I bought my first Skoda, Green Mk1 Octavia estate 90 BHP 1.9 TDI back in May.

It is now time for me to service the car, and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on oil. I intend to keep this car for a long time, as long as I can, so I want to use the best oil I can get that suits this engine.

Any advice?

My brother runs a 90 bhp octavia and he uses any semi synth which is the correct spec, on that engine i think it is VW 505.00, usually a 10w/40 grade.

Does anyone know how I check what exact engine I have?

Does anyone know how I check what exact engine I have?

Have a look inside the front cover of your service schedule book, should be a sticker with all the info

Failing that, there should be a similar sticker under the raised floor in the load area

Edited 4 October, 201015 yr by alexandjen

A 2003 TDI should be a PD100 100bhp diesel shouldn't it? Bit too new to be an older VE 90hp engine?

If it is a PD100 (Engine code will be ATD) then 505.01 5w 40 spec oil is what you need for normal servicing intervals of 10,000 miles.

PS: If you have no luck finding engine code, take a photo of the engine with the cover removed and I will tell you.

A 2003 TDI should be a PD100 100bhp diesel shouldn't it? Bit too new to be an older VE 90hp engine?

Not necessarily. I have a 90hp non-pd on a 54 plate.

Not sure when they changed the mark 1 to a PD. Think it was 2005?

Edited 6 October, 201015 yr by lumac999

I can't find out which engine I have from the service book,, there are a lot of numbers but none that are in the format to show if it is a vw505.00 I know I definately have the 90bhp 1.9tdi engine. I have looked around the web but get conflicting information. On Honest John website it says I need vw505.00 specification oil, but another sit says:

Oils that meet the 505.00 specification; the oldest specification for Skoda diesel cars. Only really relevant to pre 2000 diesel Skoda cars (with or without turbocharger). For diesels from 2000 onwards, the 505.00 specification has largely been superceded by the 505.01, 506.00, 506.01

:(

I can't find out which engine I have from the service book,, there are a lot of numbers but none that are in the format to show if it is a vw505.00 I know I definately have the 90bhp 1.9tdi engine. I have looked around the web but get conflicting information. On Honest John website it says I need vw505.00 specification oil, but another sit says:

Oils that meet the 505.00 specification; the oldest specification for Skoda diesel cars. Only really relevant to pre 2000 diesel Skoda cars (with or without turbocharger). For diesels from 2000 onwards, the 505.00 specification has largely been superceded by the 505.01, 506.00, 506.01

:(

Try GSF or TPS if there is one of them near you.

I would guess that this is a PD engine although most PD engines I've worked on have been 100bhp or 105bhp in the lower output range. Either way it's better to use 505.01 spec oil rather than the 505.0. It's normally a 5W -40 oil commonly called 'PD' oil . Check that oil meets VW 505.01 and spec number is specified on the oil container label.

this may help

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/products-for-my-vehicle.aspx?product=car-engine-oils&make=vw#results

Definitely not a PD engine, the only PD engine in the mkI was the 130. 90 and 110 were injection pump.