What engine oil do I need?

fred246

Based on the experiences of people taking cars with PD engines to garages for services.

mcpitman

LOL @ "people". So no-one in particular, at all. Just a mass generalisation.

AdrianC

mcpitman said:

LOL @ "people". So no-one in particular, at all. Just a mass generalisation.

No, let's be fair. I'm sure Fred has interviewed a statistically-meaningful sample, using a questionnaire designed not to elicit predetermined results, and will be more than happy to provide us with his documented results.

(waits patiently)

fred246

It's hilarious this thread. OP asks question about which oil to use. 12 posts follow with nobody identifying the correct oil until I come along and provide the necessary information and then everybody pretends that if he had taken it to a garage they would automatically have put the correct oil in.

DoaM

Which is still just your opinion-dressed-as-fact; you have yet to provide any proof or evidence to backup your assertions.

AdrianC

fred246 said:

It's hilarious this thread. OP asks question about which oil to use. 12 posts follow with nobody identifying the correct oil until I come along and provide the necessary information

Apart from a random recommendation for some of the cheapest semi-off-brand oil around, what did that post add to the very first reply in the thread, from more than 21 hours earlier...?

8.43am, 30/5

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.

507.00 is just one of VW's approvals, it doesn't specify any particular oil in and of itself. Your manual will also state a viscosity.

Putting your car details into a specialist oil supplier's search comes back with just 5w30.
https://www.opieoils.co.uk/f/2354/18398/2010/engine-oil.aspx

6.06am, 31/5

fred246 said:

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.

Given that the OP's original question was actually...

shoutshout said:

Hi everyone,
I was trying to find engine oil to buy online, but admittedly I got a bit lost. My car manual says I need to go for VW 507 00. When I entered my reg online, it offered me these two:
Shell Helix HX8 ECT 5W-30 - 5Ltr - https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/p/shell-helix-hx8-ect-5w-30-5ltr-521773591
Shell Helix HX8 ECT 5W-40 - 5Ltr - https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/p/shell-helix-hx8-ect-5w-40-5ltr-521773571
What I could find from search is that 5w-30 is for "younger" engines and 5w-40 is for "high mileage". I have 126k miles, so I'm assuming I should go for 5w-40? The other one is twice the price, which I'm willing to pay if it's actually better for my car, but I just don't know anything about these things.
However, even though I entered my reg on the page, neither of those two list 507.00 under Product Details, making me unsure if it is even the right oil for my car.

Following details are from the car papers, if it helps:
Car sales model 8PABHD
BLS engine
KBL gearbox
A3 Spb TDIe 1.9 R4 77 DPF
Model year 2010

If anyone can shed a light on what oil would be the best for my car, I would be forever grateful! Thanks in advance!

So, let's summarise.

"My manual says 507.00, but one website offers me these two - 5w30 or 5w40 (which it says is for high mileage). Which should I buy?"

Reply 1
"507.00 is an approval standard, the others are viscosities - you want the 5w30. This is why they might offer the other. Here's a link to one specialist supplier."

Reply 2
"Here's a bit of waffle about a completely different approval standard, but you want 507.00. I'd buy a cheap-and-nasty off-brand, even though it's actually more expensive than some of the better brands linked to earlier."

If ever there was proof required that you don't actually read things, Fred...

fred246

You didn't fix his oil pressure light that he didn't have a problem with.

AdrianC

fred246 said:

You didn't fix his oil pressure light that he didn't have a problem with.

Thank you for confirming my final sentence.

Jack_Cork

fred246 said:

 You can't prove what has been put in so they will tell you anything.

If you really wanted you could get an oil analysis done, it would tell you exactly what oil had been used. If you specified a brand, such as Castrol you could even tell if it was Castrol or not. 

fred246

Jack_Cork said:

fred246 said:

 You can't prove what has been put in so they will tell you anything.

If you really wanted you could get an oil analysis done, it would tell you exactly what oil had been used. If you specified a brand, such as Castrol you could even tell if it was Castrol or not. 

I am sure you can. How much does that cost?