Oil Change & Lifting Points

[Fourwinds]

Hi to all, first major post...........

I have travelled 6,270 km (MK2 VRS 2.0 TSI Wagon) and the oil is dirty looking, so I am considering doing oil changes every 7,500 km in lieu of the recommended 15,000. However, I have read (in other forums)
that the dirty colour is due to the turbo charger, and the oil is doing it's job (your thoughts?).


Secondly, I have read a lot of conflicting reports on the correct lifting & jack stand points of the vehicle. Therefore, I would be interested where you DIY guys/girls place your trolley jacks and jack stands.


Cheers Fred



trolley jack points - Skoda Octavia II (2004 - 2013) - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community

Fitting S3 jack pads to Octavia - Skoda Octavia Technical Guides - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community

[h100vw]

There's no real reason to change the oil early. It changes colour over time and that is no real reflection of it's ability to lubricate the engine. If VW/Skoda/Audi thought it was required sooner, they would specify that, to avoid warranty claims for busted engines.

If you change it now, inside of 2000km it will look pretty much the same as now, will you do it again if that's the case??

I have TT jack pads on 2 of my cars and think they are a great idea. So link 2 for me. I won't jack on the sill, except if I had a puncture, seen too many folded over.

Gavin

Hi to all, first major post...........

I have travelled 6,270 km (MK2 VRS 2.0 TSI Wagon) and the oil is dirty looking, so I am considering doing oil changes every 7,500 km in lieu of the recommended 15,000. However, I have read (in other forums)
that the dirty colour is due to the turbo charger, and the oil is doing it's job (your thoughts?).


Secondly, I have read a lot of conflicting reports on the correct lifting & jack stand points of the vehicle. Therefore, I would be interested where you DIY guys/girls place your trolley jacks and jack stands.


Cheers Fred



trolley jack points - Skoda Octavia II (2004 - 2013) - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community

Fitting S3 jack pads to Octavia - Skoda Octavia Technical Guides - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community

[Antiplastix]

I live in a quite street. Two wheels up on the gutter and the other side on the road gives me plenty of room to slide under.

[greg32]

I use my 4 post hoist to lift up the car. I also have a set of ramps for lowered cars that I use sometimes.

[brad]

I did 15k oil changes until 60k. Did a used oil analysis at 45k & the 15k old oil tested like new for viscosity & whatever else seemed important which was nice for peace of mind. From 60k onwards I've done 7500k changes, initially because I bought 20L of Castrol Edge Sport (vw 502.00) off a mate for $40 & it was taking up space in my garage & I'd started gifting it to other mates. The oil looks no different at 7500k than it does at 15k, which is good because black means it's cleaning components & not letting them settle in the sump.

I have a slightly sloping driveway & I park the car on the flat bit at the top & drive the front wheels up onto a couple of square blocks of 70mm pine & shimmy under the car.

If I have to jack it up I do it under the arrows on the sills with some hard rubber padding between jack & sill.

Axles stands go under the big rear pivot of the lower control arm & I still haven't found a spot at the rear that I like using.

NB: The chassis is tiff enough that jacking the sill at either end lifts the other end, which is handy.

If anyone prices up those Audi jacking things can you post it here please? Somehow I doubt they'll be anything like the ~$80 they are in the UK

And here's the opposing point of view
Warning about Audi S3 Jacking Pad on A5 Octavia - Skoda Octavia II (2004 - 2013) - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community

[BottomScratcher]

15K oil changes are good enough for me. As Brad points to, the only way to know if more frequent changes are in fact necessary is sample the oil after 15K. I know it's basic, but I'll mention filters only because no one else has. It's pointless changing the oil and not the filter at each oil change.

As for the AUDI S3 jack pads. They are meant to be used on a shop hoist where the four adjustable arms are placed under each pad, so that the hoist lifts the car's weight evenly off the suspension. That is to say they aren't designed to used singularly with a trolley jack, which lifts some of the car's weight off some of the suspension at one corner. May not result in damage, but the car is torsion. Yes, same with lifting under one point at the sill, but the sill is long and rigid, which is why it's the reccommended lifting point. I lift at the arrowed points on the sills. For jack/stand pad adaptors I use timber with a U-shaped slot deep enough to accommodate the sill, and wide enough to allow for the sill to move as the angle of the car to the jack pad changes during the lift. While not recommended by VW/Skoda that any part of the suspension be used for jacking, or taking the car's weight I agree with Brad that with a bit of caution there's no harm in using the rear pivot of the lower control arm for stands.

[Fourwinds]

Thanks to all, for your info and ideas........... Will stick with the manufacturers 12mth/15000 schedule and purchase a hockey pucks for the sill lift point.


Cheers Fred

[Transporter]

Thanks to all, for your info and ideas........... Will stick with the manufacturers 12mth/15000 schedule and purchase a hockey pucks for the sill lift point.


Cheers Fred

Yes, especially if you don't plan to keep your car for longer than 3-5 years, don't drive under severe driving conditions or not going to a race track.

I've always changed our oils every 6 months, before summer and before winter.
Black colouring of the oil is caused by a suspended carbon particles.

[BottomScratcher]

Thanks to all, for your info and ideas........... Will stick with the manufacturers 12mth/15000 schedule and purchase a hockey pucks for the sill lift point.


Cheers Fred

Fred,
I've got family currently living/working in Canada. I had a few old practice pucks sent over, and went to town on them with all sorst of tools. I found that to get the depth needed to accommodate the sill into the puck so that it just clears the slot surface that the pucks weren't deep enough. Pucks are 25mm thick. The pinch weld to sill is only about 14mm on the outside, but is about 26-28mm on the inside, so a puck only puts force onto the outside of the sill lifting point.The pics in the link to the puck adapter shows a scissor jack with a slot that's a lot shallower than the jack in my car.

I decided not to bother with it, and just use a piece of wood with a router slot cut deep enough to contact both the sill on both sides of the pinch weld. I used the factory jack as a guide. Another tip. It's a lot easier and cleaner -and probably safer and healthier - cutting, chiselling, or routing wood than it is cutting or grinding compressed rubber.

[Fourwinds]

Yes, especially if you don't plan to keep your car for longer than 3-5 years, don't drive under severe driving conditions or not going to a race track.

I've always changed our oils every 6 months, before summer and before winter.
Black colouring of the oil is caused by a suspended carbon particles.

LOL I'm an old fart, "going to the race track" maybe 25-30 years ago

[Fourwinds]

BottomScrather
Thanks, you have saved me some $ regarding the puck. Looks I am off to Bunnings for some wood. Been awhile since I put the router to use

Cheers Fred

[jordan_robinson_1990]

Its safe to jack your car on the sill there should be a small triange imprint on the sill thats the locating bit of were to jack if this is not there look along the sill and there will be 2 points that are different to rest if sill there you should jack use a block of wood so that it doesnt damage the sealent in any way and as of jack stands i allways put them on the lower arm towards the back on the front kind of looks like a upside down bridge and if the car has axel rear safe to just pop one on the axel if not and has irs pop one under were the spring sits theres a hole make sure you have the stand sitting in there shouldnt move


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[MountainBikeMike]

Whats the go if I've been jacking a foot behind the front wheel and a foot infront of the rear wheel and all of the sill has ended up bent to ****??? My mechanic mentioned it and said its bad, but didn't have the time to explain

[Fourwinds]

Whats the go if I've been jacking a foot behind the front wheel and a foot infront of the rear wheel and all of the sill has ended up bent to ****??? My mechanic mentioned it and said its bad, but didn't have the time to explain

My understanding is bending the sill may crack the sealant and spot weld, and lead to crevice corrosion of the chassis/sub frame.

If a puncture occurs you will not be able to safely use the supplied jack (widow maker) as it locks over the sill to lift the vehicle.

You can bank on "Murphy's Law" coming into play, so I would carry a puncture repair kit in the boot until the sill is repaired.

Just my tuppence worth, I leave it to the experts to explain it better.


Fred

[BottomScratcher]

In addition to what Fred said it helps to uderstand how the cars are constructed. Disclaimer - I'm no expert. What I do know is that VW uses a modular platform of chassis/frame construction. My Skoda uses the A5 platform, which is the same frame for most mid-size VAG cars, SUV's, and vans (AUDI A3, VW Golf VI, Skoda Occy II, VW Caddy, SKoda Yeti, VW Tiguan, the VW Beetle, a couple of SEATS, and a heap of others.

It's my understanding that the basic frame common to so many VAG vehicles is just that, a frame. It's high strength, box section steel along the sides (sills), which is why that's the recommended jacking points, but what gives the car its overall structural integrity is the laser welded panels attached to the frame. I don't think flattened sills are a major issue except as Fred said until you go to use your factory jack. It's my thinking that any break in the sill welds reduces that overall structural integrity, and that is an issue. In the old days sill panels were just that, panels, and in my experience were one of the first parts of a car to start rusting out. If a sill was dinged/rusted it'd be cut out and replaced. Go over a gutter and drop one of our cars onto it, and you'll be up for $$$.