Oil...What to use in your TDI

hello all

im new to this variable service and normal service talk. what in english dose it mean? eg if a normal service is say 10k whats a variable service? also ive just bought an 03 plate Toledo 110bhp. whats the best oil to use? i was going to go for a Halfrauds or Millers or Comma product, preferably fully synthetic.

cypher007 said:

im new to this variable service and normal service talk. what in english dose it mean? eg if a normal service is say 10k whats a variable service? also ive just bought an 03 plate Toledo 110bhp. whats the best oil to use? i was going to go for a Halfrauds or Millers or Comma product, preferably fully synthetic.

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Taken from Briskoda.

'The 'Variable Service' means exactly that! according to my local dealer it will ask to be serviced anywhere between 6,000 & 30,000 miles depending on how the car is driven, (stop start or motorway miles, high revs etc) & wether you top the oil up regularly or not. apparently if you allow the oil level to drop low enough to set of the low oil level warning it automatically sets your service warning to the minimum possible miles, i.e. 6k
And due to the amount of oil (PD engine in particular) that is consumed by new vehicles a lot of people get the low oil warning light before their first service. (mine came on at 5k)
Also my local dealer now supplies a 1ltr bottle of top up oil as part of every service due to the VAG engines thirst for oil.'

Stick with a 10k (1 year) fixed service using a good engine oil.

ah

ok so if I change the oil every 10k how will the car know? will I have to reset the ecu each time? can I use a fully synthetic oil in this engine? and if so do I need any particular viscosity? eg can I use say 5w-40, as this is fairly common and easy to get hold of.

Not sure how the car knows, what year/model/engine/hp is your engine?

ok

its a 03 Toledo SE 110bhp, though the owner said it was 110bhp and it does have a red i on the back how else can i check? or is that enough info?

cypher007 said:

its a 03 Toledo SE 110bhp, though the owner said it was 110bhp and it does have a red i on the back how else can i check? or is that enough info?

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Best way to check is on your DVLA V5C form.

Under section 4 - P.2, Max net power (kW). Convert kW into BHP.

You can do it via your engine number too, but I'm not 100% certain on this.

cheers

if it is a 110bhp, what fully synthetic oil should i use?

cypher007 said:

if it is a 110bhp, what fully synthetic oil should i use?

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Why use fully synthetic in a 110HP engine?

I doubt you will get to see the benefits of using a FS oil if your just pootling along in your 110HP motor.

Save yourself some cash and get a good semi-synth oil.

I shall have a look on our system at work 2mrw, see what it tells me.

excellent

the only reason i was looking at FS oils is because ive always used them, well for the last 14 years or so, and i do alot of short journeys in a year, so need an oil thats going to work almost at the turn of the key, and by short i mean 3 miles each way once a day. plus i might look at increasing the performance at some point. incedentally where's the best place to get a BMC air filter? and i noticed a KN oil filter for the TDI's, is it worth the money? about £10 or should i stick with the VAG stuff? also there's no SEAT dealer where i live so can i just pop into a VW or Skoda dealer, and if so which is cheaper?

There is nothing wrong with Millers PD, I've just got a 5ltr container and a 1ltr for top up's, for £33.25 inc VAT. I've used it for the last three years in my Altea and the wife's Ibiza.

also

what gearbox oil should i use?

cypher007 said:

what gearbox oil should i use?

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Ok, got your car info here>

Engine AHF, ASV - 110BHP (81kW) Toledo - 1998-2004

Cheapest option: 5w/40 VW505.01 - Millers XFE PD (Semi-Synth)
Best option: 5w/30 VW507.00 - Millers XF Longlife 5w/30 (Fully Synth)

4.5Ltr Sump + 0.7Ltr Filter

-------------

Gearbox 02J

VW G 50 - SAE 75w/90 - GL4 Spec

2.0Ltr

cheers

youve helped me no end, must get you a beer if im near your area. right ive got a bit of a shopping list, so here goes, stop me if i screw up:

engine oil = http://www.millersoils.net/M3_cgi/m...d=175&exact_match=on&type=automotive&cart_id=

gearbox oil = http://www.millersoils.net/M3_cgi/millers2.cgi?product_id=14&exact_match=on&type=automotive&cart_id=

just a thought, on my 850 T5R they recomend using the Volvo gear oil in the gearbox because it has some friction modifying additives, is the same true of the VAG gearbox oils? and should i go for VAG gearbox oil just in case, or would the above be better? also do they class the gearbox oil as "sealed for life", yeah right , or is it changed on certain services?

oh another thing, will the longlife oil burn and need topping up, as i think i read this happens on the PD engines, so was wondering if it would do the same on my STD engine. and lastly is it worth/safe using some of this:

http://www.forteuk.co.uk/Advanced_formula.htm

just before i drop the oil? or something similar, im not sure, maybe VAG do one?

just noticed

millers do a 0w-30, wouldnt this be better, as it has a broader viscosity range? but strangely is only VAG 506.1 approved .

ok last question for a while honest

does some of the oil get stuck in the oil cooler, is there even one on these cars? will i need a 1ltr top up, as i make it 5.2ltrs total. or like my 850 will it usually not quite take all the oil before reaching the max mark.

cypher007 said:

just a thought, on my 850 T5R they recomend using the Volvo gear oil in the gearbox because it has some friction modifying additives, is the same true of the VAG gearbox oils? and should i go for VAG gearbox oil just in case, or would the above be better? also do they class the gearbox oil as "sealed for life", yeah right , or is it changed on certain services?

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Sealed for life, yes. I tend to change mine 5 yrs, but thats just personal choice.

cypher007 said:

Will the longlife oil burn and need topping up, as i think i read this happens on the PD engines, so was wondering if it would do the same on my STD engine

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It has been known that full synthetic does burn off quicker than a mineral based oil. There is no definate answer though to this.

cypher007 said:

and lastly is it worth/safe using some of this:

http://www.forteuk.co.uk/Advanced_formula.htm

just before i drop the oil? or something similar, im not sure, maybe VAG do one?

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A engine flush is mainly just a mineral oil with a blend of strong detergent. Complete waste of time, your oil (if its a good oil) has its own detergents that have been working all the time when running your engine. Save yourself the money and buy some Millers diesel sport 4 instead

cypher007 said:

millers do a 0w-30, wouldnt this be better, as it has a broader viscosity range? but strangely is only VAG 506.1 approved .

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0w/30 oils were big 1-2 years ago, VW for one defo made a push towards more 0w/30 oils, but have now gone back to 5w/30 along with others as 0w/30's wern't quite 'all singing, all dancing'

A 5w is more than ok for the UK's climate.

cypher007 said:

does some of the oil get stuck in the oil cooler, is there even one on these cars? will i need a 1ltr top up, as i make it 5.2ltrs total. or like my 850 will it usually not quite take all the oil before reaching the max mark.

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Not sure bud, you won't be far off with a 5ltr. You might get 200ml stuck in the sump so that would make it upto 5.2Ltrs.

ok

what is the motor sport oil for flushing? i think i must have posted some of the question's between you replying, whoops. the only reason i was going to flush the engine is because the car has covered 67k now, and the previous owner took it to some independant garages where im not sure what oil used to be used, but i dread to think, seeing the state they left the engine cover in. the engine cover had all three fixing hole covers missing, ive managed to find one of them now, it was in the bottom of the air filter box, and would have probably stayed there if i hadnt checked the air filter the other day, and the seat badge has been removed, why i dont know, one thought that has just rushed through my mind is, has it had its engine changed, maybe with a donor engine from another VW or Skoda, hence the badge removal.

cypher007 said:

the engine cover had all three fixing hole covers missing, ive managed to find one of them now, it was in the bottom of the air filter box

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Not sounding good.

I wouldnt worry too much about your engine cover, its there just to try remove some engine noise. Throw it away

cypher007 said:

what is the motor sport oil for flushing?

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Not sure what you mean by this?