'98 Bettle TDI oil recommendation

brewer13

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2017
Location
San Diego
TDI
'98 Beetle
Just got this car and want to change the oil. What do most of you use for engine oil and what is the best oil filter. Thank you for any input....
 

scooperhsd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Location
Kansas City KS
TDI
NB, 2000, RED(5 Speed conversion) 2015 Golf SE
No Owner's manual ? No looking in the thousands of similar posts ?

Oils - anything that meets VW505.00 or later, or any diesel rated 5w40 synthetic, CF4 rating or later. You can buy oil at your VW dealer, European Car formula, Shell Rotella T6, Mobil Turbo Diesel Truck, etc.

Oil filter - Mann /Wix - again you can purchase at the VW dealer or online. Just look for ALH as the motor type. There are a number of online venders that can supply the whole package (oil + filter).
 

BorisBug99

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 19, 2017
Location
Sun Prairie, WI-Earth
TDI
99 beetle
No Owner's manual ? No looking in the thousands of similar posts ?

Oils - anything that meets VW505.00 or later, or any diesel rated 5w40 synthetic, CF4 rating or later. You can buy oil at your VW dealer, European Car formula, Shell Rotella T6, Mobil Turbo Diesel Truck, etc.

Oil filter - Mann /Wix - again you can purchase at the VW dealer or online. Just look for ALH as the motor type. There are a number of online venders that can supply the whole package (oil + filter).
What he said.
 

otm646

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
1998 AHU Jetta.
Either Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck (often called TDT on the forum) or Rotella T6 (They unfortunately just changed the formulation) 5w40 but they're still great oils and available everywhere.
 

belome

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
Mid MI
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed
Since you are new... are you aware the of Timing Belt change intervals? Those are heartbeat of the TDI and when they fail it is big money to fix.
 

h4vok

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
Location
Denver (ex MN)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDi 5sp 171k
Another +1 for shell diesel T6 I use the 5w40 and 0w40 versions of it in my 03. The TDT is good too and both should be available locally. If you want to go euro oil online pentosin hp2 5w40 I have heard is good and has both the 505 vw ratings if your into that.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Either Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck (often called TDT on the forum) or Rotella T6 (They unfortunately just changed the formulation) 5w40 but they're still great oils and available everywhere.
What did they do to the T6? If you are referring to the change from CJ to CK, that is a periodic reformulation to keep the oil operating for new engine technology.
 

tjpeterson96

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Location
Winter Garden, FL
TDI
04 bew jetta
What did they do to the T6? If you are referring to the change from CJ to CK, that is a periodic reformulation to keep the oil operating for new engine technology.
I've seen Blackstone test from unused samples of the CJ and new CK flavors on BITOG and and the CK no Moly in it at all :eek:
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
I've seen Blackstone test from unused samples of the CJ and new CK flavors on BITOG and and the CK no Moly in it at all :eek:
So I wonder if other oils are doing away with moly in their oils as well. I also wonder why they are going away from it. I also wonder if I should have leftover pizza for breakfast or save it for lunch.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
Yes, they are. Because the molybdenum is there as molybdenum compounded with sulfur. It is a great antiwear compound because it breaks down and releases the plating molybdenum via pressure and does not need a lot of heat like the zinc compounds do. The reason they're getting rid of it is because when it breaks down, it releases the sulfur, which poisons exhaust catalysts.

And finally, breakfast, definitely. If you wait for lunch you run the risk of someone else grabbing and eating it, and/or if you wait, you have to heat it up first.

Cheers,

PH
 

reince

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Location
GA
TDI
2006 Beetle
Use Mobil 1 Turbo diesel truck, tried and tested here.
 

belome

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
Mid MI
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed
I also wonder if I should have leftover pizza for breakfast or save it for lunch.
No matter when you decide to eat... buy an air fryer... the absolute best way to reheat a few slices of pizza.
 

mrseadog

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Location
St. Louis, MO
TDI
2002 Jetta
I have been using Rotella T6 for the last 10 years and have been satisfied with the results. My oil change interval is every 5000 miles.

For what it is worth for those that have Rural King nearby they sell a house brand (Harvest King) 5w-40 synthetic for less than Rotella T6. I haven't been by to check if it is rated CF4 or better. If it is I might give it a go. They sell it in 1 gal, 2 gal, and 5 gal quantities.

Edit: Understand it is CJ4 if my internet search is correct.
 
Last edited:

alally

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Location
Lakebay, Wa
TDI
2000 Golf Automatic
I decided to change my own oil when I was quoted $90 from Jiffy Lube. 90 bucks for an oil change? The Ford dealer charges me $40 to change the oil in my Cmax. I usually change my own oil, but I was feeling lazy. But not that lazy. I got the 5 qt. bottle of 5w-40 Castrol full synthetic for $28, with a $10 rebate, and the Wix filter element for $12 at O'Reilly's. Then after watching a couple of You Tube videos and reading some posts on this website, I got to work. I think it was that I've never had a car with plastic cowls over the bottom and top of the engine that kind of gave me the jitters. But once that was out of the way it is just a standard oil change.

There was a complication: I nudged the plastic dip-stick tube, and it busted right off. I was greatly miffed, as it was a Sunday afternoon, and I am 30 miles from the nearest VW dealer. I had no idea if these things were even available (Sure we can get one in, it's $100, & it'll be 10-15 business days). But I found some on partsgeek, and when I waited til the next day, the VW place had them for $23 in stock. So I get it home, and it fit on the little flange on the engine block OK. I put everything back together, and when I filled it with the 4.8 qts of oil the manual says it takes, it barely touched the dipstick. I added the rest of the 5 qt bottle and a half a qt from another bottle before it hit full on the stick. Then the thought hit me - what if this is the wrong tube, that is too long, making you think there is the right amount of oil when you have actually overfilled it? So I took it all apart to compare the new tube with the old one - they were both the same length. So for some reason I guess my oil pan takes 5.5 qts of oil.
Another problem is that the dipstick is a little on the big side for this tube, so when I pull the stick out, it pulls the tube right out with it! Guess I have to file it down a bit, and get the tube to stay on the engine better somehow.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
5.5 quarts should be about a quart overfilled. Probably not enough to worry about though. Maybe the dip tube isn't fully seated.
 

mrseadog

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Location
St. Louis, MO
TDI
2002 Jetta
There was a complication: I nudged the plastic dip-stick tube, and it busted right off. I was greatly miffed, as it was a Sunday afternoon, and I am 30 miles from the nearest VW dealer. I had no idea if these things were even available (Sure we can get one in, it's $100, & it'll be 10-15 business days). But I found some on partsgeek, and when I waited til the next day, the VW place had them for $23 in stock. So I get it home, and it fit on the little flange on the engine block OK. I put everything back together, and when I filled it with the 4.8 qts of oil the manual says it takes, it barely touched the dipstick. I added the rest of the 5 qt bottle and a half a qt from another bottle before it hit full on the stick. Then the thought hit me - what if this is the wrong tube, that is too long, making you think there is the right amount of oil when you have actually overfilled it? So I took it all apart to compare the new tube with the old one - they were both the same length. So for some reason I guess my oil pan takes 5.5 qts of oil.
Another problem is that the dipstick is a little on the big side for this tube, so when I pull the stick out, it pulls the tube right out with it! Guess I have to file it down a bit, and get the tube to stay on the engine better somehow.
The replacement oil tube may not be fully seated and therefore sitting high. The oil tube should grab onto a small detent holding it in place. If it comes off when the dipstick is pulled something is amiss.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
So now you are at about $70 for the oil change plus it would be a good idea to drain off some of the excess oil. Add in your time that you could have spent doing something else and that $90 oil change isn't looking too bad.
 
Top