I have just purchased a Skoda Scala SE with the 1.0 litre TSI 110, 3 cylinder turbo engine.
What is the correct engine oil to use for topping up my engine? Dealer doesn’t appear to know what the car was filled with at the factory.

Manual says VW 504 or VW 508 can be used for a 0.5 litre top up if the correct oil is not available -  but consult an expert!

I believe 508 is the latest specification but it’s meant to be green. The oil I wiped off the dipstick looks the usual amber colour.
Cheers
 

If you have just purchased and the oil needs topped up, take it back to the dealer and get them to correct.

It doesn’t but the manual says it will use oil in the running in period. And I always like to have some oil for topping up anyway.

Why can’t they just put a label on the engine??

@Andyb100  Welcome to the forum.

Did you purchase a new or used car, and was it from a Skoda Dealership?

 

VW 508 00 / 509 00 has been getting used at the factory for months and months before the WLTP / RDE came about to help VW Group get the test results they required. So that was before Sept 2018. 

 

The Dealer might not know because they maybe know nothing about cars,

but the Technicians should know that it left the factory with VW508 00 / 509  00 so 0w 20 FS IV. 

Too early in its life / until the First Service to start putting in VW504 00 / 507 00  so 5w 30 FS III

 

The Parts People should know and even a sales person in the showroom should, after all they are driving new cars for the first 3,000 miles / 3 months before they are flogged. 'Only ever driven by a sales manager'  type lies with a demonstrator.

 

Every owners manual says about May use 0.5 litres / 1,000 km.  & may use more in the first 5,000 km.  Has said this for years.

 

Are you checking the oil level correctly which is at Operating Temp.  That is not Warm & not cold.

 

Obviously check when cold and see where it is on the dipstick, 

but check again with the oil near 90*oC indicated after a few minutes stopped on the flat, and the oil should be in area A. 

Edited 25 June, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

Hi, thanks for the welcome and the very useful information.

I've had an Octavia 1.4 TSI for 9 years but wanted something newer as I thought it likely it would be costing me major money soon.

For the first time ever I'm trying leasing for 3 years. It was by far the cheapest way to drive a new car. No trade in allowed but Webuyanycar paid £1,000 more than a dealer trade-in when buying on PCP??

Financed direct from VWFS and supplied and delivered by a dealer 40 miles away from home.

No intention of keeping it beyond 3 years as by then electric will be the default choice. No engine oil issues then.

 

 I thought it would be VW508 00 / 509  00 but the apparent amber colour makes it a bit confusing. Have you any recommendations for an oil that meets this specification?

 

Thanks for the tip about checking the level when engine warm - I've always done it from cold.

 

Not 'warm',  that is what Skoda put in owners manuals while VW, SEAT, Audi said 'Hot' or 'at normal operating temperature'. 

Hot / Operating temp is the correct if Skoda was to not get lost in Translation. 

 

Buy the VW 508 00 / 509 00 wherever it is the cheapest. 0w 20 FS IV.   

That might be from a Skoda Group Dealer on Ebay like Parks of Hamilton.  Or anyone else.   Briskoda Sponsor http://opieoils.co.uk

 

Odd how some Maindealers do not know what the correct oil is yet they know how to charge lots for it compared to 5w 30 FS III

 

Only thing concerning me is that if the engine is filled with VW 504 00, will topping up with VW 508 00 be an issue?

 

If it is brand new there is no way that it should have 5w 30 FS III in it.  or 0w 30 FS III as some dealerships are using.

 

Did you collect it with Delivery Mileage?    The Manufacturers Recommended Oil is VW 508 00.   

 Enough Dealership Staff tell people that is what must be used even if not true.

Delivered on a transporter with 6 miles on the clock. I can see engine components date stamped with March 2021 

 

Must be VW 508 00

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Quartz-Future-Engine-TOT-174104/dp/B00IHXPXL8/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Total+Quartz+Ineo+Long+Life+0w-20+Engine+Oil&qid=1624641618&quartzVehicle=45-10780&replacementKeywords=total+quartz+ineo+long+0w-20+engine+oil&sr=8-8

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Castrol-15A54C-Edge-Professional-0w-20/dp/B071D8TLV4/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Castrol%2BEDGE%2BProfessional%2BLL%2BIV%2BFE%2B0w-20&qid=1624641863&quartzVehicle=36-1974&replacementKeywords=castrol%2Bprofessional%2Bll%2Biv%2Bfe%2B0w-20&sr=8-2&th=1

Why not worry when your car actually looks as if it needs topping up.

 

It should have been supplied fully filled. They are supposed to check at PDI. Many if not most new cars will not need topping up before the first service. By that I mean they usually use less than 0.75 litres in 10,000 miles.

 

Any 504 or 508 spec oil can be used for topping up, as the manual states.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reasoning of wanting some oil to top up if necessary is the same as being glad the Scala comes with a proper spare wheel:

better to have what you don’t need, than to need what you don’t have.

 

and in my experience there is a vast difference between what dealers should do and what they actually do

Many if most do not need topping up yet many come to Briskoda saying they need topping up because they never checked and then got a low oil warning light.

Some of those you will find on Briskoda more recently are ones that got a 1.5 TSI's that has a bit of a thirst. 

 

But then supposedly only people with issues post on forums. 

 Others go to Dealerships and are told pay no attention to forums.

 

If you get a low oil light / message or even a low oil pressure one and you open the bonnet and do nothing the light goes out, 

the oil level will still be low and the light / message might stay off for 60 miles.

 

If you pull into a filling station you might have to buy 5w 30 FS III at whatever price, or they might have 0w 20 FS IV again at what ever price, or they might not.

Edited 25 June, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

I would establish first if my car had a drink problem. Used to be they said you should check your oil regularly and every time before a long journey. This I still do, and I soon know when a car uses oil and roughly how much. 

 

Maximum I have seen is about 0.6 litres per 10,000 miles in the Octavia (150k miles), much less in the 3 other cars. I always have plenty of oil in my garage as I change the oil in 3 of the 4 cars myself.

 

I don't carry oil in any car. If an oil warning light came on mid journey I would just pull in to the nearest garage buy some oil, and wonder if its too late anyway.

 

But why buy an overpriced 1 litre can of oil when you can buy 5 litres at twice the price. Proper Fuchs stuff.

 

I've a few empty 1litre cans (from the days they came free with new skodas) I can decant into if I wanted. And even a couple of those zip up skoda oilcan pouches with velcro fasteners. I suppose I might use one if I am ever allowed to drive across Europe again.

 

Often it should start at the start.

So people picking up new, used borrowed or hired cars need to check there is enough oil and coolant & has whoever handed the car over had it checked, like at a PDI.

 

Then you know where you are starting from.   After a Service or your car being in a garage is a good time to check the oil level, before you drive away.

That would be knowing where the oil and coolant is when the car / engine is cold, ie before going anyplace.

 

If that is done and the tyre pressures are checked and the TPMS is reset that is a 'simply clever' and pretty much common sense.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/461786-oil-consumption

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/484270-oil-consumption-10-tsi

 

My 1.0 Scala DSG SEL had a 9000 mile oil change and service in January this year it did not use a drop in it's first year of use. I regularly check the oil levels (when cold on level ground) and they have always been OK never needs topping up. I guess it may change when the engine gets older with more miles but to be honest my last 5 Skoda cars were all frugal with oil.

I doubt you will ever need to top up between services

 

On 25/06/2021 at 18:06, Andyb100 said:

Only thing concerning me is that if the engine is filled with VW 504 00, will topping up with VW 508 00 be an issue?

 

Is not 504 petrol engines and 508 diesels?

Yes it is, but they are generally two different standards:

 

https://www.oilspecifications.org/articles/vw_motor_oil_specifications_explained.php

 

 

1 hour ago, edbostan said:

Is not 504 petrol engines and 508 diesels?

 

32 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

Yes it is, but they are generally two different standards:

 

 

 

 

No, wrong.....504.00 and 508.00 are both petrol engine oil specs.

507.00 and 509.00 are diesel engine oil specs

 

But generally oils come in  504.00/507.00  or 508.00/509.00 so each can be used in petrols and diesels, provided that the engine is allowed to use that particular spec. 508/509 is not backward compatible so shouldn't be used in older designs of engines. Always check compatibility before using.

 

https://360.lubrizol.com/Specifications/Volkswagen

 

 

In the latest manual (06.2021 production) the references to 508 00, ACEA C5 have been removed for petrol engines.