Scirocco oil consumption

[octagon]

My scirocco has just hit 5000km and the low oil warning light came on today. I know the vw engines like their oil but I was suprised that the oil would need topping up so quickly. Have any other scirocco owners experienced this and should I be concerned about it?

[h100vw]

All new VWs use oil. Just keep a closer eye on it. Treating them a bit mean when you get them, is the way to stop it happening.

Can take a while for the consumption to drop off.

Gavin

[Valver.]

Everyone has a different experience and it largely depends on how you've run the engine in... Personally, I've never had a VAG car use any oil whatsover and I've had over 20 of them. My Scirocco has 3000km now, hasn't used a drop of oil, and received APR stage one at 700km.

You really should be checking the oil every 500kms while running-in your engine, though. Doing an oil change at 5,000km is also a good idea, despite what VW might recommend. Perhaps also be more gentle when cold - no more than 3,500rpm until the oil temp is over 80deg (around 15mins driving). Putting the engine under load when cold increases wear and oil consumption straight out of the box.

[Transporter]

Some good advice there Valver. I've also changed oil much earlier than in the first 5,000km in all or 6 VAG cars that we have in family at the moment and none of them is using any oil between 7,500km oil changes. Driving gently until the engine is fully warmed up is important and not just during the running in stage.

But with the some engines in some models it could be just the luck of draw.

[eccentric]

2 Track days and 5000kms clocked, no low oil warning light for me. I take it very easy till the oil is up to 60+ degrees.

[Lucas_R]

Golf R engine here - but same same of course with the Scirocco R.

From day 1, i loaded my engine up as much as possible (eg 4th gear 1,500rpm very slow speed, then essentially floor it up an incline/hill.) Obviously i let the engine get up to temperature before doing any of this. Mines a manual so might be easier to hold a high gear at low revs/speed than a DSG. I did this as many times as i could in the first couple of hundred kilometres. I never exceeded 5,000-5,500rpm until the car had over 1,000kms on it, but it got loaded up plenty and revved up to 5,000rpm plenty of times during this period.

I changed the oil at 5,000kms - dipstick was still showing the oil level to be full before the oil change.

Just recently had its 12 month service (car had done 8,500kms) and oil was still on the full level.

The worst thing to do is to baby them when they are new. Alot of people think that babying them is the right thing to do / correct way to run them in, but they are wrong. As Gavin said above, treat them mean - especially in the first couple of hundred kilometres. By treat them mean, i dont mean burnouts, drag races and bouncing off the rev limiter - not at all, but give the engine a rev and put it under load (up a hill) as much as you can.

[Valver.]

The other thing to remember here is that, in most cases, the oil light will only come on if the oil is drastically low. Waiting for the light to come on is not a way of checking your oil level; it's merely a safeguard for those 'questionable' individuals who think they needn't lift the bonnet of their new car - when, in fact, they should lift it every week!

Totally agree about the running-in advice. There are some great articles from engine builders online about correct run-in procedures which are definitely worth a read. The other thing for manual drivers to consider is running-in the transmission. It's always interesting to drive different examples of the same model of car at the 30-50k mark and take note of how different the gearshift actions are. Some people complain no-end about VWs cable-shifted 02A/J/M transmissions, but if treated with respect from new, they're a very positive thing to use.

Just for the record, I'll do my first oil change at 4k, the next at 10k and then 7,500-10,000km intervals thereafter. I don't really care what anyone says: regardless of what oil you use, 15k intervals are too long - especially for a performance car, which, with a basic tune, has well over 150hp:litre specific output!

[Adam66]

Hi All,

Been checking mine every 1000k. (I'm at 5000k now)

At the moment the dipstick level is about half way.

Should I top it up ? if so, which oil ?

Cheers,

Adam

[Transporter]

Top it up and keep the record how much did you put in. I'd use only VW504.00 approved oil.

[Adam66]

Good advice...thanks.

[why_999]

Top it up and keep the record how much did you put in. I'd use only VW504.00 approved oil.

Does it matter which brand you use? I read Mobile is the preferred brand. Or any brand approved WV504.00?
Cheers

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Diesel_vert]

Does it matter which brand you use?

Not at all.
VW 504/507 may be a proprietary oil standard, but it is open. That way, any lubricant manufacturer can submit their product to VW for evaluation and, upon passing their tests, obtain approval. You end up with a system where the consumer is free to use any brand of oil.

I read Mobil is the preferred brand. Or any brand approved WV504.00?

Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 is as good as any 504/507 oil and is excellent value for money, considering you can buy them in handy 1 litre bottles, and particularly if you live in Sydney.

Castrol is Volkwagens's technical and marketing partner, but from a business point-of-view, I'd think they have no reason to formulate their 504/507 lubricants any better than the criteria already laid out in the oil standard.

[why_999]

Thanks for the info...

It's so confusing reading and reading... but then at the shops I only see 502/505....

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[Diesel_vert]

Thanks for the info...

It's so confusing reading and reading... but then at the shops I only see 502/505....

504/507 is not compulsory unless you are on the LongLife service regime (which Australian cars aren't), but I would recommend it if you have a TSI engine.

They're not common, but you can find Liqui Moly Top Tec 4200 5W-30, Penrite Enviro+ 5W-30 or Shell Helix Ultra Extra 5W-30 on the shelves, though I'd just pick up some Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30 from GL Lubricants.

[MGV]

DON'T check the oil level with the engine running!!
I was horrified to read some 'enthusiasts' were doing that!