Oil consumption

creekfreak

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Location
Cincinnati Oh
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI Sportwagon
I just bought my first TDI about a month ago and have driven about 4000 miles. The car has about 50,000 miles and I have used about a half qt of motor oil. Is this normal?
 

vondiesel

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2007
Location
northeastern pa.
TDI
2005 jetta wagon auto , 2003 jetta wagon 5 speed manual
creekfreak said:
I just bought my first TDI about a month ago and have driven about 4000 miles. The car has about 50,000 miles and I have used about a half qt of motor oil. Is this normal?
Thats not normal what year ?
 

rv6_flyer

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Location
Southwestern Pennsylvania
TDI
1998 New Beetle TDI
creekfreak said:
I just bought my first TDI about a month ago and have driven about 4000 miles. The car has about 50,000 miles and I have used about a half qt of motor oil. Is this normal?
Creekfreak:

May 2007, I purchased a used Beesel (1998 New Beetle TDI). I have driven it a little over 13,000 miles. It now has over 240,000 miles. It uses exactly one quart of oil in 8,000 miles.

I have been told that the oil should be kept topped off at full. It was reported that the TDI will run hot without all the oil to help with the cooling. I do not keep mine topped off and my ScanGauge II almost never sees above 190 F WT.

This is the 18th car that I have owned since I was 16. It is my first diesel and 5th VW. It is my favorite car. If something were to happen to it, I would be getting another TDI in short order. Yes I know that I can get something that may be cheaper to drive per mile but I like being different with my 50 MPG+ diesel.
 

VFchicago88

Banned
Joined
May 6, 2006
rv6, i think the point is, that the oil will run much hotter if its not topped off, not higher engine temps (as the tdi cooling system is very adequate to cool any extra heat produced by low oil level through the coolant/oil exhanger)

Hotter oil may be bad for the turbo, and could shorten its life perhaps. And overheated oil would likely be thinner in viscosity, which may affect the lubrication of things.
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
The owner's manual is crystal clear. If the oil level is in the hash, you MAY add oil, but don't need to.

Not uncommon for the oil level to go from the bend or top hash to the bottom of the hash over 10K miles.
 

joetdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Location
Midwest
TDI
2-2002 Jettas W/Auto
Normal

there is a service bulletin on oil usage--it is now out of circulation, however the # is 17 92 01 --and it says that anything less than 1 litre per 1300 miles is normal
 

Croberts

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Location
Baraboo, WI
TDI
Jetta, 2003, Silver
Wow, I've had 10k intervals where I didn't need to add oil(Delvac 1 or TDT),still in the marks. If you are adding a quart at 4,000 or even 8,000 I'd say something isn't quite right.
 

creekfreak

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Location
Cincinnati Oh
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI Sportwagon
I also don't know if the right oil has been put in it. I think I might just change the oil and put the right stuff in and then check over time to see if there is an improvement.
 

capt.kirk

Active member
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Location
Black Creek BC.
TDI
1998 jetta
creek freek; so what i read into your thread is that you think you may be burning too much oil through your exhaust.... It may be true that if your car was raised on conventional oil then switched to synthetic, which is thinner... you may experience some extra loss. I have noticed this in my jetta. do you know what oils been in the car since it was a baby?

hope this helps.
kirk
 

SoaceMunky

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Location
Webster, TX
TDI
Blue Anthracite Golf IV, 13 miles and counting ;)
I've been adding a cup or two of oil each time I check the level...about once a month. It's at 65K now, as far as I can tell, oil consumption is linked to me driving on the turnpike...
 

creekfreak

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Location
Cincinnati Oh
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI Sportwagon
I do not know what was put in it from the start. It looks like it was taken to a service center (like jiffy lube) the last time it was serviced, so who knows what it has in it. There is a Castrol oil service sticker in the window.
 

tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
creekfreak-
if there is any doubt about what oil is in there, then i would change it. Especially if it was serviced at a quick oil change place.

For the 02 jetta shown in your profile, there are several oils available at common retail outlets. The oil needs to be a synthetic with a weight of anywhere from 0W30 to 5W40 that meets one of the following minimum specs:
VW 505.00
API CG-4

In my experience, the VW spec oil seems to have a lower consumption rate than the API. This could be related to the lower NOACK numbers that the VW oils typically have. IOW they genreally don't vaporize as readily as the API products do. I have a VW505.01 oil in my Golf right now. It has 205K miles on it and hasn't used a drop in about 6K miles on this oil. My Passat is running VW505.00, has 247K miles on it, and has used about 1/2 qt in 5K miles.
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
creekfreak said:
I do not know what was put in it from the start. It looks like it was taken to a service center (like jiffy lube) the last time it was serviced, so who knows what it has in it. There is a Castrol oil service sticker in the window.
Since your engine may be using/leaking oil, I would recommend a synthetic 5w40, not one of the lower-viscosity oils that have been mentioned.

Mobil 5w40, either Mobil Delvac or Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck, is a popular choice. So is Shell Rotella T 5w40 (in the blue jug only). There are a few others that aren't too hard to find. There is nothing wrong with using an oil meeting CI-4, CI-4 Plus, or CJ-4. The old VW 505.00 spec is nothing special. (This recommendation for 2003-and-earlier TDIs only.)
 
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