I think I'll spend that extra $$$ and do my next oil change with Elf.

[djs]

$34 for 5L jug at Germanautoparts.com

http://www.germanautoparts.com/chemi...0additives/ELF

[3ohAvant]

ELF 5W-40 is what I'm currently using. My mechanic, whom I trust with the life of my ride, told me that the ELF oil is a good "cleaning" oil. I switched at about 75k and am currently at 93k, I drain and swap the oil every 5k and replace the filter ever 10k on his advice. Two examples of the performance...

1) I had some signs of sludge and switched to ELF. 5K later I drained the oil and put ELF back in. 10k later I took it back to the shop for a filter change and he said he saw no signs of sludge whatesoever

2) Another member of our local Audi group switched to ELF in his B5. He often tracks his car and said after switching to ELF (After a few oil changes) he was running a full tick lower on his oil temp guage on track days

can I quote you?

[18tboost]

well i change my oil at 6000KM...everything is all good

[djs]

can I quote you?

Pretty sure you just did!

Sure you can.

[B6driver]

i just used some canola... id try extra virgin olive, but thats just too much $$.

oh and maybe some Motul Synthetic 0w - 40 on the side as well.

[My OOOO My]

i just used some canola... id try extra virgin olive, but thats just too much $$.

oh and maybe some Motul Synthetic 0w - 40 on the side as well.

smart ass

[My OOOO My]

$34 for 5L jug at Germanautoparts.com

http://www.germanautoparts.com/chemi...0additives/ELF

Great deal.... thanks for the info.

Now I wonder about the shipping cost.... hmmmmmm

Will definitely give this a try on next oil change.

[DELUX]

AMSOIL! Lowest EGT's.

[djs]

You know I just found the receipt for the last oil change I did myself, about a year ago and I got a 5L jug from a local shop for $25.50 + tax

[djs]

FYI for those of you that haven't heard, ELF oil is being rebranded as Total. Same oil formulations, new packaging and new name. I just picked up 5L at a local shop; $26.75 + tax.

[My OOOO My]

FYI for those of you that haven't heard, ELF oil is being rebranded as Total. Same oil formulations, new packaging and new name. I just picked up 5L at a local shop; $26.75 + tax.

You are correct.

Here is an online quote:
"Total was created through two successive mergers, the first when the former total joined with the Belgian oil company Petrofina to form Totalfina, and the second when Totalfina combined with French oil company, Elf Aquitaine to create TotalFinaElf. On 7th May 2003 the Group re-branded as Total S.A., uniting the three brands."

Here is the link ---> http://www.totalgp.com/article1.asp?id=2

[EErie B6]

French oil company, Elf Aquitaine

umm, thats all i needed, no thanks.

Mobil 1 works just fine, its not overly expensive, and i can find it anywhere.

i run it in a 10w-30... old school.

why?
10w in most cases has a better film strength than 5w and 0w. better film strength = less wear
10w-30 has less VI improver than 0w-40, and 5w-40 allowing more room in your oil for actual oil & anti-wear agents. ...the actual chemical that acts as the VI improver breaks down over time and use, becoming SLUDGE... something the 1.8T already has a problem with... and something i want to stay away from.

something else i should note... as the VI improver breaks down and can no longer do its job, the hot viscosity of the oil will decrease. that inturn becomes more friction, more breakdown, sludge, heat... etc.

[Dos::Avants]

umm, thats all i needed, no thanks.

Mobil 1 works just fine, its not overly expensive, and i can find it anywhere.

i run it in a 10w-30... old school.

why?
10w in most cases has a better film strength than 5w and 0w. better film strength = less wear
10w-30 has less VI improver than 0w-40, and 5w-40 allowing more room in your oil for actual oil & anti-wear agents. ...the actual chemical that acts as the VI improver breaks down over time and use, becoming SLUDGE... something the 1.8T already has a problem with... and something i want to stay away from.

something else i should note... as the VI improver breaks down and can no longer do its job, the hot viscosity of the oil will decrease. that inturn becomes more friction, more breakdown, sludge, heat... etc.

You're running this in WINTER as well

[EErie B6]

10wt is not exactly thick. and synthetics have good flow rates in cold weather

it has yet to go through an PA winter... i might drop to a 5-30, then again, i might buy a pos for winter duty... salt here is hell on vehicles... galvanized or not.

previous vehicles i have run 10w-30 year round and never once had a problem.

id be willing to bet running 10w-30 yr round, that the car would rot out before the engine quit.

[My OOOO My]

umm, thats all i needed, no thanks.

Mobil 1 works just fine, its not overly expensive, and i can find it anywhere.

i run it in a 10w-30... old school.

why?
10w in most cases has a better film strength than 5w and 0w. better film strength = less wear
10w-30 has less VI improver than 0w-40, and 5w-40 allowing more room in your oil for actual oil & anti-wear agents. ...the actual chemical that acts as the VI improver breaks down over time and use, becoming SLUDGE... something the 1.8T already has a problem with... and something i want to stay away from.

something else i should note... as the VI improver breaks down and can no longer do its job, the hot viscosity of the oil will decrease. that inturn becomes more friction, more breakdown, sludge, heat... etc.

John....

Your wording is very convincing, but I'm weary about your choice of synthetic grade.

How long have you been doing this with your B6 1.8T ???

I use Mobil1 0W40 in fall/winter and Castrol 5W40 in spring/summer.

[djs]

umm, thats all i needed, no thanks.

Mobil 1 works just fine, its not overly expensive, and i can find it anywhere.

i run it in a 10w-30... old school.

why?
10w in most cases has a better film strength than 5w and 0w. better film strength = less wear
10w-30 has less VI improver than 0w-40, and 5w-40 allowing more room in your oil for actual oil & anti-wear agents. ...the actual chemical that acts as the VI improver breaks down over time and use, becoming SLUDGE... something the 1.8T already has a problem with... and something i want to stay away from.

something else i should note... as the VI improver breaks down and can no longer do its job, the hot viscosity of the oil will decrease. that inturn becomes more friction, more breakdown, sludge, heat... etc.

Not sure I buy this. I used to run M1 in my 1.8T and had signs of sludge on more than one occassion. My mechanic suggested ELF because it was a good "cleaning" oil. I've been on ELF/Total for about 15-20k now and have not had a single sign of sludge. I also have a friend that runs it in his B5 and after a few oil changes and 10k miles, he's running a full "tick" lower on his oil temp guage.

I also heard M1 isn't what it used to be. I'm not sure what that means and can't speak to it technically, but I've been really happy with ELF thus far, performance for the cost can't be beat in my mind.

[EErie B6]

look, im not trying to steal this guys thread, nor am i trying to get into a mine is better than yours debate i run M1 in my car because i have run it in other vehicles in the past with great success. if you were to ask me straight to my face what i think is better Id tell you i think Castrol Syntec is probably slightly better... a few years ago i knew for a fact that castrol conventionals were made very poorly, and for that reason i cant bring myself to buy their synthetic... though i have been considering it. i have no experience with ELF and im not trying to deny that it might, and probably is good stuff... but if i were on the road somewhere id like to be able to get it off the shelf... and at the risk of sounding like an old man, i dont much care for the French, and that alone would keep me from buying their product... i hope M1 is not French, im going to have to go look later...

Redline oils can cause wax build up... i lost a tranny to this once... and have heard numerous reports of their oil doing the same thing... similar to what the old QuakerState used to do.

Amsoil has been around forever, and is supposed to be great, but its not over the counter, not on the VW approved list, and i recall hearing people having possible issues with it... though this was long ago.

M1 has the benefits i listed above somewhere... and "djs" you are the first person i have heard with a possible legitimate complaint... not saying they are not out there, its just that its news to me.

i could ramble on about a family member of mine who retired from Shell Oil as a chemist... whom i have had long conversations with... but i wont.

back to the subject matter... here i sit at the computer, looking at my girlfriend's B5 manual (my B6 sits at a body shop, getting a new fender and door thanks to a deer as i was passing through Arkansas), and it has 10w-30 listed for use at or above -30deg. C or -20 or above F... thats a little extreme in my opinion, at that temp id want to go thinner... but it never gets that cold here... we might get as cold as +10 1ce a year. and typically in the winter we see mid to low 20s.... thats well in the safe zone if you ask me. BTW: they have 15w-40 listed for anything above +5 F.... that i would not do either.

i do see a warning about using oil that is too thin... "When using SAE 5w-30 engine oil, avoid high-speed long-distance driving if outside temperature rises above the indicated limits."... the indicated limit looks to be +90deg. F on their illustration. ... due to their nature, these cars spin a fair amount of revs in most driving conditions.

alot of manufacturers recommend thin oils because the car has slightly better emission output while using them for passing government testing.... keep in mind, this is NEW OIL, in a lab test, and is not real world conditions... though they try and simulate them.

... this same manufacturer also says that your tranny fluid is lifetime fluid, and does not need to be changed.

you tell me, what do you feel is the safer choice?

[EErie B6]

take the info for what you feel its worth, he asked for an opinion, and that was mine, im not calling it right or wrong, its my opinion.

he is also asking about a motor with 100k on the clock, his bearing tolerances arnt what they were when new, i dont feel 10w-30 would hurt a thing.

[My OOOO My]

Great debate.... this is how we learn.

Thanks for you valuable input John.

[A4TL]

www.germanfilters.com they got the elf and filters, free ship, no tax. werd.

you know german car motors are bulletproof. its the rest of the car (electronics,etc) that fall apart at about 100k :)