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Volkswagen Passat Oil Changes & Issues

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Comments

  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    You should be good to go with a yearly oil change, especially if you use an oil that meets the 503.01 spec (Mobil 1 0W-40 or Castrol Syntec 0W-30) as opposed to the base spec 502.00 oils that are often hydrocracked crude oil.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I agree with Shipo, but I'd make sure that every once in awhile I really ran the thing to get the oil hot for a sustained period of time.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Good call. :shades:

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • blufz1blufz1 Member Posts: 2,045
    Do it once per year in the fall. The longer you go between changes the more important it is to use synthetic oil.
  • passatuserpassatuser Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have VW Passat GLS 2005. It uses synthetic oil. What is the recommended frequency for changing the oil in this car?

    Thank you very much.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Assuming that you don't have the TDI version of the GLS, that means that you have a 1.8T. IIRC, your engine requires an oil change every 5,000 miles, and you MUST use an oil that meets, at the very least, the VW 502.00 oil spec (or better still, the 503.01 oil spec). Not any old synthetic oil will do.

    FWIW, this type of information is most likely spelled out in your Owner's Manual (assuming that you have one).

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    I recently purchased a 2000 Passat 1.8T. I heard that they are unreliable but I liked the car and decided to take the chance. So far no problems.. :) What kind of oil should I put in it and how often? Any other advice to make my Passat last longer... very appreciated.

    thanks,
    alen3.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Short answer: Mobil 1 0W-40 or Castrol Syntec 0W-30.

    Long answer: Go back to message 1 of this discussion and read every post. ;)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    ;) ...How do u turn off the ABS warning every time I turn on the car? My brakes work just fine and there seem to be no problem. Is it ok to put regular 87 fuel in the car or should I stick with 91.

    thanks,
    alen3
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "How do u turn off the ABS warning every time I turn on the car?"

    I don't believe that you can. FWIW, most cars with ABS run an ABS diagnostic following startup, and during the diagnostic the ABS light is illuminated.

    "Is it ok to put regular 87 fuel in the car or should I stick with 91."

    Why would you want to? Most tests that I've seen clearly indicate that virtually every car sold in North America that "Recommends" or "Requires" Premium gasoline (the VW/Audi 1.8T included) will drop far enough in fuel economy to actually make fuel cost per mile go UP when using Regular gasoline.

    So, running Regular in your car will:
    - Drop your fuel economy
    - Increase your per mile cost
    - Reduce your available power
    - Force your ingnition system to work overtime to keep the timing retarded enough to prevent your engine from self destructing

    Given those points, most folks consider running Regular fuel in these engines as a "fools economy".

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Any other advice to make my Passat last longer

    If the car has at least 65,000 miles on it, make sure the timing belt has been changed. Since you have a pre-2001.5 model, the water pump on this car is the older aluminum-type which should last at least 150,000+ miles (the water pump on the 2001.5 and later models have a plastic impeller which must be changed every 60,000 - 65,000 miles).

    As long as you use the motor oils Shipo mentioned and use only G12 (red) coolant for the cooling system, you should be fine. Also, if you are parking your car immediately after a high-speed highway run, make sure you idle the car for a couple of minutes so the engine oil can properly cool down the turbo's bearing (preventing an overcooking oil condition called coking - which has the potential to cause serious engine problems).

    Good Luck, and many happy miles...
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    When you change the timing belt, make sure you change to associated parts...tensioner, roller, etc. ECS Tuning sells an Ultimate Timing Belt kit with the following items:
    Timing Belt
    OE Updated Tensioner
    OE Tensioner Roller
    OE Idler Roller
    Camshaft seal
    Crankshaft seal
    Hepu Metal OE Water Pump (half) with gasket
    Behr OE Thermostat with O-ring
    Conti-Tech A/C Belt
    Conti-Tech P/S Belt
    Conti-Tech Alternator Belt
    2) 1.5 Liter bottles of G12 Coolant
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    When you change the timing belt, make sure you change to associated parts...tensioner, roller, etc. ECS Tuning sells an Ultimate Timing Belt kit with the following items:

    As a 25+ year owner/mechanic of VWs including a pair of 2003 1.8Ts with 77,000 and 110,000 miles respectively (not to mention being a VAG-COM owner) - I've already got that covered, chief. The timing belt service was done on both cars at 65,000 with the complete timing belt service kit from germanautoparts.com - which includes all of the parts you mentioned - especially the Hepu water pump with the metal impeller.

    Been there, done that...
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    My reply was meant for Alen3 - I know you know all about that add'l stuff... :)
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Sorry - The subject line in the message threw me off.... My bad... :shades:
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Not your bad, but mine. I shoulda slid back to reply to the correct post...
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    No worries...we all have our moments from time to time... :shades:
  • redrose_rockerredrose_rocker Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a black 1997 Passat GLX sedan, 6 cylindar. I bought this car six months ago from the local VW mechanic. When i bought the car it shifted a little bit hard, but other than that, no problems. The person who owed the vehicle before me had put around 2 grand into the transmission, it would not work right. She had taken it to the VW Dealership in State College, PA, and got tired of throwing money into the car and sold it to the guy i bought it off of. He put a new transmission in it, and fixed a few other things before selling it to me.
    Now soon after I bought it, my car began slipping gears. It got so bad I had to shift manually. It was never in the right gear, sometimes it would pull out of an interesection in 3rd gear and just dog along. I discovered the only way to make my car run correctly, was to floor it. As odd as that sounds, every time I floored my car it stopped slipping gears, stopped slamming into gears, and ran fine. I no longer had to manually shift it. So i thought I was alright.
    Well about a week ago my car started doing something else. It stopping shifting right altogether. It wouldn't go out of first gear until (according to the RPM gage on the dashboard) it hit bewteen 40 RPM's and 45 RPM's. But it has quit slipping gears. Then between 2nd and 3rd gear, it wouldn't shift until it hit around 50 RPM's. Even then it was sometimes a fight to get it into 3rd. The ONLY way to get it to shift is - you guessed it - flooring it. Once I did that it would go into the right gear, and not mess up, and continually shift correctly until I stopped the vehicle.
    Now the computer in my vehicle was thinking that every time I hit the gas on my car, that I was flooring it. When I actually did put the pedal to the medal it seemed to override that and run properly. It got continually confused, sometimes on my dashboard all the gears would highlight like my car didn't know what gear it was in. Also, when i pulled out from places or headed uphill, it would jerk forward and back for a few seconds until I floored it. It was explained to me that this computer thought I was hitting the brake and gas at the same time to cause that effect. Now my mechanic has replaced this computer, which resolved some of the problems, but my car is still not sure what gear to go in or what gear it is in.

    Also my car is suffering from a mystery oil loss. I have to add about a quart every 2 ro 3 weeks. It is not burning any (nothing coming from the exhaust except in extreeme cold weather) and not dripping anything (I keep a close eye on it and have had my mechanic take a look at a few times).
    It has stumped me and everyone else I know.

    Has anyone else had this problem or one similiar to it? Or perhaps know what could be wrong? I appreciate any response!
  • bobcat8bobcat8 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Passat 3.6 that, for now, the oil changes are being done at the dealer. I am tired of paying $80 for it. Yesterday I went to the dealer and got a filter and 7 quarts of oil. They use Castrol Syntec SAE 5W-40 that has "specially formulated to meet the needs of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen." On the back it has VW502 00 and 505 00 as well as standards for Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Also states "Offers full synthetic performance specifically to meet the Volkswagen engine warranty requirements, including testing in VW TDI engines." At $6.44 a quart at the dealer I hope to find a better price.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    What specs must you meet with the 3.6 engine? You might want to investigate whether Mobil 1 Euro formula (0w-40) fits your needs. It will definitely be less expensive than the dealer's Syntec at regular prices and even moreso when on sale (although that seems to occur more rarely these days).

    0w-40 Quick Facts

    0w-40 Product Data Sheet
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Our local AutoZone sells both Mobil 1 0W-40 and Castrol Syntec 0W-30 for less than $6.00 per quart. Both oils are significantly more robust compared to the oil you just bought because not only do they meet the 502.00 gasoline oil spec, they surpass it by meeting the VW 503.01 spec. FWIW, 505.00 is for Diesel engines, and both of the two oils I mentioned are certified to meet that spec as well.

    FWIW, the Mobil 1 oil can also be found at our local Walmart as well as many of our local NAPA dealers.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    I have a 2001 Passat 1.8t with an oil pressure / sludge problem, so I was browsing these posts. I found this post that might help with the transmission problem... http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=3471982
    I hope this helps..

    As for my oil pressure / sludge problem I have chosen to try the Auto-RX cleaning procedure. http://www.auto-rx.com/pages/heavy_sludge_app.html

    FWIW... This oil pressure / sludge problem has manifested itself in a cam chain tensioner indicator code in the computer and a dash oil light on a few occaisions. VW wants to replace the Cam Chain Tensioner, a $900 repair. I figure the Auto-RX solution (about a $60 endeavor) was worth a try.

    Jim
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    While you're not going to lose much by giving the Auto-RX a try, I seriously doubt that that stuff will even put a dent in your sludging problem. Assuming that you get little or no benefit from the treatment, your best and cheapest remediation measure might be to have the cylinder head, oil pan, and oil pickup pulled and cleaned. With those our of the way, you have a pretty good chance of keeping your engie running for quite some time yet (assuming that you use a good VW approved oil and change it OFTEN).

    Keep us posted.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • wencewence Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 VW Passat, 1.8 liter turbo. I got a low oil warning ("Low Oil Pressure: Stop Now"). Anyway, my car has 95,000 miles on it and it is 5 years old.. still VW fixed the "slug" issue for free.

    I was told that the the VW 1.8 turbo's heat will slug the oil as there is no after oil cooler; moreover, the oil pan is too small to allow for adequate heat dissipation. The best prevention: don't skimp on non-synthetic oil (use recommended oil--see manual) and have the dealer run a cleaning/deslug procedure ever 20,000 miles (about $100). The synthetic oil should be changed at 7,000 or when it gets dirty looking (dark), which ever occurs first (my experience is about 5,000 or 6,000 miles).

    The fix: The dealer checked for cam and crank wear, saw none... and cleaned/replaced the oil pump pick up screen. Then ran some sort of approved solvent/oil mixture through the engine to clean it and changed the oil twice. The total bill was about $650, but VW's warrantee took care of the bill.

    I believe it is well worth the effort to keep the engine running clean and correctly. Afterall it is a well performing vehicle, otherwise. Also, note that the mechanic said that the engine has such low tolerances that it is best to use the oil specified to ensure low engine wear and problems. Do not use cheep oil, for your own good.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "I was told that the the VW 1.8 turbo's heat will slug the oil as there is no after oil cooler; moreover, the oil pan is too small to allow for adequate heat dissipation. The best prevention: don't skimp on non-synthetic oil (use recommended oil--see manual) and have the dealer run a cleaning/deslug procedure ever 20,000 miles (about $100). The synthetic oil should be changed at 7,000 or when it gets dirty looking (dark), which ever occurs first (my experience is about 5,000 or 6,000 miles)."

    I'm not sure where you get your information from, but 7,000 miles in a 1.8T, even on the best synthetic oil, is waaaay too far. Per your manual, 5,000 miles is the maximum oil change interval, and not just any synthetic oil will do as only oils that are certified to meet the 502.00 and/or 503.01 VW oil spec should be used.

    Regarding how oil looks, its relative darkness is completely irrelevant, there are plenty of used oils that are as dark as coal that are still extremely serviceable where there are other used oils that are as amber as honey that are completely exhausted. The only way to know for sure of your oil is holding up is to have it analyzed.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    It looks like a mix of some truth and plenty of misinformation.

    Like shipo wrote the max OCI is 5000 miles. The oil MUST meet VW oil spec 502.00 or, if you are really crazy, newer 503.01.

    No car should require regular desludging.

    Krzys

    PS I have Subaru Legacy GT (the one with turbo engine). Subaru started with 7500 miles OCI but recently changed spec for newer cars claiming that all turbo engines should be maintained per severe service schedule (3750 miles OCI).
  • sickcarsickcar Member Posts: 2
    I too have been a victim of Volkswagen's neglect and VW not standing by their product. My car has been in and out of the dealership since I purchased it NEW. Over and over again, oil is disappearing and not in the car at all. Several times I have had to stop my car immediately and have the car towed to the dealership because I could not drive it due to no oil in the car. The engine light went on and specifically told me to "Do not DRIVE". This is absolutely absurd with a new car. I would not recommend a VW to anyone. They are highly unreliable and unsafe as far as I am concerned. Buyer Beware!! VW will not stand by it's product. I have repeatedly gone to the dealership to have this repaired, but the same problem keeps coming up over and over again. VW will not do anything for you. Please save yourself some problems, do not buy a VW as they continue to be out for themselves.
  • sickcarsickcar Member Posts: 2
    I too have been a victim of Volkswagen's neglect and VW not standing by their product. My car has been in and out of the dealership since I purchased it NEW. Over and over again, oil is disappearing and not in the car at all. Several times I have had to stop my car immediately and have the car towed to the dealership because I could not drive it due to no oil in the car. The engine light went on and specifically told me to "Do not DRIVE". This is absolutely absurd with a new car. I would not recommend a VW to anyone. They are highly unreliable and unsafe as far as I am concerned. Buyer Beware!! VW will not stand by its product as I have requested they buy it back from me, which they disregard. I have repeatedly gone to the dealership to have this repaired, but the same problem keeps coming up over and over again. VW will not do anything for you as they have done nothing for me. Please save yourselves some headaches and lots of money.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Not to denigrate your problem, but if I had a car that had a high rate of oil consumption, I think I'd get into the habit of checking my oil level regularly (like at every fuel fill, as the owner's manual suggests) and topping it off as needed if, for no other reason, than to avoid the hassle of getting a tow. But, hey, maybe that's just me....

    If you ever check back here, did the dealership perform an oil consumption test? What was the consumption rate (how many miles to a quart of oil)?
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Hi everyone, am new here and do have a question.
    Have a 2002 Passat 1.8T bought with 8500 mi on it in Sept 2003, currently have 26,150. Have no idea what oil was used before I bought it and what I used afterwards was whatever Walmart/Auto Care Center had that was called for in the book. I have been reading this forum for awhile now since I had heard about the sludge problem so now I have ordered the Mann filters (larger ones) that are VW specs and have the suggested Mobil 1 0W40 and drain bolt gasket. Now for the question: Is there anything I need to do in particular before I change the oil and put the new "good" stuff in? Am doing it myself.

    Thanks,
    laottoman
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    I never did that on any car. But it should be simple as long as you follow the right instruction and have the tools. You can find the instruction on those car manuals. Keep the draining period long to let the old stuff goes out as completely as possible.
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    I have a 2000 passat 1.8T and its about that time to change the oil. What kind of oil filter should i get and what tools are needed. I know the Mobil 1 and Castrol syntec oils are good but what about Penzoil.
    thanks
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Pennzoil Platinum is a good qualiy Group III wannabe synthetic oil that I believe meets the 502.00 oil spec (the bare bones minimum for your engine), however, I don't believe that it even comes close to meeting VW's more stringent oil specification called 503.01 (a spect that is met by Castrol Syntec 0W-30 and Mobil 1 0W-40). Said another way, no chance I'm using a Group III oil in blown VW or Audi engine.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Thanks greatcars..I am a little concerned about the sludge problem though, wonder how much of a chance it's had to build up in 26k. I almost only drive it on the weeks ends since my wife doesn't drive and I take it atleast 25 mi one way to work and back, very little around town or stop and go driving. Who knows what happened the first 8.5k, was a lease. But gonna start using the good stuff as I have seen Shipo recommend over and over...:)
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Hi again, thought I'd throw something else in the mix besides my earlier posts #244. Out shopping one day in the Passat, started it up and put in reverse, there was a sort of hard jerk. What the heck but that was all, then I put in drive and noticed hmmmm...kinda slow. It was getting dark so I drove it home as was and noticed that the lights that tell you what gear it was in were "all" lite. Think I drove home in 3rd. Any way got home and stared it again but did nothing unusual. The next several times I drove it the gear lights would light up when started, I'd turn it off, restart it and they'd be off and act as if all was normal. Then the MIL came on and went off so I parked it for a week and it was gone next time I started it and has not come back since then (month ago). I bought one of those diagnostic memo scanner and checked but showed no code. I changed the oil (Mobil 1 0W40) and Mann filter today so I got to drive it and so far nothing. Hope this is end of the story but have a feeling it isn't with all I've been reading about VW's and their problems with the 1.8T. Yep, I got a little long winded. Anyone else have the same problem?
    Danke
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    When all of the gear selection lights are lit, you are in fail-safe mode. The tranny does that to prevent self-destruction.

    The tiptronic's transmission control module is under the front passenger's side carpet, in a well. Has your car had any water intrusion issues? Sometimes the TCM goes wack if that occurs. You might want to check your floors for signs of water. Also check under the hood to see if the air plenum (the area where the battery lives) is holding any water from clogged drains under the battery and brake booster.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Thank you Altair4, I will do that. I had read where there are problems caused by just the thing you suggested. The car is garaged 90 pct of the time but who knows, anything is possible. You know, I did change out the air filter and the cabin filter about the time this started but didn't notice any water in the air plenum.
    Danke Altair...
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    Hi, i was just wondering what kind of air filter for the air cleaner and what kind for the cabin I should get? What would the price range be on those?

    Much obliged,
    alen :)
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    my coolant is low and i was wondering how i would go about refilling it. also the hydrolic fluid is on the dry end. Suggestions?

    thanks a bunch
    alen :)
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    alen3, I got the air filter at Auto Zone for around $15-17. The cabin filter was at Walmart for about $13. Look in the filter books they have at the store and it should tell you which one you should install. I don't remember the parts numbers now.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You need to be cautious here.

    First, you must use the appropriate G12 coolant. Mixing G12 with other coolants will cause serious problems, like having the coolant gel, mandating a complete flush.

    Second, assuming you know nothing about adding coolant, remember that the cooling system is under pressure when the engine is warm or hot. Only open the reservoir when the engine is cold to prevent being scalded.

    When you mentioned the hydraulic fluid, are you referring to the power steering fluid or the brake fluid? At which reservoir are you looking?
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    The tank im looking at is located on the right side right below the ABS control module. I think it is the power steering fluid because the brake fluid is at the very top near the battery, right?

    P.S. thanks to laottoman for his previous post
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Yes, that's the power steering fluid. I don't recall if VW uses a specific fluid, but that's a real possibility, given their propensity to use top shelf stuff. Personally, I'd just buy a small bottle at a dealer and be done with it. You can pick up that G12 coolant there, too, and not worry about it.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Yes, altair4 and alen3, VW does use a specific one and it's expensive (what isn't) when it comes to VW/Audi. Anywho, at work now but when I get home I will see what it is I bought (ordered) and post it. Think it was Pentosin CHF 11S.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Think it was Pentosin CHF 11S

    That sounds right...
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Alen3 and Altair4, It is Pentosin CHF 11S.
    Just a little advice here for other readers. If you go somewhere to get your oil changed, don't let the shop top off your fluids as they customarily do unless you know for sure they have what it takes.
    Some of you guys that are more knowledgeable than I can probably confirm this. Just think, if they put something in your coolant other than G12 what will happen, gel up.
    Now of course some of them are just kids and don't know any better or are doing what the boss says, but you'll end up paying for it in the end.
    I've been guilty of going off fat, dumb and happy too, but not any more. Will pay very close attention if I don't do it myself.
  • alen3alen3 Member Posts: 12
    How much is the fluid and where did u order yours? Is the same true for the brake fluid?

    :)
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Well, my primary advice would be to never take a VW to a Quiky Lube place. It's a recipe for disaster - too high a chance of getting the wrong oil, wrong fluids, and having them install the belly pan incorrectly. Not worth it, in my opinion.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    I'd agree with that mostly, but if I do it again I will bring own oil, filter and gasket and watch very very closely.
    I have to say this, getting off the track...but the oil filter I put on my Passat is a Mann (german made big filter)..called for by VW...well, I also have a Honda Ridgeline with a V6...that oil filter is dinky, dinky, dinky...lol..Frame PH 7317.
  • laottomanlaottoman Member Posts: 16
    Wow, alen3..hmmm I have CRS syndrome..lol..anyway, been about a year and I think it was about $25. or so. Don't remember from who.
    Do a search on google or one of the other search engines and I'm sure you'll find a place with a price to fit your wallet.
    Do be careful though, don't order the CHF 7 or some of the other CHF's... they don't mix.
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