Oil change or just top her up?

[iwsitl]

I have an 1,5 TSI manual MY19 (Jan '19/around 7500km insofar).

 

A month ago the oil level seemed fine but yesterday the oil signal came up and indeed the oil level is low. The service menu says that an oil change is due in 18900km/340days and a service in 22600/430 days.

 

Should I just add a little oil or go for a full swap? If yes, what would you suggest in either case for a mixed cycle mainly city and ring roads in above 0°C winter/30°C summer climate?

 

Thanks for your time!

[Ootohere]

You should be checking it so no lights come on, and topping up with the correct oil, 

so VW508/509  which is 0w 20 FS IV.

 

As the Owners Manual warns you you might need to top up.

 

If you want an Oil & Filter change as with a Fixed Service then get that, but do not let oil go low.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/470119-check-oil-level-warning-query

 

Edited 27 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[SurreyJohn]

At 7500km just top it up with correct grade

 

But if only done 7500km (about 5k Miles) in 8 months then you might want to swap to fix service intervals of every 12 months, although perfectly ok to do the first one at 15000km (even if 14 months)

 

[iwsitl]

Thanks for the answers, two additional questions?

 

1. Is it a problem that I will add 0w 20FS IV while I don't know what was the original oil ? How much should I add?

2. Is it better to top it up or to change it altogether since it's the first change? (I have read that it's better to anticipate the first oil change because of the small debris which accumulates on the first runs of a new car)

[Ootohere]

Your car built late 2018 did leave the factory with VW508 /509 spec oil, they all did, TSI's & TDI's.

 

You do not overfill the oil, but if you had a Low Oil warning light it will be at least needing 0.5 iitres, maybe more.

Follow the procedure in your owners manual for topping up oil, and checking oil level.

 

It gets checked at Operating Temp, but you can still check when cold to see at least to the top area of the crosshatch on the dip stick.

Look in the owners manual see where they show area 'A'.

 

You first oil change is at 24 months or around 18,000 miles / 29,000 km.  

So what you want is maybe to 'antisipate' a fixed service interval so at a year / 9,600 miles or 15,500 km.

 

It is up to you, but driving with low oil is not a good thing, it needs topping up and you need to know how to check the level.

 

 

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[Ootohere]

If you have a Low Oil Light or Warning Message and open the bonnet for more than 30 seconds, regardless of putting in oil or not, and maybe not enough to be to the correct level the warning light / message will still go out for maybe 60 miles.

 

Doing Fixed Service Regimes might be what suits your car, so have it changed from Variable / Flexible to fixed when serviced / oil change done.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes

 

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[VRS_White_Hatch]

From low to high on the dipstick is usually about half a litre of oil, but because too much oil is such a headache you might want to top it up slowly and keep checking. Give it time for the oil to run down into the sump before checking, a minute is fine with 0-w20. It won't really matter what oil you stick in as a top up as long as its VW approved but for emissions and fuel economy it will have been supplied with 0-w20 - for better protection I think 5-w30 is going into mine at first oil change.

 

An oil and filter change is never a bad thing, I personally don't want the oil left for the best part of 2 years and will do an oil change at 1 year old regardless of service indicator.  

[Ootohere]

Usually is not good enough, because of different engines and oil capacities and crap dip sticks.

There can be low oil warning lights with some engines and the oil is 1 litre low, or 1.3-1.5 litre low before they come on.

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[VRS_White_Hatch]

4 minutes ago, Roottootemoot said:

If you have a Low Oil Light or Warning Message and open the bonnet for more than 30 seconds, regardless of putting in oil or not, and maybe not enough to be to the correct level the warning light / message will still go out for maybe 60 miles.

 

That's useful to know, could fool people into thinking nothing was wrong. Thanks for posting.

[VRS_White_Hatch]

1 minute ago, Roottootemoot said:

Usually is not good enough, because of different engines and oil capacities and crap dip sticks.

There can be low oil warning lights with some engines and the oil is 1 litre low, or 1.3-1.5 litre low before they come on.

 

Yeah I get that, what I mean is you can add 1/2 litre without overfilling then start putting in a bit at a time while repeatedly checking the dipstick. Also do it on the flat unlike my son in law whose drive is a steep slope. 

[Ootohere]

Some do not even understand the dipstick and that the crosshatch is the middle area.

 

Then Skoda used to say check when warm, while VW, SEAT, Audi might say Hot or At Normal Operating temp.

 

It is sometimes safer to put some in when cold so at least you know you have some more in, like the 0.5 litres, then get the check done at Operating Temp.

The thing is knowing where the level was when you collected the new car and cold engine & oil is 'Simply Clever', and comparing the At Operating Temp level.

 

Too many have a car ticking over for 5 minutes like a Tech / Fitter in a garage does. That is Warm Oil, not St Operating Temp or as you might find a Light coming on while you are on a trip.

 

Americans would have you at Dealers all the time.    (a US quart is not what a Imperial quart is....)

At least they say at Operating Temp.  

In the UK no such thing yet an official vid.

 

 

 

 

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[SurreyJohn]

I think the handbook says a small quantity of different grade can be used to top up.  Doesn’t define small. 

 

I would buy a half litre oil bottle, put about 40% in, then check dipstick after a journey.  Hopefully will be enough and top up will be about 6-8% of the oil (3.5 litres)

 

Might need a bit more, but better to be on hatched area between the 2 marks than above top mark.

[VRS_White_Hatch]

I never stop learning stuff on here, I never knew oil should be checked at operating temperature. The most common time I check it is after an oil change or when I have the bonnet up cleaning the car. Mind you I cant remember ever owning a car that used oil and needed topping up. (Fingers crossed)

[Ootohere]

Small amounts or even more amounts of 5w 30 FS III so VW504 /507 will make no difference, but then if you were to be topping up a little every 2 months for a year that is quite a bit, 

but then it will still make no difference.

VW Group just went 0w 20 FS iV to save having to bother cheating the WLTP in any other way.

It is not like they redesigned the engines in the 2 years or so they were in a panic to get WLTP Certifications.

They messed about with Software again though.

 

Over the past good few years only the 1.2 44Kw engines were shown in Owners Manuals as being checked for the oil level when cold.

As it is VW have had engines with 2.8, 3.2, 3.6, 3.9, 4.2 & 4.6 litre oil capacities and still difficult to get a reading with dipsticks if the oil is clean and the oil cold.

 

Much easier reading the oil level with cold oil and almost all of it in a cold sump. Even in hot countries.

[Gmac983]

My rule of thumb would be if checking engine oil when the engine is stone cold, assume that the true level is a little less than what you are seeing. In other words by the time your engine gets to stone cold the majority of your engine oil will have drained down into the sump give you a "false" higher reading (I'm not talking a massive difference, maybe 5mm on the dipstick. In any case, best to follow your own vehicles handbook. As already mentioned some advise when hot, some when warm. 

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Gmac983

[Ootohere]

Those from the VW Group that had 'warm' were lost in translation from German to Czech to Engish.

(Years back Skoda UK said they would correct Owners Manuals, that was when Mk2 Fabia Facelifts came out, then not long after they forgot with some 1.2TSI to change the Oil capacity from 3.6 litres to 3.9 litres. The engines / filters changed as well.

 

They got German to Spanish or to English or American English OK. 

There are are threads here over the past couple of years where people accurately measures oil temps, oil levels ect.

The bigger engines by capacity and the smaller ones or ones with the Oil filter up top and those with the filter below have differing readings.

Owners Manuals are definately worth reading tio see what they say.

 

Eventually the chart was changed to show the change in capacity and the dates, pity it was after some members here and people that were not had the oil level from a service too low, and others had the oil overfilled.

 

With the bottom 'How to check oil,' 

see where they say which engine gets checked cold.

  Also were they say 'Warm' for the others. 

The Polo , A1 & Ibiza Owners manual said in English Hot or Normal Operating Temperature.

 

June 2011 and the change in Oil Capacity from 3.6 to 3.9 is when the Timing Chain Tensioner Upgrade on the 1.2 TSI's was done after failures of some up to that point, 

many still never upgraded might be failing now.

Edited 28 September, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[nikkap]

I think it is at least uncomfortable to add about 1lt of oil after 10000 km before closing a year of use. I had several cars before (never a vw group) and never cared about oil

[agedbriar]

Yes, at least that ...

[Apprentice]

Just coming up to the 4000 miles mark and had to top up engine with a small amount of VAG 508 oil to keep the level within range "A", so it's true what they say that the engine uses oil, a new experience in a new car.