Oil Specs - 504/507 only mandatory for DPF diesels & QG1 Variable Service?

[brad]

I noticed this a while back and I'm thinking either people don't read the manual properly, or they are being told porkies, or I just haven't a clue.

My info comes from the Skoda Octavia owners manual. As Skoda shares the 1.9TDI, 2.0TDI & 2.0TFSI with the Golf & the 1.8T with the Audi, I figure all the manuals should read the same... yes/No/maybe?

I'll try & dot point....

• VAG cars come with 2 service types. QG0 & QG2 for fixed service (15,000km/12months). QG1 for variable service (~15,000-~30,000km).
• VW Australia & the Australian service network doesn't offer us the option of variable service, so by default all our cars are on a fixed service regime.
• According to my owners manual. All Petrol engines in the Octavia range on fixed services can use the following oil specs without any caveats - 501.01, 502.00, 504.00
• Diesel engines without a diesel particulate filter on fixed service intervals can use 505.01 or 507.00
• Diesel engines with DPF must use 507.00

So if you've got a petrol engined VAG, the oil requirements are pretty easy going - even Castrol GTX Magnatec complies with VW502.00 (as do some of the semi-synth Valvoline & Shell offerings).

It appears to me the only ones that have the problem of limited oil choice are the diesel owners with DPF - would that only be the 2.0TDI GT drivers?

Am I right or do I have to lay off the christmas cheer?

[CatonaPC©]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but don't Golf MFDs tell the driver to go for a service and depending on how the car is driven, this could be sooner (or later?) than the 15,000km/12 months?

If so, isn't this a variable service regime?

[brad]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but don't Golf MFDs tell the driver to go for a service and depending on how the car is driven, this could be sooner (or later?) than the 15,000km/12 months?

If so, isn't this a variable service regime?

AFAIK, even if your car is QG1 variable service spec (as my car is) the earliest it will pull you into the workshop is 14,400km up to a maximum of 32,000km. Except this service regime isn't recognised in Australia & so you have to set the MFD to fixed services which is 15,000km or 12 months - whichever occurs first. So yes, you might be pulled in for a service before 15,000km but this will be because you are on the time limit rather than a factor of how the car has been driven.

Even though my vehicle usage is ideal for extended service intervals and would make the 32,000km no problems (according to the MFD), i'm not really sure I'd like to drive that far without an oil and filter change.

LongLife Service regimes
The LongLife Service regime is so called because there are no set service intervals and, depending on how you drive your vehicle, and the conditions of use, a service will be required anywhere between 9,000 miles or 12 months (whichever occurs first), up to a maximum of 20,000 miles or 24 months (whichever occurs first).
This LongLife service regime has been made possible due to the development of new Volkswagen engines with the latest technically advanced LongLife oil. These engines use built-in sensors that continually monitor the oil quality, making it possible to enjoy reliable and confident motoring for up to a maximum of 20,000 miles or 24 months (whichever occurs first).

[Transporter]

AFAIK, even if your car is QG1 variable service spec (as my car is) the earliest it will pull you into the workshop is 14,400km up to a maximum of 32,000km.

AFAIK, I always set my T5 to QG1 variable interval and it wants the oil change sometimes even earlier than 6,000km, it really depends how long your trips are and how you drive.

So car enthusiast be aware, the length of the trips and stops between them is very important, because that's how the ECU is calculating when to remind you that you need an oil change. We don't have the oil quality sensors in the sump fitted, yet.

If, for what ever reason, you decide to go for the VW502.00 oil, make sure it is VW approved not just meets or made to VW specs.
There are some oils in Super Cheap and similar stores that meet VW502.00 but are not approved by VW (and I doubt that they would ever get approval). I would only do that if 99% of my every day driving is on hwy at normal speeds, which is probably brad's case

Further more, dealership in Adelaide is using oils imported from VW in Germany, so there must be a very good reason, why you should use the latest specs oil which is VW504.00/VW507.00 and, it is backward compatible.

Failing to use correct oil in the engine can lead to excessive varnish and sludge deposits (known as "Black Death" from 1980's) in your engine and it reduces the engine's life.