Do PD engines generally use more oil than Common Rail? I was having a conversation with a colleague this morning (who owns a B7 A4 2.0 PD, Jetta 1.9 PD before that), he looked puzzled when I said I've only had to top up my 1.6 CR on one occasion in 4 years of ownership, whereas his Audi requires top up every 4-5 months. This is my only diesel experience, so I chalked it up to a PD vs. CR phenomenon, but he countered with "yeah but diesels should burn lubricant, that's how they work". I have no answer to that, as a matter of interest can anyone enlighten me?

4 Years off ownership,  & how many Miles, & servicing & type of use?

 

How many miles does he do in 4-5 months and what type of miles?

 Location location location where the car goes and driving circumstances.

 

Many never put oil in between services and many never check between services,

they can maybe uses no oil, or might use and the light just never came on, so the oil is low come time for

the New Oil & Filter.

Edited 2 February, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

My Seat 1.9 PD used to burn oil when it got near or over the recommended (10k/1yr) service interval.

I ran my 1.9 PD Fabia vRS for 50,000 miles and it never used a drop of oil.

Dad had a 2.0 pd 140 passat and had to drive around with an oil bottle in the door. It used to get through it like it was going out of fashion

2.0 cr 140 after that and that never used a drop

Dad had a 2.0 pd 140 passat and had to drive around with an oil bottle in the door. It used to get through it like it was going out of fashion

2.0 cr 140 after that and that never used a drop

 

Same here - my PD Octy used quite a bit, but the CR Superb barely uses any between services (that's on 30k per annum)

I had three 1.9 PD's and generally I would use up 0.25 - 0.5 litre topping up between variable services of 19,000 miles, although one of the PD's was nearer a litre between services. I've now owned two 1.6 CR's and I doubt if I put in 0.25 litre between services.

I ran my 1.9 PD Fabia vRS for 50,000 miles and it never used a drop of oil.

Same here, my old Fabia vRS never needed a drop between services.

Edited 2 February, 201511 yr by clv101

On our 1.9 PD, other than her oil changes I would be surprised if I have put more than 1.5 litres over 51,000 miles.

Our old Focus just sipped it's way through oil....

Mine used some in the 1st 5k, but has settled down now. Last time I had to put some in was after doing a series of long trips in the summer. It was serviced in October and I've not put any in since. SWMBO Seat 1.9pd has always used a bit - more than my vRS, but nothing to be worried about.

I ran my 1.9 PD Fabia vRS for 50,000 miles and it never used a drop of oil.

Likewise, I have run mine for the last 30k and not topped it up once.

My CR used quite a lot last year but I did 15k in 12 months up and down the motorway so I wasn't surprised.

PD140 and CR140 here, neither use any oil between services.

A bit of a range there in terms of consumption, certainly doesn't seem cut and dried for PD vs. CR. Doesn't seem to 100% support his "yeah but diesels should burn lubricant, that's how they work" comment either.

 

His car is a 55 plate with 115k, whereas mine is 10 plate with 65k - similar sort of annual mileage but meaningful comparison probably ends there. His engine is one of the ones with the dreaded balance shaft problem, it was sorted before he got the car, but I wonder if it contributes to the oil usage.

 

He needs oil again today (hence conversation), I'm feeling charitable so I'll give him the litre I have kicking around, which you just know will trigger my oil warning light next week as I'm about 4k off the next service!

Diesels do use Oil,  Heavy Oil / Derv/ road fuel,  & some will run just fine on Veg oil,   Used Engine & other Oils and many other fuels

 

 Engine Oil is a Lubricant & a coolant,

but saying 'Diesels burn lubricant, that's how they work'  is just plain wrong.

Mk1 Fabia - 1.9 SDi - never put a drop of oil in between services. (135k miles)

 

Polo - 1.9 SDi - Whilst on long life oil about 4k to the litre.  On 'normal' oil didn't use any. (173k miles)

 

Roomster - !.4TDi - Haven't had to put a drop in. (85k miles)

Both our cr 1.6 does not use oil but we change oil every 5k

A bit of overkill is it not changing every 5,000 miles unless doing a low annual mileage.

Engines and Oil's have moved on in the past 35 years.

Many folks know this but worth reiterating. One of the problems with diesel engines is that they are quite hard to run in properly if you don't know what you are doing. Many folk buy them and treat them too gently like some might treat a petrol engine when new, thus not bedding in the pistons and rings properly to the bores. This means they may use some oil. Diesels need real work to do when they are new (in accordance with what the manual says about running in) to get those piston rings pressed right out to the cylinder walls and rub the cross hatching rough edges off jin the cylinders. Metal to metal contact in other words, so the engine beds in properly. That's how running is takes place. But with diesels there is a further difficulty with running in which makes it harder for the engine to run in. That's the diesel fuel itself. It's a lubricant, unlike petrol which is a solvent and which tries to wash the oil away from the piston and rings, diesel does the reverse. It actually is a lubricant and further bathes the piston and rings in a nice slippery coating of diesel fuel making it even harder to get metal to metal contact and a proper running in of the engine. So it's vital to use the power when the engine is fully warmed up during the running in period especially in the first few hundred miles. If you don't you will never have a properly run in engine and it will use oil. Mpg will may suffer too. A properly run in diesel will not use any oil at all, just as with a petrol engine. 

Many folks know this but worth reiterating. One of the problems with diesel engines is that they are quite hard to run in properly if you don't know what you are doing. Many folk buy them and treat them too gently like some might treat a petrol engine when new, thus not bedding in the pistons and rings properly to the bores. This means they may use some oil. Diesels need real work to do when they are new (in accordance with what the manual says about running in) to get those piston rings pressed right out to the cylinder walls and rub the cross hatching rough edges off jin the cylinders. Metal to metal contact in other words, so the engine beds in properly. That's how running is takes place. But with diesels there is a further difficulty with running in which makes it harder for the engine to run in. That's the diesel fuel itself. It's a lubricant, unlike petrol which is a solvent and which tries to wash the oil away from the piston and rings, diesel does the reverse. It actually is a lubricant and further bathes the piston and rings in a nice slippery coating of diesel fuel making it even harder to get metal to metal contact and a proper running in of the engine. So it's vital to use the power when the engine is fully warmed up during the running in period especially in the first few hundred miles. If you don't you will never have a properly run in engine and it will use oil. Mpg will may suffer too. A properly run in diesel will not use any oil at all, just as with a petrol engine.

Didn't know that.

Its not all down to the running in though.

My dads keen on running in properly, although sounds like he might be a little too gentle at times by what you're saying, but hes not too gentle.

The 2.0pd 140 was ran in exactly the same way as the 2.0cr 140

The PD drank lots of oil, and the CR never used a drop.

Not sure its entirely down to the running in. Some engines just do use oil IMO.

The shorter stroke cr engine is a bit easier to bed in. It has higher torque loadings on the pistons and rings for any given engine revs/load. The PD engine has a higher piston speed longer stroke engine that uses lower torque loadings on the piston rings and thus makes it harder to run it in properly unless you actually use some proper power in the early miles. To help with running in, the honing or cross hatching used in the cylinder bores is a different plato grade to assist metal to metal contact. However, if an owner doesn't use the power very early, the advantage that the higher grade cylinder cross hatching gives is lost as the pistons simply polish it down and glaze it some, or completely. That's probably why his PD used some oil.