Eh up chums.

 

Ok, quick history - bought my '51 plate Octy 1 Vrs nearly 5 years ago now, with 80k miles on the clock. Was lucky enough to find a lovely example, with nice history.

 

Now - this might be another massive argument for another day, but with many years' experience of both cars and bikes, including racing and building race engines etc. - over the last 10 years or so, with my own experience, and having had access to some very knowledgable people from the oils and petrochemical industries, I have settled upon always using top-drawer oil (and again, maybe another argument - but for road-going vehicles, this means Mobil One) but in my road-going cars, taking into account the R&D and composition of these amazing modern oils, I have been happy to go 10k between changes. Although that said, I always change with a new genuine filter, every time.

 

On my car, I did check the oil pickup pipe when I bought her, as per the guides on here - but it was crystal clean. My car had clearly been subject to a lot of love from it's previous owner; removing the rocker cover revealed a lovely, clean top end, with cam lobes like mirrors.

 

Over the 5 years of ownership then, I have averaged 14k miles a year, and she is now showing 150k miles. I have been doing 10k mile oil changes, with Mobil 1. Over the last 4 years, I have found that filling to the top of the dipstick at the change, has meant that it hasn't needed topping up until about 7k miles were up, when she was getting close to the bottom of the dipstick. Then, a litre added saw me out to 10k miles.

 

However - this year, things have changed a wee bit. I did the change at 140k miles, as usual - but going on my previous experience, I hadn't checked the level for a while (I know, I know, complacency breeds contempt)....so then only 5k miles after the change, I was surprised to see the yellow oil light wake me up one morning. I topped up with another litre of Mobil 1, to get it back to the top of the dipstick.

 

Then tonight, only 3k miles later, the yellow light shook me out of my smug little world, where again she needed another litre to top up. This is unusual, given past history, and has got me a bit worried?

 

So to sum up - in the last 10k miles from 140k on the clock to 147k on the clock, she's asked for an extra litre of oil from normal, and I still have another 2k miles to go until my scheduled change. Other than that, she's still running as brilliantly and as strong as ever - pulls like a train, starts on the button, I can't see ANY kind of smoke at all, no smell - and she's basically stock, apart from a high-flow exhaust, Revo stage 1, PiperX filter and Forge 007 re-circ - all of which were fitted at 80k miles.

 

Am I worrying over nothing - should I just expect extra oil consumtion at this age and mileage? Or do you reckon something else is afoot - turbo seals past their best, that kind of thing? I am lead to believe that these engines (AUQ) are pretty bulletproof - I have a compression tester I can break out of the garage, however the car pulls as well if not better than ever, so I don't suspect leaky valves or piston rings etc...

 

 

Ideas / input / re-assurance gratefully received as always! Thanks mates!

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder if its time to move to a thicker oil?  Im on Mobil1 0w40 and change every year (5k).  95k on the clock and doesnt seem to use any on the dipstick.

 

Its either burning it or leaking from somewhere

I kinda have the same problem, I ran car for 2 years on a thicker oil, and last year I decided to change to a thinner oil since then I seem to be going thro more than usual... so since I have forked out 90 quid on the oil be waiting til next service and changing back to the thicker one lol

I have my car for 6 years and at the begining was burning like 0,5-0,7 l between changes every 10k km (6k miles)

But for the last 2 years it started quickly to burn 2 liters between intervals,and I have no clue why.Engine is running fine,absolutely no leak,not the slighest mist of oil anywhere.

Allways using 5w40

Edited 14 May, 201511 yr by IulianE

Couple of interesting responses there, thanks!

 

Yeah - as said, oil either (assuming it's not leaking into the motor via a dead head gasket) escapes from somewhere, or gets burnt - that's obvious. Looking under my car today actually whils doing a different job on it - it's as dry as a bone underneath and around the engine, so it's not leaking.

 

I guess, then, that the 150k miles is maybe starting to catch up on her, and a bit more is being used via valve guides / rings / turbo seals. I like using Mobil 1, purely because I have seen the huge benefits that it gives, in other cars and engines over the years. But I have been using the 0W / 40 grade, which is on the thinner side, especially when cold.

 

Maybe I might need to think about a thicker grade of oil - perhaps a 10W / 50 or something like that? Anyone got any recommendations? I don't know if Mobil make a thicker grade, do they?

I use 5w40 (tripleX from ECP) and on 140000 miles and she does use some oil. Probably about 1-1.5litres between changes which i do every 5000miles. I have noticed shes using a little more recently but at the same time ive noticed a dark patch on the road outside my house where i park [emoji19]

Couple of interesting responses there, thanks!

 

Yeah - as said, oil either (assuming it's not leaking into the motor via a dead head gasket) escapes from somewhere, or gets burnt - that's obvious. Looking under my car today actually whils doing a different job on it - it's as dry as a bone underneath and around the engine, so it's not leaking.

 

I guess, then, that the 150k miles is maybe starting to catch up on her, and a bit more is being used via valve guides / rings / turbo seals. I like using Mobil 1, purely because I have seen the huge benefits that it gives, in other cars and engines over the years. But I have been using the 0W / 40 grade, which is on the thinner side, especially when cold.

 

Maybe I might need to think about a thicker grade of oil - perhaps a 10W / 50 or something like that? Anyone got any recommendations? I don't know if Mobil make a thicker grade, do they?

Most oils come in 10w60 now Castrol/mobil/motul etc

 

But not sure if it would be suitable for yours. Thicker oils can interfere with the functions of tappets etc. They may reduce the efificency of cooling on the bearings if not being pushed hard.

They are for cars that are driven very hard or for older engines with large clearances.

I've used Castrol TWS 10w60 in an old alfa before and it ran so sweet but this oil takes a long time to heat up, no suitable for frequent short trips.

I would do a lot of reading before putting in a thicker oil.

 

http://www.mobil1.co.uk/synthetic-engine-oils/extended-life-10w-60.aspx

The Mobil 1 10w60 does have VW specs:

 

Mobil 1 Extended Life 10W-60 has the following builder approvals::
VW 501 01 / 505 00

so,diesel only

so,diesel only

can't the 501 01 be used in petrol? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited 17 May, 201511 yr by Brit24

Forget my earlier post about the dark patch forming of oil, its coming from my steering rack