Measuring/Topping up with oil

[DSGboy]

Why oh why is this so difficult in VW TDIs?

I conscienciously tried to check the level in the supermarket carpark there. There was what looked like a level on the minimum bit no oil on the middle as far as I could see and the tiniest dab on the top ball.

I think oops I better top up a bit, so i pour in about 250-500 ml. Then checking the level seems to show at or above maximum but I'm really not sure.

Does anyone have hints or tips about doing this? I'm a bit worried I've just wrecked something by overfilling it.

How easy is it to drain off a bit of oil if I've overdone it?

[Crasher]

Draining off an overfill means dropping the lower tray and removing the sump bung which you should really change but you will have to be quick or you will need a sump full of oil.

[carl s]

Draining off an overfill means dropping the lower tray and removing the sump bund which you should really change but you will have to be quick or you will need a sump full of oil.

Depends on how much over you've filled it. In any engine an excessive amount of overfilling can harm it, but I doubt a small amount of overfill does that much harm. The rate the TDI's on this forum seem to drink the stuff you'll be back to normal in a few days !

If worried pop into a dealership and get someone from service to come and have a look at the level.

[Quatrelle]

This is my biggest complaint about the Passat, and it has been raised on here already, but we don't seem to be any wiser. The only suggestion I can make is to place the dipstick on a piece of kitchen paper and check from the mark it leaves.

The one thing a diesel does is to make its oil go black very quickly, so what do VW do? Give the Passat a black dipstick and a stupid design - unbelievable!!

[Black]

If you think we struggle imagine how the 16 yr old apprentice at the dealership does it.
Every car I have had has come back with the oil filled over the full mark.

Does the 2.0 tdi have a low oil sensor? I know my old 1.9 TDI passat had one. If so I think I am just going to run it down to that point and be confident that there is enough "space" to put 500ml in without overfilling.
Good or Bad idea?

[Quatrelle]

Without going out to the garage to have a look in the driver's manual, I think it does, and I think it also displays a message that the oil is low, but I personally would be a bit reluctant to run it down that much. I try to keep a record of oil added/mileage and never add more than 250ml at a time.

At least 20 years ago Renault started using a neat little trick - the temperature gauge doubles as an oil-level gauge for the first 10 seconds or so after the ignition is switched on. Brilliant - and their dipsticks are easily readable. Quality VW engineering? - it comes a very poor second in this. Our 10-yr-old (160,000km) diesel Laguna never needs topping up between its 8000km oil changes.

[Santana]

If you think we struggle imagine how the 16 yr old apprentice at the dealership does it.
Every car I have had has come back with the oil filled over the full mark.

Does the 2.0 tdi have a low oil sensor? I know my old 1.9 TDI passat had one. If so I think I am just going to run it down to that point and be confident that there is enough "space" to put 500ml in without overfilling.
Good or Bad idea?

Yes, the 2.0 TDI does have a low oil sensor and, on my car at least, it works. I ran it down just to see if it did work as the dip stick is so useless. I discovered you can fit in 1 litre after the warning light has come on.

I'm hoping the car won't carry on using oil at the rate it has so far - 1 litre for 2600 miles!

[carl s]

Without going out to the garage to have a look in the driver's manual, I think it does, and I think it also displays a message that the oil is low, but I personally would be a bit reluctant to run it down that much. I try to keep a record of oil added/mileage and never add more than 250ml at a time.

At least 20 years ago Renault started using a neat little trick - the temperature gauge doubles as an oil-level gauge for the first 10 seconds or so after the ignition is switched on. Brilliant - and their dipsticks are easily readable. Quality VW engineering? - it comes a very poor second in this. Our 10-yr-old (160,000km) diesel Laguna never needs topping up between its 8000km oil changes.


I'm not surprised it doesn't need a top up inbetween it's 8000km oil changes. If my car only did 5000 miles before having to change the oil I'd be surprised if it managed to burn the 1 litre of oil that's the difference between high & low levels on the dipstick. ;)

[Quatrelle]

I'm not surprised it doesn't need a top up inbetween it's 8000km oil changes. If my car only did 5000 miles before having to change the oil I'd be surprised if it managed to burn the 1 litre of oil that's the difference between high & low levels on the dipstick. ;)
Carl - Whilst I wouldn't disagree with you on that, as Santana says above, his Passat is using 2 litres every 5000 miles, hence my comment. I guess the Laguna uses about ½ litre because it never gets near the low mark (but to be fair, it's nowhere near as highly tuned - for want of a better expression - as the Passat, it's not even turboed, and the sump holds nearer 7 litres!). VW's figures in the driver's manual suggest, however, that 1 litre every 2600 miles is well within spec.

[carl s]

Carl - Whilst I wouldn't disagree with you on that, as Santana says above, his Passat is using 2 litres every 5000 miles, hence my comment. I guess the Laguna uses about ½ litre because it never gets near the low mark (but to be fair, it's nowhere near as highly tuned - for want of a better expression - as the Passat, it's not even turboed, and the sump holds nearer 7 litres!). VW's figures in the driver's manual suggest, however, that 1 litre every 2600 miles is well within spec.

Quatrelle - Your Renault will probably last forever with oil changes every 5k ! :fing02: Maybe VW should take note!

Seriously though 1 litre every 2,500 miles would really **** me off ! That stuff's not cheap here at around £17 a litre !

Over the years I've had a number of Hondas and I don't think I ever had to top up the oil in any of them. I've only needed to put 1/2 litre in my 2.0 FSI after 10,000 miles I guess I'm lucky...

[Quatrelle]

£17 a litre - ouch! Must check on that here, although my son-in-law who works for one of the petrol companies in the UK reckons oil is cheaper here - here's hoping, the Passat will be having its first service in December. Fortunately it doesn't use much oil, and the ½ litre it has used was given to me by the dealer.

I use cheap French supermarket fully synth. diesel oil at about 23€ (£15) for 5 litres for the Lag. On reflection, I think it's 10,000km (6,000 miles) for a change - I suppose I could double that with the VW-approved oils.

I've had Hondas but they've always been motorbikes - I ride a Suzuki at the mo - so I'm a stickler for oil changes.

[Quatrelle]

Seriously though 1 litre every 2,500 miles would really **** me off ! That stuff's not cheap here at around £17 a litre !

Just been checking in our local supermarket. Prices for 5 litres - Total Activa 0-30, 46.90€ (£32), Mobil 1, 35.80€ (£25), Elf Excellium 49.90€ (£35). Not sure if the Mobil 1 matches VW's spec, but the other two do.

Can't imagine VW being that cheap, not when dealers charge by the individual litre. :(

Handy if you do have to top up though.....

[A1Dan75]

My Alfa gives a dedicated oil level reading on the multi-purpose disply thingy for a few seconds on ignition. Having owned it for a few years, I'd kind of assumede they were standard in any decent car by now...:(

[gneissdaewar]

Mobil 1 Fully Synth VW 507.00 spec if £8.5 at Asda.

Castrol Edge Equivalent is about £13 at Halford (IIRC)

[vwcabriolet1971]

Some VW models are more "level sensitive" than others when trying to gauge the oil level with the dipstick . The inline mounted 1.9 PD TDI and the transverse 1.4TDI engines seem to be most susceptible. With these engines it's quite easy to get a misreading of about 0.5 liter when car is on a slight slope. The transverse 4 cylinder positioned engine ( in Golf for example) seem to be less sensitive to slight differences in level.

[Crasher]

I want to know why you are discussing a three year old thread…

[gireada2005]

New comers looking through the old threads so we don't discuss the same thing over and over.I bought my passat and i've done 5k and i never top up,now i'm asking myself i don't know to read the dipstick?:confused: but is says on it min -max,so i guess i can't be wrong.Should i top up a bit or wait for the light to come? the car has now 42k 2l tdi .I want to thank everyone one this forum is the best one i've seen ,you can find everything in here,and since i've found it i've became addict,everyday checkin it:beerchug:

[A1Dan75]

Another new owner here... having just got my Passat, I can certainly see what all these complaints are about. Did anybody at VW even try and look atht eh Dipstick in action once before launch?

Anyway, I couldn't even see a min and max on mine - is the the two "balls"?

And as for trying to see where the oil is up to on it anyway. Guess I may have to try the kitchen towl technique!

[Crackman 619]

Basically on the dipstick theres a flat bit and two balls..I need to check mine cuz im typing this from picture memory lol

Ok just checked me manual and me dipstick..theres two balls. Under each ball is another raised flattish bit.In between the two raised bits is a flat bit..now holding the dipstick up the raised bit at the bottom is the minimum the flat bit is the ok and raised bit at the top is maximum..you should top up if the oil level is in the minimum section and you can top up if its in the ok bit..

I check it by taking it out wiping the dipstick vigorously with a cloth then putting it back in, taking it back out slowly so it dont touch the edge,putting it into the light and it shows the mark where it is...

[Crackman 619]

Right heres a quick one min paint drawing lol

http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy348/murghee/dipstick.jpg

trying to show min ok and max level

[A1Dan75]

We have a budding Picasso!

Cheers, Crackman - actually a very useful diagram, I know what I'm looking at now. Will take another llook later and try and make sure I'm OK.