Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Volkswagen Passat Sludge Issues

1356

Comments

  • melvwownermelvwowner Member Posts: 6
    Obviously not "every", people understand what i mean. I brought it to volkswagon, and i just talkeed to them yesturday and they said; "This must be passat month, weve been having them in and out of here all month." and then began to explain that it happens with "just about every model of that car" and thats why they werent going to fix it, because they would have to go and fix everyone's car that has come in and complained about the same problem. He told me Someone had 13,500 miles on their car they bought brand new and the same thing happened.. with such low mileage.. The cars arent being built right.
    ......Unless of course he lied to me.
  • melvwownermelvwowner Member Posts: 6
    Yes, but he couldnt see the slude issues or anything, because he didnt check in the oil pan, or search anywhere he had to take all apart.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    "The cars arent being built right."

    I suspect that these cars are not maintained right but it is just me.

    Krzys
  • melvwownermelvwowner Member Posts: 6
    i suspect they never wrote in the manuel how to correctly maintain the car w/ synthetic oil n such, so even if people went by the manuel it would still be wrong. Do you have a vw?
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    I am not Manuel and I am not from Barcelona.

    If you watched "Fawlty Towers" you should get it ;-)

    I have 2003 VW Passat 1.8T and I was using Mobil 0W40 from start. The way I read the manual 5W40 was suggested but not required. There are no mineral oils that are 5W40 and 0W40 sounded good enough for me and Mobil 1 is quite good brand.

    1 year later VW mailed info about sludge along with new page for manual that says that oils meeting VW502.00 spec are the only ones to be used in 1.8T. It also had a page with list of oils meeting the spec. Mobil 1 0W40 was present.

    When I bought my Passat I talked to service writer about oil. I was told that they use 5W30 bulk oil for my car.
    I have never come without my own oil for an oil change.
    I bought it at Walmart or Auto Zone without much problem.

    Krzys

    PS Have you read about Toyota sludge? New engines are designed for better oils than the old ones. In Europe it is not unique to have 20000km OCI (suggested by manufacturer). Roughly 13000 miles.
    I suspect dealer network is much tighter controlled than in the US. US dealers can mismaintain vehicles and manufacturer is still hold accountable.

    Not to mention that VW original manual seems to be written by marketing guys. I bet engineers worded their recommendation as "required" but marketing gurus decided that "synthetic oil required" did not look good.
  • melvwownermelvwowner Member Posts: 6
    Thats the problem, i am a second time owner and i never recieved the letter, the dealership never gave me the letter either, which i find odd. But they ARE in fact now working on fixing my car for me.
  • go2grlgo2grl Member Posts: 6
    My 2000 Passat is at the mechanics because the oil light came on. I was told by my mechanic that there is a lot of sludge and VW should cover the problem. When I called VW, they will only cover if I can show proof of oil changes every 5k miles. I don't have all my receipts and definitely don't have the $1,800+ the dealer wants to replace everything and get my car back to me. My mechanic can do it for under $1,000, BUT he won't be replacing the oil pump, just cleaning it out by hand. Can anybody advise me if this is a good alternative? I appreciate any input.

    plp
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    I would approach VW with all documentation you have and ask them if it is enough.
    What oil were you using? Have you received "sludge letter" from VW?
    What oil were you using?

    Krzys
  • go2grlgo2grl Member Posts: 6
    I don't know how my new post got put into an already existing discussion, but whatever works. ;)

    Anyway, I have all the receipts except for two from April 2004 until now. I have nothing from May 2002(when we bought the car) until April 2004. They could be with my xh or in the trash.

    I was using whatever Jiffy Lube and the dealer put in. I only went to the dealer twice and had an oil change done there because we happened to be in the area. Otherwise, Jiffy Lube is right down the road and I usually got it done on my way home from work.

    I never did receive a letter from VW and I only heard about the problem when I took my car to the mechanic.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Uh-oh, Jiffy Lube...

    Like anything else, some are competent, some ain't. The good news (sort of) is that your local Jiffy Lube might could very well have a complete service history for every time they touched your car. Ditto your dealer.

    The problem here is that some dealers and many Jiffy Lubes consistently used the wrong (read inferior) oil for VW and Audi engines, and as such, producing the invoices might be a double edged sword as they most likely list the kind of oil used.

    Good luck and keep us posted.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • buckeye77buckeye77 Member Posts: 3
    I would like to know if anyone else has experience with sludge related failures a second time. I have a 2000 Jetta 1.8T. I had preventive service (private shop specializing in VW) at 135,000 miles for timing belt, waterpump, tensioner. etc. Driving home from shop, oil pressure warning light came on. Returned to shop and had diagnosed. Mechanic found sludge and sediment? in the oil pump. Engine was flushed and have only used full synthetic with religious changes since. Just had PM service (VW dealership) on timing belt/waterpump again at 228,000 miles. Again, driving home from dealership, had oil pressure light come on. Is sludge a recurring problem even with use of full synthetic and prompt oil changes? Has anyone else experienced sediment in the oil pump?
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    You are putting a lot of miles.
    What synthetic oil are you using? Does it meet VW specification?

    Krzys

    PS My understanding is that if you use VW502.00 (some say use newer VW spec 503.00 or 503.01) and 5K interval then there should be no sludge.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    There is also LOTS of buzz around the "net" regarding exactly what make an oil "Fully Synthetic". Some say a good Group III is Fully Synthetic while many other scoff at the notion. The generally accepted standard is that an oil must be comprised primarily of Group IV base oils such as PAO before it can be considered a true synthetic or full synthetic. Examples of both Castrol Syntec 0W-30 and Mobil 1 0W-40 are pretty much accepted by the market as being Group IV oils (and both oils meet both the 502.00 and the far more stringent 503.01 VW Specs). As for Group III oils, those are "hydrocracked" or highly processed crude oils. An oil that falls into this category but still happens to meet the 502.00 oil spec is the Syntec 5W-40 offering from Castrol.

    So, all oils that are either Group III or Group IV can be advertised as being "Fully Synthetic", however, many (if not most) folks maintain that only Group IV oils are True Synthetic oils.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    To add to what Shipo said, these Quick-lube places also use cheap oil filters instead of the proper VW factory filter that was specifically designed for your car. And if that wasn't enough, they also don't realize that you have to change the washer on the oil plug every other oil change. If they're not willing to concentrate on the finer details, they ain't touching my car. End of Story.

    I haven't been to a Quick Lube place in years and I don't intend to go there.

    My advice - AVOID the quick lube places like the plague.
  • buckeye77buckeye77 Member Posts: 3
    I am using Mobil 1 5-30 Extended Performance. I do not know if this meets the current spec's from VW. Not the original owner so I do not get correspondence. Only recently was added to VW registry and got some recall notices which were serviced at dealership.
    I have a long commute, thus the high miles and LOTS of expensive oil changes...for nothing? Still had same sludge issue.
    Does VW publish a list of oils which DO meet their spec's and will not sludge with 5000 mile changes? Sorry for the novice questions - I did not know what I was getting into with the Turbo engine and thought I was doing the best I could to mitigate the sludging issue.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "I am using Mobil 1 5-30 Extended Performance. I do not know if this meets the current spec's from VW."

    Mobil 1 EP, regardless of weight class, does not meet the VW 502.00 spec for your engine.

    "Does VW publish a list of oils which DO meet their spec's and will not sludge with 5000 mile changes?"

    Yes, but I don't have the link on hand.

    "Sorry for the novice questions - I did not know what I was getting into with the Turbo engine and thought I was doing the best I could to mitigate the sludging issue."

    No worries. You were headed in the correct direction and just missed the mark by a little. There are a number of oils that meet the VW 502.00 oil spec on the market. Check out the web site of your favorite oil supplier and you will probably find at least one oil that meets the spec.

    With the above in mind, you couldn't pay me to use a 502.00 oil in the 1.8T. Why? Because VW has since come out with a far more stringent oil spec numbered 503.01. That oil is a superset of the old 502.00 spec, and as such, all oils that are 503.01 certified are also certified to meet 502.00. To the best of my knowledge, the only two oils widely available here in North America that are certified to meet the 503.01 oil spec are Mobil 1 0W-40 and German made (says "Made in Germany" right on the label) Castrol Syntec 0W-30.

    The good news for you at least, is that both of the 503.01 oils listed above cost less than the Mobil 1 EP 5W-30 that you've been using. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo

    P.S.
    If you read all hundred plus posts in this discussion as well as the hundred or so at the following link, you will become very well versed in what you need to do for the care and feeding of your car. ;-)

    pat, "Volkswagen Passat Oil Changes & Issues" #1, 13 Mar 2006 11:52 am
  • buckeye77buckeye77 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the nudge in the right direction!
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You wrote:

    "Does VW publish a list of oils which DO meet their spec's and will not sludge with 5000 mile changes?"

    Yes, but I don't have the link on hand.


    Here's the link:

    http://www.vw.com/vwcom/content/objects/pdf/service_maint/oilchart.pdf

    As indicated in the chart, not all oils are available in North America ("hey, I'll take 4 quarts of the ole Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb, please!").

    Further, not all listed oils are 502.00 compliant in North America. Specifically, the list shows Valvoline 5w-30 as being compliant - it is, but only the European product. Here in the US it is not per Valvoline's webiste and an email exchange I had with Valvoline's customer support.

    The most readily available oils in my area that meet VW Specs 502.00 are Valvoline's Synpower 5w-40 (also meets 505.00, 505.01) and Mobil 1's 0w-40 (which also meets 505.00 and 503.01). Castrol's Syntec 0w-30 also meets 502.00, 505.00 and 503.01, but I can only find it at Autozone (sometimes).
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Thanks for the link! ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    No problem. Bottomline, though, is the consumer must read the labels on the bottle and/or check the manufacturer's website to verify that the product meets the requirement.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Yup, you got that right. Of course it doesn't help matters that some dealers haven't even figured this out yet. :-/

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Too true, that. Also doesn't help that the list VWoA has posted has so many oils that aren't available in North America, or have different formulations in different world markets. But having the dealership network unaware of, or overriding, VWAG's recommendations or requirements is just unacceptable.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Incredibly, VWoA took down the link to 502.00 spec oils. Well, that was bright...
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Found a list on Audi's USA website:

    Audi List of 502.00 Oils
  • odwyerodwyer Member Posts: 1
    2002 VW Passat GLX V6

    oil in cooling system, flushed using liquid detergent, system refilled but engine light keeps coming on for low coolant, Engine temp guage is reading 190, could low coolant sensor be clogged , where is it located ?

    Is it easy to change thermostat?

    Thanks
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Low coolant sensor is located at the bottom of the coolant reservoir.

    Thermostat is not easy to change.

    Did you find out why and correct the problem with oil into the coolant?
  • mejodimejodi Member Posts: 3
    I also got "stuck" with a 2000 passat that has been nothing but problems; if it's not one thing it's another! I will never ever buy a volkswagon again! no air conditioner, they sold me the car with the compressor damaged...no I did not have anyone check the lemon, I feel that the dealer should also be honest with a buyer...the car was bought in October and we did not "turn" on the air conditioner, anyways, it's been nothing but a migraine. I feel like a I have a Christmas car with all these lights going on all the time!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    The problem here is that you bought a used car with a questionable maintenance history by the previous owner(s) and questionable usage history (i.e. was it driven abusively). Shame on the dealer that sold it to you for peddling such a car and not making it whole when it broke, shame on you for not doing your homework before you bought it.

    What I don't get in all of this is how/why you blame Volkswagon for the problems. :confuse:

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I don't think any of your current issues are related to sludge.
  • sparksrtsparksrt Member Posts: 4
    I had this problem with my VW Passat 2002 at 100,000 miles my engine died. When I took to the dealership they said tough luck unless you have all of oil changes within 5,000 miles. I had most of my records but who really keeps all of their records. What I did was I went to the local auto body shop where I usually got my oil change and asked him if he could "create a couple of missing oil change receipts". He said not a problem, I took all of my receipts to VW and they put in a new engine. It did take a little arguing with vw about this however, they are obligated to replace your engine if you have your receipts.

    Hope this helps you all-
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    What oil(s) were you using?
    What do you use now?

    Krzys
  • sspalmersspalmer Member Posts: 1
    I feel your pain!!! I own a 2003 1.8T Passat and have recently experienced the whole sludge problem.....even though the VW garage I had to have it towed to will not admit it. Their reasoning for that is that there is alot wrong with the car. Well ya there is now due to the sludge problem. So now that there is $4000 worth of damage they are not taking any responsibility. I have contacted my finance company because they have a vested interest in this car to see if maybe they can get VW to take responsibility for this. I have receipts for timely oil changes and 2 additional mechanics who tell me that all of this is due to the sludge. What I don't understand is how VW can not post a recall when they are fully aware of the problem??? Anybody got an answer for that? I get a recall for a brake switch which is sort of important but surely not disabling!!! So now my poor car sits in my yard waiting for me to fix it or sell it for parts. Not sure I even want to put that kind of money into it. Oh, and by the way, I priced out the parts for this repair, and I can buy it all for $260!!!!! What do they think we are? Total idiots!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "I have receipts for timely oil changes..."

    Timely oil changes with what? Do your receipts prove that the folks who changed your oil used synthetic oil that meets the VW 502.00 oil standard? If they don't then you're probably out of luck as your car was lubricated with substandard oil.

    "...2 additional mechanics who tell me that all of this is due to the sludge. What I don't understand is how VW can not post a recall when they are fully aware of the problem??? Anybody got an answer for that?"

    The extra warranty they've offered on the 1.8T engines requires both timely oil changes and proper oil. As a general rule (and many folks here can support this), if you used proper oil, you engine won't sludge.

    "Oh, and by the way, I priced out the parts for this repair, and I can buy it all for $260!!!!! What do they think we are? Total idiots!"

    Chances are pretty good that if your engine is truely sludged, you need far more than $260 in parts (not to mention LOTS of labor) to repair the car.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • frannefranne Member Posts: 2
    I am the unfortunate owner of a 2002 passat station wagon. The car is currently at the dealer being "flushed" with the VW authorized "kit" designed to fix the infamous sludge problem common in the 1.8T engine. I am fortunate that VW is paying the tab on this repair, but quite frankly, that is the least they can do after inflicting this disaster of an engine on the public. Has anyone had any experience with this repair? What is the long term prognosis for this engine after the "flush". I am trying to decide whether to keep the car or not, and your feedback may help me decide. I have lost confidence in the car in particular and volkswagon in general. I will never purchase another of their vehicles.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "I am the unfortunate owner of a 2002 passat station wagon. The car is currently at the dealer being "flushed" with the VW authorized "kit" designed to fix the infamous sludge problem common in the 1.8T engine."

    No, the flush won't "fix" anything, what it will do (supposedly) is remove much of the sludge that is threatening the life of your engine.

    "I am fortunate that VW is paying the tab on this repair, but quite frankly, that is the least they can do after inflicting this disaster of an engine on the public."

    That's a bit extreme. As many owners will attest, if you (or the original owner) had maintained it per the VWoA recommendations, it wouldn't have sludged in the first place. There are folks on this board that have over 100,000 sludge free miles on their 1.8T engines, and all they did was follow the oil specification guidelines and made sure that oil met the VW 502.00 or the even more stringent 503.01 oil specs.

    "Has anyone had any experience with this repair? What is the long term prognosis for this engine after the "flush". I am trying to decide whether to keep the car or not, and your feedback may help me decide."

    I have yet to hear of this procedure, however, if it is truly approved by VW (unverified at this point), and does in the end remove the sludge clogging up critical components, then your engine should be in pretty good shape. From here on in, just make sure that A) you use the proper oil, and B) you have said oil changed often enough. Do that and you should be good to go for a long-long time.

    "I have lost confidence in the car in particular and volkswagon in general. I will never purchase another of their vehicles."

    I've got to tell you, that almost smacks of you blaming VW for what sounds like your (or the original owner's) incorrect and/or insufficient maintenance habits. Yes, no? If that's the case then I'm having a difficult time understanding your rancor.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • frannefranne Member Posts: 2
    Obviously Volkswagen is paying for the car repair which should tell you that all maintenance has and was performed on schedule and as directed.

    Back to my question, does this repair work ???
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Nope, not so obvious at all. Many (and I do mean MANY) dealerships decided to buy bulk oil on the cheap, oil that didn't even come close to meeting even the minimum 502.00 oil standard, as a means of increasing their profit. Sadly it seems, there are dealerships that still adhere to this practice (one just turned up on these boards just a few months ago).

    Reading between the lines here, it sounds like you had your car serviced at your local dealership, and they put crap oil in your engine. Since you've (apparently) been able to prove that the car was serviced "on schedule", then the only remaining issue is the quality of the oil used at each change. My bet is that they (your dealer and not VW) know very well that the sludging is their fault and they are offering you this free sludge removal process. Personally, I'm more than a bit skeptical that this is going to work as I have yet to hear of this process, and I've been following this issue for a number of years now.

    Were I in your shoes, I'd do a couple of things:
    1) Go through your oil service receipts and log exactly what kind of oil was put in your engine. If the receipts don't specifically indicate that (and they may very well not), then I would ask your dealership what kind of oil they use for oil changes. Unless they can prove (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that they've been using 502.00 certified oil in your engine, you've got them on a potentially actionable (from a legal perspective) breach.
    2) Once the sludge remediation process is complete and you have your car back, I suggest that you take it to a good independent European car mechanic and have him/her give the engine a quick once over. If there is still evidence of engine sludge, I'd demand a new engine. If your dealership can prove that they used the proper oil, they can most likely have VW pay for the new mill, however, if they cannot (my bet), you can force them to put in a new engine on the grounds that they used inferior oil when servicing your car. That said, you may need the help of a lawyer to emphasize that you are holding them liable for how they serviced your car.

    So, does this repair work? Like I wrote above, I'm skeptical to say the least.

    Good luck, keep us posted.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • sandyseasandysea Member Posts: 6
    I purchased my 2004 VW Passat 1.8T on 11/14/2004 in FL and dealership titled the vehicle prior to my purchase of it and placed it in service as a rental car. My paperwork indicates I purchased a NEW never titled vehicle and I am having severe warranty issues. Drivers door switch defective that is making my car act very crazy; also had the brake light switch problem that has been fixed. STOP ENGINE light came on in 3/07 and had it towed to dealership. They told me bad battery. Now again STOP ENGINE is on and they say "sludge" and since not under warranty, it is my problem. I see the letter indicating a warranty extension for this vehicle but the letter I never received since I bought it after the August letter was sent. They never told me about a sludge problem but are denying any warranty on my vehicle. Anything I can do? 30K miles only and they are telling me that the car is going to just blow up and that there is NOTHING I can do....
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Have you had your oil and filter serviced on schedule (per your Owner's Manual) every 5,000 miles? If so, have you had the proper oil (VW Spec 502.00 synthetic oil) put in the engine? If you can answer "Yes" to both, then you should be covered under the warranty extension.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • derspeedderspeed Member Posts: 6
    There are a lot of posts on this topic here, so I will just talk about my experience with it. I owned a 2003 Passat GLS 1.8t. I sold it to my girlfriend on December 20, 2007. She insisted on buying it because of how meticulouly maintained it is. Anyway, After the break-in oil was drained after 5,000 miles, I gave my VW tech Mobile 1 synthetic oil to replace it. He, and the service writer said, "VW does not recommend synthetic oil for this car." I continued to use it anyway. A year later, in 2004, there was sign behind the service writer's desk that stated "All 1.8T engines require synthetic oil." I also received the update to the owner's manual. I am so glad I did not listen to the tech.

    I am not sure if this is true, but I have heard the sludging has a little to do with the small oil pan used on longitudinally mounted 1.8Ts. That's why the Golfs, Beetles and Jettas do not have the problem (I haven't heard of it anyway). The transverse 1.8T has a bigger oil pan. I used synthetic because I was told by a local VW tuner shop, it extends the life of the turbo. I am glad I listened.

    Be warned...if you use synthetic oil after 20,000 miles of petrol based oil, you may experience oil leaks. I have seen this happen to a lot of Audi and VW vehicles with the 1.8T and a few V6s.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "I am not sure if this is true, but I have heard the sludging has a little to do with the small oil pan used on longitudinally mounted 1.8Ts. That's why the Golfs, Beetles and Jettas do not have the problem (I haven't heard of it anyway). The transverse 1.8T has a bigger oil pan."

    Yup, the larger the oil capacity, the fewer times any given unit of oil circulates through the engine the longer it takes that oil to start breaking down.

    "I used synthetic because I was told by a local VW tuner shop, it extends the life of the turbo. I am glad I listened."

    Yeah, back in the 1980s when Chrysler was the largest producer of turbocharged gasoline engines in the world, I discovered that if you ran Mobil 1, the turbochargers would last indefinitely; however, the folks who didn't take my advice invariably had to have the turbocharger replaced before 70,000 miles (usually a lot before).

    "Be warned...if you use synthetic oil after 20,000 miles of petrol based oil, you may experience oil leaks. I have seen this happen to a lot of Audi and VW vehicles with the 1.8T and a few V6s."

    Well, that little tidbit has been repeated so often that many folks assume it is gospel, however, there is absolutely zero evidence to support that statement, VW engines or no. Many folks switch to synthetic oil for the first time with over 100,000 miles on their cars and even still they get no leaks.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Be warned...if you use synthetic oil after 20,000 miles of petrol based oil, you may experience oil leaks. I have seen this happen to a lot of Audi and VW vehicles with the 1.8T and a few V6s.

    Heh! I ran mine on 502.00 spec oil from the first oil change, later followed by using 503.00 spec. By 30,000 miles, I had a little seepage at the back of the valve cover. Didn't have anything to do with using synth after using dino juice...had a lot to do with the design and/or installation of the cover, since it's not an uncommon seepage site on the 1.8T.
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    I gave my VW tech Mobile 1 synthetic oil to replace it. He, and the service writer said, "VW does not recommend synthetic oil for this car." I continued to use it anyway. A year later, in 2004, there was sign behind the service writer's desk that stated "All 1.8T engines require synthetic oil." I also received the update to the owner's manual. I am so glad I did not listen to the tech.

    Which is precisely why I bring my own 503.01 spec oil with me to the dealer at each oil change... :shades:

    As a matter of fact, the only time I take my cars to the dealer is when I need an oil change or to have recall or TSB-related work done on it. I have a network of private VW mechanics that I go to for the heavier maintenance jobs that I don't have the tools/facilities for. Otherwise I do the rest of the maintenance myself...
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I had the same experience with my dealer when I brought my '03 Passat in for it's first oil change. I had read the owner's manual backward and forward, read a whole bunch of info on the web about oil and what the VW specs cited in the manual meant and came to the conclusion that I really had to use synth oil meeting 502.00. Interesttingly, without reading between the lines of the manual, you would never really understand that synthetic oil was required. The word "synthetic" is never mentioned.

    When I called the dealer to set the appt in early 2003, I was given a price that seemed too low for a synth oil change and asked what was used. It was, of course, 5w-30 bulk oil. The dealer never made a recommendation that I consider using synth. So I ran out and found that 502.00 wasn't that easy to find. I ended up using Valvoline Synpower 5w-40 for a couple of oil changes until a couple of my FLAP stores started carrying 0w-40 M1. I've used that ever since, along with the larger OEM filter. I always bring my own oil and I save every oil purchase and oil change receipt like they are religious relics.

    I am hoping that, along with giving the engine a few minutes of cooldown after harder driving (it all hilly here, so I pretty much do that every time I pull into the driveway), I will avoid the whole sludge issue.
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690

    When I called the dealer to set the appt in early 2003, I was given a price that seemed too low for a synth oil change and asked what was used. It was, of course, 5w-30 bulk oil.


    That's exactly what happened to me. That's when I began bringing in my own motor oil - Elf Excellium LDX 5w40 from germanautoparts.com (one of a handful of Group IV (non-hydrocracked PAO based) synthetic oils on VW's approved 502.00 list). Then AutoZone started carrying Castrol Syntec 0w30 (Made in Germany) which is a Group IV motor oil on VW's new 503.01 specification (an improvement over the old 502.00 list). I've been using that ever since.

    The only time the factory bulk oil is OK to use is during engine break-in (synthetic's lubrication properties do not make it ideal for breaking in the engine - especially making sure the piston rings wear and seat properly).

    After 10,000 - 15,000 miles, it is safe to switch to synthetic.

    How many miles did you have on the car at the time you discovered that the dealer used the bulk 5w30 oil? I made that discovery at about the 30,000 mile mark. After switching to 502.00 spec synthetic oil (and 503.01 after that), I haven't experienced
    any signs of sludge or engine-related issues.

    Using synthetic oil over an extended period of time should gradually clean your engine of whatever sludge residue has been built up (if any).
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    2003 VW Passat and dealer told me that they use 5W30 regular oil for all changes. Starting with first change I always brought my Mobil 1 0W40. Once, when I forgot to bring oil, dealers were already using synthetics (my box of oil was sitting politely in garage instead of trunk ;-)
    All receipts are in the glove box.

    Krzys
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    How many miles did you have on the car at the time you discovered that the dealer used the bulk 5w30 oil?

    Well, I discovered it at about 4,750 miles, but I discovered it before it went into my engine. ;)

    I'm staying under the 5,000 mile recommended OCI. the first 4 changes were using Valvoline's Synpower 5w-40, the rest are with M1 European Formula 0w-40.
  • derspeedderspeed Member Posts: 6
    Well, that little tidbit has been repeated so often that many folks assume it is gospel, however, there is absolutely zero evidence to support that statement, VW engines or no. Many folks switch to synthetic oil for the first time with over 100,000 miles on their cars and even still they get no leaks.

    My own eyes were evidence enough for me. The cars I saw it happen to had one thing in common...a switch to synthetic oil when they had higher miles. One was my own car. Who knows? I'd rather play it safe though.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I've been turning a wrench for over thirty years and I have never seen any car start leaking because of synthetic oil. Not one. If a car starts leaking after synthetic oil is introduced, that I'll bet dollars to donuts that it would have started leaking anyway regardless of the oil.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    While it's hardly a scientific sample, I've driven VW's from three different decades...none of them were the most leak-proof engines to begin with, IMHO. Two decades worth ran strictly dino juice, one ran strictly on synth. The synth engine has remained the most leak-free, at the same mileage point.
This discussion has been closed.