Take some time to read the spec.
They specify a
minimum viscosity as part of the criteria. The VAG oils tend to be "thick" oils.
I quote the owner's manual:
"Your engine was filled with a high-quality, "synthetic" all-season engine oil that meets strict Volkswagen oil quality standards and has a viscosity grade of SAE 5w40, or SAE 5w30. You can use this oil for normal driving in all temperatures."
A chart shows: "Diesel engines......VW 507.00" No diesel-specific viscosity recommendation.
I've owned a lot of cars, including VWs, and I've never seen an owner's manual that doesn't specify a single grade of oil, or provide a temperature-related chart of what viscosities to use. I also find their statement that they filled the engine with "one or the other" to be odd. Don't they know? Weren't they there? "Whatever" seems like an un-German specification.
What I DO know is that the viscosity that is correct for a given engine depends largely on internal tolerances. Thicker doesn't necessarily mean "better protection" if it can't get to where it needs to be. I'm curious what the engineers intended, and why that information isn't being conveyed to consumers. (We shouldn't have to "research" beyond reading the owner's manual, right?)
Further adding to the oddity: The entire section of the manual is chock full of persnickety, anal-retentive German detail about EXACTLY how to read the dipstick, and several paragraphs about the importance of using EXACTLY the right oil lest the world spin off its axis. That sounds like VW. Did the folks in Tennessee add the "whatever" language?
So what are y'all using? 5w40 or 5w30? And why?
-mickey
p.s. As with all things "oil" it's probably just arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. But that's what gearheads do.