Copied from the TDI forum....interesting that it is the soot that loads up in the oil which does the internal damage!
***********************************************
Lately, there have been countless threads asking again and again, "What oil should I use". Please don't ask it again! Read this first. For what it's worth, there is not much here which is not in your owner's manual, but somehow nobody ever seems to read those ...
This question has to be answered in two parts, because there are two different "families" of VW TDI engines. The critical factor is whether your engine uses the "pumpe-duse" or "P-D" fuel injection system. If you don't know, and you are in North America, it's easy to figure out: all TDI engines sold here for 2004 and later model years are "pumpe-duse", and all TDI engines sold here for 2003 and prior model years are not (they are "distributor pump").
If you are elsewhere in the world, it's more complicated because the P-D engines were phased in starting in 2000. If your 4-cylinder engine had an original horsepower rating of 90 or 110 then it is "distributor pump". If it was 100, 115, 130, 140, 150, or 170, then it is "pumpe-duse". If it is 2.0 litre displacement rather than 1.9, then it is "pumpe-duse" regardless of power level. You can also tell the "distributor-pump" engine by the external injector pump driven by the timing belt on the front of the engine.
If you still cannot figure it out then assume it is a P-D. The oils suitable for a P-D are also suitable for the older models. The reverse is NOT true.
Okay, with that out of the way, here goes.
PART ONE: For engines that are NOT "pumpe-duse".
You must use a synthetic engine oil, recommended viscosity 5w40 although 0w40 is also permissible, AND in the fine print on the bottle that lists what standards that the oil conforms to, it must list either VW 505.00, ACEA B3, ACEA B4, API CI-4, API CH-4, or API CG-4. (Note: "Either" means ANY ONE OF, not necessarily all of them. For example, if it's VW 505.00 but doesn't list the others, that's fine, because VW 505.00 is "one" of the standards listed and you only need "one".) But do NOT assume that any synthetic oil will meet these standards. READ THE BOTTLE. For example, most versions of Mobil 1 do NOT meet these standards (they are meant for gasoline engines). Also, any oil that is suitable for a P-D is fine for a distributor-pump engine.
Many "European car" synthetic oils meet these requirements. So does Mobil Delvac 1 5w40, Shell Rotella Synthetic 5w40 or 0w40, PetroCanada Duron Synthetic 5w40 (can be special ordered at any PetroCanada OilChangers location in Canada), Castrol Syntec 5w40 European-car formulation, and quite a few others. IF IN DOUBT, READ THE LABEL.
The VW part number for the oil most commonly used at the dealers is ZVW-352-540S = Castrol Syntec 5W-40 (VW 505.00 rated, suitable for non-PD TDI engines; not suitable for PD TDI engines). If they use the PD oil (see below) that's OK.
PART TWO: "Pumpe-duse" engines.
You must use an engine oil that explicitly states that it conforms to VW 505.01, 506.01, or 507.00. NOTHING ELSE. Common choices are Castrol 5w40 TXT 505.01 (do NOT confuse this with the regular European-car formulation of Syntec 5w40, it is not the same), Elf Excellium VW 505.01, Motul 6100 VW 505.01, Motul Specific 505.01, and there are others. ALL such oils prominently state 505.01 in large letters on the bottle. If it doesn't have that, it is NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Due to the limited number of VW diesels in North America, these oils are typically available only at VW dealers and parts vendors that specialize in VW cars. Other parts vendors might be able to special order it, so ask. To forestall another question, this is NOT a "monopoly". Engine oil vendors outside of VW dealers are perfectly free to market oils that meet VW's standards. The fact that not many have chosen to do so is THEIR fault, not VW's.
Beware the "meets or exceeds" game. The oil has to be certified to these standards by VW themselves. Amsoil is one notable oil brand which does not pay for such certification. They produce an oil which states VW 505.01 on the bottle, but it is not on VW's list of certified oils. That doesn't mean it's a bad product ... it just means that if something bad happens, there is a possibility that VW isn't going to warranty it (on the grounds that you did not use one of VW's certified oils), and if that happens, you are going to have a battle on your hands. It is BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS THREAD to explore the fine points of VW 505.01 certification, the subject has been beaten to death elsewhere with no end in sight, this thread merely serves to make you aware of the situation. If you want to research this, search the forums - there is already a ton of discussion on this and I'm not going to tolerate any further discussion of it in this thread.
The VW part number for the oil most commonly used is G-052-167-A2 = Castrol TXT 505.01 (VW 505.01 rated, suitable for PD TDI engines; also VW 505.00 rated and suitable for non-PD TDI engines).
WHAT HAPPENS IF I USE SOMETHING ELSE?
If the oil is not meant for diesel engines, it won't survive the high-soot environment. Oil meant for diesel engines is formulated to deal with the soot.
If you use a non-synthetic oil, it doesn't withstand high temperatures as well as synthetic oil. There are two areas of concern, the turbocharger, and the upper piston rings. There have been cases reported where upper piston rings were sticking due to oil breakdown, causing high piston ring and cylinder wall wear. There have been cases where turbochargers coked up their oil feed line and grenaded as a result.
If you use an oil that doesn't meet VW 505.01 in a P-D, expect high camshaft and lifter wear in the long term. MOBIL 1 IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. These engines have unusually high contact pressures between the camshaft and lifters due to the narrow cam lobes forced by the space taken up by the P-D injector mechanism. It is NOT a safe assumption that an oil suitable for large truck engines which also have unit injectors will work in a VW P-D TDI.
__________________
Brian P.
2006 Jetta TDI 5-sp, Spice Red, Unitronics stage 1, 0.681 5th gear, and a roadrace bike on the trailer
