What Oil to use in....
- Thread starter m i k e
- Start date
orustturbo
Member
m i k e said:
I always use 5W-40 Fully syntetic.
If it is shell helix or Mobil1 i don´t think matters.
The reason is the climate in Sweden and i Think the engine works best, but the AUA engine "valve knocks" a little bit so maybe you want a oil with a different viscosity. Not so thin...
jamiejackson1984
Member
which oil to use
ive just renew my oil in my audi a2 1.4 petrol with vw50301 spec oil that castrol edge 0w-30 fully synth not 5w-30
ive just renew my oil in my audi a2 1.4 petrol with vw50301 spec oil that castrol edge 0w-30 fully synth not 5w-30
Hi Mike
Ref the attached Audi spec sheet, for your petrol engine you should be using an oil which meets -
VW 50400 or VW 50300 for Long Life services
VW 50400, VW 50101 or VW 50200 for standard services
Spec details of the Castrol Edge range which replaced LongLife oils can be found via the Halfords website.
Opie Oils, one of the Club's partners, handle a range of quality oils and offer good deals if you have the
A2oc discount card
http://www.a2oc.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=176&d=1144957349
Cheers Spike
Ref the attached Audi spec sheet, for your petrol engine you should be using an oil which meets -
VW 50400 or VW 50300 for Long Life services
VW 50400, VW 50101 or VW 50200 for standard services
Spec details of the Castrol Edge range which replaced LongLife oils can be found via the Halfords website.
Opie Oils, one of the Club's partners, handle a range of quality oils and offer good deals if you have the
A2oc discount card
http://www.a2oc.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=176&d=1144957349
Cheers Spike
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The latest oil spec for diesel cars is VW 50700 and Castrol Edge 5W30 is one of the more popular brands which meets this. It covers both standard and longlife servicing requirements.
For petrol car owners, it also meets the VW 50400 spec.
See Halfords link for more details
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...logId=10151&productId=210681&categoryId=77303
Cheers Spike
For petrol car owners, it also meets the VW 50400 spec.
See Halfords link for more details
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...logId=10151&productId=210681&categoryId=77303
Cheers Spike
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Mr K
Member
Longlife vs. fixed-spec oils
Yesterday I bought some Halfords own brand 5W/30 fully synthetic for my oil change. This meets VW 505 01 spec, so can be used for fixed interval changes.
Today I went to my local Wilco to buy a 36mm oil filter socket (approx £6 if anyone's interested). I noticed that they had similar Comma oils that were a few quid cheaper than Halfords for the same spec. I asked which they recommended and they said it depended on whether the car had previously had fixed or longlife services.
I told them that mine had had longlife services and was told that I should stick to longlife-spec oil as changing to fixed-spec oil could cause damage to seals. This smells of BS to me. The car must come out of the factory with seals suited to both specs of oil. Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this? Was he on commission?
I ended up buying 5l of Comma 5W/30 fully synthetic "Prolife" oil which meets VW 504 00 and VW 507 00, for £39.99, with a view to returning the Halfords oil.
When I was in Halfords yesterday I was specifically looking for VW 506 00 spec oil which they didn't have. I hadn't read this thread and didn't realise that VW 507 00 was a substitute. With this knowledge I'm inclined to return both the oils I've bought and get the Castrol Edge from Halfords instead, as I have more faith in Castrol than Comma. What do you think of the relative merits of Castrol vs. Comma as oil manufacturers and more specifically the 2 oils concerned? You'd expect that if an oil meets a specification then you don't need to worry about quality and can compare/choose on price. However, things aren't usually that simple...
With the mileage and type of driving we use the car for I think we're better off with longlife oil. In fact if it's better for us (3k miles pa, mostly short urban journeys) and it's better for those who do high mileages, I can't see who'd benefit from fixed interval servicing. Any views on this?
Mark
Yesterday I bought some Halfords own brand 5W/30 fully synthetic for my oil change. This meets VW 505 01 spec, so can be used for fixed interval changes.
Today I went to my local Wilco to buy a 36mm oil filter socket (approx £6 if anyone's interested). I noticed that they had similar Comma oils that were a few quid cheaper than Halfords for the same spec. I asked which they recommended and they said it depended on whether the car had previously had fixed or longlife services.
I told them that mine had had longlife services and was told that I should stick to longlife-spec oil as changing to fixed-spec oil could cause damage to seals. This smells of BS to me. The car must come out of the factory with seals suited to both specs of oil. Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this? Was he on commission?
I ended up buying 5l of Comma 5W/30 fully synthetic "Prolife" oil which meets VW 504 00 and VW 507 00, for £39.99, with a view to returning the Halfords oil.
When I was in Halfords yesterday I was specifically looking for VW 506 00 spec oil which they didn't have. I hadn't read this thread and didn't realise that VW 507 00 was a substitute. With this knowledge I'm inclined to return both the oils I've bought and get the Castrol Edge from Halfords instead, as I have more faith in Castrol than Comma. What do you think of the relative merits of Castrol vs. Comma as oil manufacturers and more specifically the 2 oils concerned? You'd expect that if an oil meets a specification then you don't need to worry about quality and can compare/choose on price. However, things aren't usually that simple...
With the mileage and type of driving we use the car for I think we're better off with longlife oil. In fact if it's better for us (3k miles pa, mostly short urban journeys) and it's better for those who do high mileages, I can't see who'd benefit from fixed interval servicing. Any views on this?
Mark
alanm
A2OC Donor
"3k miles pa, mostly short urban journeys"
For that sort of usage you'd be best sticking to fixed interval servicing, even if you use the higher spec oil. Longlife servicing is best suited to high mileage, long distance, motorway use. Check out the owner manual that should have come with your car - also look at the speil at the beginning of the service book.
For that sort of usage you'd be best sticking to fixed interval servicing, even if you use the higher spec oil. Longlife servicing is best suited to high mileage, long distance, motorway use. Check out the owner manual that should have come with your car - also look at the speil at the beginning of the service book.
Mr K
Member
Why do you think that? The incremental cost of a longlife service over a fixed interval one is about £10, which covers the difference in the price of the oil (assuming DIY, possibly more if comparing main agent servicing).
I have read the manual and service booklet. Contrary to your viewpoint, it actually states that the variable service takes into account how the car is used, "as frequent short trips and long journeys affect the vehicle in different ways." [ref p6 Audi Service Schedule EU 12.01].
On our car, the variable service reminder has recently started reporting that it needs an oil change in 300 miles. This means that the car will have done 4700 miles in the 19 months since its last longlife/variable service. If I change to fixed interval servicing I would have to have it done annually. Whether you DIY or take it to a dealer, the overheads (labour, oil filter, your time in taking/collecting the car, etc) significantly outweigh the difference in costs between the two types of oil. Hence even for our usage, it's cheaper to go longlife with a change every 19 months/4.7k miles versus 12 months/3k miles.
It's pretty clear from my experience that longlife services benefit our pattern of use as well as those doing high mileages. If that's the case, I can't see who'd benefit from fixed intervals other than workshops and dealers wanting to save a few quid on a service before selling a car.
Mark
Hi Mr K
The only thing that benefits from fixed service intervals is the engine. Acids from combustion build up in the oil much more rapidly on short journeys and the alkaline nature of the oil gradually changes to acidic over time. Leave this in the engine for long periods and bearing shells etc become pitted/ corroded. Soot levels also build up in the oil and deplete the anti wear additives leading to scuffed cam lobes and damage to other high load areas.
The oil condition monitoring system used by Audi (and others) is pretty basic and cannot give an accurate picture of just when the oil needs changing. I've read the system was really intended for high mileage company car drivers who end up with a yearly oil change anyway.
Low mileage and long oil change periods will reduce engine life - but you'r still likely to get around 100,000 miles instead of over 200,000 before a rebuild is needed so maybe it does not matter to you anyway.
Here endeth the lesson.
Cheers Spike
The only thing that benefits from fixed service intervals is the engine. Acids from combustion build up in the oil much more rapidly on short journeys and the alkaline nature of the oil gradually changes to acidic over time. Leave this in the engine for long periods and bearing shells etc become pitted/ corroded. Soot levels also build up in the oil and deplete the anti wear additives leading to scuffed cam lobes and damage to other high load areas.
The oil condition monitoring system used by Audi (and others) is pretty basic and cannot give an accurate picture of just when the oil needs changing. I've read the system was really intended for high mileage company car drivers who end up with a yearly oil change anyway.
Low mileage and long oil change periods will reduce engine life - but you'r still likely to get around 100,000 miles instead of over 200,000 before a rebuild is needed so maybe it does not matter to you anyway.
Here endeth the lesson.
Cheers Spike
Mr K
Member
Hi Spike. I've been aware that short journeys that don't warm the engine oil properly are not good for engines since I first started (DIY) servicing motorbikes & cars in 1980, so no surprises there
. I must admit I had more faith in Audi's oil condition monitoring technology than you suggest I should, but then I know virtually nothing about how it works. The fact that it can vary the change interval between as little as 4k (as reported in this forum) and up to 30k miles under ideal conditions led me to believe it was doing its job reasonably well. Do you have any links to FAQs/reading material supporting your views? I've searched the 'net in vain but take your views seriously given that you work for a diesel engine manufacturer.Funnily enough it would bother me if I took off 100k miles of useful life off the car though going for long-life rather than fixed servicing. I like to do things properly, make things that last and I don't like wasting precious resources - one of the reasons I have an A2. Having said that, at the current rate it would hit 100k in 2025. Failure of expensive electronic components will probably make it uneconomic to keep on the road well before the engine dies, as with a lot of modern cars.
I'm inclined to take your advice and change the oil annually, but use longlife spec oil as there's only a tenner in it.
Did you have any views on Comma vs. Castrol and the suspected BS from Wilco mentioned in my 03:52 PM post?
Cheers,
Mark
E
Emm
Guest
I told them that mine had had longlife services and was told that I should stick to longlife-spec oil as changing to fixed-spec oil could cause damage to seals. This smells of BS to me. The car must come out of the factory with seals suited to both specs of oil. Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this? Was he on commission?
I ended up buying 5l of Comma 5W/30 fully synthetic "Prolife" oil which meets VW 504 00 and VW 507 00, for £39.99, with a view to returning the Halfords oil.
When I was in Halfords yesterday I was specifically looking for VW 506 00 spec oil which they didn't have. I hadn't read this thread and didn't realise that VW 507 00 was a substitute. With this knowledge I'm inclined to return both the oils I've bought and get the Castrol Edge from Halfords instead, as I have more faith in Castrol than Comma. What do you think of the relative merits of Castrol vs. Comma as oil manufacturers and more specifically the 2 oils concerned? You'd expect that if an oil meets a specification then you don't need to worry about quality and can compare/choose on price. However, things aren't usually that simple...
Mark
We sell Comma, Castrol, Shell, Mobil 1 etc. The counter staff in a company should always try to "sell up" and make the extra few quid, however if the oil meets the spec, the oil meets the spec. Comma warranty system is just as comprehensive as Castrol or Shell if a customer cars fails through oil. You would have no trouble what so ever from fitting Comma oil that meets the spec. I used Comma yesterday to do my service.
On the subject of seals going, yes you are right its complete BS. Audi will change the service to "Fixed" in the blink of a eye if you asked, and they don't then strip and replace seals....
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Hi Mark
I always use Castrol as their longlife oils were jointly developed with Audi.
I cant comment on Comma etc as i'm not sure if all oils claimed to meet the same spec are made equal. At work we do a lot of testing for the truck market so i'll check if there is consistency between brands but I suspect even some of the world class brands don't always do what they say on the tin.
Ref the oil seal issue - I agree with Emm, it's complete BS
Cheers Spike
I always use Castrol as their longlife oils were jointly developed with Audi.
I cant comment on Comma etc as i'm not sure if all oils claimed to meet the same spec are made equal. At work we do a lot of testing for the truck market so i'll check if there is consistency between brands but I suspect even some of the world class brands don't always do what they say on the tin.
Ref the oil seal issue - I agree with Emm, it's complete BS
Cheers Spike
Hi,
so, ok a little assistance would be great
My a2 (1.4tdi, which I got just 6 weeks - 2500 miles ago) is on the variable longlife servicing. I rather enjoyed changing the oil and filter on my old car myself and don't feel comfortable going more than 10,000 miles on the same oil.
I also however dont feel that comfortable paying £40 for oil (5L of comma 507 00).
Does anyone have an opinion on using a cheaper oil and just changing it every 10000 as opposed to vw 507 00 every 20000? I'm being a bit lazy here but can anyone recommend a cheaper oil for fixed service intervals?
Also the lunatics at the audi dealer want £100 to stick my car on their diagnostics and change it to fixed service intervals! Does this sound right? I reckon I'll just use a pencil and a log book and spend the £100 on oil.
Thanks
N
so, ok a little assistance would be great
My a2 (1.4tdi, which I got just 6 weeks - 2500 miles ago) is on the variable longlife servicing. I rather enjoyed changing the oil and filter on my old car myself and don't feel comfortable going more than 10,000 miles on the same oil.
I also however dont feel that comfortable paying £40 for oil (5L of comma 507 00).
Does anyone have an opinion on using a cheaper oil and just changing it every 10000 as opposed to vw 507 00 every 20000? I'm being a bit lazy here but can anyone recommend a cheaper oil for fixed service intervals?
Also the lunatics at the audi dealer want £100 to stick my car on their diagnostics and change it to fixed service intervals! Does this sound right? I reckon I'll just use a pencil and a log book and spend the £100 on oil.
Thanks
N
Hi N
Post 11 of the attached thread covers most of your queries - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7041&highlight=50501
Cheers Spike
Post 11 of the attached thread covers most of your queries - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7041&highlight=50501
Cheers Spike
hotstuff
A2OC Donor
I use a simple system for the service requirements of our 2001 TDi, 63k miles.
I service every 10 000 miles, disregarding time intervals.
I always use Castrol Edge 5W30 fully synthetic oil.
I always replace the oil, fuel, air and pollen filters at the same time with genuine Audi parts.
Oil level is checked every month as are tyre pressures - never needed an oil top-up.
Yes, we love Humpy Dumpy!
I service every 10 000 miles, disregarding time intervals.
I always use Castrol Edge 5W30 fully synthetic oil.
I always replace the oil, fuel, air and pollen filters at the same time with genuine Audi parts.
Oil level is checked every month as are tyre pressures - never needed an oil top-up.
Yes, we love Humpy Dumpy!