Diesel oil change compared to gasser oil change?

My jetta is the first Diesel I have ever owned. I am so used to changing the oil in a gasser every 3k miles. Its hard for me to convince my self that I sould let the oil go to 10k before I change it, so I have been doing it every 5k.

My question is this: is changing the oil every 10k for my jetta like changing the oil every 3k in a gasser ? Or is it more like every 5-6k in a gasser ?

My question is this: is changing the oil every 10k for my jetta like changing the oil every 3k in a gasser ? Or is it more like every 5-6k in a gasser ?

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I might equate it to 5-6k in a gasser, but it's not really a fair or direct comparison. The Otto engine vs the Diesel engine stress the engine oil in different ways.

I guess you'll have to spend some time looking at the many used oil analyses people have performed which clearly demonstrate 10k intervals are fine with the better quality diesel-rated oils. It's just not a big deal and I don't want you to start worrying about it.

I understand where you're coming from. I bought my Golf back in June 04 and didn't feel comfortable going 10K between oil changes. I do it every 5 just so I don't stress about it. Keep in mind that you can never change your oil too often. Go with what makes you comfortable.

Every 10k is fine. Delvac 1 and Rotella-T have both had oil analysis done on this site and both oils are fine with 10k changes.

3k is way too often even on a gasser, unless it is some old carburetted thing that is driven short distances. My 1987 Mazda pickup has over 400k miles on regular Castrol GTX changed by the book at every 7500 miles. My mother's 1991 Camry is fine at 156k, changed every 7500 with Castrol GTX 10w30...again, by the book. There are no car companies anywhere from any continent that specify an oil change every 3000 miles under normal driving. And I'll bet 99% of every car owner is NOT a using their car consistantly under severe driving conditions.

Just pulled the oilpan off of my brother's Audi A4 (smashed by a rock ) and the inside of that engine is clean as a whistle...looks like brand new. Has had, by the book, 5k oil changes since new. 103k miles so far.

Plenty of people with TDIs and the proper spec synthetic oil go nearly 25k miles on the oil without problems. A diesel engine will never sludge up inside like a gas engine.

And actually, you can change your oil too much and do more damage. Every time you change the oil and restart the engine, it runs for several seconds with zero oil pressure. Add that up over a couple hundred thousand miles!

Fact is, places like Jiffy Lube have propogated the rumors of frequent oil changes, and there are very few people out there that need this nonsense (although there are some).

I understand where you're coming from. I bought my Golf back in June 04 and didn't feel comfortable going 10K between oil changes. I do it every 5 just so I don't stress about it. Keep in mind that you can never change your oil too often. Go with what makes you comfortable.

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Instead of approaching this emotionally, citing reasons for more frequent oil changes such as "stress: and "going with what makes you feel comfortable" why don't you back it up with some factual data? If you're concerned about going 10k between oil changes and choose not to believe others on this site, do an oil analysis for yourself. This should provide as much stress relief as your approach. Plus, you'll save money and help preserve resources over time.

Fact is, places like Jiffy Lube have propogated the rumors of frequent oil changes, and there are very few people out there that need this nonsense (although there are some).

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If all their customers start changing their oil when it needs to be changed, instead of foolishly changing every 3000 miles, JiffyLube will lose several hundred million dollars in revenue.

3k is way too often even on a gasser

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I will have to respectfully disagree with you on that one.

When it comes to a gasser, I will stick to my 3k intervals.
Many moons ago I was a mechanic for 3 years at a Ma & Pa shop. We saw all makes and models (except diesel) there. There are allot of valuable things I learned there.

People who regularly go past the 3k oil change. Usually have the inside of their motor look like crap. So much build up & scaling on the heads & valve cover. Not to mention excessive wear on the top end.

there is CLEARLY a difference between certain makes of cars and others. such as Jap & German vs. American vehicles.
You can beat the crap out of a Jap & German vehicle and it will keep purring like a cat. Do that to an American car and it will see an early grave. you mentioned your Mazda and your brother's Audi A4. these don't fit into the norm.


Throughout my years of wrenching & the many conversations I have had with mechanics who where co-workers & my friends who are mechanics have all convinced me of one thing. change your oil every 3k and your motor will be happy.

I think I will take WisTDI recommendation and get an oil analysis done. This way I have proof about it.


P.S. Before some over sensitive nelly decides to make a degrading comment to me about the "Jap & German vs. American vehicles" thing. Don't bother. I am all for "buying American" products! However I also go by this philosophy as well. I work hard for my money, and I will buy the superior product to make "MY" dollar go farther.

In closing....
Its a crying shame we generally don't make superior products anymore.

Oh, so my Dad's 1984 Ranger's engine that has 290k miles on 5000 mile oil changes is sludged up inside, eh? You wanna come down here and take the valve cover off and prove it? Still runs like a top.

What about our old GM Iron Duke in the CJ5? How about my Mom's old 1985 Crown Vic? No sludgies there, either. 3000 mile oil changes are a waste of time, money, resources. Period. Unless you drive 3000 miles a year, or something silly like that. I worked at a shop that maintained local police cruisers...worked there for ELEVEN years, since the 4.6L was new. These things got the crap run out of them, never shut off, idled for hours, never had the oil checked, and they survived on bulk Valvoline 5w30 oil at intervals that varied from 5 to 8 thousand miles! Never once did we see even ONE that was gunked up inside. Even the early ones that had the valve stem seal issues and the wandering camlobes, etc. Doesn't make any difference what country the engine came from.

1984 Ranger's engine that has 290k miles

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LOL, you should put that into the Guinness book of world records. I don't anyone who has ever heard of a ford getting that many miles on it. Especially a Ranger!
What's still original in that motor the block ?

Ok, seriously though. I see that you have had a different experience with cars than I, and that's ok. My experience has led me into a different direction.

Let me ask you this, on the gas motor when you pull the dipstick is the oil on it black when the miles are >5k ?

If not then I might agree with you that the oil is still ok, however if its black then its time to change it. To much carbon in the oil is not good for it.

I understand where you're coming from. I bought my Golf back in June 04 and didn't feel comfortable going 10K between oil changes. I do it every 5 just so I don't stress about it. Keep in mind that you can never change your oil too often. Go with what makes you comfortable.

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Instead of approaching this emotionally, citing reasons for more frequent oil changes such as "stress: and "going with what makes you feel comfortable" why don't you back it up with some factual data? If you're concerned about going 10k between oil changes and choose not to believe others on this site, do an oil analysis for yourself. This should provide as much stress relief as your approach. Plus, you'll save money and help preserve resources over time.

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Factual data is a great thing, but if changing your oil every 5K miles (even though it may be unneccessary) gives you piece of mind, I say leave the factual data to those who want to live by it. I, however, am not one of those.

The Ranger's engine is 100% original 2.3L SOHC engine, only the carb has been replaced. Head has never been off, leaks no oil (burns some though).

Im impressed!!!

You guys must be doing something correct over there

I will get an oil analysis done so I can put the feelings aside.

Hi Guys

Looking at all these posts talking about changing the oil every 5 or 7k miles makes me worry about mine.

I have an 03 TDI 130 which according to my VW dealer is on a variable service resulting so far in just two services in 55000 Miles . I check the oil each week and it uses maybe 1/2 liter month, I top it up with official VW Long Life Oil fully synthetic 0W 30. This stuff costs £12GBP per liter .
Should this oil be able to last this long??
I know it's a company car so not my problem if it fails but I enjoy driving it to it's fullest potential ( read Very Hard ) so will this be affecting performance.

Your views

Thanks Andy.

I have an 03 TDI 130 which according to my VW dealer is on a variable service resulting so far in just two services in 55000 Miles... Should this oil be able to last this long??
I know it's a company car so not my problem if it fails but I enjoy driving it to it's fullest potential ( read Very Hard ) so will this be affecting performance.

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It sounds like the frequency of service is about right for the way you're driving your TDI. Diesels love to be driven, so all the miles you're driving are just what your car wants.

If this was your own car, it might be worth comparing the costs of variable service with super-expensive 506.01 versus 10k-mile oil changes with less-expensive 505.01 oil. But it's unlikely that there will be noticable wear of engine parts during the first 250k miles, no matter which way you go.

Eventually this car will be traded in... at which point the documented service with the 506.01 motor oil will be a positive for trade-in value. So, just keep doing what you're doing now.... using a motor oil that is designed to keep your TDI running for a long time.

Consumer reports did a test a few years ago by taking apart New York City Taxi engines (gas) and micro measuring all the wear parts. They then ran them arould NYC for an extended period of time, I don't remember how far but it was far, without changing the oil. They then re-measured the "wear parts" and found no wear. I think that changing your oil so often is an emotional thing like putting hi-test in a gas car. Waste of money.
I'm no mechanic but there's my two cents.

Mobil (the oil company) did a similar test, only on utility company meter reader cars (mostly Cavaliers and Neons) and found similar results.

Their conclusion was drive cycles and keeping the oil topped up were more important that just changing the oil so much.

My brother used to deliver pizzas in an old Corolla GTS, '86 model I think. He NEVER changed the oil in the two or so years he had the thing, just checked it and kept it topped up. The 4A-GE engine had just a tick over 200k miles wheb he got it, and had 270k when he wrecked it...still running perfectly. Of course it used and leaked oil, so it got a quart added every other day

Eventually this car will be traded in... at which point the documented service with the 506.01 motor oil will be a positive for trade-in value. So, just keep doing what you're doing now.... using a motor oil that is designed to keep your TDI running for a long time.

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For the used car buyer, variable oil change intervals can raise the question: Do the long oil change intervals listed in the car's service records indicate:

(a) a car that was driven mostly highway miles (a good thing), or

(b) a car whose owner was negligent in changing the oil (a bad thing)

?

My question is this: is changing the oil every 10k for my jetta like changing the oil every 3k in a gasser ? Or is it more like every 5-6k in a gasser ?

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Actually, many gasoline engine cars today have 10,000 mile or longer oil change interval. But that is typically with synthetic oil meeting the manufacturer's "long life" specification, not the cheapest conventional oil available at the auto store or in the dealer's bulk tank.

Where specified by the manufacturer, 10,000 mile or greater oil change intervals should be ok in most conditions, using synthetic oil meeting the manufacturer's specifications. Exceptions may be if you drive extremely severely (like all city driving, or mostly cold start short trips that never let the engine get warm, or you go to the track, or you reach the time limit before the mileage limit).

(a) a car that was driven mostly highway miles (a good thing), or
?

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Well, make that two. I was reading the whole post and not one word about driving style until you said it. I was thinking the same thing as I was reading it. I changed my oil somewhere between 7K to 12k or once every 6 months, generally in the spring and fall.

I make a note when I changed the oil and the date. Then as time goes by, I try to "log" in my head on how many road trips I made since I changed the oil for timing belts.

Driving style does make a difference as well as time of the year. I have a strong tendency of changing my oil early march as when the weather warms up. I can easily feel the engine feeling better having fresh oil every spring. I just don't know how much water or whatever causing it to be a tad rough when idling. Generally in the winter season, I find that I have to change the oil in 7-8K to get it started and idle better when warming up. All late-Spring to early fall, there is no difference on how the engine runs.

Last summer when I made a record road trips to Chicago and Milwaukee for timing belts, I had driving over 10K miles. But then I changed it before I made a road trip to Alabama last Oct. Still on that oil today. Bottom line, I know what is good for the engine. I change the oil based on my observations and driving styles and the weather. One winter, we had subzero for a long time, I changed my oil at 5K. Under normal driving style and weather, I would change my oil at 10K or 6 months.

Of course, that is all my opinion based on my observations with my TDI for 97K miles.

Oh, for my wife's Camry, I change the oil every 3 months regardless. She never puts 3K miles on it during a 3 month period. She probably drives 600-800 mile/month.