The following is detailed on the Skoda media web link re oils - theres also an article about the 1.9PDI engine with 6speed gbox but remember its a Czech translation of media info for the Czech market and may not neccesarily apply to exports.

http://media.skoda-auto.com/media/index.htm?HP_ID=37

The Original

Oi'll have some of the 0W-30 please...

Does the article give any indication of whose oil they are re-labelling? If this is part of a wider VAG policy to sell oil under their own label, we may just see a fall in the price of oils suitable variable service intervals. But what we should see at long last is dealers stocking the right oil for variable service interval cars!

Stopan,

Thanks for the posting the note on the Skoda oil recommendations. Here in the former colonies, the VW hand book recommends the 5W-40 for my 2001 Beetle 1.8 turbo. I've used the Valvoline 5W-40 synthetic since it was new. I've checked the web several times and I believe that this oil, meeting the ACEA A-3/B-3 specs is also a long drain interval oil (10,000 miles).

Oil selection always seems like a guessing game to me so I've always gone by the owner's manual recommendation. I've got a friend with a 2002 Audi A4 1.8 turbo, quattro, and the book recommends 0W-30. Same engine (give or take a dozen ponies). Go figure! I think Audi recommends the 0W-30 as it may give a small percentage better fuel economy to make up for the extra drag of the AWD system.

Anyway, the 5W-40 has been fine in all temperatures here in Maryland where the summer can be 100+ and 98% humidity to the winter were this week it has not gotten above 32F but for a few hours today. Coldest here in the "country" was about -3 F one morning. No problem cranking up even with the ill regarded VARTA battery.

Cheers!! 8)

The full article along with other items is in the reviews section of the site.

As to who's oil it is...umm

I talked to a mechanic last week while picking my car up from the paintshop(parking damage) and i asked about the oil. The longlife oil is Shell Helix something... Don't remember exactly. But now you know who makes the oil. Unfortunately I

My dealer is now using the Shell Helix Longlife oil in its workshops , not the Castrol Slx Longlife II oil I first bought from there. I think this was a change made by Skoda UK , maybe they got a better deal from Shell? Anyway , I bought some Castrol at halfords to use as a top up , it would be good if the oil came Skoda branded at the dealer , then there would be no doubts as to whether it was the right stuff!

Forget the brand - just check that the container has the right VW spec for your engine (and servicing type) on it. Oils meeting the specs for variable servicing (VW 503 00, 506 00 and 506 01) are listed in our FAQs. I am adding to that list as more oil companies enter the market with oils meeting those specs.

Well I have to be especially careful. As far as I am aware the only oil suitable for my PD engined Fabia is the VW 505 01 oil - its not cheap either.

Call me a cynic, but I dont like the idea of variable service life oils. I'll be getting fresh oil every 12,000 miles thankyou..

Me too with x 4x4 on variable servicing. I did a quick search for VW 505 01 and found the following manufacturers: BP, Esso, Castrol, Motul, Agip, Migrol, ULTEC and Fuchs. The first 3 should be available in the UK although you may have to search for them.

My point earlier is to buy an oil with the correct VW spec - or specs (including date from which it applied) printed on the container.

Denis,

Your comments are eye opening. You've posted more info about variable servicing here and on Vortex than anyone else but you don't seem to trust it. I've already mentioned that the chap I'm getting my motor from is also sceptical. What are your concerns?

Denis,

Your comments are eye opening. You've posted more info about variable servicing here and on Vortex than anyone else but you don't seem to trust it. I've already mentioned that the chap I'm getting my motor from is also sceptical. What are your concerns?[/quote:08b1151239]

Well my concerns are...

1. What about soot and carbon deposits building up in the oil?

2. The negative effects any fuel that will end up in your oil, thus effecting its performance and protection?

Ok so this happens in any engine but at least if the oil is changed say every 10,000 miles the negative effects are minimised.

I just dont like the idea of oil changes after 30-50,000 miles.

If you ask me, manufacturers only introduced variable servicing to tempt fleet buyers and company car drivers.

I tend to think that it's a personal thing , if you are happy with variable servicing intervals , that's fine , if not have it serviced every 10K miles .

Rich

I am one of the converted as far as variable servicing is concerned, whereas my nearest Dealer isn't and doesn't do it! As I have said many times, I am quite prepared to believe that the new oils demanded for variable servicing are entirely up to the job. I am also aware that many disagree with that view.

My 1.8T 4x4 needs a spec VW 503 00 oil. Castrol SLX Longlife II 0W-30 to that spec also meets specs VW 506 00 and VW 506 01, and that one oil is suitable for petrol engines with and without turbos, and diesel engines with (engine code ATD) or without a unit injection system. A clever oil or what, but at

OK Boys and Girls... Please educate me. I'm really missing something....probably the "boat," but I won't go there.

Do Skodas have some type of service "due" light or "thingie" that tells you when to service the car? I've gotten lost in the fixed, variable and extended maintence concept.

Is this like old Honda Accord (1976) that had a reminder on the dash that turned on every 5k miles for oil and filter changes and 7.5K, or so, for tire rotations? It was really handy!!! but not adjustable. :?

Can you buy the car set up to extended or variable specs? Or, do they come that way and you take your chances?

Clearly, my NB turbo has no maintence monitor in it. I'll have to check the data plate tomorrow to see what I have, e.g., QG, QG1 or QG2. Probably doesn't say....

This discussion has helped explain a couple things: the mysterious VW 500X.00 oil specifications. Not all oils in USA have it written on the can!!! So I've been going by the grade and the ACEA qualification when I can find it; and, the "funny" VW oil filters I've bought that say "2 Jahr" (30,000KM) on them. Not all the VW filters I have purchased have that marked on them. They must be used for the variable and extended service intervals.

:? :shock:

Silber

1. Yes, recent Skodas have a service indicator display which is either in the trip counter display on the speedo or the information display between the speedo and rev counter. The display gives advance warning of when the next service is due.

2. The vehicle comes off the production line capable of being set for LongLife Service or not, depending on the particular engine variant (and code) fitted. For example, the 1.9TDi engine in UK Octavia can be set for LongLife Service A while the similar (but different code) engine in the UK Fabia cannot. I would guess it is something to do with engine tolerances or internal finish, but there could well be more to it. But it isn't simply a matter of putting in special oil at the factory. See also para 5 below.

3. The codes QG0, QG1 and QG2 indicate the type of service appropriate for the car. Briefly:

QG0 is used for standard service which calls for an engine oil change every 10000 miles and an annual inspection every 12 months (sic).

QG1 and QG2 are codes for vehicles with LongLife Service A and B.

QG1 (LongLife Service A) indicates variable service intervals, with an inspection service based on the variable service interval display. The latter provides an automatic reminder of the need to take the vehicle to a regular inspection no later than 2 years or after not more than 20000 miles for petrol engines or 30000 miles for diesel engines.

QG2 (LongLife Service indicates fixed service intervals, with an oil change every 10000 miles and an inspection service every 24 months.

4. Vehicles with LongLife Service A and B are delivered from the factory to dealers set for the appropriate service interval, but some dealers reset the service indicator to fixed service intervals. For example, a local Skoda dealer resets QG1 vehicles from 2 years/30000 miles to 1 year/10000 miles - ie the same as QG0.

5. LongLife Service is determined on the basis of:

Oil level and pressure sensor.

Brake wear indicator.

Engine oil complying with new VW standards.

Variable service indicator display (ie instrument panel coding)

Battery with so-called magic eye.

The particular feature of this system is that the service intervals are calculated on the basis of the driver's individual driving conditions and own personal style of driving.

6. It would seem that VAG is delaying introducing variable servicing to the North American market. I wonder why?

PS What car do you own?

Denis,

You must have some fun with that 1.4 16v badge!

I think NB refers to New Beetle.

Denis,

You must have some fun with that 1.4 16v badge![/quote:c1cf76f4b3]

Man is an idiot. He doesn't know how to do anything without copying, without imitating, without plagiarizing, without aping. It might even have been that man invented generation by coitus after seeing the grasshopper copulate. :lol:

Augusto Roa Bastos

Man is an idiot. He doesn't know how to do anything without copying, without imitating, without plagiarizing, without aping. It might even have been that man invented generation by coitus after seeing the grasshopper copulate. :lol:

Augusto Roa Bastos[/quote:9d66caab3a]

"Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great and original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished"

William Wordsworth.....

Denis,

Thanks for taking time to explain it!! I'm going to ask my friend who has an AUDI A4 Quatro sedan if his car has a maintence reminder.

It would seem that getting the car's computer to adjust the maintence schedule to the type of driving is a lot "smarter" than the "by miles/by time" set up. It would appear to be a lot better for maintaining the car's performance as well as safety in addition to been a "greener" concept.

I'll bet the dealers are setting the computers to a more frequent maintence interval so they can see you more often....

I've got several "rides."

An '87 Jeep Wrangler (the YJ, or so called "Yuppie Jeep") soft top. Its got the "bullet proof" 120 HP 6 cyl OHV carburetted engine (4.2 L) and 5 speed manual and shift on the fly 4WD. The only "mod" is the addition of oversize Goodyear tires that have 3 different treds on them. Its metalic brown with a tan top and interior.

Although the tach is red lined at 5500, fear, dread, and the sounds of great mechanical distress and potential mayhem keep the shift points to about 4000-4200. Reving higher only makes more noise!!!

Not to worry, its got great torque around 1200 - 1500 which is what makes it pull very well. No speed shifting this one! By the time you toss in the clutch and grab another gear, you have lost about 3 - 5 MPH due to wind resistance alone. It has the aerodynamics of a castle wall.

The shift on the fly is easy to use. Just pull the handle to 4W Hi and you have it. It has a low range transfer case, but you must stop to engage it with the same lever....pull to 4W Lo.... It gives you about a 2:1 reduction for really rough going.

The last tank of regular fuel gave about 16 MPG. Which is "go and fetch it" and "pulling the small trailer" to the hardware store type of driving.

Its a real basic set of wheels. You need only a screw driver, a pliers and an adjustable "spanner" to work on it. Anything more is too high tech. Anyway, it hardly ever breaks. Great fun in the summer when you can get the top down. But it is noisier than the inside of a base drum with the top up and honking more than 40 MPH. We call it "Eugene" after "Eugene the Jeep" magical character that could go anywhere.

Next, is a 2000 Nissan Maxima GLE. Full tilt boogie machine with the 3.0 L V-6 that cranks 222 HP to the four speed automagic tranny. Its leathered, A/Ced, sunroofed and Bosed (10 speaker factory system). It has ABS and an EDL system for traction control. Its dark charcoal grey with dark charcoal/black interior. A class ride!!! The engine is "peaky" in that it makes power at high revs and it will spin up very quickly to red-line. Over here, if you red line it in first you are probably exceeding most of the known speed limits. Its very quick, silent and just an awsome car for the highway. Eats miles like you would not believe. Pretty good on gas, too. Gets about 27- 28 on the long drives. We named this one "Moya" after the Farscape space ship as she can "star burst" when you tromp it.

Last, a 2001 New Beetle. 1.8 Turbo with the 4 speed automagic tranny. Its got the EDL, ASR, pop -up spoiler and all the bells and whistles. Leather saddles, A/C, sunroof and the Monsoon radio. Its Silver Arrow and light grey interior. A fun ride! This thing pulls like a jet when you get on it. It doesn't shift as much as the Maxima, just gets down and sucks you right up to well over the speed limits. Is the drive of choice when going out and about. It gets about 25 - 26 in daily driving. Also great for long trips. This is "Ziggy the Turbo." Just cute, sporty and zippy!!! I just love the ASR/EDL system, it worked very well in a snow storm last week.

Later!!

Denis

At the first service on my 90hp tdi OCTAVIA I was told quite emphatically that the oil change mileage under QG1 was determined solely on the basis of quality of the oil as seen by an optical device fitted in the sump. For this reason the only oil approved by VAG for QG1 service was Castrol Longlife SlX II 0W-30. Seemingly, though other manufacturers may meet the VAG spec. they are not per se approved, due to the optical specification. For myself, sensing an attack of technobabble coming on, I

opted to supply my own oil - Millers XPD - much to the chagrin of the dealer. In addition, as the engine had been coded QG2- I declined their kind offer of an annual inspection until the second year is up. They didn't like it but the wording in the owner's service manual is clear.

----------------------------

Martyn

Originally posted by FabiaTDi in this post

Well my concerns are...

1. What about soot and carbon deposits building up in the oil?

2. The negative effects any fuel that will end up in your oil, thus effecting its performance and protection?

Ok so this happens in any engine but at least if the oil is changed say every 10,000 miles the negative effects are minimised.

I just dont like the idea of oil changes after 30-50,000 miles.

If you ask me, manufacturers only introduced variable servicing to tempt fleet buyers and company car drivers.

Call me a traditional, but I'm having the same feeling here.

I just can't see any oil doing its work properly over 30,000 miles, especially with high-performance turbo engines that have a significant ECU upgrade, like mine. The added 60 hp is 40% of the original 150 hp!

My car is a QG1 too, and its first service is due at 30,000kms or 1 year. The usual run-in check after 1,000 miles is also a thing of the past now, so no special run-in oil either to clear all the small metal bits that will come off during run-in. Then there's the oil spec - 0W/30 doesn't seem like a performance oil to me. 30 is not the highest of viscosities. My mind is partly put to rest by the fact the prescribed Castrol is an all-synthetic oil - at least that is fitting with the performance character of the engine.

Because of my 60hp chip upgrade I'm thinking of refreshing the oil every 10,000kms. I'm sure the dealer won't mind! He did advise to regularly check the oil because of the effect of the added performance on the turbo and the pistons. I mean, it's not a standard engine anymore that will need an oil just to get Joe Sales Rep through his 30,000kms stint.

Apologies in case I'm stirring up an old debate here. If so, please set me straight or point me in the right directions.

(And if your name happens to be Joe Sales Rep, no offense intended )

My car is a QG1 too, and its first service is due at 30,000kms or 1 year.

........shouldn't that be 2 years if you reach that before 30000km? And have you had a look at Castrol's site where they explain how they tested the spec VW 503 00 oil, Mattijs?

For interest, what oil does Subaru recommend for the more highly tuned cars in their line-up?

Time to walk the dogs........

Originally posted by DGW in this post

........shouldn't that be 2 years if you reach that before 30000km? And have you had a look at Castrol's site where they explain how they tested the spec VW 503 00 oil, Mattijs?

For interest, what oil does Subaru recommend for the more highly tuned cars in their line-up?

Probably 2 years, yes, didn't take a close look at the service booklet. With the approximate 30,000kms interval that would mean that I will see the dealer just twice before the car gets sold on again. Sounds too good to be true!

Just took a look at the Castrol site - yes, I saw the Porsche claim, and I'm not saying that I won't use the long-life oil (I'd be a fool not to if VAG is so adamant about it) but I prefer to be on the safe side and also change it halfway. I can imagine that its utter longevity is matched to standard-spec cars instead of cars with a 40% performance increase. Anyway, I was glad reading about its full-synthetic character, so that's one less worry.

Sorry, no idea about the Subaru oils - perhaps Stuart or Fabpreza can tell?

Ok, Skoda-ites...here's the rest of the story...the proof is in the testing...

I changed Ziggy's (1.8T Beetle GLX) with 10,000 miles on the oil.

For a lark, I sent a sample to an oil analysis lab and got the following results back.

"For an oil that has been in use 10,000 miles, we think this oil sample looks remarkably good. The universal averages shows typical wear from this type of engine after about 4,700 miles on the oil. Your oil was in use much longer than that, and wear levels were all right there at averages. We did find a little bit of fuel dilution, which is common in engines that see a lot of city driving and/or idling. We don't consider it a problem.... This is a very nice VW engine and we have no problems to report."

The oil is Valvoline's 5W-40 that meets the A2/A3 qualification and filters are VAG or Mahle.

I did an analysis on the oil in my Maxima after 6,200 miles and it wasn't so good. With the numbers showing a universal average of wear for an oil with 5,000 miles on it. Also high lead (bearings) and silicon (air filter) was noted. This was Castrol 5W-50, also an A2/A3 oil, but not the correct weight for the car. Should have been using 5W-30 as recommended by Mr. Nissan.

:bttt:

Now that is dedication! An oil analysis lab? Are they in the Yellow Pages?