What oil for the R36

[reverseworm]

Hi Everyone,

Looks like I need a bit of a top up after 2000kms - what after market oil is everyone using? The only specs I could find in the manual was that it must be a long-life oil but with no numbers on the weight or viscosity.

Just want to avoid going to VW to buy oil if I can.....

thanks

Andrew

[zsolt_downunder]

Andrew,

The manual just states long-life VW505.00 approved oil.

I would recommend ringing a dealer and asking the specific brand and specific viscosity used by them. It's not a good idea mixing different brand oils and different viscosities.

The other option is to drop into a dealer and get them to top it up.

[Lance B]

I would suggest using the VW or dealer approved oil until the car has been run in. After that, you can go to a good quality fully synthetic oil like AMS Oil, Q8 Oil, or NEO Oil which is a diester base which and is *supposed* to be the best.

[Cro]

The oil currently in your engine is Castrol SLX Longlife III 5w30 Full Synthetic.

After having some trouble finding the oil anywhere really so I rang Castrol and they told me the only authorised distributors are your local VW Spare Parts department. Costs me about $75 for a 5 litre bottle.

I also enquired about changing over to something like Mobil 1, however my service manager advised against it. Said something about the Castrol oil being developed specifically for the 3.6 litre. The castrol badged oil cap on the engine solidified it for me.

[gregozedobe]

I'd be very wary about putting any oil not specifically approved by VW into your engine. If you had any trouble and had to make a warranty claim you have provided them with the perfect excuse to deny coverage

Some VW engines (eg TDIs, GTIs) have been known to be very fussy about oil.

[william]

[QUOTE=Cro;312227]The oil currently in your engine is Castrol SLX Longlife III 5w30 Full Synthetic.

After having some trouble finding the oil anywhere really so I rang Castrol and they told me the only authorised distributors are your local VW Spare Parts department. Costs me about $75 for a 5 litre bottle.

I also enquired about changing over to something like Mobil 1, however my service manager advised against it. Said something about the Castrol oil being developed specifically for the 3.6 litre. The castrol badged oil cap on the engine solidified it for me.[/QUOTE

I worked for vw the oils they run in R36 engines are castrol 5w30. I run motul in my v6 engine its the ducks nuts $$$ expensive but really good, but as it is new i would stick with manufacturers specs atleast till the second service.

[Lance B]

I'd be very wary about putting any oil not specifically approved by VW into your engine. If you had any trouble and had to make a warranty claim you have provided them with the perfect excuse to deny coverage

Some VW engines (eg TDIs, GTIs) have been known to be very fussy about oil.

They cannot deny warranty if the oil meets the standard specified. If they specify 5W30 synthetic, and that is what you use, then by law, they cannot refute warranty claim if something happens.

Apart from that, how would they know what oil you used anyway if it meets the 5W30 spec and it is synthetic.

[gregozedobe]

They cannot deny warranty if the oil meets the standard specified. If they specify 5W30 synthetic, and that is what you use, then by law, they cannot refute warranty claim if something happens.

Apart from that, how would they know what oil you used anyway if it meets the 5W30 spec and it is synthetic.

I'm pretty sure they will have specified a "VW Approved" standard (eg VW 504.00 or 505.00 or similar) in the owners manual, not "5W30 synthetic". So if you put an oil that doesn't meet their approved spec, then yes, they can refuse a warranty claim.

It wouldn't be too difficult to do an oil analysis on an engine if it saved them $5,000 or $10,000 (or whatever it is that an R36 engine costs as a spare part ). Certainly it is something I would do if I worked in VW's warranty area and I had any doubts whatsoever about the claim.

Anybody can put whatever oil they want in their engine (and also take responsibility for doing so). I did say "I'd be very wary", but that doesn't mean you have to do what I would do

Considering the overall costs of buying and running an R36 I wouldn't have thought it is worth the risk of running a cheaper, non-spec oil.

[reverseworm]

thanks guys - I think I will err on the side of caution and get a couple of litres from the dealership.

Cheers

Andrew

[Gipper]

I'm pretty sure they will have specified a "VW Approved" standard (eg VW 504.00 or 505.00 or similar) in the owners manual, not "5W30 synthetic". So if you put an oil that doesn't meet their approved spec, then yes, they can refuse a warranty claim.

It wouldn't be too difficult to do an oil analysis on an engine if it saved them $5,000 or $10,000 (or whatever it is that an R36 engine costs as a spare part ). Certainly it is something I would do if I worked in VW's warranty area and I had any doubts whatsoever about the claim.

Anybody can put whatever oil they want in their engine (and also take responsibility for doing so). I did say "I'd be very wary", but that doesn't mean you have to do what I would do

Considering the overall costs of buying and running an R36 I wouldn't have thought it is worth the risk of running a cheaper, non-spec oil.

Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30, Castrol Edge 5W-30 and Shell Helix Ultra Extra 5W-30 are all VW 504 or 505 compliant. You can take these to any VW dealership and get them to put the oil of your choice in your VW and there will be no problem. The major problem I have with dealership oils are, while they have the same specifications, VW purchases their oils by a person in a procurement team and makes the decision based on which oils they can get the cheapest, not which is the best. They then mark it up rediculously to sell to you. They are in the business of making money after all. That is why I buy my own oils and take them to the dealership. I know what it is I am putting in my car and I am not gettgin ripped off by the dealer.

[gerhard]

Why buy oil for the top up - go to the dealer - they do it for free.

[Lance B]

I'm pretty sure they will have specified a "VW Approved" standard (eg VW 504.00 or 505.00 or similar) in the owners manual, not "5W30 synthetic". So if you put an oil that doesn't meet their approved spec, then yes, they can refuse a warranty claim.

It wouldn't be too difficult to do an oil analysis on an engine if it saved them $5,000 or $10,000 (or whatever it is that an R36 engine costs as a spare part ). Certainly it is something I would do if I worked in VW's warranty area and I had any doubts whatsoever about the claim.

Anybody can put whatever oil they want in their engine (and also take responsibility for doing so). I did say "I'd be very wary", but that doesn't mean you have to do what I would do

Considering the overall costs of buying and running an R36 I wouldn't have thought it is worth the risk of running a cheaper, non-spec oil.

Definitely not worth the risk for a saving of a few $, as you say.

*But*, if the oil that you use *meets*, but actually they generally *exceed*, the requirements of the specification of VW, then they cannot refute a claim and *that is the law*.

These VW requirements are not some secret formula, they are easily obtainable, and the oil makers generally well *exceed* these requirements. These requirements are specs like SAE, API, ACEA, VW etc.

Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30, Castrol Edge 5W-30 and Shell Helix Ultra Extra 5W-30 are all VW 504 or 505 compliant. You can take these to any VW dealership and get them to put the oil of your choice in your VW and there will be no problem. The major problem I have with dealership oils are, while they have the same specifications, VW purchases their oils by a person in a procurement team and makes the decision based on which oils they can get the cheapest, not which is the best. They then mark it up rediculously to sell to you. They are in the business of making money after all. That is why I buy my own oils and take them to the dealership. I know what it is I am putting in my car and I am not gettgin ripped off by the dealer.

I agree. The only issue I have with getting VW to use oil that you have purchased is whether they actually put *your* oil in *your* car. I can imagine that a mechanic may see your oil and think that it is better than what they have and he may use it in *his* car and then he puts the normal VW oil into your car like they would normally do. The only way that this may not happen is if they keep careful inventory of their own oil so that the mechanic can't substitute it. Someone has to pay for the 5-6lts they put in your car.

[tryingavw]

I agree. The only issue I have with getting VW to use oil that you have purchased is whether they actually put *your* oil in *your* car. I can imagine that a mechanic may see your oil and think that it is better than what they have and he may use it in *his* car and then he puts the normal VW oil into your car like they would normally do. The only way that this may not happen is if they keep careful inventory of their own oil so that the mechanic can't substitute it. Someone has to pay for the 5-6lts they put in your car.

you need more faith- they can't be that bad! ( can they?)

[Autopia]

I've always been a big advocate of Motul oil. I've used it in my Renault Clio Sport and Chrysler 300C. It's damn expensive ($25 for 2L) but it works extremely well.

This first link shows that it's suitable for some VW engines.

http://www.motul.com.au/product_line_up/4stroke/4stroke14.html

But I intend to use this one.

http://www.motul.com.au/product_line_up/4stroke/4stroke05.html

[Lance B]

you need more faith- they can't be that bad! ( can they?)

I am sure that most would do what you ask, but you never know. I am a cynical bastard at the best of times.