Oil Spec Again......

I can't find the thread that discussed oil and did not write it down.

Parts guy gave me 505.00 Castrol Edge E today (5-40) and as usual I cross checked my reserve container (Castrol SLX 5-30)

Keep in mind this is once a year and you look at the string of number and the mind twists. Anyway it did not match, I got the book and confirmed the 505-01.

So a couple items, did they not supersede that with 507 or some such?

And can you mix the old Castrol SLX with the new (totally synthetic finally ?) oil.

I did get the right spec at 505-01 which is again a 5-30 though its not the weight its the additive unless someone has newer knowledge.

I also put the 505-01 right by the filler cap on the intercooler for quicker reference as I expect this to come up again when the next parts guy comes on (dealer sold, new parts guy and he does have the note by his desk and stood corrected and apologized, I kind of beat it into him how important it was and not just a viscosity change (now) or so I think) .

And if there is a supersede does it mxi with the current Castrol Edge?

Not interested in other oils as those cannot be found up here. VW dealer or nothing and its Castrol.

Worth a sticky? I think but .....

Just put Mobil 1 TDT 5W40 in it.

I would have to find out if its up here (ergo the note on Castrol and the dealer) and I would have to get confirmation that is allowed.

I.e. what spec is it?

Smokerr said:

I can't find the thread that discussed oil and did not write it down.
Parts guy gave me 505.00 Castrol Edge E today (5-40) and as usual I cross checked my reserve container (Castrol SLX 5-30)
Keep in mind this is once a year and you look at the string of number and the mind twists. Anyway it did not match, I got the book and confirmed the 505-01.
So a couple items, did they not supersede that with 507 or some such?
And can you mix the old Castrol SLX with the new (totally synthetic finally ?) oil.
I did get the right spec at 505-01 which is again a 5-30 though its not the weight its the additive unless someone has newer knowledge.
I also put the 505-01 right by the filler cap on the intercooler for quicker reference as I expect this to come up again when the next parts guy comes on (dealer sold, new parts guy and he does have the note by his desk and stood corrected and apologized, I kind of beat it into him how important it was and not just a viscosity change (now) or so I think) .
And if there is a supersede does it mxi with the current Castrol Edge?
Not interested in other oils as those cannot be found up here. VW dealer or nothing and its Castrol.
Worth a sticky? I think but .....

Click to expand...

Actually, it IS a sticky, but it is cleverly hidden under the FUELS AND LUBRICANT section. :roll eyes:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=158788

Bill

Thank you, read it and more than happy to stick with the VW vs the Mobil.

Problem is that metal anlysis can be a tricky thing, damage the cam over time and then come up short. Maybe not but when I get 10k out of an oil change a few bucks is not a problem and the oil is not that bad at VW.

Any input on mixxing the old oil (which seems to be non synthetic ) vs the new Edge fully synthetic oil ?

If you can't do mail order and must stick with dealerships, you need to insist on the 505.01 that comes in 5w40 as recommended in your owner's manual: part# G-052-167-M2.

For some reason, the dealers seem to think any 505.01 is okay, including the later 5w30 versions, when the recommendation from VAG/VWoA for our cars is for 505.01 in the 5w40 weight.

It's not either/or, it's "and". Both 505.01 and 5w40.

That adds a twist.

When I got my PD back in Dec 2004. I read up on 505.01 until my head hurt because there was and still is so much confusion. It really is simple for my car in my view, 505.01 and it must be 5w40, nothing else. There are so many brands out there that are decent. Pentosin HP2 and from the dealer Castrol Turbo Diesel Edge, 505.01 and both are 5w40. I have used both. I have used the Castrol Blend for some 60k now and my car seems to like it. My oil consumption is really most excellent as it has been the life of the car so far. We do know however VW had to come up with this lubricant elixir for our cars because of the cam. I think the one thing that many of us do not like is that we can't buy oil off the shelf of our favorite big box retailer.

Further reading shows that the 5-30 is acceptable. That is what they have available up here and what the last oil was as well.

I suspect its a climate situation. Alaska is pretty cold most of the time and even high summer temps barely register as a "hot" day for most of the lower 48 (or Hawaii!).

Getting something shipped to AK with haz fees is costly, some companies won't ship air, ground has to through Caneda up 2500 miles of the AlCan (let alone getting to and through Canada in the first place to get to the Alcan)

At a 10k change interval its not like its onerous, pickup get changed every 5k. It’s a very small part of the maint equation.

This is the first time this dealer did not have a handle on it. Our sales guy who sold us the car was a diesel truck nut and made sure that I needed to tread carefully in different oils and this group made sure of that.

In this case that all that worked, as soon as I saw the label bells went off.

This clears it up and much appreciated.

Even further reading would reveal that that the easily found (@ Walmart!) Mobil 1 TDT is perfectly suitable for your PD engine even though it does not have the 505.01 rating. Rotella T6 also returns excellent UOAs in that family of engines.

Look at posts by member Bob Fout for good oil advice.

Bill

It would appear the Castrol SLX is the same as the Edge, different label and color.

I have a quart and if someone has a different take on that oil it would seem its usable as the makeup oil?

In my old age I have found cautious is better than not.

I have seen some of Bob Fouts posts and I think he has it down well.

On the other hand, I can be very conservative and just use the 505.01 spec oil. We are not talking big bucks here (well for us, we put 10 k a year on the Passat so its a yearly expense)

I am being cautious and sticking with the 505.01 spec for my use.

Smokerr said:

Further reading shows that the 5-30 is acceptable. ....

Click to expand...

Just a word of caution, many of us and gurus think 5w30 is too thin for the fragile PD cams. Many cam failures reported had 5w30 use in common.

5w40 grade offers the best protection. 505.01 spec oil, Mobil 1 TDT, Rotella T6, and Scfaeffer 9000 Supreme is what is recommended here.

Thank you, its being fully taken seriouly

I will be looking to see if I can find it in that weight.

Somewhere in all the numbers I had missed that the 40 was the preferred listed, didn't realize (seen the threads that was given its due emphasis)

Smokerr said:

Further reading shows that the 5-30 is acceptable.

Click to expand...

Does it? I don't have the owners manual in front of me or readily available, but I thought it said 5w30 was only acceptable when 5w40 is unavailable. If so, I would read that to mean that if you needed to top-up now because you're below the "add" hash on the dipstick, then go ahead and use the 505.01 in 5w30 that you have. But any VW dealership should be able to order any VW parts, and you now have the VW part number for the 505.01 in 5w40 weight, so there's no reason it shouldn't be available in the future even in Alaska.

You're only changing oil roughly once a year, so just ask the dealership a week or two beforehand to order the proper oil for your car.

KISS. Rotella T-6. 5w40

50harleyrider said:

KISS. Rotella T-6. 5w40

Click to expand...

Yup.. Cheap, available everywhere and proven to do the job.

50harleyrider said:

KISS. Rotella T-6. 5w40

Click to expand...

^^^ Yes, or the Mobil 1 equivalent. So simple, such good results.