oil grade advice

Check your owners manual. Follow the instructions there. The Manual will tell you everything but the brand. The most important part is not the brand but all the other letters and numbers. While there are differences from brand to brand and I am sure you will get some responses based on that, the really important part is not the brand.

I might also say that much, but not all, brand information is based on old, or inaccurate information. One exception is the information about which brands (and line within the brand) are full synthetic and those that are blends. Not that I believe the difference is critical, but it does have value and you should know what you are paying for.

Read your owners manual and I think it should suggest 5w40. As for which brand in my opinion they are all just the same when dealing with synthetic oil as long as they meet the VW spec! I guess you're wondering by using synthetic if the engine will be more "happy" or last longer than regular oil... maybe-maybe not. I can tell you at our dealer we have very few owners who use synthetic oil and have no engine problems to date even with over

100,000 miles.

I believe the factory fill is Lubro Moly 5W40 synthetic, so given this is your first oil change, you will not be switching to synthetic, but rather sticking with it. (Dealer technicians will doubtlessly correct me if I'm wrong!:-)

As others have said, the critical thing is the viscosity (5W40) not the brand or whether it's mineral or synthetic. However, 5W40 is to my knowledge only available as a synthetic, due to the wide viscosity range of 35 points. This particular viscosity is "off the beaten path." You may have a hard time finding someone who will use it, unless you bring your oil in. None of the VW dealers I spoke to in the Northern or Southwest Virginia locales where I spend most of my time would use this oil. One even told me that the "manual has a typo; it should be 5W30." No doubt the warranty also has a typo where it says I need to follow the recommended service schedules.

The dealers seemed to be choosing viscosities randomly. Some said 5W30. Some said 10W30. One said 20W-50.

I eventually found a mechanic, recommended by a friend, who specializes in German cars. The mechanic would order Lubro Moly 5W40 or 0W40 for me. I went with him. He got 0W40 since it has better low temperature protection and equivalent high temperature protection. Needless to say, this mechanic, and not any of the dealers I spoke to, will be getting my scheduled maintenance business.

If you want to do your own oil changes, you should be able to use any of the

5W40 or 0W40 brands you named, or you can order Lubro Moly on the web. Just Google Lubro Moly. has been recommended to me, but I've never used them myself.

As far as I know the only newer VW's with factory synthetic oil is the TDI and W8! As for which brand(?), but I do know when we had the Porsche car line from about 1994-2001 Porsche put a sticker near the oil fill to recommended oil is Mobil 1. Why, only Porsche knows or maybe it's better than some other synthetic.

maintenance

Most likely a "Preferred Vendor Agreement". VW and most manufacturers have these with many suppliers in the automotive industry. Basically, a PVA states that Company ABC will supply VW with part XYZ for $XXX if VW agrees to use this specific part from this vender only. Usually, there is a cost break involved as an extra incentive.

- Peter

I've no doubt I was being fed a line, or several lines. Thanks for the part number, that at least gives me something to wave at them.

5w-40 is kinda hard to find here, but mobil 0w-40 is available and meets vw's, audi's, porshe's, mb's, bmw's, etc latest specs (mb229.3 mb229.5, 502.00/505.00/503.1, etc) on extended interval oil changes and outstanding protection for gas/turbo/diesel engines.

VW dealers in the US should have Castrol Syntec 5W-40. There is supposedly a TSB directing them to use this when servicing cars with TDI engines (but also suitable for gasoline engines). It is fairly expensive, so it is unlikely to be included in a normal service unless you ask for it and pay for it.

Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 at $13 per gallon at Wal Mart is much less expensive.

Really? So VW has found a source for *dino* 5W40, then? That's hard to believe, I can't even find a synthetic oil in that grade anywhere near where I live (Suffolk County, NY).

-- Mike Smith

Wal Mart should have Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40.

VW dealer or vwparts.com should have Castrol Syntec 5W-40.

Fwiw, the 24 valve VR6, and maybe other engines, has come with 0W-30 synthetic since the end of 2002.