Oil: Manual vs. Real World...a little help.

**TheBigO** · 06-07-2008 07:39 AM

I've had my car about 2 months and its time for my first oil change.

The previous owner was my father in law. He had all service done at the Audi dealership for the 3 years he had the car. So I'm assuming they used fully synthetic the whole time. In addition, the only reason he went there the whole time was because when he got the car there was a "free service for life of lease" deal. So he didn't have to worry about inflated dealership costs or anything.

I'm not going to pay for an oil change at the dealership. I'm going to go somewhere else around my house. So I need to be able to tell them what kind of oil to put in.

The manual says, "The engine oil which was first put into your vehicle has a viscosity grade of SAE 0W-30. You can use this oil across all temperature ranges for normal driving.

If engine oil viscosity grade SAW 0W-30 is not available, you can also use SAW 5W-30 or SAW 5W-40."

Okay, fair enough. I'll ask them to use 0W-30, if they don't have that then use 5W-30, if they don't have that 5W-40. No go on that I leave and try somewhere else. I assume most typical oil change places have one of these three types of oil.

However, the manual also tosses this in, "...you must use only special engine oil that is expressly conforms to VW oil standard 502 00."

How the heck am I supposed to know if this is the case with the oil they're using? Or is this just FUD from Audi to try and scare you into going to the dealership for service?

Also, what type of oil do you typically use yourself? I see a lot of 5W-30 in other threads, but I figure I'd ask again anyway.

**quattro2003** · 06-07-2008 07:56 AM

i use mobile 1 0w40. It's the only oil i find around here that's approved oil. Just get some 5 quarts and a filter and go to your nearest quick lube and ask them if they can change it for you with your oil and filter. They will probably charge you some money but atleast it's approved oil. I used to work at a quick lube and they didn't carry and VW approved oil.

**TheBigO** · 06-07-2008 08:00 AM

You use 0W-40 even though it's not one of the oils listed in the manual?

They carry that at Autozone, O'Reily, and Napa right? I've got all three within a few miles of here.

What filter you using?

**skeeball** · 06-07-2008 08:22 AM

Use an oil that conforms to the standard (VW 502 or VW 503.01) and a large oil filter or risk sludge. How can you be sure the correct oil is used? DIY. It's easy.

GL

**pondside36** · 06-07-2008 08:25 AM

go with the large Audi oil filter, you can order them on online through ECS and a few other places

**jessefrank** · 06-07-2008 08:50 AM

Like skeeball said...find an oil that conforms to the VW 502 or 505 standards.
The manual is out of date...probably printed before your car was built. Most if not all 0w-30 oils avaliable to us here in the states have been removed from the "approved list".
Here you go, the most recent list: http://www.audiusa.com/etc/medialib/....0023.File.pdf

In my area Walmart sells Mobil 1 0w40 and is the cheapest place to get an approved oil (and one that is pretty d@mn good IMO). The last several oil changes I use the old version pennzoil platinum 5w-40 European formula w/ mobil-1 filter. There is MUCH debate about oil on here and any forum you look at. If it were me and i lived where you do, i'd use a Xw-40 oil on the approved list (and a true synthetic) and change it every 5k miles or less.

For the filter,make sure it is the Large one (you most likely have the new version, large one on your car now). If you want an OEM one and not order online, then go to your local VW dealership (where ever I've looked VW is cheaper than the Audi dealers by quite a bit). If not then your local parts stores now a days carry the larger filters. Mobil 1 filter is pretty good (M1-301).

The oil change isn't that hard and I WOULD NOT TRUST ANY QUICK LUBE SHOP...PERIOD!!! I even had a buddy of mine get ripped off at the VW dealership w/ his A4. Do it yourself.

**Overboostin** · 06-07-2008 08:50 AM

mobil 1 5w30 here

**gdawg'05a4** · 06-07-2008 08:59 AM

It's funny that German Castrol 0w-30 is not on the approved list but the back of the bottle says VW 502, 503 and 505 approved. But in anycase, you can find German Castrol 0w-30 at Autozone. I hear that Pepboys recently started to carry it as well.

**TheBigO** · 06-07-2008 09:54 AM

Okay. I'm just over 44k on my car right now. Got it with 41k on it. So, I'm just shy of my 45,000 "scheduled maintenance" anyway. When I got the car they said they'd throw in the 45,000 maintenance free, since I was so close to it anyway, so I'll just have them change it when I bring it in next weekend.

For some reason when I posted this earlier today I had it in my head that it was a 50,000 maintenance, not 45,000.

At any rate, since I'll just get this done at the dealer next weekend this gives me time to go shopping, and stock up on the stuff to DYI. I used to change the oil on my last car, and I just got tired of doing it.

I'll order the big OEM oil filter like recommended, and do a bit more research on the oil. However, the Mobil 1 0w40 available at Wal-Mart sounds fine. I hate shopping there but if I can't find it anywhere else, what are you gonna do, you know?

Again, I appreciate the help. Like Jessefrank said, "There is MUCH debate about oil on here and any forum you look at." That's why I still had to ask even though I read some other threads first.

Also, found this on the VW page.... list of Oil Standard Quality 502 00 oil.

http://www.vw.ca/SP/ca/pdf/en/oilchart.pdf