3.0 Drunk over 7 litres of oil!

[toff]

Hi,

I just changed the oil & filter today on my 3.0 TDI.

To my shock, it swallowed over 7 litres of oil and it still isn't quite upto the middle of the dipstick! (yup, I am measuring on level ground).

How much oil, officially, should the 3.0 TDI take please?

I used Castrol Edge 5w 30. I noticed that Castrol also do a "Turbo Diesel" version, which is 5w 40 but this didn't seem to match the VW507 long-life spec, so I stuck with the 5w 30.

Cheers
Al.

[oilman]

You chose the right oil, the 5w-40 would not have been suitable. These ones are also fine for your car

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

All are very similar as they meet the 507 00 specification, some are better value than others though.

I don't have a figure for the capacity of oil, but German cars often have very large oil capacities. Seven litres sounds about right to me.

Cheers

Tim

[Crasher]

You should try doing an S4 V8, they take just on 10 litres of Longlife 3.

[toff]

You chose the right oil, the 5w-40 would not have been suitable.

Thanks kindly for your responses Tim / Crasher.

Crasher - yup I changed the oil on my S6, thought I'd be fine with 8 litres I ended up going to Halfords on my pushbike to get more oil! I couldn't believe it.. thought I'd left the sump-plug out!!


Tim - with regards to the right oil - I'd like to expand on that:

I've had my 3.0 TDI remapped. I want to replace the oil every 8k (with decent stuff) to help balance the effects of the extra load on the engine components.

Bearing the above in mind, should I be using 5w 40? I presume part of the 507 spec is that the oil has to remain a suitably high grade over many thousand miles? Obviously I don't need that if I am changing oil regularly.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Cheers
Al.

[oilman]

Is your TDI fitted with a DPF? If so you still have no choice but to use a VW507.00 low saps oil. I dont know of any 5w-40 oils that meets the VW507.00 spec.

Also, even with a remap the 507.00 5w-30 will be fine.

Cheers

Guy

[toff]

Hi,

Cheers for your advice, much appreciated. Thankfully no, I don't have a DPF!

I will stick to 5w 30 as you suggest. Just out of interest, is the 5w 40 a thinner oil, designed to get round the engine quicker? What are the differences between the two please?

Regards
Al.

[oilman]

When they are cold 5w-40 and 5w-40 are the same so they flow just as good as each other from cold. When hot (the second number always measure at 100degc) the SAE30 is slightly thinner then an SAE40 at running temp, the idea is SAE30 is more of an economy oil (less oil drag, less power needed to move it around leave more power for other things...)

Cheers

Guy

[toff]

Thanks kindly oilman.

So next time I changed my oil: if I used 5w 40; it would offer the engine components better protection / more lubrication BUT it may rob me of a little bit of power?

Al.

[oilman]

Thats the theory.

Cheers

Guy.

[dod1e]

When they are cold 5w-40 and 5w-40 are the same so they flow just as good as each other from cold. When hot (the second number always measure at 100degc) the SAE30 is slightly thinner then an SAE40 at running temp, the idea is SAE30 is more of an economy oil (less oil drag, less power needed to move it around leave more power for other things...)

Cheers

Guy

I thought the second number was the cold viscosity and the first the running temp vis.

I know that the lower the number, the thinner the fluid, so what you said doesnt make sense, as both oils should be 5 at running temp, therefore the same, and the 30 should be thinner when cold???