No big oil filter needed for Jetta 1.8T?

Passat only held about 3.7qts vs the golf/jetta about 4.5qts. If there's room I see no reason why not to use the bigger filter. It should add .3 or .4 more oil.

Hi Bill,

I've been looking into this. My understanding is that the larger filter (part No. 068 115 561 B) is part of VW's response to engine sludge problems in the Passat 1.8T (I think using synthetic oil is also part of the remedy. My car came with the 5W40 Castrol Syntec in it.) I've been told that to fit the 1.8T engine into the Passat, VW used a smaller than usual oil pan.

I want to use the larger filter on my 2006 GTI 1.8T (just to get a bit more oil in the system) but the dealer and VW Customer Service both tell me they'll only install it as a "customer supplied oil filter" and if I have an engine warranty claim, the use of an oil filter other than the one specified for my car (part No. 06A 115 561 B) might well cause my warranty to be voided.

I want to find a way to get VW to tell me it's OK to use the larger filter on my car but no luck so far. All the VW dealer service managers I've checked with in my area think it's a good idea to increase oil volume, but stand their ground on the warranty issue. They tell me the filters are essentially the same except for volume. And it's a VW part. They did say some of the after market filters that fit do not have the check valve (or valves I'm not sure which) the VW filters have. I have no idea if this is true or not or to which brands this may apply.

- Jim K

Passat is a longitudinally-mounted engine, pan was modified to fit and reduced oil capacity to 3.7 qts.

Other VW models using this engine mount it transversely, oil capacity is about 4.7 quarts.

The problem is not really ":sludge"-- the oil cokes because of high temps of turbocharged engine and insufficient oil capacity. The result are "turbo turds," small bits of coked oil that eventually clog oil pump inlet screen.

Passat is a longitudinally-mounted engine, pan was modified to fit and reduced oil capacity to 3.7 qts.

Other VW models using this engine mount it transversely, oil capacity is about 4.7 quarts.

The problem is not really ":sludge"-- the oil cokes because of high temps of turbocharged engine and insufficient oil capacity. The result are "turbo turds," small bits of coked oil that eventually clog oil pump inlet screen.

This is ridiculous. MY BS meter is pegged. They can't void your warranty if you used a part comparable to the original spec, and how could they possibly claim that their own filter is not comparable to their original spec? If push came to shove, they lose on that -- they're just being overly cautious, to the point of absurdity.

Furthermore, the warranty could only be affected if the substituted filter were the cause of the failure. I can't imagine a situation in which having a greater oil capacity could be anything but good. If the filter itself were to fail, then that's a filter-warranty issue, and no matter which filter you use, there's still a possibility of failure of the filter.

I dunno -- I've been substituting larger oil filters for a long, long time on my cars (when a larger substitute is available -- cross-reference charts in catalogs are a very useful thing). More oil capacity is an unmitigated Good Thing.

Hi Brian,

I agree completely.

However I did independently check with 3 different VW dealers in my area and VW of America's customer service line. They all stated nearly identical warnings. Additionally, one service manager said any dealer who installed the larger filter as correct equipment without noting "customer supplied filter" on the service record was "putting themselves at risk." Of what I'm not sure, paying for denied warrantee work perhaps?

A family member was a warrantee manager for a company I won't mention. She said they wouldn't have considered such a question because there was no cost-benefit to it. Only if there were enough complaints/claims over an issue would a question be considered... like in the case of the 1.8T in the Passat. And that warrantee claims were denied sometimes on flimsy basis to save the company $. Seems like a policy or political situation rather than technical. I bet if I could somehow get the question in front of VW technical management, it would be resolved.

I agree the chance of using the larger filter causing problems is very low, assuming I am right that the filters have no significant differences between them other than size, but I also believe that as a policy matter, one of VW's roving warrantee people could decide to void a warrantee claim based on parts used on the a car that are not the VW specified part for that model/engine.

BS? certainly IMHO, but I'm retired, on a fixed income as they say, and can't afford to take chances with the warrantee on my car. Too bad as I believe this would be, as you say, a good thing.

I have a couple of avenues left to explore and will do so. I could just swap the thing out and top the oil up after the warranty oil change is done and swap the specified one back on before taking the car in for service, but what a hassle. Shouldn't be necessary.

- Jim K

Thanks James and others for the reply. It all makes sense now. By the way James, in my opinion, if you use synthetic oil I suspect your GTI will do just fine with the regular oil filter. Apparently the issue is not filtration but volume. My 95 Golf 2.0 had dino oil in it with 7500 change intervals by the previous owner until 68000 miles and I've used synthetic to the present miles (109,000). As far as I can tell, the engine doesn't burn any oil at all.

And VW started off using dino oil in the 1.8T..at least they did when we bought our new Passat in 2002. However, starting at 10K I always took my own synthetic oil to the dealership for the routine oil changes until VW switched to synthetic themselves. Lucky I did, I guess. I suspect the sludging problem has more to do with their original dino oil spec and owners who didn't change it often enough than with oil volume or with filtration.

FWIW, I'm 99% sure that Audi recommends 10,000 mile change interval (or did last summer when I found it on Google) for the 1.8T in the A4 following the switch to synthetic oil.

And I've heard that oil change intervals are considerably longer in Europe than they are in the US. I believe I have a Mann or other German oil filter at home that says: "30000 km or 2 jahr" on it.

Bill

Hello Bill,

Yes I believe my car will be fine with the standard filter. This is my first car with a turbo and I'm a bit nervous about the increased temperatures and pressures so I was looking for ways to ensure long engine/turbo life. Proper oil changes and synthetic oil are at the top of my list. My owner's manual calls for oil changes every 5000 miles with oil meeting VW 502 00 spec. Here that is the Castrol Syntec 5W40 as provided by the dealer. With my previous car (1998 GTI VR6) I changed the engine oil twice as often as the warranty requirement and I never had an engine problem. The first H2O cooled VW I've owned (of several) of which that was true. But changing the synthetic oil every 2500 miles seems a bit much. But I know some people do so.

Regards,

- Jim K

I agree 100%, but I also see the dealers side of the issue. If VW states an oil filter with a certain part number is what should be used then that's what they put on. This even goes for the outside oil change shops who look in a book and install the filter stated in their book. That keeps all the lawyers happy!

Yea, but VWofA is very tight when it comes to warranty issues. They are so tight that they are losing long time customers. This is our 4th VW.

I have had many "minor" issues since my 02 Passat's water pump failed. It took three overheats and four dealer visits (three separate dealers) to fix it. Now that the car is barely out of warranty they are blowing me off. I have had many vaccum hose failures since.

US warranty law says that as long as the replacement meets industry standards, they can't deny a warranty claim because of it's use unless they can prove it caused the problem. The only exception is if the manufacturer supplies the part free of charge.

I bet no one put it in writing, did they. None with a clue will either. Might be fun to try!

Read up!

You chipper's out there tho', it says they can require you to remove stuff if it's considered 'reasonable'.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Thanks Mark,

Thanks! I had been told of this but hadn't investigated it as yet. I'd hoped for a simple solution through VW. No soap there so far. I will certainly read this closely.

Thanks again.

- Jim K

Just be aware to get them to buck up like they're supposed to you might need to get a lawyer. Right now, just keep ALL your paperwork, and if they don't write it down, it don't mean nuttin'.

Some here won't like my saying this, but if they push you to court to do what they're supposed to, make sure and make it worth your time. If everyone held the manufacturer's feet to the fire when they hid behind their lawyers briefs, they'd quit playing the games. No profit in it. I had to go this route once (not VW BTW), and I get the impression I played WAY too nice. If your lawyer asks what you want, tell 'em 'everything you can get'.

I hate the lawsuit culture as much or more than everyone else, but if I'm having to get into it, I want enough money to help me feel clean again. :)

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Now, getting a lawyer involved over which oil filter to use! What's the world coming to???

You not paying attention, or just a failed comedian? Yes you are in a hand basket. Yes it is getting warmer.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS