Which engine oil?

[grajay]

The manual says:

Petrol engines: ACEA A3/ACEA B4 or API SN, (API SM);

 

Googling this brings up numerous complex pages but I just want to know what the 'accepted' make/type of oil is please.

 

Thanks everyone

[Ootohere]

5w 30 Full Synthetic / Long Life Oil so VW 504 00 for Variable & Fixed Servicing.

 

5w 40 Full Synthetic VW 502 00

can be used for Fixed Servicing of 9,400 miles / 372 days, which ever comes sooner.

[weasley]

You need an oil that meets either VW 502 00/505 00 or VW 504 00/507 00. The first one is for standard (fixed) service intervals and the second one is for extended (variable) service intervals. Most oils that meet the latter spec are 5W-30; the first one often also comes in 5W-40.

Skoda recommend Castrol oils, so something like Castrol EDGE 5W-30 would do you well, or you could go to a Skoda/VW/Audi/SEAT dealer and pick up some Castrol EDGE Professional Longlife III 5W-30 (if the dealer stocks Castrol - if not then whatever they do stock).

Other than that, any oil that has the VW specification is approved by VW for these engines, so make your choice from whatever favoured brand/price you have. My advice is not to skimp on oil; get a good one but do shop around.

[weasley]

Also, I am surprised the manual asks only for the ACEA and API specifications, rather than the VW ones?

[Ootohere]

You will find the Good Oil to the VW Specs in ASDA, TESCO and other places, & COMMA Oils do GOOD OILS to the Correct Specs.

Castrol Edge / Quantum are well known,

but other Oils even from Super Markets are Produced by Professional Oil Producers.

[weasley]

Just be wary of how the oil producer presents their data.  For example:

 

"Recommended by [GOOD OIL CO] for applications requiring: MB 229.5, MB 226.5; PSA B71 2296; VW 502 00, VW 505 00; RN0700, RN0710; BMW LL-01; PORSCHE A40; ACEA A3/B4; API SN CF"

 

...does not mean that this oil is actually approved by any of those manufacturers.  It means that [GOOD OIL CO] has decided that based on their own judgement, they believe the oil is capable of achieving these approvals, but they haven't been through the formal process of applying for and receiving the approvals.  You may be OK to take them at their word, but the OEMs typically forbid the use of their specifications on oils that have not formally achieved them.  Other phrasing may also be used, such as "meets the requirements of....".  Sadly VW do not publish a list of formally-approved oils (although a list does exist which industry insiders can see), but Mercedes do - I often look up oils on the MB approvals site to see if a manufacturer is being honest or not.  If not, then what else are they being dishonest about...?

 

If you ever had a problem and wanted some assistance from Skoda (whether warranty or goodwill) and it turned out you had used an unapproved oil (which was relevant to your issue), you might find yourself in a paddle-free canoe.

[brianja138]

The manual says: Petrol engines: ACEA A3/ACEA B4 or API SN, (API SM);

 

From the 2015 manual;

Vehicles with variable service intervals

Petrol engines Specification

1.2 l/81 kW TSI

1.4 l/92, 110 kW TSI                             VW 504 00

 

Vehicles with fixed service intervals

Petrol engines Specification

1.2 l/81 kW TSI

1.4 l/92, 110 kW TSI                            VW 502 00

1.6 l./81 kW MPI

 

Are you perhaps looking at a non UK manual?

[weasley]

Those recommendations are EU-wide.

[brianja138]

I was thinking a Chinese / Indian or similar, translation

[weasley]

In which case the 502 00 spec is still recommended (long drain intervals tend to be avoided in areas with variable fuel quality, which most OEMs define as anywhere outside of the EU).

[grajay]

From the 2015 manual;

Vehicles with variable service intervals

Petrol engines Specification

1.2 l/81 kW TSI

1.4 l/92, 110 kW TSI                             VW 504 00

 

Vehicles with fixed service intervals

Petrol engines Specification

1.2 l/81 kW TSI

1.4 l/92, 110 kW TSI                            VW 502 00

1.6 l./81 kW MPI

 

Are you perhaps looking at a non UK manual?

Manual is dated Nov 2016 - page 147 - came with mu UK Yeti

[awfabia]

Cardiff Audi/Mon Motors eBay has great deals on Quantum Long life 3 which is a '507' and OK even for pumpe duse diesel engine

[weasley]

Cardiff Audi/Mon Motors eBay has great deals on Quantum Long life 3 which is a '507' and OK even for pumpe duse diesel engine

In this case the important fact is that it is also VW 504 00, which covers th TSI engine. Quantum is VW UK's own in-house oil brand.

[Vaison]

I went into Halfords and looked in the oil directory. There was a choice of two and I bought the one for my model. I thought that's all it needed.... Am I missing something?

[weasley]

The Halfords recommendation will be based on the specifications discussed above. Always worth double-checking but you should be fine.

[Urrell]

I have used Halfords for oil but the Mobil 1 ESP 5w - 30 that I use has gone to a silly price lately.

 

 

[rustic]

2 years ago I bought a litre of castrol Edge 5W30 for the long service interval, but it seems that Castrol are now promoting Castrol Edge 5W30 "Titanium" What is the Titanium bit, a metal harder than what's in the engine can't be right ?

[weasley]

Bear in mind that already in most engine oils there is zinc, calcium, magnesium, maybe boron, perhaps some molybdenum.  Just like in your blood there is iron.  These elements aren't there as their pure forms, but in molecules that contain them.  In the case of the titanium, it is part of a molecule which is a liquid and is soluble in oil.

 

What all these molecules do is offer some level of performance or activity when put under the right conditions.  In the case of Castrol EDGE, the "soluble titanium polymer" "physically changes the way oil behaves under extreme pressures" which "doubles its film strength, preventing oil film breakdown and reducing friction to help maximise engine performance."

 

It's all here.

[brianja138]

The manual says:

Petrol engines: ACEA A3/ACEA B4 or API SN, (API SM);

 

Googling this brings up numerous complex pages but I just want to know what the 'accepted' make/type of oil is please.

 

 

 

Mystery solved, grajay I believe you are looking at the final statement regarding engine oil repeated here;

 

If the above engine oils are not available, a different engine oil can be used in

an emergency. To prevent damage to the engine, a maximum of 0.5 litres only

of the following engine oils may be used:

■ For petrol engine models: ACEA A3/ACEA B4 or API SN, (API SM);

■ For diesel engine models: ACEA C3 or API CJ-4.

 

The previous page lists the correct vw specifications.

[NigOVO]

On 06/01/2017 at 07:18, weasley said:

You need an oil that meets either VW 502 00/505 00 or VW 504 00/507 00. The first one is for standard (fixed) service intervals and the second one is for extended (variable) service intervals. Most oils that meet the latter spec are 5W-30; the first one often also comes in 5W-40.

Skoda recommend Castrol oils, so something like Castrol EDGE 5W-30 would do you well, or you could go to a Skoda/VW/Audi/SEAT dealer and pick up some Castrol EDGE Professional Longlife III 5W-30 (if the dealer stocks Castrol - if not then whatever they do stock).

Other than that, any oil that has the VW specification is approved by VW for these engines, so make your choice from whatever favoured brand/price you have. My advice is not to skimp on oil; get a good one but do shop around.

How do you know whether you car is fixed or variable service intervals? 

[weasley]

Good question.  You could check the remaining time/distance to next service, if it’s over 1 year or 10,000 miles then it’s likely on variable service.  If not then try looking in the service record.  When you have it serviced you can ask for it to be changed if you like.  That said, you have a diesel so it must use the 507 00-rated oil to protect the DPF.