Polo GTI High Oil Usage - Discussion Thread

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Originally Posted by brad

So did they give you any specific running-in instructions?

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Nope..no run in instructions but they say that it usually takes about 10000 - 15000kms to bed in completely.

Was also told that it is a high possibility that my engine is burning oil due to the oil specified by VGA to be used is a fully synthetic oil, which wouldn’t allow the engine to bed in due to its high lubrication within the engine.

They would like to get my car back in and change the engine oil completely to a mineral base oil which still meets VW oil specifications but will allow the engine to bed in easier.

Why did they put synthetic in it in the first place then?

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Originally Posted by k0e1

I'll be getting my engine rebuilt by the end of this month so I'll kick you posted on how that goes. So did they give you a completely new engine or just basically changed certain parts of the engine ?

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Cool..please keep me updated on how you car goes.

They did a complete base engine change. According to my dealer, a base engine comes complete with what is required by their technicians to bolt the existing exhaust manifolds and engine accessories such as air con, super charger, turbo charger, alternator, oil cooler and existing air intake system etc.

A base engine comes with sump, engine block, cylinder head, rocker cover, cam shafts and all internal components.

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Originally Posted by alexaescht

Why did they put synthetic in it in the first place then?

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Indeed. Shutting the gate after the horse has bolted by the sound of it.

If it hasn't done 80% of the bedding-in in the first 1000km then your stuffed IMO.

miniumum spec would be vw 502.00. Good luck finding a mineral oil or semi-synthetic that meets that spec.

It seems quite bizarre that they wouldn't give you any running-in advice. If it was my father driving then the engione would be glazed up straight away.

SkoobyGTI - go & find some mountains to drive up. You need to get some pressure behind the rings.

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Originally Posted by skoobysGTI

haha I totally agree with ya.

But just spoke to my dealer again and they say that the newly built engine will require a run in process again for it to be bedded in properly (just like a brand new engine) which makes sense.

So hopefully after 5,000 more kms the high oil comsumption problem is gone once and for all!

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Did they re-hone the cylinder walls? Once collected the rebuild, drive up a mountain and cruise down using engine braking on low gears. Then, change out the oil immd or within 500km.

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Originally Posted by kevinctr

Did they re-hone the cylinder walls? Once collected the rebuild, drive up a mountain and cruise down using engine braking on low gears. Then, change out the oil immd or within 500km.

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If it was a long motor then all the pistons, etc were already fitted back whereever the built the motor.

Man! This absolutely sucks!

My car has already done 4000kms since the engine replacement and it looks as though they used fully synthetic oil instead of a mineral based oil. There's no way the engine would have bedded in properly now and my new engine is properly screwed again...no mountain climbing is going to help it now I reckon.

This nightmare is getting from bad to worse..only had the car for a year and a half and its been back to the dealer about 15 times now..sick of it!

Never again in my life will I purchase a VW! Should have kept the wife's 2004 Holden Barina (which we traded in for)...it didn't have a single problem with it!!

Umm don't know where you got the idea that mineral oil is better for running engines in or better than synthetic in any way shape or form - for these engines or pretty much any new engine for that matter.

"If" using synthetic oil was bad for run-ins and oil consumption issues (and that's a very big if) then Personally I would rather have poor oil consumption than screwed turbo bearings, intake valves and cats.

The fact is these engines are very tuned and fussy. Using the wrong oil will do a lot more damage than just oil consumption.

Also I have found that these engines do burn oil normally. By normal I mean that in 15,000km I have to top my oil up in my 1.2tsi about 500ml (max full down to about half way)

For city driving oil consumption is pretty low (15,000 of city driving and it won't chew any oil) but long runs at high speed it will chew oil. I recently went up to Sydney (just after a service in which the oil was filled to the max full mark) from Melbourne 110km/h @2600rpm for about 18 hours return and its allready at the bottom full mark so about 100ml from 2500km of driving.

I think Gavs mentioned it before but with these cars you really need to give it to them an rev them hard. I also found that after 18 hours of constant driving I had tons of carbon build up in the exhaust. When I would give it a squirt it would dislodge from the pipe and come out as a cloud of soot covering the exhaust tip and back of the car. After been back and doing my city driving my exhaust has mostly cleaned up again.

This is also the reason some of the new direct injection engine also have multi point injection - becuase they found that under constant running direct injection creatures lots of particulate from poor mixing of the air in the cylinder - MPEFI doesn't. This particulate if left to sit in the exhaust tract will start to wear at the exhaust valves.

I'm not saying the GTI's oil consumption is good, trust me it's worse than a lot of other cars but I can name quite a few new cars which are having oil consumption issues and all for the same reason

Holden commodore (Direct injection)
Subaru XV (Driect injection)
Hyundai GDI engines (i30/i40)

All direct injection - with low viscosity / SAPS oil

My DI 1.8tsi doesn't have oil consumption issues.

My wifes DI Captiva doesn't have oil consumption issues.

I guess we are just lucky.


I agree, mineral oil in one of thes eengines would be asking for trouble unless you had just rebuilt the engine & put it straight onto a rolling road to bed it in. Change the mineral oil every 500km as it wouldn't last much longer than that.


SkoobysGTI. Ask the Service Manager / Advisor for the recomendation to use mineral oil in writing - either on a company letterhead or email from his business email. I bet you won't get it.

VW come from the factory with full synth 504.00 / 507.00 in them. They give them a couple of squirts to redline on the bench but they aren't run-in.

If I was you I would start getting together a clear & precise record of your dealings with the dealership up to this point & feed it all back to VWA.

Hey Guys

I'm getting very confused with what oil is required for new engines, for bedding in etc

I am no mechanic in any shape or form so thanks for all your input, its starting to make sense to me now.

I'm just gonna go with the flow and do whatever the dealer suggests as they are the ones dealing with my warranty.

All I know is that it's losing 1.2 litres of oil in every 1,000kms and this definitely is not considered normal!

I will see how this mineral base oil (which still meets VW specifications) goes and if it doesn't help, I will do what you suggested Brad.

Thanks again for the input.