bellevue rs4

if through analysis of how different oils hold up over various mileage we can determine whether there are better options than dealer fill (Syntec), then why wouldn't we want to know that?

If there are better options, then some will opt to go with those, while others won't deem it necessary. That's fine too, but I'd at least like to have some facts on which to base the decision.

I plan to keep this car for at least 5 years, so if there's an advantage to supplying the dealer with Motul or Elf, or whatever, then for me that's worth a little extra service expense.

RI A6

If the engine survives the warranty period, then VW/Audi engineers, and their 502 spec, have done their job.

None of us on this forum is an expert on oil, but these guys who do oil analysis for a living, like Terry Dyson, are experts. I like ocelot's idea of having each of us choose an oil on the 502 list and have the analysis done by the experts. When the data starts coming back, it should speak for itself.

ocelot27

lets see... 1.8T sludging, coil packs, coil packs and more coil packs, etc - Audi doesn't exactly have a shining record for making sound recommendations and handling recalls swiftly on new products.

ocelot27

Second that... all economics and business.

ocelot27

But it has the same base as the Mobil 1 5W40 with a a much more robust additive package - my reason for choosing it. It's API CI-4 so it would easily meet the 502 spec but it's not marketed to consumers and so it only carries industrial specs (Cummins, Cat, Detroit Diesel etc). And as far as I can tell from their white pages, the Mobil 1 5W40 TD is the same as Delvac. You only get the 502 spec if you submit the oil to the manufacturer and pay them to spec it. For Mobil the number of VW turbo diesels in the US is simply not worth paying for the spec.

Bob W.

if you think you can do better, go for it.

Bob W.

you honestly think the only consideration is getting the engine through the warranty period? IF that was true, VAG would have gone out of business a long time ago.

Bob W.

where do you think the VW 502.00 specification came from?

you guys are WAY too ****. let the VAG engineers be **** and just enjoy the car they built for you.

RI A6

I'm not going to argue with you about engineering and specifications. If you feel that you'll get the best performance out of your car with any oil that meets 502 specs, and using the factory drain intervals of 5K and 10K, then by all means go ahead and do that. According to Audi engineers and spec writers, all of the 502 oils will meet your needs just fine.

Hey, Audi specifies 93 octane gasoline for this engine too. You might as well go into any cut rate gasoline station and by the cheapest premium available.

RI A6

They are all good oils, but some are better than others. Hey, if Syntec happens to be the best I can fine, I'll be very happy to keep it in my engine. But my 1800 mile UOA showed differently. It is definitely not a 10K mile oil change interval oil in this engine.