Buying Oil, Some Basic Advice From Opie Oils

[oilman]

This post may seem like going back to basics but we are constantly surprised by the amount of people who do not know or understand what is written on a bottle of oil and therefore have no idea of what they are looking for, buying or using.


This post should help as a basic guide, for more detailed information contact us and we will be happy to help.

So, to be blunt about the subject, if a bottle of oil does not contain the following basic information then DO NOT buy it look for something that does!

1) The purpose for which it is intended (i.e. Motor oil, Gear oil etc)

2) The viscosity (i.e. 10w-40, 5w-30 etc for Motor oils and 80w-90, 75w-90 etc for Gear oils)

3) The specifications that it meets (should contain both API and ACEA ratings)

4) The OEM Approvals that it carries and the codes (i.e. MB229.3, VW504.00, FORD 913a/b, BMW LL04 etc)

Ignore the marketing blurb on the label it is in many cases meaningless and we will explain later what statements you should treat with skepticism.

So, what does the above information mean and why is it important?

THE BASICS

All oils are intended for an application and in general are not interchangeable. You would not for example put an Automatic Transmission Oil or a Gear Oil in your engine! It is important to know what the oils intended purpose is.

VISCOSITY

Most oils on the shelves today are “Multigrades”, which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades (i.e. 10w-40 etc)

Multigrades were first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the old routine of using a thin oil in winter and a thicker oil in the summer.

In a 10w-40 for example the 10w bit (W = winter, not weight or watt or anything else for that matter) simply means that the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity/flow at low temperature.

The lower the “W” number the better the oils cold temperature/cold start performance. I.E. 5w is better than 10w etc

The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100 degC. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits.

Once again the lower the number the thinner the oil, a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100 degC etc. Your handbook will specify whether a 30, 40 or 50 etc is required.



SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications are important as these indicate the performance of an oil and whether it has met or passed the latest tests or whether the formulation is effectively obsolete or out of date.

There are two specifications that you should look for on any oil bottle and these are API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Europeens d’Automobiles) all good oils should contain both of these and an understanding of what they mean is important.

API

This is the more basic of the two specs as it is split (for passenger cars) into two catagories.

S = Petrol and C = Diesel, most oils carry both petrol (S) and diesel (C) specifications.

The following table shows how up to date the specifications the oil are:

PETROL

SG - Introduced 1989 has much more active dispersant to combat black sludge.

SH - Introduced 1993 has same engine tests as SG, but includes phosphorus limit 0.12%, together with control of foam, volatility and shear stability.

SJ - Introduced 1996 has the same engine tests as SG/SH, but phosphorus limit 0.10% together with variation on volatility limits

SL - Introduced 2001, all new engine tests reflective of modern engine designs meeting current emissions standards

SM - Introduced November 2004, improved oxidation resistance, deposit protection and wear protection, also better low temperature performance over the life of the oil compared to previous categories.

Note:

All specifications prior to SL are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date SL and SM specifications.

DIESEL

CD - Introduced 1955, international standard for turbo diesel engine oils for many years, uses single cylinder test engine only

CE - Introduced 1984, improved control of oil consumption, oil thickening, piston deposits and wear, uses additional multi cylinder test engines

CF4 - Introduced 1990, further improvements in control of oil consumption and piston deposits, uses low emission test engine

CF - Introduced 1994, modernised version of CD, reverts to single cylinder low emission test engine. Intended for certain indirect injection engines

CF2 - Introduced 1994, defines effective control of cylinder deposits and ring face scuffing, intended for 2 stroke diesel engines

CG4 - Introduced 1994, development of CF4 giving improved control of piston deposits, wear, oxidation stability and soot entrainment. Uses low sulphur diesel fuel in engine tests

CH4 - Introduced 1998, development of CG4, giving further improvements in control of soot related wear and piston deposits, uses more comprehensive engine test program to include low and high sulphur fuels

CI4 Introduced 2002, developed to meet 2004 emission standards, may be used where EGR ( exhaust gas recirculation ) systems are fitted and with fuel containing up to 0.5 % sulphur. May be used where API CD, CE, CF4, CG4 and CH4 oils are specified.

Note:
All specifications prior to CH4 are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date CH4 & CI4 specifications.

If you want a better more up to date oil specification then look for SL, SM, CH4, CI4

ACEA

This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur).

Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows:

A1 Fuel economy petrol
A2 Standard performance level (now obsolete)
A3 High performance and/or extended drain
A4 Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines
A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance

B1 Fuel economy diesel
B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete)
B3 High performance and/or extended drain
B4 For direct injection car diesel engines
B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance

C1-04 Petrol and Light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 low SAPS, two way catalyst compatible.
C2-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible.
C3-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible, Higher performance levels due to higher HTHS.

Note: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur.

Put simply, A3/B3, A5/B5 and C3 oils are the better quality, stay in grade performance oils.

APPROVALS

Many oils mention various Car Manufacturers on the bottle, the most common in the UK being VW, MB, BMW, Ford or Vauxhall but do not be misled into thinking that you are buying top quality oil because of this.

Oil Companies send their oils to OEM’s for approval however some older specs are easily achieved and can be done so with the cheapest of mineral oils. Newer specifications are always more up to date and better quality/performance than the older ones.

Some of the older OEM specifications are listed here and depending on the performance level of your car are best ignored if you are looking for a quality high performance oil:

VW – 500.00, 501.00 and 505.00

Later specs like 503, 504, 506 and 507 are better performing more up to date oils

MB – 229.1

Later specs like 229.3 and 229.5 are better performing more up to date oils.

BMW – LL98

Later specs like LL01 and LL04 are better performing more up to date oils.


FINALLY

Above is the most accurate guidance we can give without going into too much depth however there is one final piece of advice regarding labelling.

Certain statements are made on labels that are meaningless and just marketing hype, here are a few to avoid!

Recommended for use where……………


May be used where the following specifications apply……………


Approved by………………………..(but with no qualification or specification)


Recommended/Approved by (some famous person, these endorsements are paid for)

Racing/Track formula (but with no supporting evidence)

Also be wary of statements like “synthetic blend” if you are looking for a fully synthetic oil as this will merely be a semi-synthetic.

Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. The cheaper the oil the cheaper the
ingredients, lower the performance levels and older the specs it meets so beware!

If you would like further advice then please feel free to ask here or contact us via our website or email.

Simon & Guy
Opie Oils

[Sam]

Thanks again for your continued informative posts.

Thread stuck.

Remember Opie Oils offer a forum discount - see the thread here for more information " Sticky: www.opieoils.co.uk (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1230)"

[Jethro]

Oilman(Simon and Guy) This is very good and I personally thank you for it.

Would you allow the thread to be posted(pasted or link sent) to another motoring Forum, as I'm sure it would be of great help to a vast number of people. Including people in the Trade as well as the General Public.

I'm a believer in you get what you pay for. A lot of people don't understand the implications of the wrong oil in their engine.

PD Golf engine oil comes to mind. Use the wrong stuff at your peril.:aargh4:

[oilman]

No problem.

Just let me know where it is so that I can pop over and respond to any questions arising from the post.

Cheers
Simon

[Gravesie]

Hi, I just read your article about oil selection. There's just one thing I'm not quite understanding; Why is the winter number lower than the number for elevated temp? As you say the lower the number the thinner the oil - surley the oil would be thicker in winter and therefore be a higher number? I'm not questioning your knowledge of lubricants, it's just the penny hasn't quite dropped! Should they be thought of as two entirely separate scales?

[oilman]

If you see an expression such as 10W-40, the oil is a multigrade.

This simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades, in this case 10W & 40.

This is made possible by the inclusion of a polymer, a component which slows down the rate of thinning as the oil warms up and slows down the rate of thickening as the oil cools down.

It was first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the routine of using a thinner oil in winter and a thicker oil in summer.

For a 10w-40 to attain the specification target a 10W ( W = winter) the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity at low temperature. The actual viscosity and the temperature vary with the viscosity grade but in all cases the lower the number, the thinner the oil, e.g. a 5W oil is thinner than a 10W oil at temperatures encountered in UK winter conditions.

This is important because a thinner oil will circulate faster on cold start, affording better engine protection.

For a 10w-40 to attain the other specification target a 40 oil must fall within certain limits at 100 degC. In this case the temperature target does not vary with the viscosity grade, if there is no "W", the measuring temperature is always 100degC. Again the lower the number the thinner the oil, a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100 degC., which is typical of maximum bulk oil temperatures in an operating engine.

The engine makers are, of course, very well aware of this and specify oils according to engine design features, oil pump capacities, manufacturing tolerances, ambient temperature conditions etc. It is important to follow these guidelines, they are important and are an are stipulated for good reasons.

If the engine has been modified, the operating conditions may well be outside the original design envelope. The stress on the oil caused by increased maximum revs, power output and temperature may indicate that oil of a different type and viscosity grade would be beneficial.

Cheers
Guy

[marcus]

HI,

I have a 56 plate 2.0 SE TDI 170 Audi A4 which has the oil light comming on again. I have used the small supply of oil that came with the car and some other oil i subsequently purchased. On looking in the manual i see they suggest i must use VW507 00 rather than anything else because this vehicle has a diesel particulate filter :confused:. Can you tell me is this really a must or can i put any high quality oil in!!

Cheers

Mark

[oilman]

Tis a must I am afraid.

These 507.00 spec oils are low ash and sulpher, to go with the particulate filter. If you dont use one you risk damge to the filter.

Cheers

Guy.

[prolfe]

I too have a 170 2.0 Tdi.

It states in my manual that it has to be 507 and "only in exceptional circumstances can it be 505, and only then 0.5 litres" with the view to getting some 507 in there asap

[Big G]

Tis a must I am afraid.

These 507.00 spec oils are low ash and sulpher, to go with the particulate filter. If you dont use one you risk damge to the filter.

Cheers

Guy.


Hi will 507.000 (from car lube, 5/30 fully synthetic) damage my passat 1.9tdi 04 as its not mentioned in the hand book just 505 and 506. I suppose this 507 grade was not around when they made the car.

[oilman]

It will be fine, the 507.00 is the "cover all" spec from VW.

Cheers

Guy.

[Big G]

It will be fine, the 507.00 is the "cover all" spec from VW.

Cheers

Guy.


Good man thanks for the fast answer, given the huge panick attack i have think i might have used the wrong Oil.

[Clinterous]

My 03 1.9 has always been on long life service oil. Now at 174K I was thinking about changing the oil at least every 10k.

Any issues of switching from 506 to 505, or it perhaps worth just going for 507?

[oilman]

There is no problem switching from one to the other, just drain and replace.

Cheers

Guy.

[passat 130 tdi]

hello oilman , i know you from the toyota owners club. I now own a vw , hence why im here, question is , what oil do you recommend for a 2001 passat 1.9 tdi its the 96kw 130 bhp version - thanks alot.

[oilman]

If you don't get any joy on my new website here http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-370-oil-service-pack-recommendation.aspx get bak to me but this should provide you with plenty of choice!

Regards
Guy

[lucianus]

hi. sory oilman but i can't find my car using the link you posted above... maybe i'm going blind :P
the closest i can get is 1.8T 2001 and above.
thanx alot for the detailed oil info you provided. btw is it true that it's not very good to put a fully syntethic oil in an old engine?

oh and could you tell us please the correct procedure for changing the oil + filter. thanx :)

[oilman]

Should be the same as that one oil wise, I will check on the filter.

Cheers

Guy.

[alogbe]

Oilman: I appreciate the information you've posted and I'm sure it tells me all I need to know in practice. I'm just curious about one thing: I don't think you've mentioned the magic word "synthetic" anywhere. Are all recommended oils for modern engines synthetic, or am I missing something?

[oilman]

How do you mean? There are so many factors they decide what kind of oil you go for... Synthetic or mineral.

Lets take a VW1.8t petrol engine, it can run on mineral oil and if that is all you can get then thats whats recomended, synthetic is better and is the norm, if your going onto longlife service then you need to goto a longlife sythetic (different yet again from a normal service synthetic), you have no choice as mineral oils wont go the distance. So thats three different types of oil that can be used in just one engine and all used for different reasons.

Cheers

Guy.

[alogbe]

Sorry, maybe my question was a bit obscure. What I meant was: does a description such as "VW 507" specify whether it's a mineral or a synthetic oil, or can there be a VW 507 synthetic as an alternative to a VW 507 mineral?

[prolfe]

Sorry, maybe my question was a bit obscure. What I meant was: does a description such as "VW 507" specify whether it's a mineral or a synthetic oil, or can there be a VW 507 synthetic as an alternative to a VW 507 mineral?

The VW 507.00 stamp of approval is only given to new oils that meet the requirements of a DPF'd diesel and is only a synthetic oil from my understanding. It's to do with the particles created once the exhaust gases flow out the back of the car. If they were too big then the DPF would get blocked up. This would happen if you use 505 in the car.

It has lots of additives to cope with the performance of a modern high powered Diesel engine.

The 507 is suited to their DPF'd engined cars but is also useable in a non-dpf'd car.

Currently the 2.0 tdi 170bhp has a DPF but it is only just available to order on the 1.9tdi and 2.0 tdi 140bhp.

Well worth the extra money in my opinion, no black soot out the back of the car when you have one.

So, as it's the latest and best oil then you'll do no harm at all in using it in your 1.9tdi 130bhp. Be warned though that it can cost £14 a litre and although you won't, I only get 7-10,000 miles before I need to fill up with another litre.

Some reading:
http://www.autowirez.co.uk/blog/synthetic-vs-mineral-oil-guide/
and:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100471&page=7

Hope this helps

[Marco 35]

Ive had my golf 170 diesel serviced today at a vw garage and 505 oil was used instead of 507, and the car had been driven approx 1 mile.The oil was flushed out and the new 507 oil was put in.Will this of damaged my engine or DPF filter???

[oilman]

Thats fine, it wont do any damage being in there that long.

Cheers

Guy.

[prolfe]

Ive had my golf 170 diesel serviced today at a vw garage and 505 oil was used instead of 507, and the car had been driven approx 1 mile.The oil was flushed out and the new 507 oil was put in.Will this of damaged my engine or DPF filter???

how did you know a mile later?

[Marco 35]

how did you know a mile later?
The garage had left the top up oil in the car which was 505 grade ; and i just noticed it when i was stopping at a junction to find a 1ltr tub of oil sliding from underneath the car seat.
This was approx 1 mile:biglaugh:

[Marco 35]

Thats fine, it wont do any damage being in there that long.

Cheers

Guy.
Thanks for the reply:beerchug:

[prolfe]

The garage had left the top up oil in the car which was 505 grade ; and i just noticed it when i was stopping at a junction to find a 1ltr tub of oil sliding from underneath the car seat.
This was approx 1 mile:biglaugh:

they really should know better.

What if you had not of noticed and it messed up the dpf, who would of had to of paid the bill !!

[liamclough]

I Have A Audi A4 1.8 Petrol .ihave Been Told To Put 5w40 Fully Synthetic Oil In The Engine Could You Tell Me If This Is The Correct Engine Oil
Thank You

[oilman]

What year is the car?

Cheers

Guy

[jimbo1955]

what oil for a tt?

[oilman]

what oil for a tt?

Any of the 503.01 or 504 oils here

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-742-vw-engine-oil.aspx

Cheers

[aerotec]

Hey Opieoils,

I will be coming to you in the future for my oil as your prices and service here is great.

However I bought oil the other day at EuroCarParts so would appreciate a double check it will be suitable for my 2000 V A4 1.9TDI 110BHP.

The oil is Valvoline SYN Power XL-III and on the back states it is ACEA A3/B4 VW: 504.00/507.00 and cost a fortune!

£38.70+VAT for 4 litres and another £10.19+VAT for a further 1 litre bottle.

Rich

[oilman]

That willl be fine as it meets the VW507.00 spec.

Cheers

Guy

[azwerty]

a very interesting thread..... one question for guy

1. does fully or semi synthetic oil become damaged and lose its properties due to high temp sooner than a mineral based oil ?

cheers in advance

[oilman]

Other way around, semi synthetics (100% mineral base) and especially synthedtics are more temp and shear stable, thus they keep their protective properties for longer then a boggo mineral oil.

Cheers

Guy

[moodyman]

:beerchug:

[gabbyevs]

hi

looking for some advice about oil for my polo twist 1.4

the halfords guide in the shops told me to use 5w 30 which i have been for the past year

ive just had a service andnoticed on the breakdown of the bill it says theyve used 10w 40 oil

have i been using the wrong one or doesnt it make much difference-im worried aobut putting in the wrong oil now

[paul b]

hi

looking for some advice about oil for my polo twist 1.4

the halfords guide in the shops told me to use 5w 30 which i have been for the past year

ive just had a service andnoticed on the breakdown of the bill it says theyve used 10w 40 oil

have i been using the wrong one or doesnt it make much difference-im worried aobut putting in the wrong oil now
The year of your car would help but looking at the Shell website tool 10W-40 should be fine.

But 5W-30 can be used and is a bit more premium, its more expensive than 10W-40 if you were to change it.

[gabbyevs]

sorry its a 54- so using my 5 w 30 wont hurt it or i shuld stick to wot theyve put in

[oilman]

What engine do you have in the Polo mate?

Cheers

Guy

[gabbyevs]

sorry its 1.4 petrol auto

[oilman]

Is it on the longlife service or the fixed service (10K) schedule?

Cheers

Guy

[gabbyevs]

sorry im not sure-where would it say that

[oilman]

Do you get it serviced every 10000 miles or 16000 (or as per the lights on the dash?) this is longlife service and requires a better quality oil as it has to last longer.

Cheers
Guy

[gabbyevs]

oh right no i have it done arund the 10k mark

[oilman]

Well you could go 10w-40 on fixed schedule but you're still better off using a 5w-30 of this quality.

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-749-50400.aspx

Cheers
Simon

[gabbyevs]

and does it matter that theyve just used 10 w 40 on it?

edit-was that semi synthetic?

[oilman]

It can be used as I said but the 5w-30 is a better choice

Cheers

[gabbyevs]

thanks for your help ive got some from before i'll keep using that

[paul b]

As oilman said 10W-40 is fine.

On a side note Oilman...

I'm planning to put Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 VX in my 2003 Audi A6 1.9 TDI with the PD130 engine.

As far as I know this meets VW Spec 505.01, so am I right in thinking I'm safe to run this stuff for 10k miles?

Cheers
Paul

[oilman]

As oilman said 10W-40 is fine.

On a side note Oilman...

I'm planning to put Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 VX in my 2003 Audi A6 1.9 TDI with the PD130 engine.

As far as I know this meets VW Spec 505.01, so am I right in thinking I'm safe to run this stuff for 10k miles?

Cheers
Paul

As long as it meats VW505.01 it will be fine.

Cheers

Guy

[paul b]

As long as it meats VW505.01 it will be fine.

Cheers

Guy
Cheers for that I'll soon be £60 lighter then. :p

[tobyd]

What oil to use in 2007 S3? I will get it serviced by dealer but like to carry some spare just in case of any sump puncture!

[oilman]

One of these

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-749-50400.aspx

Cheers
Guy

[a17esh]

Good stuff!

[oilman]

Thanks

[type4matt]

Hi Oilman,

I have a 2002 VW Transporter T4 5 cylinder 2.5 TDI (acv).

On the slam panel it states VW 506.00.

The oil I am currently using is fully synthetic 5w/30 made by Morris lubricants and it does meet the performance requirements of VW 506.00 along with several others.

Up until I had the van it was serviced every 10k and I believe it is "service prolongation" by the QG1 code on the fusebox sticker but I change the oil and filter every 5k for peace of mind.

What I would like to know is am I using the correct oil for the engine as most T4 owners seem to use 10w/40 semi synthetic but to be honest I have looked at lots of 10w/40 oils but none are 506.00 spec, They all seem to be 505.00 spec. The oil I am using at the moment is the only one I have found to meet 506.00 spec.

I do prefer to use a 5w oil as it is better on cold starts but should I use a 40 instead of 30 ?

Sorry to ramble on but I have asked at the VW van centre several times but they don't seem to have a definite answer, They did sell me on one occasion 15w/40 mineral oil :confused: so, in doubt I made a few enquiries and was advised not to use that as it was too thick.

Any help and advice much appreciated, :beerchug:
p.s excellent thread.

[oilman]

Hi Oilman,

I have a 2002 VW Transporter T4 5 cylinder 2.5 TDI (acv).

On the slam panel it states VW 506.00.

The oil I am currently using is fully synthetic 5w/30 made by Morris lubricants and it does meet the performance requirements of VW 506.00 along with several others.

Up until I had the van it was serviced every 10k and I believe it is "service prolongation" by the QG1 code on the fusebox sticker but I change the oil and filter every 5k for peace of mind.

What I would like to know is am I using the correct oil for the engine as most T4 owners seem to use 10w/40 semi synthetic but to be honest I have looked at lots of 10w/40 oils but none are 506.00 spec, They all seem to be 505.00 spec. The oil I am using at the moment is the only one I have found to meet 506.00 spec.

I do prefer to use a 5w oil as it is better on cold starts but should I use a 40 instead of 30 ?

Sorry to ramble on but I have asked at the VW van centre several times but they don't seem to have a definite answer, They did sell me on one occasion 15w/40 mineral oil :confused: so, in doubt I made a few enquiries and was advised not to use that as it was too thick.

Any help and advice much appreciated, :beerchug:
p.s excellent thread.

You can use 506.00

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-752-50600.aspx

Or the 507.00 which has superceeded the 506.00 there is more choice

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-754-50700.aspx

A 5w-30 is what would be best IMO

Cheers
Simon

[type4matt]

Thanks Simon for the reply, Much appreciated :biggthump

I will stick to the 5w/30 synthetic then,

Cheers, :beerchug:

[katiestar]

This is some great information. Really informative and very well explained. I did not realise that buying oil could be so technical.

Thanks for the post, it is a great help!

[oilman]

Glad you find it useful

[katiestar]

I have so far found your posts some of the most useful on the website. You really do give some great information and it is very detailed.

You are a credit to this forum - so thanks!

[peza82]

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=6362&SEName=mobil-1-esp-5w-30-fully-synthetic-motor-oil

i just want to check before i buy that this is the correct oil for my car
golf 2003 gt tdi 130 pd
i am being really cautious not to get the wrong oil as a lot of people have said to be certain its for the pd engines and has to be 507 spec.
i have had advice to get quantum longlife 5w-30 but my local store has non in stock, will this be as good,
thanks

[oilman]

That is a really good choice, the Mobil ESP is a top quality synthetic and it does meet the VW507.00 spec. Your car is also okay to use a VW505.01 spec, unless it is on a longlife service schedule.

Cheers

Tim

[peza82]

hi thanks for the quick reply, iv got the price with the forum deiscount offer at about £43, inc P+P
now this prob wont be possible but i have the service on saturday, if i buy tonight could you guarantee that it wil be here for then or could i pay a little more for special delivery or whatever?
im sure someone local sells this but id rather give you the cash it thats at all possible!
cheers

(also just to check is it the synthetic bit i need to pay attention to for my pd engine??)

[oilman]

Yes, we can do that (and a better price I believe)

Put the oil in your basket and then enter the code MAYOFFER in the discount code box for an extra 15% off. Near the bottom of the basket is a priority shipping option, select that (£2, but the 15% off will more than cover that) and we'll send it tomorrow to arrive on friday.

Cheers

Tim

[Grandad Dave]

Could you please confrim what oil I need for my wife's -

1999 VW Golf Mk4 GT Tdi - 1900cc Diesel.

Local garage said use 10/40w semi synthetic and I want to use the best one for this engine.

What would you advise - reading handbook is confusing.

Any advice appreciated.

[oilman]

As long as you dont have a pd engine then a 10w-40 semi with regular changes is fine. If you want to go better then have a look at a 5w-40 synthetic.

Have a browse http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx

Cheers

Guy

[poosnip]

Hi.

I hope that this thread is still alive.

I have an 84k aeb 1.8 passat. Previous owner ( i now trust ) has put in 5w-30 and I mistakenly changed the oil to 10w -40. Car runs ok.

What should I do?
I want the best possible oil for this motor and I am willing to do another oil change. By the way the oil is still nice and clean after about 500miles.

What oil would you recommend for this engine as it will be well cared for.

And...... I am gonna remap it after I have upgraded my brakes and suspension to better than standard...

An ester based oil? I really dont mind paying and I will be enthusiastic with the car......


I already get some conflicting views. this engine apparently likes 5w-30, some say they use 0-40 others say it's to viscous..... Is there a better oil for it than 5-30?

[oilman]

Hi.

I hope that this thread is still alive.

I have an 84k aeb 1.8 passat. Previous owner ( i now trust ) has put in 5w-30 and I mistakenly changed the oil to 10w -40. Car runs ok.

What should I do?
I want the best possible oil for this motor and I am willing to do another oil change. By the way the oil is still nice and clean after about 500miles.

What oil would you recommend for this engine as it will be well cared for.

And...... I am gonna remap it after I have upgraded my brakes and suspension to better than standard...

An ester based oil? I really dont mind paying and I will be enthusiastic with the car......


I already get some conflicting views. this engine apparently likes 5w-30, some say they use 0-40 others say it's to viscous..... Is there a better oil for it than 5-30?

You could use a 5w-40, more heat resistance and the same cold crank 5w

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx

Cheers
guy

[poosnip]

Thanks Oil Guy!

Will be ordering from you :D

[oilman]

No problems,

Cheers
Guy

[poosnip]

just a quick one : So the 5w- 40 is more viscous than the 5-30?

[oilman]

Yes, only at 100degc so the SAE40 over the SAE30.

They are both the same when cold at 5w.

Cheers

Guy

[poosnip]

THanks Oilman.

I have set up an account with you. just getting some Reddies together. That Motul Ester stuff looks nice: I am not sure what service schedule I am going to go for but It has been 600miles since a full service Oil change (10w -40) and cambelt change....

Any suggestions on what brand? and what type of schedule? The car does 40miles a day work commute motorway and week end country lanes. I like to really put my foot down though.

[oilman]

The ester based oils are all really good. There's little difference in the quality of the Motul 300V, Fuchs Race, Millers CFS, Gulf Competition and Redline. The people that make those will tell you that theirs is better for whatever reason, but in actual use, you find that they are all as good as each other.

They are all fine for 10k changes on road, even if the car is driven pretty hard.

[poosnip]

SWEET!

I am having some Titan 5w-40 Ester oilman!
10k Oil Changes sounds great to me.

I am also getting an oil filter and some fuel system treatment. I have driven the thing for 1075 Miles and it had felt rather sluggish b4 and after the service, but it has started to improve now and so has MPG. I might speed it along with some jungle juice and cleaner .

Thanks for the help with my research. Order forthcoming.

[oilman]

Glad to help

[nudger2000]

Hi - great post with lots of useful info but I am a little confused:

I have a query about the oil for my Audi A4 53-plate 1.9 TDI 130:

I've checked on your site and a few others (Millers, Halfords, Castrol etc)and I'm recommended a 5W30 oil (504-00 / 507-00). This is what my local Audi garages (1 franchised and 1 independent) also suggest.

But the car's handbook and the Haynes manual both say that for standard servicing, I should use 505-01 oil which turns out to be 5W40 - which, on the Castrol Edge bottle, says it's approved for VW PD engines - which I think mine is. The 5W30 Castrol bottle claims it's VW approved for the latest diesel engines but doesn't have that point about PD engines and I read in various places that this is important.

The longlife servicing version, according to these books is 506 which isn't really mentioned anywhere anymore.

So, from reading this post, it looks like the 5W30 (507-00) oil is OK because it fits with what everybody except the manual says.

But I wondered the following:

1. I have an older bottle of 5W30 for my wife's Mazda 3 1.6 petrol car - I thought that petrol and diesel oils were unlikley to be the same?

2. Is my engine a PD engine and does it matter if I don't use the 505-01 5W40 oil that claims to be for PD engines - and is specified by the car's handbook? Is 507-00 an oil that supercedes all of this? I'm not having longlife servicing - I'm just going by the standard intervals, which are turning out to be around 9k.

3. If the garage filled me up with 5W30 and I topped up with 5W40, would that matter? On all previous services, they've written 5W30 on the invoice but on this last one, it says 10W40 (they're a reputable independent Audi/BMW place). So again, does it matter if I top up with 5W40 or 5W30?

4. Is my car too old to have the DPF people worry about nowadays?

Sorry to barrage with questions - I clearly don't want to top up with the wrong thing as I get the impression that these engines are fussy?

Cheers

[oilman]

If you follow this link there is a list of the VW specs and what they mean

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-742-vw-engine-oil.aspx

As your car has a PD engine, you must use an oil that meets the VW505.01, 506.01 or 507.00 spec as the oil has to deal with a lot harsher conditions than in many other engines. 505.01 is the normal service schedule oil for a PD engine, 506.01 was the original long life service oil for a PD and the 507.00 is the latest VW longlife oil, suitable for both the VW PD engines and the later common rail diesels. In general, apart from some oddities like the V10 Touregs, 507.00 is suitable for all earlier VW engines.

If you look at the oils via the links on the VW page, you'll see that the 505.01 oils are mainly 5w-30, the 506.01 is 0w-30 and the 507.00 is 5w-30. As there is a range of viscosities that are suitable for the same engine, it shows that the engines are not overly fussy about viscosity, as long as the oil spec is met. It's more important that the oil has the correct VW spec on it rather than a certain viscosity.

In response to your other questions:

1. Almost all oils (other than a couple of industrial diesel oils) are suitable for diesel and petrol engines. If you look on the can, there will be an ACEA A and B spec, the A refers to petrol and the B to diesel. Normally the numbers following the letters are the same or close, meaning that the oil meets the equivalent petrol and diesel specs. VW oils are a good example for that, their 507.00 oils are the latest ones for diesel engines, but all the oils that meet the 507.00 spec all meet the 504.00 spec, their latest petrol one.

2. As it's a PD engine, the oil needs to meet 505.01, 506.01 or 507.00, if it's changed annually, it doesn't matter which one. It doesn't have to be a 5w-40, a 0w-30 and 5w-30, as long as they meet those specs, will be fine.

3. Your garage is wrong, to my knowledge there are no PD suitable oils that are 10w-40. It seems that a lot of VW garage are now using a bog-standard 10w-40 to save them some money, but it is incorrect. The oil needs to meet one of the PD suitable specs to prevent excessive cam wear (and a bonus to them if the cam gets worn as that's either an expensive garage bill or a new car). You are fine to mix any of the PD suitable oils in a PD engine, and realistically there would be no harm in topping up a PD suitable oil with a drop of 10w-40, but it is not suitable to use a 10w-40 for an oil change. Unless they can provide some evidence (not just them saying it's suitable, but a spec sheet for the oil or the label on the can) I'd make them change it.

4. Yes, your car is pre-DPF so no need to worry about that.

Cheers

Tim

[nudger2000]

Thank you very much.

Very comprehensive reply that answered all of my questions. Thanks again.

[rugby85]

This is fantastic - it is great to see all this info in one helpful post saves me haveing to trawl all over the web for it. Thanks again

[oilman]

Glad the info is useful.

Cheers

Tim

[t211]

Great post Opie - as a previous and repeat customer I can't recommend you highly enough!

[oilman]

Thanks for your custom, much appreciated :)

Cheers

Guy

[f2raf]

I recently purchased the Gulf Tec Plus SAE 10W - 40 vw 505.00. Its on clearance in a chainstore for £9.99 I used it in a 1.4 golf and must admit its feels brilliant, although the opie website doesnt recommend this one, it does however recommend it for the audi A6 2.5 tdi I have, so 8 litres for £20 is a bargain. Although the manual suggests that for higher mileage cars (176k plus now on mine) you should use vw 506.00 Would you agree?

[oilman]

The Gulf is good stuff, you will have no problem with it.

No need to move to 506.01 for high mileage.

Cheers

Guy

[analyst]

Is the forum discount code no longer applicable, as it made no effect on the order I just placed with Opie Oils?

[oilman]

Is the forum discount code no longer applicable, as it made no effect on the order I just placed with Opie Oils?

Sorry for the confusion, the prices that you are currently getting are the discounted prices, we have had to change the way in which the prices are displayed and accessed as many members were not understanding how they got our best prices. We have not taken the discounts away they are just easier to get!

Andrew
Opie Oils

[analyst]

Hmmm, really?
So, you think Trading Standards will be quite happy with this then? http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1230-www.opieoils.co.uk

[stuart]

I just love "threats"..... I will amend the original post in question from "2007" yes that is "2007" when I get home tonight.....

[analyst]

What are you talking about "threats"?

There was no "threat". Why would I be threatening and who?

It was, in fact, an observation, posed as a question, that if a promise is made, by way of inducement to trade, you could fall foul of the law if you then don't honour it.

Sheesh!

[MarkTM]

So reading the OP of this thread if I were to buy an oil that was 5w30 fully synth API SM/CF ACEA C3 and stated low SAPS/Low ash and for extended service intervals, I should avoid if didn't state specifically VW 504.00 & 507.00?

Like for instance Asda's (which I believe comes from Comma)?

[NickPicks]

Personally, I'd avoid it if it doesn't state VW 504 507.

I know it's all money, but 5 litres of Gulf 507 spec is £33 from opie, and I think you get a discount for being a member here.

Is it worth saving £20 by putting something in your engine that will probably be fine, but might not be?

[oilman]

Hi

Yes, use the code VWAUDI for 10% off our prices.

For the sake of a few quid over a year (or two if on long life servicing) vs the cost of a DPF if it isn't right, I'd pay the bit extra. I think VW state that a C3 spec can be used if a 504/507 isn't available, but for topping up rather than a full change. Below is a link to a useful (in my job anyway) way of comparing oil specs. If you select ACEA C3 2010 and VW 507.00, you can see there is a fair bit of difference between them.

dataStack (http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/lubrizol/Markets/EngineOilAdditives/100132RPtool2012Deploy/rp/pc/index.html)

Cheers

Tim

[jon036]

wow so much info on oil thanks oilman
for years i wanted to know what the w was for but was always afraid to ask lol !!

[MarkTM]

Hi

Yes, use the code VWAUDI for 10% off our prices.

For the sake of a few quid over a year (or two if on long life servicing) vs the cost of a DPF if it isn't right, I'd pay the bit extra. I think VW state that a C3 spec can be used if a 504/507 isn't available, but for topping up rather than a full change. Below is a link to a useful (in my job anyway) way of comparing oil specs. If you select ACEA C3 2010 and VW 507.00, you can see there is a fair bit of difference between them.

Tim

So according to what you've said since I don't have DPF I'll be fine? :)

[oilman]

Hi

Yes, without a DPF, that will be fine.

Cheers

Tim

[royclark]

There is such a large selection of oil with the VW 507 spec. but with very different prices that makes me wonder, why ?
Are we just paying for the manufacturer name or a better quality oil ?
I don't know enough about lubricants to decide the best deals.
Are there any experts out there ?

[oilman]

Feel free to contact us here for any oil recommendations or any oil related questions you may have.


Alternatively complete our oil recommendation form (http://www.opieoils.co.uk/frmRecommendAnOil.aspx) and we will get back to you asap. You can also give us a call on 01209 202949 Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm or just drop us an email to sales@opieoils.co.uk


Cheers


oilman

[bart19]

Your advice and tips are really helps. Thanks for the effort of sharing it...

[hman_01]

another thanks from me