VW 502 oil and AP std?

[Racemag]

I went to buy oil for my T4 today and only about half the containers had the required VW502 compliance information on them. Is there really a difference between the VW std and the AP std?

[Umai Naa!!]

Depending on the year model, I'd say an A3-B4 grade oil would be fine.

The very last of the T4 TDIs required 506-spec, which is near on unobtainable at a decent price.

Hence why you hear of a lot of them crapping the catalytic converter.

[Diesel_vert]

VW 502.00 is a stricter oil standard compared to API SN.

ACEA standards are more relevant for European vehicles than API standards.

As per the above post, a product that meets ACEA A3/B4 would be a more suitable alternative for your 2.5 l petrol engine.

[Racemag]

Thanks for the replies - I ended up buying 502 anyway as supercheap had a 20% off sale and the penrite was the cheapest in stock. Seems I could have got the cheaper stuff, but win some lose some.