The oil pan needed to replaced anyway because of a stripped drain plug. Like I said, I could have already been driving a brand new car for what I've had to sink into maintenance and repairs on this car that I've had for 3 1/2 years.
I probably will wind up back in the VW/Audi realm sometime in the future. Right now though, I've decided that I will no longer own a car that is out of it's factory warranty period. In addition, I'll be keeping DETAILED logs of every maintenance item that pops up.
One reason that I'm going the FX35 route is that the local (not sure if it's an Infiniti thing or not) Infiniti dealer provides Infiniti loaners for all maintenance calls, including oil changes. The Audi dealer has a deal with Enterprise and I always wind up driving a Focus. With the A8 being an $80k car and them also selling Porshe's, how can they justify putting their customers in a $15k Focus?
"I probably will wind up back in the VW/Audi realm sometime in the future. Right now though, I've decided that I will no longer own a car that is out of it's factory warranty period. In addition, I'll be keeping DETAILED logs of every maintenance item that pops up."
Agreed!
And you said:
"The Audi dealer has a deal with Enterprise and I always wind up driving a Focus. With the A8 being an $80k car and them also selling Porshe's, how can they justify putting their customers in a $15k Focus?"
Ha ha, that's almost as crazy as the owner doing their own oil changes! (and not keeping the receipts!)
Have fun, I think Toyota Lexus products are superb!
In my defense, no car should ever have oil sludging problems. Changing the oil at the recommended intervals should prevent any such problem.
I'm young and I made a mistake. This is my second car - the first was a beater when I bought it and it was only supposed to get me through college anyway. The first car was essentially a disposable car. The bad habits that I acquired from that car carried over into this one.
I know...VW/Audi skirted the whole BMW/Mercedes approach, which is to provide free maintenance, require the use of their branded synthetic oil; although at Audi services are included, so the dealers screwed up by putting cheap oil in, and Audi screwed up by not making it clear (instead of burying that obscure 502.00 spec in the manual) that synthetic oil is required...
But now you and I both know, and synthetic will be going in my humble 2.0 non-turbo...just to be safe....
The fluid level should be checked when the transaxle is near room temperature or at 104°F (40°C). To acquire this, left the car idle for 3-5 minutes with all of the accessories off.
Apply the brake, then move the gear shift selector through all gear ranges, pausing three seconds in each range. Shift the lever into P. Raise and safely support the vehicle. Place a suitable drain pan under the check plug to catch any fluid that may drip out. Remove the oil check plug near the right halfshaft. The oil level should be at the bottom of the oil check hole. Because the transaxle operates correctly over a range of fluid levels, fluid may or may not drain out of the screw hole when the screw is removed. If fluid drains through the screw hole, the transaxle may have been overfilled. When fluid stops draining, then fluid level is correct and the check plug may be installed. If fluid does not drain through the screw hole, the transaxle fluid may have been low. Add Dexron III fluid at the vent cap location in 1 pint increments until the oil level is at the bottom of the oil check hole. Install the oil check plug/fluid level screw and tighten to 10 ft. lbs. (14 Nm). Carefully lower the vehicle.
I find that it's easier to do this if you remove the right front wheel, alcan. Since it's lifted off the ground anyway, it's not much more work. It allows a better view of the plug and hole. I suppose that it wouldn't be an issue if your using a lift though.
I have a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer with no dipstick access, and suspect the transmission fluid level check procedure must be about the same. Can you instruct me on this one?
Warm the trans up by running the engine about 5 minutes. Ford says to use a scan tool to verify trans temp, but 5 minutes does it. With the engine running, shift through all ranges then back to Park, raise the vehicle, and use a 3/16" allen wrench to remove the fluid indicator plug in the middle of the drain plug in the side of the trans pan. Use a larger wrench to hold the drain plug while removing the indicator plug. Fluid level's correct when fluid just drips out of the hole. If low level, there's a special fill tool which screws into the indicator plug hole. It's basically a tube with a threaded end. Draw clean ATF into a hand suction pump in 1 pint increments, then place the rubber hose of the pump onto the fill tool and add ATF until it just drips out of the indicator hole. Remove the fill tool, re-install the indicator plug, then the engine can be shut off.
Many thanks! I am immediately unhappy about crawling under a running, jacked-up Mountaineer... I suspect my sense of safety will force me to find a vehicle lift, or shop to pay. If I were to drive the vehicle eight miles to my favorite shop, could I still assume the temp to be correct? What would stop me from squirting ATF into the hole, and avoid setting up or buying a special screw-in hose?
The temp would still be ok after 8 miles, the big thing is the vehicle has to be level when checking. A squeeze bottle with a tapered cap would probably work to fill it, just might take the rest of your life to do it if it's been drained. LOL
2003 passat 1.8T had all oil changes done by dealer. I only have 15K miles and have had 4 oil changes all well before the interval specified. First 3 pretty sure dealer used Dino. In my ignorance I did not pay attention to the spec in the manual just assumed dealer would use correct oil type. They act as if the synthetic is a new requirement and looking at past invoices they could not have been using synth at the price they were charging. Assured me yesterday it was synth from now on. Got the invoice and it was the same as before. Called service advisor and they said we used synth but charged the wrong amount. No problem for me, however is there any way to visually tell the difference? Don't have much faith in dealership.
A friend of mine just came back from a technical presentation on the new BMW 1 Series(E81). He reports that the M46 2 liter petrol engine will NOT have an oil dipstick- If/when the oil level drops below a certain point the OBC will not only inform the driver but it will tell him the exact amount of oil to add.
Well basically that's how it works already. Few people check their oil very often with the dipstick. They wait for a red light or a loud noise and then they know it's "time".
Yesterday I had the oil changed on my V6 with 6500 miles (1st change was at 2500) on it at the dealers where I bought it. After reading posts on this board and others that are similar I decided to switch to synthetic. The dino change was $34.00 and the synthetic was $65.00 (incl. all taxes and charges).
My dealer uses Amsoil but not the same weight shown in the manual. They use 5W-30W. I asked them about it and the tech said he thought the new manual had been changed to these weights already. After both changes I noticed the oil level was above the recommended level on the dip stick. I will keep the receipts of all the work done on the car just in case.
Oh Lawd.... we're on the way to where opening the hood will require a factory-only, model specific, enter the VIN, scan tool. LOL
I teach at a major technology institute where we have contracts with GM and DCM to provide their dealer tech training and upgrading, and even with their resources available it's a full time job trying to stay current. Can you imagine how tough a row to hoe it is for small independents to stay current with technology? Then there's their capital outlay for equipment. That's why I sometimes get PO'd with people who cry about having to pay 50 bucks to get their car diagnosed with a $4,000.00 scan tool which some garage operator had to pay for and has to buy update cartridges every year for about $1,000.00 per.
I was at my friend's Porsche shop yesterday and a 911 came in with 15 quarts of oil in it. It actually poured out the spark plug holes. What a mess!
Got it drained but the car smoked so badly the entire muffler/cat system will probably have to come off and be replaced, if it can't be flushed out somehow.
Porsche uses a dry-sump system and it will take 11 quarts but you have to read the manual on how to add it and check it properly or you'll get fooled.
One thing that really infuriates me is the growing practice of "buffering" the dash gauges so that movement of the needles are minimized or eliminated-all to keep from worrying the typical moronic US vehicle operator("driver" is too generous a term).
It really depends on how long you want your TDI to last. You can use rotella 5-40 syn. if you want to burn up your engine over time. Volkswagen (TDI)will not honor your engine warranty if the incorrect oil is used and it fails. Volkswagen recommends 505.01 for a reason and the best part is you don't have to buy it from the dealer. Oil dealers purchase 505.01 oil from middlemen that order in bulk from France. I run ELF DID 5W40 full syn. that meets 505.01 requirements. The cost is about 8 dollars and change a quart. 505.01 oil (elf) is extended drain intervals up to 15k. I would strongly recommend 10k intervals with filter change. Amsoil will be coming out with 505.01 first part of next year. I use amsoil in my 1-ton dually and I'm extremely satisfied with it and would recommend it to anyone. My wife and I commute 100 hundred miles both ways to work.
In reference to the Amsoil 505.01, the question will be whether it's actually approved as a 505.01 or only recommended by Amsoil for this usage. In other words, will they do the expensive testing to actually get the approval?
I'm a little concerned about ownership of a vehicle that cannot be predicted to endure the usage of the majority of top rated motor oils being offered in the United States. Is this actually the situation?
I totally agree with Scarvajal on the need for 505.01 spec oil on the new Pumpe Dusens (PD) diesels - the 2004 and later diesels. The higher spec oil is required due to the massive upgrade in the injector pump.
It is my understanding that for the pre-2004, 90 hp diesels, this spec is not required, and any 5-40 full synthetic diesel rated oil, for example, Rotella 5-40, is fine. Correct me if I'm wrong, becaus a friend owns one of each, and her husband took the pre-2004 to a Jiffy Lube that did NOT even use synthetic....
You said "I'm a little concerned about ownership of a vehicle that cannot be predicted to endure the usage of the majority of top rated motor oils being offered in the United States. Is this actually the situation?"
It's not a concern if you just follow the manual's specs - the oil is available to ANY VW dealer in the country. Rumor has it that some MORONIC dealers don't read the spec sheets or order the oil in, not realizing the tremendous upgrade the PD system represents.
If I could get a PD diesel in California, I'd buy one. They are an amazing piece of techology - both the turbo and the injection system. Essentially they give gas engine performance with diesel economy. The SINGLE downside is you've got to service them the way VW states in the manual. It's not excessive service, or expensive service, but the usual American attitude of "my favorite oil is good enough for the diesel in my truck, so I'll be damned if I'll let VW rip me off by using their oil" will get us into trouble.
Use what you want! Again, VW PD dictates use of their oil or equivalant. I use ELF DID 505.01, It doesn't say VW on the bottle, it states VW recognize's it as 505.01. You don't have to go to VW and buy their oil, you just need to know where to buy their equivalant and you won't find it at part houses. Remember, VW gets astonishing mileage because of how their engineered. Keeping it that way is entirely up to you.
As I am becoming painfully aware, it is widely known that Isuzu Troopers & Rodeos begin to consume excess (1 qt. every 1000 - 1300 miles) oil around 60,000-80,000 miles. Sure wished I'd known...
Anyway, my question, what is the effect on emissions testing when you have a vehicle that uses excess oil?
The new generation of SM oils, hitting the shelves now, have components that are less harmful to catalytic converters, and would be better if you are experiencing high oil consumption (although I don't think a quart every thousand miles is high). Stay away from high mileage oils which contain additives that are slightly harmful to converters, and from SUV type oils (same issue).
jimcarr, Check your owner's manual to be sure, this is from memory:
The 505.01 requirement is for the 1.9 and 2.0 liter TDI engines, not the 1.8T engine in your Passat. I believe that the oil requirement for the 1.8T is currently 502.00. VW is also using a larger filter on the 1.8T model. There should be several commonly available synthetic oils which meet this requirement. During the warranty period, it is not necessary to have the car serviced at the dealer. You should use the VW filter and an approved oil and have it serviced at your place of choice every 6 months or 5,000 miles. Keep receipts and records for the filters, oil, and service!
The potential oil problems in your engine have to do with the thermal breakdown of the oil, not special requirements for an injector pump. The thermal stability is the reason synthetic is required. Check your oil at every fuel fill-up, after it has had a chance to drain back into the oil pan. I don't think you have anything to worry about.
corvette: What differs in the PD system is the injectors are timed using a cam, thus cam wear is critical. This is what 505.01 requires. I believe the S4 now requires 505.01 oil also.
Thanks for the information. I will be going to Lincoln next week and I will stop at the dealer and buy a filter. I should be able to cross-reference from that.
If you would have had all your oil and filter services done at the dealer, they would have eaten that $300.00 dollar repair bill for a new oil pan. My Honda dealer offers the same competitive prices as the J shop in town.
In 1997 I bought a brand new Geo Prizm from a local Chevrolet dealership. I took it in for the "complimentary/free" first oil change. I drove home 4 miles, and once in my garage, I checked the oil, just to be sure. It turned out that they had overfilled the crankcase. They put 5 quarts in when 3.5 quarts was specified. That was the last time that car ever entered their shop. Perhaps if I had taken it to Walmart, the job would have been done right.
I had the same probloem with a GM certifies used car. Dealer overfilled the crankcase a quart, put the passenger air filter in wrong. It's all about money and techs not having the time to do the job correctly or look up specs for each engine they service
Engine oil and the oil filter should be changed EVERY 3,000 miles. If a particular engine has a problem with the prodution of "sludge", the oil and filter should be changed more often. Use the dealer for this service, so all your records are in one place.
Comments
I probably will wind up back in the VW/Audi realm sometime in the future. Right now though, I've decided that I will no longer own a car that is out of it's factory warranty period. In addition, I'll be keeping DETAILED logs of every maintenance item that pops up.
One reason that I'm going the FX35 route is that the local (not sure if it's an Infiniti thing or not) Infiniti dealer provides Infiniti loaners for all maintenance calls, including oil changes. The Audi dealer has a deal with Enterprise and I always wind up driving a Focus. With the A8 being an $80k car and them also selling Porshe's, how can they justify putting their customers in a $15k Focus?
"I probably will wind up back in the VW/Audi realm sometime in the future. Right now though, I've decided that I will no longer own a car that is out of it's factory warranty period. In addition, I'll be keeping DETAILED logs of every maintenance item that pops up."
Agreed!
And you said:
"The Audi dealer has a deal with Enterprise and I always wind up driving a Focus. With the A8 being an $80k car and them also selling Porshe's, how can they justify putting their customers in a $15k Focus?"
Ha ha, that's almost as crazy as the owner doing their own oil changes! (and not keeping the receipts!)
Have fun, I think Toyota Lexus products are superb!
I'm young and I made a mistake. This is my second car - the first was a beater when I bought it and it was only supposed to get me through college anyway. The first car was essentially a disposable car. The bad habits that I acquired from that car carried over into this one.
But now you and I both know, and synthetic will be going in my humble 2.0 non-turbo...just to be safe....
The fluid level should be checked when the transaxle is near room temperature or at 104°F (40°C). To acquire this, left the car idle for 3-5 minutes with all of the accessories off.
Apply the brake, then move the gear shift selector through all gear ranges, pausing three seconds in each range. Shift the lever into P.
Raise and safely support the vehicle.
Place a suitable drain pan under the check plug to catch any fluid that may drip out.
Remove the oil check plug near the right halfshaft. The oil level should be at the bottom of the oil check hole. Because the transaxle operates correctly over a range of fluid levels, fluid may or may not drain out of the screw hole when the screw is removed.
If fluid drains through the screw hole, the transaxle may have been overfilled. When fluid stops draining, then fluid level is correct and the check plug may be installed. If fluid does not drain through the screw hole, the transaxle fluid may have been low. Add Dexron III fluid at the vent cap location in 1 pint increments until the oil level is at the bottom of the oil check hole.
Install the oil check plug/fluid level screw and tighten to 10 ft. lbs. (14 Nm).
Carefully lower the vehicle.
With the engine running, shift through all ranges then back to Park, raise the vehicle, and use a 3/16" allen wrench to remove the fluid indicator plug in the middle of the drain plug in the side of the trans pan. Use a larger wrench to hold the drain plug while removing the indicator plug. Fluid level's correct when fluid just drips out of the hole. If low level, there's a special fill tool which screws into the indicator plug hole. It's basically a tube with a threaded end. Draw clean ATF into a hand suction pump in 1 pint increments, then place the rubber hose of the pump onto the fill tool and add ATF until it just drips out of the indicator hole. Remove the fill tool, re-install the indicator plug, then the engine can be shut off.
My dealer uses Amsoil but not the same weight shown in the manual. They use 5W-30W. I asked them about it and the tech said he thought the new manual had been changed to these weights already. After both changes I noticed the oil level was above the recommended level on the dip stick. I will keep the receipts of all the work done on the car just in case.
I teach at a major technology institute where we have contracts with GM and DCM to provide their dealer tech training and upgrading, and even with their resources available it's a full time job trying to stay current. Can you imagine how tough a row to hoe it is for small independents to stay current with technology? Then there's their capital outlay for equipment. That's why I sometimes get PO'd with people who cry about having to pay 50 bucks to get their car diagnosed with a $4,000.00 scan tool which some garage operator had to pay for and has to buy update cartridges every year for about $1,000.00 per.
Got it drained but the car smoked so badly the entire muffler/cat system will probably have to come off and be replaced, if it can't be flushed out somehow.
Porsche uses a dry-sump system and it will take 11 quarts but you have to read the manual on how to add it and check it properly or you'll get fooled.
It is my understanding that for the pre-2004, 90 hp diesels, this spec is not required, and any 5-40 full synthetic diesel rated oil, for example, Rotella 5-40, is fine. Correct me if I'm wrong, becaus a friend owns one of each, and her husband took the pre-2004 to a Jiffy Lube that did NOT even use synthetic....
It's not a concern if you just follow the manual's specs - the oil is available to ANY VW dealer in the country. Rumor has it that some MORONIC dealers don't read the spec sheets or order the oil in, not realizing the tremendous upgrade the PD system represents.
If I could get a PD diesel in California, I'd buy one. They are an amazing piece of techology - both the turbo and the injection system. Essentially they give gas engine performance with diesel economy. The SINGLE downside is you've got to service them the way VW states in the manual. It's not excessive service, or expensive service, but the usual American attitude of "my favorite oil is good enough for the diesel in my truck, so I'll be damned if I'll let VW rip me off by using their oil" will get us into trouble.
Anyway, my question, what is the effect on emissions testing when you have a vehicle that uses excess oil?
Thank you, C-
Should you receive any information about the above and also the filter replacement data, please drop me a line.
I am happy with the car having driven 300 miles the other day on I-80 and got an average of 27 miles per gallon.
I have an 04 Passat GL automatic 1.8L turbo engine. Was a quart low the other day and had the oil changed, but I worry that I may harm the engine.
Thanks a lot from the state that doesn't have much of a football team this year-Nebraska
Check your owner's manual to be sure, this is from memory:
The 505.01 requirement is for the 1.9 and 2.0 liter TDI engines, not the 1.8T engine in your Passat. I believe that the oil requirement for the 1.8T is currently 502.00. VW is also using a larger filter on the 1.8T model. There should be several commonly available synthetic oils which meet this requirement. During the warranty period, it is not necessary to have the car serviced at the dealer. You should use the VW filter and an approved oil and have it serviced at your place of choice every 6 months or 5,000 miles. Keep receipts and records for the filters, oil, and service!
The potential oil problems in your engine have to do with the thermal breakdown of the oil, not special requirements for an injector pump. The thermal stability is the reason synthetic is required. Check your oil at every fuel fill-up, after it has had a chance to drain back into the oil pan. I don't think you have anything to worry about.
Garland: for 505.01 oil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg... http://www.motul.us/autoresellers/
I really appreciate your promt reply.