Hi guys,

Got 10w/40 at my last service, apparently this isn't the right grade for the vRS engine.

From another forum;

"Worst case, build-up of sludge in the engine, mainly oil pickup / oil pump, it will coat everything in like a black carbon.

The engine will clog up and then die.

This has only really been an issue in America due to VAG using substandard oil, i was under the impression in Europe we have used fully synth in the 1.8t since 2000.

Some 1.8t's also suffer having a small sump causing excess heat in the oil and additional problems."

Changed mine every 6k for the last 4 years and been using 10/40 and never had a problem !!!

For variable service intervals the correct oil is a spec VW 503 00 fully synthetic 0W-30 LongLife oil - or the later spec VW 504 00 which is a fully synthetic 5W-30 LongLife oil. For fixed service intervals you can use a spec VW 500 00 or 502 00 multigrade high lubricity oil, or a spec VW 501 01 multigrade oil. Oilman wrote an excellent guide to what those specs mean here.

Ok, from that it seems that 10w/40 IS ok to use... I find it hard to read if i'm honest.

Mines a 2001 engine.

i thought it was reccomended to use 0w40?

i thought it was reccomended to use 0w40?

The oil recommendations in the Owner's Manual are quoted as VW oil specs rather than SAEs. The UK spec Octavia vRS was factory filled from new with VW spec 503 00 LongLife oil and set up for variable service intervals.

A statement that sludge is a result using a specific viscosity of oil is so much MBF!! (Oilman will verify I'm sure)

The viscosity of the oil is just that, a measure of how thick it is. It could cause loss of power and/or revs problems with a hydraulic tappet engine if it can't flow out of the tappets fast enough when the engine's cold and or revving hard, but you'll hear that as a tappety noise.

Using a low SAE spec, cheap, or non-VAG spec oil is more likely to cause sludge, but even than it's not definite.

I'm fairly sure mine sounds more tappety since I had the oil change....

Before that it was just "Gtx mobile" on the statement.

Think i'll get them to change it for something a bit thinner next time. Guessing it wont do THAT much damage for a year

I just had a oil change, using 10w/40 change it every 6k mate. I also thought it sounded more tappety! properly just in my head though!

A thicker "W" number will make the engine sound more tappety when very cold, because the hydraulic tappets won't take up the gaps as quickly.

When they do, there will then be an increased risk of them pumping up (over-filling and undersizing the gaps) until the engine warms up a bit. This carries a risk of burning valves that don't close properly, particularly with over-revving short-geared petrol engines.

2004 Octavia VR-s.

35,000 miles.

Oil pump packed up on M3, looks like an engine rebuild at around £1500.

Have been using TESCO brand 10W40, which the bottle says is suitable for all petrol engines, including turbo-charged.

Could this oil be the problem?

Possibly I personally would never use cheap oils...Especially in turbo cars.

Does the Tesco oil have a VAG standard number, or even an SAE standard, on it. If so, what are they?

I agree about using cheap oil in any engine that doesn't burn significant quantities, but this is a place where money might be involved.

2004 Octavia VR-s.

35,000 miles.

Oil pump packed up on M3, looks like an engine rebuild at around £1500.

Have been using TESCO brand 10W40, which the bottle says is suitable for all petrol engines, including turbo-charged.

Could this oil be the problem?

Sorry to hear that, hope you get her sorted soon:)

2004 Octavia VR-s.

35,000 miles.

Oil pump packed up on M3, looks like an engine rebuild at around £1500.

Have been using TESCO brand 10W40, which the bottle says is suitable for all petrol engines, including turbo-charged.

Could this oil be the problem?

If you have the bottle and it's proven to be the oil, much as I hate to say this you should be able to approach tescos for misleading advertising.

If you used the 10w40 for regular (10k) servicing I would think it is quite unlikely to be that assuming a 10w-40 is ok for fixed interval changes.

Is it a mineral oil or a semi/fully synth oil?

I have always used 10w40 oil in just about all the dealers I have worked in for a 1.8T on regular time and distance servicing. Usually Castrol Performance 10w40 or the rather good Quantum Synta 10w40.

Problems can arise with mixing and matching semi and fully synthetic oils so I believe. Modern synthetic oils such as long life oil contain detergents which clean the carbon off the internals of the engine. If there is enough carbon build up from using a semi synthetic oil this can be washed off into the sump and block the oil pump pick up. this is very common on the 1.8T in the VW Passat.

The correct oil for a Mk1 Octy vRS is Castrol Edge 5W-30.

End of.

I don't understand why you would use anything else.

Engine Oil and Lubricants Castrol UK - Engine Oil and Lubricant Products

rather good Quantum Synta 10w40.

Which is what I use on your advice many moons ago :thumbup:

hmmm threads like this are always a little concerning, especially as ive just put 0w40 fully syn mobil one in mine.

hmmm threads like this are always a little concerning, especially as ive just put 0w40 fully syn mobil one in mine.

I wouldn't worry about using Mobi 1. It will be fine.

The problem is with cheaper oils is that they dont work to good in higher temps. Especially turbo cars. This then creates a load of carbon/crap build up in the breathers and also in the Oil Strainer.. The oil strainer becomes blocked no oil get to the pump and then starves the the engine of oil which can then cost £££'s.

As they say "you get's what you pay for"

I was running 0w 40 mobi 1 when I purchased my octy... Phoned skoda and a few local garages and they all seemed shocked I was running oil that thin...had it serviced by local garage who had a 51 plate octy VRS... clocked up 110k before he sold it using "out of the barrel" 10w 40... not sure what that means but thats what I'm running... though I'm beginning to become concerned reading this...

If the engine was designed for a 5W-30, I'd wonder about the possibility of getting a bit of tappet pump-up at high revs with a 0W-40.

The thing I really don't understand is why anyone would be concerned about using a 0W rated oil, because the viscosity will start rising within 2 or 3 mins of engine start. When I was running on Mobil1, I had the oil pressure light going off before the engine fired!

is the first number the viscosity when cold and the latter number when hot?

I'm sure this has been covered in detail by Oilman, but the first number is the viscosity at 0C, and the secon the vicsocity at 100C.