GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: scott84 on 23 March 2011, 21:32
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Hi, new to the forum!
oil light came on today.....so i pulled over and scoured the internet for the correct oil grade and went to the nearest 'halfrauds'! After finding the 'correct grade' i parted with £16 for a litre and filled topped her up. This was assuming that this was also the oil that was used during my main dealer service 5 months ago!! i bought 5w30 castrol edge fully syn. However when i got home i checked the invoice and it states that they used mobil 10w/40????
Where does this now leave me? i've read previous threads however reading about oil grades, different types, service plans etc...and this has just confused me........so could someone say exactly where i should go from here given my situation.
Thanks in advance for any replies and sorry to bring the whole 'oil thread' up again!!!
:embarassed: :embarassed: :embarassed:
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Firstly, mk5 GTi use a lot of oil so start checking it at least every 2 weeks but I do it every week.
The castrol edge 5w 30 or mobil 1 ESP 5w 30 are the oils recommended by VW so not sure why they've used 10w 40 but whether that's an issue, I've no idea.
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To add, where did u get the car from as I'd be asking why they've used the wrong oil grade? Is you car very high milage?
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1 litre aint going to do any harm dont worry
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I'd be concerned that it's full with 10w 40 though, no?
1 litre aint going to do any harm dont worry
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Id get on the phone to the dealer that serviced the car and ask why they used 10-40.
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Should I just drain the oil and then use castrol edge to re fill?!
Seen threads saying to avoid mixing fully syn?! :lipsrsealed:
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Bought the car about 6months ago, full main dealer history 35000m. I had the last major service done and this is what they used! Didn't think to check the 'highly trained' mechanics knew what they were doing!!!
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Just another reason why my car has only ever seen a VW dealer when it needed warranty work done on it.
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Wasn't a gd idea to let it get so low the oil light came on. In my opinion that could have done some damage to the engine (do correct me if im wrong). Im surprised the main dealer didnt tell you what service plan your car is on, or that you need to check your oil level at least once a month. The oil used for the long life service plan is different to that used for the time and distance service plan.
Personally I would drain the oil and replace with long life oil whatever service plan your on. The long life oil is much better quality.
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What Snooze has said used to be correct. However for some time now the oil for longlife and the oil for standard has been the same on the GTi and dealerships are aware of this even if they like to play dumb.
If you need to prove it just ask them to consult EKTA - it's perfectly clear in there!
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Really Primus84? Whats EKTA? Its just at Halfords the long life oil is different to the time and distance oil :undecided:
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Yes I've read that too that they are supposed to use the same throughout. Longlife is just better grade?! Will drain and change it sat, not using car at the moment anyway. Would I need to change oil filter too?!
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ETKA is VW's parts computer database.
See below:
(http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9822/etkaoilll.th.jpg) (http://img527.imageshack.us/i/etkaoilll.jpg/)
Although the image is out of date and ETKA now only shows 5w-30 as being approved for use.
Notice the non-longlife oil is greyed out at the bottom. It is deprecated and no longer meant to be used.
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Cheers for info Primus.
Yes you should do the filter too Scott.
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Thanks for the advice everyone. Will be changing the oil and filter tomorrow. Just looking for somewhere that sells the oil cheaper than halfrauds to re-fill !!
Sure its going to be interesting making sure everyone knows what oil they should put in it during services etc....
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Im a bit confused and wondered if someone could help?! My car is on the time and distance service plan and I had it serviced last week. The garage said they used long life oil, which I was happy about because its supposed to be higher quality than the normal stuff. I didnt have any long life oil at home for topping it up with, so I thought id better get some. I was going to get some 5w 30 because I thought this was what VW recommended. But upon checking my garage receipt it showed the garage had used 0w 30 oil. Is this the right grade?
I am a bit confused now and slightly worried ive got the wrong oil in my car, please help?!
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my understanding is that, whether you are on long life or time and distance sevicing, VW has stated that long life oil should be used in all instances.
the handbook states that long life oil is spec vw504.00 or vw503.00
time and distance spec is vw501.01 or vw502.00
I have a litre of mobil 1 5w-30 which on the back is approved for spec vw504.00. I also have 4 litres of castrol edge 5w-30 which is approved for spec vw504.00
take a look at this link which should make things a little clearer - http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-742-vw-engine-oil.aspx
clicking on the vw 504 oil takes you to various supplier options but all being 5w-30
my gti is being serviced tomorrow and I am promised that 5w-30 will be used and I am on T&D
hope this helps
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Thanks King billy. So I am right in thinking 0w 30 is the wrong oil then?
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not necessarily snooze,
take the link to vw 503 oil (long life as per vw handbook) - http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-747-vw-50300-oil.aspx
note that the fuchs oil is 0w-30...and it's name includes the phrase "LL"...could mean long life...?
also note the second sentence - This specification is for petrol engines with extended service intervals (up to 30,000km or 24 months).
I am far from being an expert here - just trying to make sense of it all just like you
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Its all very confusing! Handbook says 503.00 or 504.00 for long life servicing, which includes several different grades. The problem came to light when I went to halfords to buy some oil for topping up. They recommended 5w 30, but the garage had used 0w 30 when they serviced it last week. I want to make sure im certain what oil I should be using before I have a go at my garage for putting the wrong oil in!
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The required VW oil standard takes precedence over brand and viscosity grade.
Here is the list of VW oil standards for petrol engines, according to performance level (in ascending order):
500.00
501.01
502.00
503.00
503.01
504.00
Each VW oil standard has a different range of allowable viscosity grades. For example, 504.00 oils are exclusively 5W-30, while 502.00 oils can be found in several different grades (5W-30, 5W-40, 0W-40, etc). Viscosity grade alone is not always an indicator of quality.
Generally, vehicles with fixed service intervals require 502.00 as a minimum, while vehicles with variable service intervals require 504.00 as a minimum.
Also note that each standard is compatible with, and supersedes, all previous oil standards.
At the end of the day, if you want the best, all you need to look for when purchasing oil is to look for "504.00 approved" on the bottle and nothing else. Easy as.
Disclaimer - the above information generally holds true unless stated otherwise, so always refer to the owner's manual for specifics.
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Well I called my garage today, and they said that the 0w 30 was the best oil to use on my car. I have been going to this garage ever since I started driving, and I respect their knowledge and advice. To be fair my car has been running really nicely since it was serviced next week, and the 0w 30 oil is in the 503.01 category which is recommended for my car.
The only thing that puts a doubt in my mind is that it says the 503.01 category has been superceded by the 504.00 category :huh:
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I think Mobil 1 ESP 5w 30 is 504.00 - for the sake of £50 I'd buy the oil myself and ask the garage if they'll change it FOC as a good will gesture.
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Only 5w-30 is now approved for use on the GTI by VW. Anything else is out of spec.
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Primus84,
I thought this as well. My gti was serviced yesterday and the dealer used spec vw502 (time and distance). I queried this and they insisted it was correct.
I left and phoned vw customer services...they agreed with the dealer.
They also stated that at no point in time has there ever been an edict from vw stating that longlife oil is to be used in all servicing regimes.
Unless anyone here can prove otherwise...?
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ETKA says otherwise!
Currently ETKA only provides for 5w-30 to be used on the GTI.
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Only 5w-30 is now approved for use on the GTI by VW.
That is incorrect, as not all 5W-30 oils are the same. It would be more accurate to say, "only 504.00 is now approved for use on the GTI by VW", which is what I suspect you are trying to say.
Having said that, if the owner's manual says 502.00 is acceptable, then 503.01 is acceptable as well, though you will have to switch to fixed service intervals if you haven't already done so.
But for any VW direct-injection petrol engine (FSI, TSI, TFSI, etc) 504.00 oils are best, regardless of service regime.
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Yeah, you're right I wasn't saying any 5w-30.
Regardless of what the manual says do you not think there must be a reason behind ETKA only listing LL oil now.
Dealers are aware of this, if you speak to the service manager you are more likely to get the correct information - last time my GTI was in to have the coil pack recall done I was told they needed it overnight for a part - when I asked what part I was told it needed glow plugs! You need to speak to the manager to get a proper answer KingBilly. Ask them to show you in ETKA where it allows for that oil to be used.
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thanks Primus,
I did notice your EKTA screen print on page 2 of this thread, but couldn't quite read it too clearly.
Is EKTA the bible and legally binding on dealers...or can they view it as a recommendation...but revert to the manual, as they have done in my instance...?
Not quite 100% confident to storm into the manager's office and complain just yet.
Thanks again for sharing better knowledge than I have.
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Thanks for all your comments guys. Doh as I suspected :sad: Gonna call the main dealer 2moz and see what they have to say about the matter. Dont really wanna have to pay for another oil service unless I absolutely have to. Will keep you updated! Cheers
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To Primus and all,
Just off the phone to the parts manager at my dealership...who I must admit sounded like he knows his stuff (not some YTS teenager).
Got him to put my VIN into ETKA and he got exactly the same screen as primus's print on page 2.
However...he did caveat it all stating that ETKA will only show the settings for your particular car "the way it left the factory". On VW system my car is flagged as being on Longlife servicing, but a previous owner changed the regime to Time & Distance...which means the lower grade oil is acceptable.
As I am on the Fixed 2 Year service deal, which only applies to T&D regimes, then I now feel I have no basis for complaint.
You win some...you lose some...!!!
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Not true, VW now state that any LongLife enabled car (any car produced since 2001 basically) must use LL oil whether it is on LL servicing or not. This dealership needs naming and shaming as they sound like absolute muppets!
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Primus,
I hear what you are saying...but I can't print out this thread and walk into my dealer with it and say "look, you need to put LL oil in my car".
VW customer services dept agree with the dealer.
Don't get me wrong...I totally believe what you say is correct...but I can't prove it.
Thanks again for your help.
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It's a shame elsawin no longer exists otherwise you could print off the exact paperwork to prove the garage wrong.
If the parts manager says that ETKA lists the car for as it left the factory then you need to ask him why it updates - my print screen previously posted shows both 5w-30 and 0w-30 but now only lists 5w-30 - the new LL oil standards.
Notice how it does list non-long life oils but they are greyed out - this is because they are deprecated and are no longer to be used - this is the proof that the dealership are wrong!
Like I say it's an older print screen so currently ETKA only lists 504 oil which is the 5w-30 on the print screen and the 0w-30 is 503 and is now not to be used. If you need to see it more clearly then try this link: http://img527.imageshack.us/f/etkaoilll.jpg/
But like I say it's slightly out of date and only 504 oil which is the 5w-30 is approved!
ETKA does not list just factory configuration - it is the VW system for identifying authorised parts and that includes consumables such as oil.
Name and shame.
I'd also get on to VW CS and make more of this, they simply should not be using the wrong oil, it's a basic error!
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just spoke to Charlotte in customer services...0800 0833 920
she spoke to technical for some time on two occasions during my call
the answer to the question - I am on T&D servicing, MUST the dealer put LL oil in my car...? - was NO
there isn't and never has been an edict/memo/notification to the dealers saying that the answer is YES
feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall...and it hurts...!!!
anyway...sorry to say, but this matter is now over for me...apologies if I have let the side down
thank you all for your comments
PS - the dealership in question is Specialist Cars in Aberdeen
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Just spoke to main dealer, and they said I should be using 5w 30. Looks like ill be going back to the garage where I had my car serviced and getting them to change it :sad:
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Glad Snooze had a positive outcome.
Shame it wasn't so for KingBilly, biggest shame is that as always VW CS is so poor!
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If the Garage refuses to do it free of charge, im thinking about doing the oil change myself. My girlfriends old man is pretty handy when it comes to cars. I just wondered is it really neccessary to change the oil filter aswell? Seeing as the garage put a new one in just last week when they serviced it with the wrong oil! (0w 30). If so, is changing the oil filter a tricky job, where can I buy one and how much does it cost? I can pick up a 5L bottle of fully synthetic 5w 30 oil from Halfords for about £40. Any advice would be gratefully received! Thanks
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I'll guess 50% of GTI's have other than VW approved oil in their sumps. Garages (even main dealers) just seem to have a large barrel of oil that does for everything. If my car had the oil the OP has I'd just leave it in for the year. Main thing with this engine is to keep the oil topped up, because when you thrash them they can really use it.
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Egbutt I see you've now edited your post but what you posted previously was incorrect.
504 is VW spec for petrol and 507 for diesel. The fact there are oils approved for both is great but it doesn't mean us petrol drivers are putting up with second rate stuff.
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To add further, 504.00/507.00 is a combination spec. Any oil sent to VW for testing must be able to pass both specs to receive approval.
An oil that only meets either 504 or 507 does not exist on the market, as that would be deemed a fail result, so approval would be not given.
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To add further, 504.00/507.00 is a combination spec. Any oil sent to VW for testing must be able to pass both specs to receive approval.
An oil that only meets either 504 or 507 does not exist on the market, as that would be deemed a fail result, so approval would be not given.
If it must pass both tests then are we petrol heads putting up with low smog diesel oil?
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Egbutt I see you've now edited your post but what you posted previously was incorrect.
504 is VW spec for petrol and 507 for diesel. The fact there are oils approved for both is great but it doesn't mean us petrol drivers are putting up with second rate stuff.
That's what the quote button is for :wink:
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No since it must pass the petrol test therefore it's not low smog diesel oil.
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Good news guys, the garage said they will do another oil service with the correct oil (5w 30) tomorrow free of charge!
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
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I had my car serviced recently and realised they must have put 5W-40 in, as that is the 1L bottle they gave me to top up with...
Should I complain?
Bit annoyed as I had 5W-30 in last time and had bought a 4L bottle of that recently to top up with.
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Check your receipt and perhaps give them a call first mate. If they used 5w 30 last time id be surprised if they didnt use it on your latest service.
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I've checked the receipt and it doesn't mention the oil they used but the top-up bottle they provided was: QUANTUM SPECIAL PLUS 5w/40
I've now got through that and have some Castrol Edge 5w/30 left over from before and wonder if it's OK to top up with this? I.e. mix 5w-40 and 5w-30.
A quick google search suggests it should be fine.
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i would never mix oils, just got buy some more. :shocked: