Reply With QuoteVolkswagen does not specify a specific viscosity grade for most of their vehicles.Originally Posted by ratsock
Hey guys,
As in subject title, I'm a total noob when it comes to this stuff. Am trying to learn one step at a time from the very beginning
So my GTI DSG has got the oil warning light on. I figure this is pretty urgentI'm just wondering which oil you guys recommend for use in topping it up? I looked up the shell and castrol sites and they recommend the 5w-30 for this model, but I've seen other sources saying 5w-40. What's the difference? Does it matter which?
However, Volkswagen (like many other vehicle manufacturers) set their own standards, specifications and test procedures for a vast variety of fluids and lubricants - including engine oils. But this does not mean you must only use VW-branded oils.
VW make the specifications available to interested parties, such as lubricant manufacturers, who can decide to submit their product to VW for evaluation (which I'm led to believe costs many hundreds of thousands of dollars for engine oils) to gain VW certification and approval.
Products which are submitted and have passed VW test procedures are put onto a list of approved oils, which is maintained by VW - these are usually (by not always) referred to as OEM approved oils or lubricants.
To that end, the relevant oil standard and/or viscosity grade that is required for your vehicle is usually listed in the owner's manual. Today, for ordinary VW passenger vehicles, this is usually:
VW 502.00/505.00
-- or --
VW 504.00/507.00
As mentioned, VW do not specify a viscosity grade for most of their vehicles.
Products that do not appear on OEM approval lists is not necessarily an indicator of a product's quality per se (plenty of high-performance & high-quality lubricants carry no costly OEM approvals), but it does raise the issue of liability during the warranty period. In the unlikely event of an engine failure caused by deficient lubrication, where the lubricant in question has claimed to meet and exceed the relevant OEM specification, it may take some time for the party responsible (either the vehicle or lubricant manufacturer) to accept the of cost of repairs before any such repair actually commences, which may cost the consumer lost time and inconvenience if it isn't resolved promptly.
However, I would assume no liability on part of the vehicle or lubricant manufacturer if the consumer does something silly like pour a mineral 20W-50 oil (or whatever) into a Volkswagen that's still under warranty.
Many people have reported and experienced higher than anticipated levels of oil consumption in vehicles made by the Volkswagen Group (which includes Audi, Seat and Skoda, amongst others).
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