TDI oil consumption

03 Jetta TDI 13K.mi.man.trans 1st oil change at 5K. with Amsoil 5w30.
since then, having to add oil about every 2.5K. Also I notice
more smoke at cold start up. Is this normal?

in my 3 years of having my car I have not had to add any oil to my car at all, so in my case that would not be normal, other than the regualr oil changes

I have used the same oil when I first got my Jetta (used with 20k) and didn't notice any unusual oil consumption. I have since changed to Delvac 1. How much have you been having to add? I only remember having to add maybe a 1/4 qt between changes and that might be because I only put in 1 gallon when I change which brings the level up to the middle of the hash marks.

You shouldn't get to worried yet as you are still in the break in period and the rings have not fully set. Just keep monitoring the oil comsumption.

I have 97,000 miles on my '01 and have never had to add additional oil.

Please let us know if your oil consumption decreases with time as your rings seat as your engine breaks in.

I have 56 K on my TDI and it needs topping off occasionly. I think this is coused by my lead foot?

I'd be interested in the procedures you follow to measure the oil. I have going on 18k in 7 mo and it has not used a drop of oil!

I measure the oil in two different procedures. Both procedures triangulate enough for a very accurate measure.

The oil consumption on our two TDIs with combined 185K miles is no longer nil, but next to nil. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I tend to add a few ounces in btw 10K oil changes. We've used D1 since factory stuff was drained.

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ruking said:
I'd be interested in the procedures you follow to measure the oil.

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Ditto. Measure it when it's cold and hasn't been run for awhile. At that point it should be between the top of the hatches and the first top bend. If you do it right after pulling in to fuel up, it might be at the bottom of the hatches or lower and still be fine.

"Also I notice more smoke at cold start up. Is this normal?"
Yeah. Try cycling the glow plugs 2-3 times (turn key to "on", let the glow plug light go off, turn key to "off", repeat, then start car)

Thanks for the response. I will keep you informed.

High idling time will cause a lot of oil loss. My car when used extensively last summer by the wife for the appraisal biz used a quart every 5K. Now all highway and it uses maybe a 1/4 quart. Cold waether smoke is the diesel fuel not the oil.

On my '98 I had high oil comsumption when it was new. I mentioned it to the dealer at the first scheduled maintenance and they said that it was normal. Second scheduled maintenance I mentioned it again and this time they took a look and found that the front main seal was leaking so they repaired it as well as replacing the timing belt since it was saturated with motor oil. I would try taking the timing belt cover off and taking a look at the belt to see if it is dry or not.

Since then, I have not really burned oil but a heavy right foot (and Upsolute chip) means that I have some blow-by that results in oil being pushed through the PCV on top of the valve cover into the intake. The 106K miles don't help, neither.

When I bought the '00 NB (July of '00) and got it home and checked the oil next morning (about 14 hrs later) it was perfect on the line at top of crossed checked section. The car had 3 or 4 miles on it when I first drove it and when it was serviced checked and (I watched) no oil was added. When I drove it the 100 miles to work and back the next day and checked it about 3 to 5 minutes later, it was down about half way into the checkered section. When I checked car next morning it was exactly on the line at top of checked section where it belongs. Anything over that is over fill. I asked the tech about it at the dealer on next visit and he laughed and said I was first customer he new of to figure out the correct method for checking oil in TDI.

If you fill engine to the bent in dipstick you have over filled it a little, but not eneough to hurt anything. Most engines if they are slightly overfilled will loose that extra oil fairly quick or quicker then normal through CCV action.

’02 Jetta GLS, Silver Arrow Metallic, Automatic, Cold Weather Package, TDIHeater, Tinted Windows, Turbo Diesel Badges, Audi TT Lift Pads, E-code Headlights, Euro Switch, Euro 5 Brake Light Mod, XM Radio, OEM Steel Skid Plate, OEM Fuel Line Shield, Modified Screenectomy, Ventectomy, CCV Filter, CAT 2 Micron Fuel Filter, EGR Adapted, Mobil Delvac 1.

Using Delvac 1 my 2001 Jetta has not used enough oil to notice before changing the oil at 10K intervals.

My wife's V-8 Jeep uses about a quart in 5000 miles. It has since new and now has 120K miles on it with no change in consumption rate.

The lighter weight oil you are using may be partly responsible.

On a couple of high mileage gassers I have owned, oil consumption went up slightly on long freeway trips particularly in warm weather.

I don't know whether the kind of driving one does will make a difference in a TDI.

2002 TDI using Delvac 1 since first oil change. Now have 47,xxx and never used any oil.

Sorry to be dense about this, but what is meant by "never uses oil" -- Im getting two definitions:

1: Never Uses Oil = no descernable reduction of oil quantity as viewed on the dipstick, measured at consistant times (always cold, or always warm, or whatever)

2: Never Uses Oil = never had to add oil, meaning oil level drops, but never to the point of having to add.

So.... which definitions is generally accepted here?

Im curious because I consider (1) to be the correct definition.. and my '02 NB with 47K miles on it (bought used 4 months ago) has shown a slight drop, over the course of 4,000 miles since last change. It is now about 1/4th of way down the hatchmarks.

thanks!

I have a 2001 Jetta with 96k. I use 0W-30 and there is no discernable drop in the oil level on the dipstick between oil changes.

HL

My TDI uses a little bit of oil.

I changed the oil around 5200 miles with Mobil Delvac 1, came to the top bend on the dipstick when cold. 4400 miles later it is right at the top hash marks while cold so I am guessing it has used maybe 1/8th of a quart. Suprisingly the first 5200 miles on factory oil the level did not budge.

My 50k mile 01 golf uses about 1/2 to 1 quart of Delvac1 between 10k changes.

Okay, I'm not disputing that there are some engines that don't use a drop of oil after 10K (or more). But what I want to know is what does the intake manifold look like? If the problem with the intake manifold getting clogged up is due to oil + soot, then the intake manifold of those TDI's that don't use a drop of oil should be totally (or nearly so) unrestricted. Is that the case?

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sail538 said:
03 Jetta TDI 13K.mi.man.trans 1st oil change at 5K. with Amsoil 5w30.
since then, having to add oil about every 2.5K.

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You still haven't told us how much.

Your car is still breaking in, not unusual for it to use a little oil, despite the responses you've got.

So, how much is it using every 2,500 miles ???

Let me ask you guys this: how much oil is between upper bent and lower bent on the dipstick (2000 Golf TDI)?

(I noticed some consumption and I'm not sure whether it's worrysome or not.)

Thank you!

Let me take a stab. Dry fill specifications are 4.75 qts I pulled out 4.25 qts of oil during an oil change. This leaves .5 qts. I put back a full gallon.

On overnight measurement, the oil came to the middle of the hash marks. I put in .25 or 1/4 qt to bring overnight measurement to top of bend. VW warm measurement procedures put the oil measurement at the top of the hash mark or slightly over. Hope this helps!

That means I lost 1/8 of a quart over 1300 miles at 75 mph most of time. Probably isn't worth mentioning.

This has been debated for awhile. I would say if you have not blocked off the anti-pollution/recirculation plumbing you have to have some oil lose (intercooler condensation and manifold gunk) and depending on how long you change your oil, you may add some. The A3's seem to use more, I add some between changes but not so much I'm concerned. High speed may increase use as well (or seem to due to higher smoke output).

98 A3 Jetta

Well first off, there is a difference between cold sitting level and warm or slightly warmed reading.

If your car sits level over night take that same reading consistantly.

Myself, the TDi I own drinks some oil, about 1 quart in 10,000 miles of hard driving with Delvac 5-30w. I take my readings in cold over night sitting and change the oil at 7k to 9k each time. I do not suck out the oil filter area when doing these oil changes. I do a gallon of Delvac, no more and it reads half up the hatch marks on fill each time. 56,000 miles on it.

The car has been sitting for awhile, I use it less now. I have another TDi which uses some oil too. Another story.

But if you really push the rpms, hammer hard and do some inner city idling [NYC Style Traffic] you'll perhaps have a consumption of engine oil. Normal.

I attribute the consumption to higher than average rpm [3,400 - 4,100] and the recirculating system with these emissions sucking it back through the intake manifold. Vapor.

You have to let the motor break in properly and it takes time for those top rings to seat. Mine seated at 40,000 and the fuel mileage increased considerably at that point. I would use the break-in oil up to the 5,000 mile mark and use a ssynthetic for the next 20,000. Run the Delvac to coincide with the higher rpms needed to seat those top rings.

Check those recirculating systems too because most of what you could be loosing is making its way into the intake manifold.

M.D.