Oil change interval with Mobil 1 oil & filter

I use Mobile one in a 1998 MB C230 and change every 10k or sooner if the service interval light should come on. so far, it has not.

Let's go over this again, shall we?

You do not need to switch to synthetic oil. Just change the oil at regular intervals and you'll be fine. How many of those 3400 affected owners were able to prove that they did in fact change the oil regularly? I bet very, very few if any. The only reason Toyota covered the cost for those affected was to avoid bad publicity (even though they most likely know that the primary cause of the sludge was owner neglect).

Those who say that Toyota engines will sludge up even with regular oil changes are only trying bring down Toyota's reputation for reliability.

That may be your opinion, a well as that of some others in the NG, but it does not square with the facts. Originally Toyota, like SAAB and VW blamed owner neglect. Toyota extended the warranty in 2003 on the effected engines to eight years unlimited mileage because the 'gelling,' as they call it, was beginning to show up in some engines properly maintained at dealerships.

Toyota did in fact recommend using synthetic oil to prevent future damage in engines that were 'cleaned, repaired, or replaced' under the warranty. No manufacture ever warrants for neglect. SAAB and VW have have done the same, for the engine with which they have had a sludge problem.

The problem apparently has it roots in the oil companies and vehicle manufacture efforts to meet the latest environmental laws according to 'Automotive News.'

mike hunt

High Tech Misfit wrote:

The problem with VW (happened shortly after the Toyota sludge problem) is a change to use synthetic oil of certain specification something about a VW 505.0 or 527.55 (?) standard. Not all synthetics met the VW requirement BTW!

VW's Audi division also increased the size of the oil filter and capacity I think 3.x quarts to something like 4.5 quarts. (can't remember for sure but check for yourself)

For this problem VW recommends 5000 miles or 6 months and that's using synthetics.

So oil is definitely getting cooked on these sludge makers. Synthetics can withstand the temperatures better but the fundamental design problems are still there. Going to synthetics is only a "patch" fix. Toyota increased engine fluid pathways on later productions to help lessen the problem. Don't know what VW did.

Camry has smaller filter and oil capacity, so I suppose you'd want to change sooner than 5000/6mo.

ms?newsId0717 Oil sludge woes plague VW; automaker to pay for engine repairs, extend warranties RALPH KISIEL | Automotive News Posted Date: 8/30/04

DETROIT - In the latest example of Volkswagen of America Inc.'s quality woes, the automaker is warning 426,000 VW Passat and Audi A4 owners of an engine oil sludge problem. Affected are 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines on 1998 to

2004 Passats and 1997 to 2004 A4s. VW won't say how many engines have been replaced or repaired, or what it is spending to fix the problem.

Owners began receiving letters from VWoA this month. Remedies range from extending warranties to covering repair costs. That includes replacing engines.

Sludge buildup causes engine performance to deteriorate. In extreme cases, sludge can cause engines to seize.

The timing couldn't be worse. VW Division has old products, and sales are down 11.5 percent for the first seven months compared with the year-ago period. And it has only been a year since VW voluntarily recalled more than 500,000 vehicles because of faulty engine ignition coils.

VW is not alone in grappling with engine oil sludge complaints. Last week the Center for Auto Safety in Washington demanded that the Chrysler group fix sludge problems and extend warranties on 2.7-liter V-6 engines in its 1998 to 2002 vehicles.

Confirming that VW has received "numerous reports of problems," VWoA spokesman Tony Fouladpour said that VW is extending factory warranties from five years to eight years. Warranties are transferable.

Changes for '05

VW is requiring its dealers to use synthetic oil and a larger oil filter in the 2005 Passat and A4. Some 2005 A4s are in dealerships. The

2005 Passat will arrive in October.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration source said the agency has had 12 to 15 sludge complaints for 2000 to 2004 Passats and A4s. One complaint was about an engine seizure.

VWoA will pay the cost of replacing an engine. For example, an independent repair shop in Tennessee that just replaced a sludge-damaged engine in a 1999 Passat charged the customer $2,500. Of that, $1,400 was for labor. The customer would be eligible for a reimbursement if he can show that he was having the oil changed as recommended.

VW dealers are seeing the problem mostly with owners who don't follow the recommended oil change intervals, said Gene Langan, of Gene Langan Volkswagen Inc. in Glastonbury, Conn.

"I've seen a few cases," he said. "It seems to happen mostly when we can't verify oil change history, when people don't do them for 20,000 miles. I think that this is a problem that is pretty broad in the industry right now."

VW owners will pay more for an oil change with synthetic oil, Langan said. An oil change with regular oil costs about $30, he said. It's about $65 with synthetic oil.

In its letter to Passat and A4 owners, VW says that it will cover necessary engine repairs if oil sludge causes a problem and the vehicle owner could provide proof of oil changes. Oil changes would have to be according to VW-recommended maintenance schedules. VW recommends that oil be changed at 5,000 miles or six months.

How it occurs

The letter states that engine oil sludge occurs when old, dirty engine oil thickens and cannot continue to provide correct lubrication. It says the condition occurs primarily when the engine is operated at oil change intervals beyond those prescribed in the owner's manual.

Fouladpour said VW decided to contact owners after studying the oil sludge problem that Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. faced two years ago.

Toyota in April 2002 notified 3.3 million owners of 1997 to 2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with certain V-6 and four-cylinder engines that it would pay for sludge-related repairs for eight years from date of purchase. At the time, Toyota said that it had received about 3,400 sludge-related complaints.

"We looked at that and learned from their experience," Fouladpour said.

VW builds most of its 1.8 T engines at its Gyor, Hungary, engine plant.

My '01 Camry gets 34-36 hwy. and I use regular oil in it and change it every 8k miles or so. I change the filter every 'other' oil change and I have 85k miles on it.

Is A/C a special option in '99? Do you have a manual transmission?

I would say 5000 miles, 7500 tops. The problem with long running SYN oil is that althoguh the oil may not break down per say, it does get contaminated with combustion byproducts and cause the oil to loose its cleaning abilty. Filters do not take out the contaminates or replenish additives and detergency. I run SYN it 3 vehical here and none past 5k miles or so and one of them uses mobile one and has for 16 years and it get a filter change at 3000 miles and the everything changed at about 5000 miles. It has 172K on it and still runs like new and uses no oil and it is a big old heavy Burb with 4x4 that has been cross country more than a dozen times too. If I keep it at 65 or less it will even do about 19mpg which is unreal for a vehical of its type. (I do use premium and timing advanced about 8 degrees over stock too) Runs like a top.

Except with Saab, some of the owners have been new Saab owners for over

30 years, loyally upgrading, every 3-5 years at the same dealership, and keeping a second, bought used Saab from the same dealership, as a second car. The kind of buyer who keeps immaculate service records, and know that engines need care.

And Saab realised they may lose their existing loyal base, before they had build up a replacement from their new image. that doesn't go down too well in GM towers.

You are pushing the envelope here and you will start to build up deposits in the engine too. Also, you ALWAYS change the filter with a oil change because after 8k it will be full (likely before that) and it will be by passing and not filtering much at all the next 8K.

Re: Re: Oil change interval with Mobil 1 oil & filter Group: alt.autos.toyota Date: Thu, Aug 4, 2005, 8:44pm From: snipped-for-privacy@AutoForumz.com (SnoMan) "Charles Pisano" wrote: My '01 Camry gets 34-36 hwy. and I use regular oil in it and change it every 8k miles or so. I change the filter every 'other' oil change and I have 85k miles on it. Is A/C a special option in '99? Do you have a manual transmission?

You are pushing the envelope here and you will start to build up deposits in the engine too. Also, you ALWAYS change the filter with a oil change because after 8k it will be full (likely before that) and it will be by passing and not filtering much at all the next 8K.

That mileage seems more typical. My '87 2.0L would get well over 40 (as high as 44) at a steady speed of 65 mph. If he's only getting

30-32 then something sounds amiss.

This is REALY rich! Oil filter are design to catch "x" amount of dirt and grit not with a mileage standard. A new tight car may run

6000 miles or more before the filter plugs up but not a older one and none of them will be filter oil much if any at all at 15 or 20 k they will simply bypass. WHen you tear down a engine after 100k miles or more you can tell who used to change the oil and filter often and who did not.