15 Golf SEL 67,000 miles and eating oil

I believe that's within spec.

JM Popaleetus said:

Baseline at 71470:

Today, at 76255 miles or just short of an even 5000 later, my low oil light came on as I was pulling into my driveway. It's dark out, but it looks like I'm burning a 1/2qt every 5000 miles (assuming the light comes on at a quart low).

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I meant to comment when you first posted that photo - that's a fantastic, borderline artistic photograph!

bizzle said:

I believe that's within spec.

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I agree. I'm not concerned whatsoever. Basically 100mL every 1000miles. I'll be curious to see if the new Mobil 1 oil burns less.

Nuje said:

I meant to comment when you first posted that photo - that's a fantastic, borderline artistic photograph!

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Thank you thank you. Here's another:



Took ~5oz to shutoff the light and get to point I marked with an arrow (considered the minimum "in range" level).

And took 20oz to get to what you see pictured. I'll check it again in the morning once the engine has had a chance to circulate everything.

Interestingly, the manual does say that if the oil level is at any point on the bulb ("C" range), to add one quart in half-quart increments.

so when the warning on the dash comes up, you're still not in dire straits. I'm at 6600 into this oil change, well see what it shows at 7000.

Reading threads like this make me less worrisome about loss of oil when checking the dipstick. My dad is a die-hard 3,000 mile conventional, 5,000 mile synthetic oil change guy. He has always been. Their last Subaru had 140,000 miles when they traded it in and didn't burn an ounce of oil - but it was a nearly 100% highway vehicle (he drove 100 miles per day, minimum). When I told him I was going to follow the manual's suggested 10,000 mile OCI, on my new-to-me $16,000 car, I think he had a heart attack.

I figure that as long as I keep the correct spec. oil in the engine, and at the correct level, if anything catastrophic happens it's coming out of VW's pocket not mine.

dutch.mafia said:

Reading threads like this make me less worrisome about loss of oil when checking the dipstick. My dad is a die-hard 3,000 mile conventional, 5,000 mile synthetic oil change guy. He has always been. Their last Subaru had 140,000 miles when they traded it in and didn't burn an ounce of oil - but it was a nearly 100% highway vehicle (he drove 100 miles per day, minimum). When I told him I was going to follow the manual's suggested 10,000 mile OCI, on my new-to-me $16,000 car, I think he had a heart attack.

I figure that as long as I keep the correct spec. oil in the engine, and at the correct level, if anything catastrophic happens it's coming out of VW's pocket not mine.

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Haha on the heart attack part. Pretty much most new cars today go with 10,000 miles oil change intervals. Me with my old 2011 JSW bought brand new on Aug 2010 to June 2018 with 300k miles, hardly burn any oil at the end of oil life. Usually a quart.. they are called oil burners.


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My both Jetta's (2010&2015) and 255K , 57K respectively, do not seem to use oil in between the oil change interval of 10,000 miles. In the last 2 years (and in foreseeable future) I buy my oils from IDparts. Even though they are different German brands--and inexpensive-- oil than the oil I used to get from the VW dealership, I did not notice any change as far as driveability or oil consumption issues are concerned. High sustain rpm's or spirited driving tends to increase oil consumption, I am not sure how your driving style is but it's something to consider.

Hmm I haul about 200 lbs of videophone equipment and old JSW had stage 2 tune. Now same hauling with 2014 JSW with stage 3 tune, CR170 and CP3. This one dont burn oil as of yet. Old one did and several stealership said its within tolerance. What? Umm ok.


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Imagine that if these modern lubricants were available in the 50's-60's how long engines would have lasted?

thundershorts said:

Imagine that if these modern lubricants were available in the 50's-60's how long engines would have lasted?

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Given the fact that all the classic car owners are scrambling to find the right additives to keep their old engines from self destructing on modern oils, I'd say not long. Not long at all. You should see what my boss (who has a Ford Model A) has to pay for the old type non "energy conserving" motor oils. No catalysts to worry about.

Lots of newer Hemi engines are suffering from flat cams, and FCA evidently knows this, because they spec a 40 weight oil on the 8500+ GVWR trucks, but the half tons and cars get stuck with 20 or 30 because they need it to squeak out that last wee bit of fuel economy and emissions.

Interesting how the 505.01 spec 5w40 motor oils (high shear strength) are actually excellent for those older engines. The machine shop we deal with now uses that in all their builds. Old solid lifter domestic V8s like it!

Not all older stuff is "bad". Much of it was quite good at doing what it was supposed to do, but it became an environmental or cost issue later. Like asbestos. Asbestos was FANTASTIC at literally everything it was used for. It just had a bad side effect. So it went away... but the side effect doesn't change the fact that it worked really well for its intended purpose, and it some cases it took decades of R&R to figure out something that was indeed just as good.

Asbestos- amazing insulator, terrible baby powder additive.

I still see cheapo non detergent oils at the local gas stations. I may be wrong, but many of them don't seem to have the energy conserving "star". But I'll have to look more closely the next time I fuel up.

Even the cheap Super Tech brand Wal-mart oil has the API specs. I only know this because that is what I use to top up the change on my F150, since it gets the John Deere branded 10w30 (because I do not use that in any of our equipment, but it is a better value to just get it with the filters and such). I refuse to believe that the same JD branded 10w30 motor oil is suitable for use in an air cooled Kohler single, an air cooled Kawasaki twin, a water cooled Kawasaki twin, a gasoline Yanmar 3 cyl, a diesel Yanmar 3 cyl, a diesel Yanmar 4 cyl, or a JD diesel 4 cyl. Because that is what they'll happily sell you for EVERYTHING.

The ancient 4.9L in my F150 is happy with just about anything.

Air cooled small engines do like mobil v twin motorcycle oil. t-6 works well in older Brit stuff as well as other older flat tappet motors. Sludge was the enemy as well as gas dilution of the oil.

Some of those supertech branded oils are actually very good. I've bought a fair amount of the 15w40. I use it in my truck, tractors, and air cooled stuff. The John Deere oils are really top shelf though. I hadn't bought any oil for quite awhile, but I went to Wmart yesterday to buy a gallon of tire slime and they had some delvac synthetic 15w-40 discounted enough to entice me to buy a gallon. Never tried a synthetic 15w-40 before.

I was thinking that fuel dilution and combustion byproducts contaminate the oil in the really old engines pretty fast. They probably did oil changes every 1500 miles way back when. Or they just consumed enough to keep getting fresh oil.

Many carburetor gas engines had oil dilution problems, especially if short tripped in cold weather. Modern engines have strategies to warm up much faster (and monitor this) but we see some pretty bad dilution problems again with many DI gassers. But now, they are being spec'd with even thinner oils that have been stripped of a lot of their lubricity enhancing additives that the older oils used. I had a 2014 Jetta sedan in here this week, with the CPRA 1.8L turbo engine, that was 3.75 liters low on oil, and it was only about 6500 miles into its interval. All the VAG DI gas engines have oil that is black and runny when it gets changed. They really, really tax the oil.

Last winter, my parents were driving their near-new Honda CRV (1.5T, I think) through the prairies, had it just quit on the highway. Got it towed and had the oil drained - 7.9L of "oil" came out (spec is ~4L). Apparently, that engine has a tendency to dilute the oil with gasoline in cold (-10C and below) weather.

They were re-thinking the wisdom of taking the buyback money on their 2009 Jetta at that point.

Yeah, and they've had so many problems with the turbo 1.5L that they have an extension on certain engine components, for I think 6 years and unlimited mileage. The camshafts and rocker arms self destruct pretty commonly. They (Honda) were the only ones brave enough to spec 0w20 oil in these type engines.... but then Volkswagen started doing it too on some of their new ones. But at least VAG has a reasonably decent oil capacity (5.7L vs. Honda's meager 3.5L).

Sad, the older first and second generation 2.4L Honda engines were pretty good. Then they decided to go with that new style vario-cam gear that gets trashed and sticks and causes that awful grinding noise at startup, then I guess they felt they needed to outdo themselves and come up with that 1.5L turbo timebomb.

I have two of the 1st and one of the 2nd gen 2.4L in my family. The one, a 2007 CRV, has 240k miles and is 100% perfect, same as new. The engine has literally had oil changes and filters every 10k, air filter every 30k, spark plugs every 110k (all by the book) and nothing else. It amazingly even still has its original catalyst.

oilhammer said:

Yeah, and they've had so many problems with the turbo 1.5L that they have an extension on certain engine components, for I think 6 years and unlimited mileage. The camshafts and rocker arms self destruct pretty commonly. They (Honda) were the only ones brave enough to spec 0w20 oil in these type engines.... but then Volkswagen started doing it too on some of their new ones. But at least VAG has a reasonably decent oil capacity (5.7L vs. Honda's meager 3.5L).

Sad, the older first and second generation 2.4L Honda engines were pretty good. Then they decided to go with that new style vario-cam gear that gets trashed and sticks and causes that awful grinding noise at startup, then I guess they felt they needed to outdo themselves and come up with that 1.5L turbo timebomb.

I have two of the 1st and one of the 2nd gen 2.4L in my family. The one, a 2007 CRV, has 240k miles and is 100% perfect, same as new. The engine has literally had oil changes and filters every 10k, air filter every 30k, spark plugs every 110k (all by the book) and nothing else. It amazingly even still has its original catalyst.

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Wow! When did they stop those 2.4’s for the wimpy time bomb 1.5T? I am asking is because a friend of mine who has a Passat TDI, his girlfriend wants a SUV..... hence Honda CRV. I advised him to look on the CRV’s but not sure which year to look for.


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2019 was the last year for the 2.4L in the CRV, they sold it alongside the 1.5L for a few years, the 1.5L being the option. But keep in mind, the later (2014+?) 2.4L has the fragile timing gear setup AND somewhere along the line they cursed them with a CVT.... which is its own special flavor of fail.

I think if I were looking for a new or newish CRV, I'd instead go for the Passport, even if it means a lower trim level to make it affordable. Because they use the V6, and even with all the changes, Honda's V6s seem to be fantastic still... they use a 9sp conventional automatic, sourced from ZF, and they work pretty good. My sister has one in her Pilot (the Passport's older, bigger brother).

My last oil analysis showed higher Chrome and iron. They asked if I noticed any additional consumption. It was immediately after that I had to add oil for the first time ever. The report was during my 65k oil change and after that report Is when I had to add oil for the first time. Im waiting in the results of my 75k sample. I keep saying Im going to post my oil reports but I always forget. Ill try to follow up here If anything comes form it.

5000 miles into my 80k oil change.

Will keep an eye on it and confirm in a couple months, but it appears the oil consumption may have stopped with the new VW/Mobil 1 0W-30 507.

oilhammer said:

They are approximate, and verbatim from the TSB.

600 miles = 965.608 km (so, rounded up to an even 1000)

.5 quart = .473 liters (so round up to .5 liters)

OR

1000 km = 621 miles (so, rounded down to an even 600)

.5 liter = .528 quarts (so rounded down to an even half quart)

Seems pretty legit to me. *shrug*

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Oilhammer:
You just left a zero off the .5 liter per 1000 km. You said .5 liter per 100 km
That's why the question was asked.