Checking Engine Oil Level / Oil Consumption / Oil Light On

[Transporter]

More information about checking engine oil level

In the General Maintenance section of the manual under the section "Check Engine Oil Level".

Definitely says that when new the oil level should be checked at every tank fill.

Cheers
Brad

[Mountainman]

More information about checking engine oil level

I had got into the habit of only lifting the bonnet just before the service to see if any oil had been used - which it never had - but now I find that I'm adding a litre every 5th tankful. It's the first time I've added oil to a car in the last 12 years. It's a bit like I've gone back to my original '77 Golf. Since the 15,000km service the oil consumption has dropped off markedly and I haven't topped it up yet but can see it will probably need it sometime.

[Transporter]

I had got into the habit of only lifting the bonnet just before the service to see if any oil had been used - which it never had - but now I find that I'm adding a litre every 5th tankful. It's the first time I've added oil to a car in the last 12 years. It's a bit like I've gone back to my original '77 Golf. Since the 15,000km service the oil consumption has dropped off markedly and I haven't topped it up yet but can see it will probably need it sometime.

Every internal combustion engine will use oil. Even if the oil level on dipstick is the same, it only means that unburned fuel, dust and dirt took the place of burned (used) oil.
Your '77 Golf was using 15W40 or 20W50 oil and your new car engine uses 5W30 that's why moder engines today use more oil than in the past.

[walbjj]

check oil light came on at 5500km

so i start up mjy car and the check oil light has come up, ive only done 5500km.
ill head to the dealership and ask for a top up cos no way this should be normal, considering they expect services to be every 15k km.
i think ill buy some oil while im at it
any others with this experience

[Captain Courteous]

Hey mate.. What's the level of oil showing on the dipstick?

[Corey_R]

so i start up mjy car and the check oil light has come up, ive only done 5500km.
ill head to the dealership and ask for a top up cos no way this should be normal, considering they expect services to be every 15k km.
i think ill buy some oil while im at it
any others with this experience

It's quite normal, as per your owners manual, and as per this thread.
Go to your dealer, they will happily top it up for you.

New cars can use more oil due to the break in process. It's your responsibility to ensure that you check the levels regularly....

[elephino]

It's quite normal, as per your owners manual, and as per this thread.
Go to your dealer, they will happily top it up for you.

New cars can use more oil due to the break in process. It's your responsibility to ensure that you check the levels regularly....

My dealer wasn't happy to top it up for me.

[Corey_R]

My dealer wasn't happy to top it up for me.

Find a new dealer then

[brad]

any others with this experience

No, I've never noticed any discussion on oil usage on this forum. I'd think you are in a unique situation.

[nat225]

No, I've never noticed any discussion on oil usage on this forum. I'd think you are in a unique situation.

perhaps less common in the Mk6? more common in Mk5?

[walbjj]

No, I've never noticed any discussion on oil usage on this forum. I'd think you are in a unique situation.

thanks for the sarcastic reply, i actually posted it as a new thread, but it got merged with this.
as has been reflected by others, it seems that the oil usage is quite common for these cars, which is something that ive never ever experienced in my ownership of previous cars. ive owned hondas- civics, type r engined civics, s2000. evo9, a toyota landcruiser. and none of these had oil consumption usage like the gti

[Diesel_vert]

so i start up mjy car and the check oil light has come up, ive only done 5500km.
ill head to the dealership and ask for a top up cos no way this should be normal, considering they expect services to be every 15k km.
i think ill buy some oil while im at it
any others with this experience

Difference between min. and max. on the dipstick is said to be approx. 1 litre, so at every 5500 km that works out to be 0.18 L / 1000 km, which is under VW's guidelines:

It is normal for the engine to consume oil. Oil consumption is dependent to
a considerable extent on the load and speed of the engine. Oil consumption
could be as high as 0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving.

One should therefore check the oil level at regular intervals, preferably every
time after the fuel tank is filled or after driving for long stretches.

It is quite normal that a new engine has a higher oil consumption at first, and
reaches its lowest level only after a certain running in time. It is therefore not
possible to correctly assess the oil consumption of a new vehicle until after
you have driven about 5 000 km.

If oil consumption doesn't settle down by the time your first service is due (15k -OR- 1 year from the build date), ask them to look into it then.

[brad]

thanks for the sarcastic reply, i actually posted it as a new thread, but it got merged with this.
as has been reflected by others, it seems that the oil usage is quite common for these cars, which is something that ive never ever experienced in my ownership of previous cars. ive owned hondas- civics, type r engined civics, s2000. evo9, a toyota landcruiser. and none of these had oil consumption usage like the gti

In a 'round-a-bout way, i was suggesting you use the search function first. Your comment

any others with this experience

suggests you are not aware of any other comments on oil consumption on this forum.
There are plenty of folk just like you that have commented on their previous cars being fully sealed & how the VWs love to burn through the lube.

[Transporter]

thanks for the sarcastic reply, i actually posted it as a new thread, but it got merged with this.
as has been reflected by others, it seems that the oil usage is quite common for these cars, which is something that ive never ever experienced in my ownership of previous cars. ive owned hondas- civics, type r engined civics, s2000. evo9, a toyota landcruiser. and none of these had oil consumption usage like the gti

It's quite possible that it was me who merged it. I apologize to you for any grieve that I caused you by doing that. However, it is a common sense to use the search function of the forum, the one that says “google custom search” is a better one to use. If you had, you wouldn’t have to post a new thread with the same topic like 100+ users already did before you.

[nat225]

vag oil use is still ok..

a Mazda RX8 is worse, it's designed to chew oil!