Octavia vrs burning oil

[jimvrs]

Hi guys and girls, just a quick question. My 05 plate octavia vrs is burning oil. It's quite smokey at times.

[Sweeperman]

Any more to go on? When is this on start up, normal driving, warm starts, driven hard, overrun???  How much oil we talking about

Edited 28 May, 2016 by Sweeperman

[jimvrs]

Hi mate sorry about that, the mobile app seems to have cut off half my question !!!

 

As i said its an 05 vrs and after a recent oil change it is smoking quite a bit, mainly when accelerating or whilst revving. The oil i was told to use is a fully synthetic 0/ 40. i'm now wondering if this is too thin and maybe getting past some seals etc as most people seem to be using a 5/40 or even a 10/40

 

any thoughts guys

 

many thanks, Jim.

[Sweeperman]

Only since the service? Who done the oil change, 100% sure the fully synt was used. Also what sort of miles are we talking about and how long since last oil change?

[jimvrs]

yeah only noticed since the last oil change (done by me) yeah definitely fully synth was used...if the label is correct as the remainder is in the boot still. Car has done 89,000 miles and was owned by a mechanic friend of mine before me. Im in the trade (bodywork) but thought id ask you knowledgeable  lot first before i get back to work on Tuesday. thanks for the reply

[Sweeperman]

How smokey are we talking, just whisps or are we talking tear gas clouds worth lol. Is it using oil noticeably. Have you checked the simple things like oil level and is not overfilled

[Sweeperman]

Id not use 0/40, it is pretty thin, id be more 5/30, also depends on service intervals. Also take it that its a petrol 

[jimvrs]

yeah its a mk1 so its a petrol, definately not over filled. think ill try changing to a 5/30 and see how it goes?? cheap and simple, cheers buddy.

[kentphil1]

If you use the Quantum oil from VW, not only is it very reasonable, but all the grades will be correct for the car. I run Quantum longlife 3 in mine and is very good value, and if you are trade, you will be able to get it at a good discount through VW's TPS (Trade Parts Specialists).

 

What did you use?, was it something like mobil 1 or Motul?, have to agree with above that 0/40 is a bit thin, 5/30 fully synthetic is really where you should be at.

Edited 28 May, 2016 by kentphil1

[Sweeperman]

Im always a believer in scrapping variable or longlife intervals on anything, if you have the dosh, go for longlife oil but change regularly like every 7-10k, me I use quality oil, I get a fully synt from a neighbour who owns a motorfactors for £25 and will be changing every 7k along with filter, dont bother with long life in any of my cars ive had. Its a little cost compared to bore wear If it were me, id drain the 0/40 and fire in a good 5/30 cry a little at the cost of the 0/40 thats going and see how it fares on the 5/30. Now if it still smokes like a lady of the night around the docks at 3am afterwards, youve got other problems 

[jimvrs]

thanks chaps, taken it all on board ;-)

[kentphil1]

I agree with sweeperman, I change my longlife 3 oil at 9-10000 mile intervals, I just don't trust extended servicing.

[Liverpool-Lad]

Hmmm I wouldnt agree 0w40 is too thin.  Ive been using Mobil 1 for 8 years / 50,000 miles without burning/losing any between services (every 6k)

 

Just over 100,000 now too.

Edited 29 May, 2016 by Liverpool-Lad

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Interesting topic this.....I'm quite anal about oil and I've posted about this topic before...

 

My personal opinion, after spending a decent chunk of my life at racetracks and all the associated engine building, development and tuning - with motorbike engines which rev to 13 or 14,000 rpm too - is that top quality oil, frequently changed is absolutely paramount.

 

We've used and tested various oils over the years, and we landed on using either Fuchs Silkolene or Mobil One. Both gave similar performance on the dyno, and both gave similar engine protection. We didn't see the same benefits with other oils we tested....engine wear noticeably increased at rebuild times, especially at the valvetrain, and interestingly some oils causing blueing of metal internals, signs of overheating and pick-up on faces.

 

So clearly oil choice does make a difference. For me, in a variety of my own cars from Skoda and Volvo turbos, up to Porsche 911's, I've always used Mobil 1 0w - 40. It's served me well....I've never experienced an engine or turbo failure in anything, and I push high mileages too - most of my cars go to near 200,000 before I sell them on. Popping the valve covers off and looking at the internal usually confers the benefits - clean, no blueing, very little wear.

 

My Octavia VRS is now on 160,000 miles, original engine and turbo. She uses about 3-odd litres between oil changes, which I do at 10,000 miles with a new genuine filter every time. I never see any smoke at all.

 

 

And now.....just a quick note on viscosities and numbers.....seems like there's a bit of confusion on this thread!

 

People have said that a 5w - 30 is 'thicker' than a 0w - 40.....that's incorrect.

 

The 'W' part of the designation stands for 'winter' - a bit of a misnomer, but that basically means 'when cold.' So initially, on a cold engine on start-up, yes a 5w is 'thicker' than an 0w (although the correct term is it has a higher viscosity) so actually the 0w oil does a better job of getting round the oil galleries quicker than the 5w oil.

 

Then once the oil warms up, the polymer chains in the oil open up and give the oil it's thicker viscosity up to the second number - so a -40 oil will be 'thicker' than a -30 oil in a hot engine....

 

Here's a short-ish article explaining what I've just said in a bit more detail and in not too technical language:

 

http://www.withamgroup.co.uk/qualube/lubrication-definitions/

 

Cheers!

[sharkrider]

good post ^^^ I was going to go into the fact that the lower the first figure the better it is cold, and the higher the 2nd figure, the more it holds together with heat ... but couldn't be arsed! lol...

 

interesting you should mention mobil one....I still remember the famous test where they ran a BMW  to 100,000 miles changing the oil when the computer said to with mobil one, and then taking the engine apart, and finding it was still withing factory "tolerances" so technically as good as a new engine!

 

I used to use mobil one in my old lancia..... have just changed the oil in my 160k vRS, it also uses a little and needs to be topped up, but not much, about a litre every 4k or so.... I used the oil I got supplied by the previous owner with the car...... (I have no money at the moment) but i am very tempted to go the way of mobil one in the future