What engine oil do I need?

AdrianC

MinuteNoodles said:

AdrianC said:

5w40 is a little bit thicker than 5w30 when it's hot. That's why they say "for high mileage engines" - the extra thickness can compensate for internal wear, if you're having problems with the oil pressure light coming on at hot idle.

Sorry but that's just plain wrong. Thicker oil DOES NOT AND NEVER WILL compensate for internal wear. In fact what thicker oil actually does is increase the rate of wear. When you've got problems that bad the oil pump is usually not that healthy either. Thicker oil takes longer to pump around an engine when you start it so that means that if your car has been stood for several hours then using this stupid advice your engine, especially the top end of it, will spend more time running without any oil getting to it as the pump tries to shove the thicker oil through it than it would with thinner oil. This means even more premature wearing of things like your camshaft.

If there's bearing wear, then thinner oil will leak internally more readily, reducing pressure - which may well be borderline from a weak pump. And that's why you get the oil pressure light flickering or coming on at hot idle in knackered engines. Changing to a thicker oil will bring the pressure up a bit, through not leaking internally so much, and stop the light.

Does it fix the engine? Of course not.

cymruchris

AdrianC said:

MinuteNoodles said:

AdrianC said:

 if you're having problems with the oil pressure light coming on at hot idle.

 And that's why you get the oil pressure light flickering or coming on at hot idle in knackered engines. Changing to a thicker oil will bring the pressure up a bit, through not leaking internally so much, and stop the light.

The OP hasn't mentioned anything I can see about oil pressure lights coming on? You seem to have given the OP's car a problem it doesn't appear to have  

fred246

Sorry OP you do get some rubbish on this forum. The quick answer is that it is essential that you buy VW507.00 oil. Nothing else will do. You have a PD (pumpe duse) engine which requires special oil. Do not just put any oil in it. The original PD oil was VW505.01 which is 5W-40. They then introduced VW507.00 which is 5W-30 with a long life service interval. You have a PD engine with a DPF filter so only VW507.00 will do. There is a good explanation here:
https://www.oilspecifications.org/articles/vw_motor_oil_specifications_explained.php
Just follow the flowchart. It is essential you get VW507.00 oil. I don't think it really matters which brand you get. I personally would go for Comma x-flow Type V 5W-30 fully synthetic which you can get for about £30. The Type V is the important bit. How long you leave it between changes is another area of controversy.
If you have just bought it you will have no idea what has been used previously. Garages don't have the knowledge so they just put anything in. You can't prove what has been put in so they will tell you anything. Just buy it and change it yourself.

AdrianC

cymruchris said:

AdrianC said:

MinuteNoodles said:

AdrianC said:

 if you're having problems with the oil pressure light coming on at hot idle.

 And that's why you get the oil pressure light flickering or coming on at hot idle in knackered engines. Changing to a thicker oil will bring the pressure up a bit, through not leaking internally so much, and stop the light.

The OP hasn't mentioned anything I can see about oil pressure lights coming on? You seem to have given the OP's car a problem it doesn't appear to have  

Perhaps you'd be so kind as to point to where I said they were?

I was explaining the logic behind the "for high mileage engines" line on heavier-viscosity oils.

shoutshout

Thanks for the replies everyone! Didn't mean to cause a stir!
Yeah, the car drives just fine, I can't fault it for anything! But with all being said, I don't feel comfortable doing it myself anymore, so I have decided to book it in for an oil change, just to be on the safe side! The car is serving me well, and probably will for another 5 years or so, I'm not going to risk anything by potentially putting wrong type of oil in it!

The garage where I want to book it in stated that "according to the reg plate and the Audi handbook, the oil required is 5W-30 C3 Low Saps Fully Synthetic Engine Oil", which I'm assuming is just going to be whatever the cheapest fitting oil they can get. When I try to google this oil, it gives various results, which seem to show only conforming to the VW 505.00/505.01 standard, not VW 507 00, so I'm now even more confused

I've sent an email asking which oil is it in particular, but I didn't get a reply yet (which is fair considering it's a Sunday)

fred246

If I couldn't change the oil myself I would try to get a mobile mechanic. Someone you can talk to and watch them put it in. The other option is to take your own oil in but you still can't be sure they will actually use it. When I first got my PD car I went on the forums and people were having so much trouble trying to get the right oil in their car. You can't prove what they have put in so they will tell you all sorts of stories.

fred246

They were being told that oil X was in the car. The customer then proved that oil X was the wrong oil. The service manager would then come and say "what oil would be appropriate?" The customer would say oil Y. The manager would say "luckily that is what we used. Goodbye". How can you prove what they have used?

alankearn

I don't know why this link is so long, I use this for my Polo tdi pd

Click on link below

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Edge-Longlife-Engine-Oil-4-Litres-5W30-Fully-Synthetic-by-Castrol/222726649277?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D79a9f31257594507bc43fcb857b66cae%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D362719863795%26itm%3D222726649277%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2481888&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Acaf25990-c9e3-11e9-bf7c-74dbd18008b8%7Cparentrq%3Ada5c598716c0ac3d5d1bda0fffe25628%7Ciid%3A1

alankearn

fred246 said:

They were being told that oil X was in the car. The customer then proved that oil X was the wrong oil. The service manager would then come and say "what oil would be appropriate?" The customer would say oil Y. The manager would say "luckily that is what we used. Goodbye". How can you prove what they have used?

I have used one of these on the same car for over 15 years with no problem 15/20 minutes to change oil .

Makes the job quick if you warm the engine (oil) first

alankearn

alankearn said:

fred246 said:

They were being told that oil X was in the car. The customer then proved that oil X was the wrong oil. The service manager would then come and say "what oil would be appropriate?" The customer would say oil Y. The manager would say "luckily that is what we used. Goodbye". How can you prove what they have used?

I have used one of these on the same car for over 15 years with no problem 15/20 minutes to change oil .

Makes the job quick if you warm the engine (oil) first

I forgot the link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-TP696-5-5ltr-Manual-Extractor/dp/B000WZF74M?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3