How bad is it to leave factory filled oil for more than 2 yrs?

[nat225]

I am keen on a used 3 yr old R with 21,000km on the clock.

The owner bought it in december 2011 and somehow managed to skip the first 12 mth service (due in december 2012) and did its first service in january 2014 when the car had 16,000km at the vw service.

The car drove fine. Apart from the super blackened exhaust tips.

Should i be wary or take the risks?

[nat225]

It is a scirocco r btw. My main concern would be premature wear and tear and accelerated carbon build up. Given than leaving the same oil.for more than 2 yrs is beyond my understanding. I change mine at least every 6 mths.

[Lucas_R]

If the price is reflective of the lack of maintenance then i say go for it - it was only 16,000km afterall. If it was 30-40,000km without an oil change then it would be a different matter.

As for the exhaust tips being black, well if the owner didn't bother servicing it for 2 years then i very much doubt he paid too much attention when washing the car to even bother cleaning the exhaust tips.

Some 0000 grade steel wool and 5 mins for each tip will have them shining again. You should have seen the exhaust tips on my wifes GTI when we bought it (55,000km and never been cleaned).

[brad]

2yrs is the outer limit if you are on variable service like many other parts of the world are. So if you were in the UK you wouldn't think twice about that mileage / time combination and there would be no effect on warranty.

The important point for Australia is "does it affect the warranty of the engine?"

I'd be checking with VW but even if warranty is affected, maybe you can screw the price right down to reflect the owner's laziness.

[Diesel_vert]

I am keen on a used 3 yr old R with 21,000km on the clock.

The owner bought it in december 2011 and somehow managed to skip the first 12 mth service (due in december 2012) and did its first service in january 2014 when the car had 16,000km at the vw service.

The car drove fine. Apart from the super blackened exhaust tips.

Should i be wary or take the risks?

Engine oil residing in the sump pan with the engine not operating, in and of itself, does not usually reduce the oil change interval.

Conditions which reduce the oil change interval (in terms of both distance and time) would include; frequent short journeys, where the vehicle (as a whole) does not reach, or is unable to sustain, nominal operating temperatures for long periods, combined with extended periods of idling.

The engine oil in a vehicle driven infrequently need not be changed early, provided the vehicle is used for long journeys, and at speed.

At this point, we don't know much about the vehicle's history (apart from what you've described so far) and I suspect it will not be easy to ascertain.


It is a scirocco r btw. My main concern would be premature wear and tear and accelerated carbon build up. Given than leaving the same oil.for more than 2 yrs is beyond my understanding. I change mine at least every 6 mths.

The oil change interval which yields the optimum cost/benefit ratio is dependent on numerous factors. Even within the same make and model, the OCI for one vehicle may be completely inappropriate for another, depending on when, where and how the vehicle is driven.

A 6 month OCI may well be justified for your vehicle, depending on the nature of its use.

Having said that, the factory interval of 15 000 km / 12 months is a fair compromise IMO, considering how the vehicle is likely to be driven by the majority of its customers.


2yrs is the outer limit if you are on variable service like many other parts of the world are. So if you were in the UK you wouldn't think twice about that mileage / time combination and there would be no effect on warranty.

That is correct, though the vehicle would only allow itself a 24 month OCI under optimum conditions.


The important point for Australia is "does it affect the warranty of the engine?"

I'd be checking with VW but even if warranty is affected, maybe you can screw the price right down to reflect the owner's laziness.

If the vehicle was indeed delivered in December 2011, the factory warranty would expire this month.

Given the relatively low distance, I am inclined to agree with everyone - use it as a bargaining tool and drive down the purchase price.

[Transporter]

The life of Mobil1 ESP 5W30 oil, which is VW504.00/507.00 is 5 years (it's printed on the container). That's the shelf life. Once the oil is in the sump, it's continuously exposed to the air via the intake valves as some are always open even when the engine stops, exposing the oil in sump to air and the oil oxides, which shorten it's life. I would say that even with a minimum kms done, it must've affected the engines life.

The vehicle delivered in 2011 could be made in 2010, so the oil could be actually older than 3 years.

I agree with others, point it out and get some money of the selling price.

[nat225]

thanks for the responses.

i decided not to go ahead just to be on the cautious side, as small problems with a car may accelerate to bigger problems when the car is driven on tracks.

so it is best to find one that has been well taken care of :)

[h100vw]

A missed service at that age wouldn't worry me in the slightest.

Gavin

[nat225]

but the price was not good enough to justify given other options in the market...

because:
rego renewal due this month + service due this month + dents on the roof, left of car, right of car + a few chipped paint on the bonnet + 3 of 4 wheels are guttered + front tyres due in 5-10 thousand k's + under front bumper severely modified (full of scrape) + some bits of the front bumper came off + etc... my calc including transfer fees, stamp duty and fixes to the above went up to $38k.

a used unblemished one with sunroof and 20,000km + 2 yrs wty left was offered to me for $40k driveaway from a dealer but someone else had bought it before the weekend I was going to check it out.

and a facelift version will come early next year. given what they did to Tiguan, I believe the facelift will come with all the goodies as standard (sat nav, front rear sensors, reverse camera, etc...).

[Lucas_R]

but the price was not good enough to justify given other options in the market...

because:
rego renewal due this month + service due this month + dents on the roof, left of car, right of car + a few chipped paint on the bonnet + 3 of 4 wheels are guttered + front tyres due in 5-10 thousand k's + under front bumper severely modified (full of scrape) + some bits of the front bumper came off + etc... my calc including transfer fees, stamp duty and fixes to the above went up to $38k.


Sounds like a gem ^ very well looked after. Would have to be $10k under market value for to even bother considering that based off your description.