Regular oil or Synthetic?

[Doc.]

Getting ready to do my second oil change since i've owned my B6, and was wondering if i should just do a normal oil change or synthetic? Reason im asking is i have no mods on the car. Its bone stock. Do i still need the synthetic? It will be the usual mobile 1 synthetic at goodyear.

Also, do you guys stick to the typical 3 months/3k mile routine? Thanks!

[Johnnada]

synthetic

You can do 10,000 mi intervals, but I prefer to do 5000 mi interval myself

[jessefrank]

Search around on here and the other audi forums...there's alot of info.

Use synthetic, even stock! The audi 10k change intervals and "regular", dino oil are the major causes of the sludge issues.

I used to change my oil every 3k, but have since changed to every 5k (it's easier to remember that way).

Select an oil from Audi's "Approved Oils" list. If you choose to do otherwise you run the risk of warranty issues (sludge warrany till 80k). Also make sure you use the correct grade...mostly a 5w40 (although very few 0w40's and 5w30's will be suitable).

[Doc.]

Sounds good guys!

I found a list, and for Mobile 1 it just lists Synt S Speacial V. I called Audi and they said they use just a Mobile 1 synthetic. I have a buddy that works at GoodYear and he's gonna do some research on that "Special V" one.

So stick to 5k instead of 3k?

Im at the 3k mark now, but my last one was done with regular oil, so i'll take it in as soon as i get a chance to get the synthetic. Thanks again!

[festerfm]

i get around to doing mine every 6-7k or so... i start thinking about it around 5 k.. i just hit 110k on the engine and used to use mobil1 5w30 full synthetic.. but the $28 a jug was a bit much for me. so now i use the quakerstate Qhorsepower full syn 5w30 for like $19 a jug and am happy with it. for filter, i stick with K&N 3001.. sure it's $11 a filter but it is a good name and it has a 1" nut welded on the bottom making for effortless install and removal..





my sister has a saturn vue.. she calls me for an oil change when the "low oil" light comes on.. and wonders why i will never let her behind the wheel of my audi

[Doc.]

Yea i figured if i say 5k i'll do it around 6 or so too. I believe the mobile 1 synth. at goodyear is around 60 bucks. Thats not actually a bad news to me, considering i've been doing normal 3k oil changes for about 35 bucks.

I need to get a K&N filter. Are the ones you use the disposable ones or reusable?

[festerfm]

beats the hell outta me.. the only place i can find them at is autozone.. and it's about 13 bux or so. i dont remeember been about a month since i changed my oil. and there's usually only one of them there.. i dont think they are reuseable.

i remember back in the day when i would do an oil change on my 1st gen neon... oil and filter together cost like $13.... then again, i never got nearly as much ass in my neon as i... uh, dammit... well, my audi looks damn good!!

[Mike02A4]

0w40 mobil 1 is what you want if you use mobil 1. You won't find that at goodyear. Remember to pick up an m1-301 mobil 1 filter, takes just over 4 qts. Just do it yourself, takes 20 minutes.

[Doc.]

beats the hell outta me.. the only place i can find them at is autozone.. and it's about 13 bux or so. i dont remeember been about a month since i changed my oil. and there's usually only one of them there.. i dont think they are reuseable.

i remember back in the day when i would do an oil change on my 1st gen neon... oil and filter together cost like $13.... then again, i never got nearly as much ass in my neon as i... uh, dammit... well, my audi looks damn good!!

Lol, sounds good.

0w40 mobil 1 is what you want if you use mobil 1. You won't find that at goodyear. Remember to pick up an m1-301 mobil 1 filter, takes just over 4 qts. Just do it yourself, takes 20 minutes.

Thanks!

Edit: I cant seem to find the filter anywhere. Amazon doesnt have it either. Any ideas?

[festerfm]

go autozone.com and check u'r local zone to see if they have any in stock....

[EYE4SPEED]

How many miles are on your car? If your car has previously run lots of conventional, switching to synthetic really won't help much. Yeah, you get an extra couple thousand miles before you change it, but you pay more. Most of the people I know run conventional 3500-5000 miles anyway. I run full synthetic and change every 5k or 6 months.

[Doc.]

How many miles are on your car? If your car has previously run lots of conventional, switching to synthetic really won't help much. Yeah, you get an extra couple thousand miles before you change it, but you pay more. Most of the people I know run conventional 3500-5000 miles anyway. I run full synthetic and change every 5k or 6 months.

Just passed 50k.

The person i bought it from used to take it in to Audi for normal maintenance, so im guessing it was synthetic before.

[dirtybrd]

On my Honda DD, I run full syn. with 10k mile full changes, every 5k I replace the filter and top off the oil. People need to remember just because the oil can go longer the filter can't. My Audi gets an oil change when I feel like it, as I have only driven it 2 times since Fixxfest, and the was in Oct.

[kwimberly]

How many miles are on your car? If your car has previously run lots of conventional, switching to synthetic really won't help much. Yeah, you get an extra couple thousand miles before you change it, but you pay more. Most of the people I know run conventional 3500-5000 miles anyway. I run full synthetic and change every 5k or 6 months.

Yeah - be careful if you switch to synthetic later in your car's life. My MkIV Jetta ran dino oil for its first 50,000 miles. I switched to synthetic, and it started leaking like a sick prostitute.

[dirtybrd]

That was due to syn. being thinner, even though it's the same weight.

[Doc.]

Yeah - be careful if you switch to synthetic later in your car's life. My MkIV Jetta ran dino oil for its first 50,000 miles. I switched to synthetic, and it started leaking like a sick prostitute.

Well the person i bought the car from has been taking it to the Audi dealer before, so i would guess they've always used synthetic. I've had only one oil change since i've had it, so i dont think it'll matter that much.

[Doc.]

Whats the difference between normal synthetic and tr-synthetic? And which one should i purchase? Both are 0w-40.

And i cant find the Mobile 1 filter, so is the K&N HP-3001 good enough?

[AudiA4Turbo22]

some oils are synthetic blend like normal Mobil 1, unless it says SYNTHETIC on the bottle than it is not full synthetic.

[jessefrank]

Whats the difference between normal synthetic and tr-synthetic? And which one should i purchase? Both are 0w-40.

And i cant find the Mobile 1 filter, so is the K&N HP-3001 good enough?

Are you refering to Tri-synthetic Mobil 1? If so, that was way old stuff before super-syn and it is debateable if it was acutally synthetic or semi-synthetic.

Get the full synthetic!!!! and a good filter.
Change it on a regualr basis!

That K&N filter is good. Also besides Mobil 1 filter, Wixx (Napa) and Bosch are decent oil filters. You could go to your local VW dealer and get the filters for less than Audi dealers want. The OEM ones are just as good as any other and usually less than the M1 or K&N.

The 1.8T IMO NEEDS FULL SYNTHETIC for piece of mind to avoid sludge amoung other things. ...there's the debate about what oils that state they are full synthetic are actually synthetic (Castrol, Valvoline, pennzoil, quakerstate, mobil 1, etc have reformulated so they are group III oil basestocks which aren't really synthetic). But any of them will still work fine, unless you are really picky about oil ...in that case you'll have to shell out some $ for the european oils like motul, elf, total, pentosyn, luquimoly, etc that are on the Audi/VW list and that are actually still made from synthetic base stocks.
Speaking of oil leaks...my cam adjuster seals have been leaking since I got my car. Since I've switched over to synthetic the first week I had the car, I swear that the oil leak has all but stopped with no other changes except the oil.

[Rons01B5]

Mobil 1 0-40+ OEM Big filter+ every 5k = Good to go

[festerfm]

the K&N hp-3001 might be a little more expensive ($11.99 from my local autozone) but it has a 1" nut on the bottom to help in removal... i use it.. and the nut is absolutely awesome!!

[onceover]

the K&N hp-3001 might be a little more expensive ($11.99 from my local autozone) but it has a 1" nut on the bottom to help in removal... i use it.. and the nut is absolutely awesome!!

OEM filter for the win. aslong as your filter was installed properly, you shouldnt have any problems unscrewing it by hand.

[S4beast]

I usally but synthetic in my b5 s4 i have been doing it for a while now and it runs fine

[Doc.]

Are you refering to Tri-synthetic Mobil 1? If so, that was way old stuff before super-syn and it is debateable if it was acutally synthetic or semi-synthetic.

Get the full synthetic!!!! and a good filter.
Change it on a regualr basis!

That K&N filter is good. Also besides Mobil 1 filter, Wixx (Napa) and Bosch are decent oil filters. You could go to your local VW dealer and get the filters for less than Audi dealers want. The OEM ones are just as good as any other and usually less than the M1 or K&N.

The 1.8T IMO NEEDS FULL SYNTHETIC for piece of mind to avoid sludge amoung other things. ...there's the debate about what oils that state they are full synthetic are actually synthetic (Castrol, Valvoline, pennzoil, quakerstate, mobil 1, etc have reformulated so they are group III oil basestocks which aren't really synthetic). But any of them will still work fine, unless you are really picky about oil ...in that case you'll have to shell out some $ for the european oils like motul, elf, total, pentosyn, luquimoly, etc that are on the Audi/VW list and that are actually still made from synthetic base stocks.
Speaking of oil leaks...my cam adjuster seals have been leaking since I got my car. Since I've switched over to synthetic the first week I had the car, I swear that the oil leak has all but stopped with no other changes except the oil.

Thanks for all the info!

Where can i get full synthetic from?

Also, if i can get my hands on that or dont wanna spend lots on full, is this what i need?

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com:80/...Number=M300002

And if im going to my vw dealer, i take it i dont have to worry about a certain year for the filter as long as its for 1.8t? I guess i could say mk4 or something.

[jessefrank]

You'll be fine with M1 0w-40. I used to use it in all my vehicles (not saying they don't change formulas often) with good results. When I go to the Vee Dub dealer I always ask for parts from a Passat...the older ones (like 98-04) that had the longitudal engines since they are most like our A4's.

To try to explain this as shortly as possible...as I kind of get particular about oil....Most "full synthetic" branded oils you find on most store shelves these days (Castrol, Mobil 1, Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc, etc )...are actually Hydrocracked/Hydroisomerized (API Group III base oils) from Dino oil. Mobil 1 was one of the last major oil companies (in the us at least) to switch to this from using Group IV and Group V base stocks (which are actually manufactured in a lab...not hydrocracked from regular oil). Castrol was the first (some where around 2005 I believe) and was actaully sued by Mobil 1 for marketing their Castrol Syntec as "full synthetic" when in fact it is created from regular oil base stocks....Mobil 1 lost. The process to Hydrocrack the oil to create an oil that mimics a Group IV or V oil is quite a bite less expensive therefore they can sell you the full synthetic oil at the same price while significantly reducing production costs = much more profit. These Hydrocracked "full synthetic" oils are good and I'm not discorugaing you from buying them. There are some additional benefits to using a group IV or V oil, but for all intensive purposes you'll get the same protection with these hydrocracked Group III oils under normal circumstances and oil change intervals.
Check out these sites for (lots) more info:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_oil

Amsoil, Redline and Royal Purple are all still full synthetic oils manufactured, not hydrocracked and readily avaliable in stores...but they are not on the Audi/VW approved oils list if you care about warranty. Since I ran out of my stock of Pennzoil Platinum (5w-40 European formula, 2005 Group V) oil I've switched over to Pentosin for now. But plan on using Motul or Lubro Moly after I use that up. The best place to get these european brands is over the internet unless you have a source locally that isn't outrageously priced.

...and after all that...the best thing to do is us synthetic (be it a hydrocracked group III, IV or V), a decent filter and change it (perferably at 5000 or less miles)!!!

[Doc.]

...and after all that...the best thing to do is us synthetic (be it a hydrocracked group III, IV or V), a decent filter and change it (perferably at 5000 or less miles)!!!

Haha, alright, thanks a bunch man! I'll probably just stick to that. I dont do any excessive driving or rag my car, and its all stock and im planning on keeping it like that, engine wise atleast.

Thank you guys for all your help!

[dfwhockey17]

You'll be fine with M1 0w-40. I used to use it in all my vehicles (not saying they don't change formulas often) with good results. When I go to the Vee Dub dealer I always ask for parts from a Passat...the older ones (like 98-04) that had the longitudal engines since they are most like our A4's.

To try to explain this as shortly as possible...as I kind of get particular about oil....Most "full synthetic" branded oils you find on most store shelves these days (Castrol, Mobil 1, Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc, etc )...are actually Hydrocracked/Hydroisomerized (API Group III base oils) from Dino oil. Mobil 1 was one of the last major oil companies (in the us at least) to switch to this from using Group IV and Group V base stocks (which are actually manufactured in a lab...not hydrocracked from regular oil). Castrol was the first (some where around 2005 I believe) and was actaully sued by Mobil 1 for marketing their Castrol Syntec as "full synthetic" when in fact it is created from regular oil base stocks....Mobil 1 lost. The process to Hydrocrack the oil to create an oil that mimics a Group IV or V oil is quite a bite less expensive therefore they can sell you the full synthetic oil at the same price while significantly reducing production costs = much more profit. These Hydrocracked "full synthetic" oils are good and I'm not discorugaing you from buying them. There are some additional benefits to using a group IV or V oil, but for all intensive purposes you'll get the same protection with these hydrocracked Group III oils under normal circumstances and oil change intervals.
Check out these sites for (lots) more info:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_oil

Amsoil, Redline and Royal Purple are all still full synthetic oils manufactured, not hydrocracked and readily avaliable in stores...but they are not on the Audi/VW approved oils list if you care about warranty. Since I ran out of my stock of Pennzoil Platinum (5w-40 European formula, 2005 Group V) oil I've switched over to Pentosin for now. But plan on using Motul or Lubro Moly after I use that up. The best place to get these european brands is over the internet unless you have a source locally that isn't outrageously priced.

...and after all that...the best thing to do is us synthetic (be it a hydrocracked group III, IV or V), a decent filter and change it (perferably at 5000 or less miles)!!!

According to the Amsoil catalog, the "Synthetic 5W-40 European Motor Oil" is "Recommended for applications requiring the following performance specifications" then it continues to list- VW 502.00, 505.00 and 505.01. It seems to me that it would be ok to use, no?

[forevraudi]

I've seen a magnetic oil pan screw on ECS. worth it? or just completely un-necessary?

[EBG 18T]

I've seen a magnetic oil pan screw on ECS. worth it? or just completely un-necessary?

I have one in mine. There are always a few little things stuck to it when i change the oil. It was only $10 and was the only item that i ever bought from ECS that actually worked.

[Doc.]

Picked up a case of mobile 1 0w-40 and a m1-301 filter today!

[Papachristou]

It was only $10 and was the only item that i ever bought from ECS that actually worked.

lol, how true! for ECS

OP, did seriously ask about syn or regular?

[jessefrank]

According to the Amsoil catalog, the "Synthetic 5W-40 European Motor Oil" is "Recommended for applications requiring the following performance specifications" then it continues to list- VW 502.00, 505.00 and 505.01. It seems to me that it would be ok to use, no?

Audi has it's "approved oils list" but alot of other oils state they meet the VW spec. I'm pretty sure to get on audi's list the oil company has to do the required tests to audi's/vw's spec, verified by VW/audi and all at their own expense...thus their oil may meet the spec, but not be on the list due to them not "buying" thier way onto it.

Now you may/may not run into issues if you have sludge issues, etc for warranty. If you are out of warranty/don't really care, I'd use any oil that meets the origional spec such as Amsoil, etc.


As for ECS, thus far I've had good luck with them. My most expensive peice being their RA4 clutch kit. With about 400 miles on it thus far it seems to be doing fine...but only time and many more mile(hopefully) will tell. I have one of the Magnetic plugs waiting to be installed at my next OC...it can't hurt to have it pick up some/if any of the metal that could be floating around in there.

Oh and found this site for ordering Lubro moly, Pentosin, Total. They have free shipping on orders over $65 and they have 5w40 Pentosin for about $25/5 liter jug,0w30 for $30/5L and Lubro moly 5w40 for $35/5L. I haven't ordered from them yet so I can't comment on service, but prices seem very good:

http://www.rmeuropean.com/Default.aspx

[Exanimas]

I'm going to change my oil again tomorrow and since I don't feel like taking the long drive to my local Audi dealer to get a washer, anyone know the exact size of it so I can pick one up at Autozone/a hardware store? I know last time the dealership gave me the wrong size because it wouldn't fit around the drain plug.

[Doc.]

Washer? I didnt see one in mine. Uhhh