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en13
12-02-2008, 11:41 AM
Hi all

Tried searching the forums to see if there's anything on this but there seems to be none.

What's your take on warming up diesel engines before going off? A search on google says that it's not necessary- just drive but don't rev it too much and the engine will warm up with your driving... apparently idle warm ups don't help anything.

what do you think about this and are there any mechanics who can verify anything? i'm not a carhead so i don't know any better.. my mechanic told me to always warm up idle for 5 minutes with my 1994 Golf 3 GL.. but his specialization is jap cars.. don't know if there's much of a difference with jap/euro..

:?:

Logzy
12-02-2008, 01:51 PM
Start car, idle for 10 seconds, drive.
Idling is not good for the car and will not warm it up.

The 2.0 TDI's they say to drive and rev to 2500 (no more, no less) when cold and then 3000 when temp is on 2 white marks, then whatever i guess once its fully warm.

The reason for this is to stop the VNT cloggin with soot etc.

gldgti
12-02-2008, 04:56 PM
this is a good question... it does depend on a few things.

for the new tdi owners, then what logzy has said would be sensible.

for drivers of older cars, you need to keep some things in mind:
- if you have a turbocharger fitted to your engine, it isn't nice to work it hard while the engine (hence oil) is cold. keep off the pedal until the temperature is warm so that you do not incur excess wear of turbocharger bearings. - likewise, if you stop after some serious driving, allow the car to idle for a minute so that the turbocharger may cool down, also to save the bearings.

- if there is no turbocharger, the same applies but the main care should be taken with not using high rev's until the oil is warm.

TDI Dude
12-02-2008, 05:05 PM
Question then, mainly for gldgti.... new tdi's also have a turbocharger yes? so wouldn't same apply for the turbo bearings also on the newer cars???

gldgti
12-02-2008, 05:10 PM
Question then, mainly for gldgti.... new tdi's also have a turbocharger yes? so wouldn't same apply for the turbo bearings also on the newer cars???

technically, yes.

if i owned a new TDi, thats how i'd drive it, and cool it down also. however, i did not say this at the risk of being grilled by people who know better.

also note, i believe that for reasons of "user practicality", VW intend the high grade oil and fine tolerance bearings to eliminate the "need" for this special treatment - joe bloggs does not want to buy a diesel car if he has to treat it differently from any others...

but, as an engineer, i know it to be fact that if you treat your turbocharger well by letting the bearings cool slowly with lubrication, it will certainly last longer. :-)

TDI Dude
12-02-2008, 05:24 PM
Thanks for that and I wasnt 'grilling' just asking as there seems to be 1,000 theories about how to treat a diesel these days. I'm a little old school as I learnt about cars by tinkering on a HJ Kingswood 202 and that you had to look after especially in winter (warming up etc) And thanks again gldgti for your answer to my question.. appreciated :)

en13
12-02-2008, 05:30 PM
hmmm... so we technically should warm it up for a while- say a minute? and also then cool it down? how do you cool it down- just by idling?

sorry never had a diesel before :)

gldgti
12-02-2008, 05:32 PM
Thanks for that and I wasnt 'grilling' just asking as there seems to be 1,000 theories about how to treat a diesel these days. I'm a little old school as I learnt about cars by tinkering on a HJ Kingswood 202 and that you had to look after especially in winter (warming up etc) And thanks again gldgti for your answer to my question.. appreciated :)

its not you i'm worried about... hehe

gldgti
12-02-2008, 05:37 PM
hmmm... so we technically should warm it up for a while- say a minute? and also then cool it down? how do you cool it down- just by idling?

sorry never had a diesel before :)

when you drive fast, and you produce lots of boost, the exhasut gas temperature goes right up. this makes the turbine very hot, which then soaks through into the turbocharger bearings.

while the engine is running, you're ok because the oil keeps pumping through the bearings. but if you have been hard at it, and you stop the engine, the oil flow stops but the heat saoks through the turbine and into the bearings. this makes them hotter than ususal. this puts undue stress on the bearings and shortens theire life.

by allowing a no load scenario, like idleing, you have a period of normal oil flow, and low heat production, allowing the turbocharger temperature to stabilise before cutting off the oil supply. this means that when the engine cools down after shutdown, the bearing will not become any hotter than it was before, and is happy :-)

TDI Dude
12-02-2008, 06:39 PM
its not you i'm worried about... hehe

Well hang on then give me 5 mins and I'll turn then!!!! j:

en13
12-02-2008, 09:41 PM
thanks guys! i feel more confident now. the car has been delayed yet again :( but at least i'm learning new things!

gregozedobe
13-02-2008, 12:22 AM
My $0.02 worth (these are just my personal opinions, and like everyone else I have no hard scientific data to back it up with, but it makes sense to me):

Drive off (gently) straight away. Excessive idling can contribute to glazed piston rings (particularly with a new VW TDI engine). The engine will get to proper operating temperature much quicker with a bit of load on it.

After a few minutes of gentle driving you can start to use a bit more accelerator pedal and revs (but not over 2,500).

When the coolant AND oil is properly warm (may take another 5 minutes after the engine coolant is up to 90C) then you can use full accelerator and rev up to 3,500 (yes, even on a brand new engine). I wouldn't do this in every gear all the time, but reasonably frequently will help your engine run in better (it increases the combustion pressure, which pushes the rings harder against the bore, which helps avoid glazing and creates a better seal/"fit").

Even if you want to drive for maximum fuel economy you should use at least 2/3rds accelerator pedal at least once or twice an hour to help prevent the variable vanes in the turbo from sticking (and besides, it's fun :) )

TDIs that are run in with varying revs (no cruise control allowed during the first 2,500KM) and frequent application of full accelerator tend to have better compression, run better and get better fuel economy than those that are always babied and driven very gently.

I always drive gently for the last 3-5 minutes of any journey to allow the turbo to cool down a bit before switching the engine off when I get to my destination. Similarly if I have to stop suddenly after working the engine hard (eg driving up a long, steep hill) I will allow the engine to idle for a few minutes so everything can cool off with good circulation of coolant and engine oil (generally I try to avoid idling where I can). If you switch off with a very hot turbo heat soak can cook the engine oil on the turbo shaft, leading to damage and possible turbo failure.

en13
16-02-2008, 01:34 AM
thanks again gregozedobe- now i know the difference between oil and water temp! never knew there was a difference...

do you also recommend changing oil at 5000?

my friend has a toyota prado (diesel) and says that the oils are specific and special, so i shouldn't change them before the service schedule tells me to... i'm not quite sure if this is accurate- as you can tell, i don't know much about engines at all so this forum's collective brain and experience really helps!

Mischa
16-02-2008, 07:22 AM
thanks again gregozedobe- now i know the difference between oil and water temp! never knew there was a difference...

do you also recommend changing oil at 5000?

my friend has a toyota prado (diesel) and says that the oils are specific and special, so i shouldn't change them before the service schedule tells me to... i'm not quite sure if this is accurate- as you can tell, i don't know much about engines at all so this forum's collective brain and experience really helps!

your friend is right, you need to use the right oil only available at dealers unfortunately. its around 80$ for 5L plus 18$ for the filter and a few bucks for the sump bolt. as long as you use the right oil and filter theres no reason not to change the oil between services its what i do.

jets
16-02-2008, 10:23 AM
My $0.02 worth (these are just my personal opinions, and like everyone else I have no hard scientific data to back it up with, but it makes sense to me):

Drive off (gently) straight away. Excessive idling can contribute to glazed piston rings (particularly with a new VW TDI engine). The engine will get to proper operating temperature much quicker with a bit of load on it.

After a few minutes of gentle driving you can start to use a bit more accelerator pedal and revs (but not over 2,500).

When the coolant AND oil is properly warm (may take another 5 minutes after the engine coolant is up to 90C) then you can use full accelerator and rev up to 3,500 (yes, even on a brand new engine). I wouldn't do this in every gear all the time, but reasonably frequently will help your engine run in better (it increases the combustion pressure, which pushes the rings harder against the bore, which helps avoid glazing and creates a better seal/"fit").

Even if you want to drive for maximum fuel economy you should use at least 2/3rds accelerator pedal at least once or twice an hour to help prevent the variable vanes in the turbo from sticking (and besides, it's fun :) )

TDIs that are run in with varying revs (no cruise control allowed during the first 2,500KM) and frequent application of full accelerator tend to have better compression, run better and get better fuel economy than those that are always babied and driven very gently.

I always drive gently for the last 3-5 minutes of any journey to allow the turbo to cool down a bit before switching the engine off when I get to my destination. Similarly if I have to stop suddenly after working the engine hard (eg driving up a long, steep hill) I will allow the engine to idle for a few minutes so everything can cool off with good circulation of coolant and engine oil (generally I try to avoid idling where I can). If you switch off with a very hot turbo heat soak can cook the engine oil on the turbo shaft, leading to damage and possible turbo failure.

Very good comments. I would also add to cool down when driving hard & fast & pulling over for fuel [I know not very often in a diesel] The electric water pump will keep circulating coolant but as already mentioned the oil flow will stop.

jets
16-02-2008, 10:33 AM
your friend is right, you need to use the right oil only available at dealers unfortunately. its around 80$ for 5L plus 18$ for the filter and a few bucks for the sump bolt. as long as you use the right oil and filter theres no reason not to change the oil between services its what i do.


I wouldn't change the oil more often than recommended unless your conditions are severe. With the new low sulpher fuels & synthetic oil be guided by VW. If you change twice as often, get on the calculater & see how your costs will blow out over your ownership period. Most original owners sell their cars before they wear them out.

gregozedobe
16-02-2008, 12:17 PM
do you also recommend changing oil at 5000?

my friend has a toyota prado (diesel) and says that the oils are specific and special, so i shouldn't change them before the service schedule tells me to... i'm not quite sure if this is accurate- as you can tell, i don't know much about engines at all so this forum's collective brain and experience really helps!

Glad to help. Remember that internet opinions are like @rseholes, everyone's got one ;) Just think about what everyone is saying and what makes sense to you before doing anything radical based on what you read. Most of the advice you read here is good.

In europe they allow VW TDIs to be set up for variable "long life" sevicing. If driven gently they can go up to 30,000Km between oil changes. I think this is a bit too long for my confidence levels. Unless you drive hard, in dusty conditions, lots of stop-start driving or mainly short trips (where the engine is frequently running at below normal temps) the Oz recommendation of 15,000Km/12 months (whichever is sooner) is best for most people.

There is a body of opinion that says you are wasting your money changing a good oil very frequently (ie every 5,000Km), and that oil actually "improves" for the first 3-4,000Km. I'm not sure of the theory, but if you want to get really overloaded with information have a look at the oils and lubrication threads on here - http://forums.tdiclub.com/

Quite a few people recommend an early "first" oil change on the basis of it getting rid of any particles of unwanted stuff left over from the engine manufacturing processes. I did my new T5 TDI at 7,500km, but my next engine will probably get changed at 1,500Km, then again at 15,000Km, 30,000Km etc. (or 12 monthly if I'm doing low mileage each year).

ONLY USE THE CORRECT SPECIFICATION OIL IN A MODERN VW ENGINE ! (and it doesn't matter whether it is a diesel or a petrol engine). Look in the owner's manual, and double check on whoever is doing the changes (and yes, even official VW dealers have been known to get it wrong).

As mentioned, the right oil can be pretty pricey, so if you need to save money I'd prefer to change at the factory intervals with the correct oil rather than use a cheaper (non-specification) oil at more frequent intervals. This (frequent oil changes) used to be a good strategy 10 or 20 years ago, but modern engines, particularly diesels, have very specific requirements and won't tolerate oils of lesser quality like older engines did).

JMHO, others may (and do) disagree.

jets
17-02-2008, 09:04 AM
I have read somewhere that all the engines are test run before installation at the factory & my guess is that process would include a flush. My brother in law worked at GMH in the auto trans plant during the 70s or 80s, & every trans was test run & connected to an external oil supply & filtering system. This of course cleaned out any residual swarf etc from the previous machining processes.
This would explain why the first oil change is 15000km. With my new TDI my first oil change was at 7500km because thats all I travelled in the first year.

en13
17-02-2008, 07:36 PM
alright, so by the sounds of it, i can probably get away with changing oil when the car tells me to...

i do a lot of short trips- less than 10kms so my oil change might be earlier than other's! do short trips matter if the car is run in? i'm at the running in stage so i'm trying to extend the trips if possible but i do feel a bit silly going the longest way possible to my destinations!

jets
17-02-2008, 09:30 PM
When you buy a car, the car works for you not the other way round. Just drive as per normal, don't go the long way & adjust your oil change intervals to suit the conditions you are operating under.

Greg Roles
18-02-2008, 06:03 AM
Can any 2.0 TDI owners tell me what oil the car is delivered with?

I'm basically trying to work out if it's synthetic or not, for I am planning a specific run in of my about to be picked up GT TDI. This is my first diesel, and I've much to learn, but ring seal is universal, and would seem to me to be even more important as compression rises. My outgoing car, a FPV v8 was specifically run in on Penrite run in oil, and the results have been great, both in fuel economy, real world performance, lack of oil use, and dyno numbers. I'm currently talking to Penrite about it's suitability for the particle filter, and the turbo. In any case, I want to run the car in on a mineral base oil for the first 500-800kms.

To get back to the thread topic, wouldn't more frequent oil changes in a diesel be both becasue of the thermo cycling from the turbo, and the amount of blowby and thus carbon ending up in the oil?

gregozedobe
18-02-2008, 09:30 AM
In any case, I want to run the car in on a mineral base oil for the first 500-800kms. ?

I very strongly suggest that you do more research before you decide whether do this or not :o. I'm not trying to go all "keyboard warrior" on you here, but help you avoid what could end up being a very expensive decision if things go wrong for you.

I agree with you about the importance of good ring seal, just not on the best way to get it.

VW engines are very, very fussy about what type of oil gives suitable protection to the cams and followers, and their diesels are prone to failures in this area if lubrication is anything less than perfect (something to do with the high loadings on the PD type cams). The americans have a web site (TDI club) where all the obsessives gather to discuss the "perfect" oil for their TDIs, and even there the idea of a special mineral running-in oil doesn't have much support. They don't expect to get maximum compression figures from their TDI engines until about 50,000 miles, so the "running-in period for rings lasts a long, long time.

At the very least, if you have any engine-related problems (including turbo, water-pump, cams, fuel-pump etc) you could expect VWA to deny any warranty claim if they get even the slightest hint that you have run your car on a non-VW specification oil. And remember it is possible to test oils and find traces of oil that was previously used (after an oil change or two).



To get back to the thread topic, wouldn't more frequent oil changes in a diesel be both becasue of the thermo cycling from the turbo, and the amount of blowby and thus carbon ending up in the oil?

I understood the biggest problem with short trips was the engine was spending much of its time running at less than optimum temperatures, which means the clearances aren't quite right, the oil pressure isn't at full pressure everywhere, the oil hasn't warmed up so isn't flowing as well as when it is warm, and especially the ECU is running a bit rich so producing more soot and other contaminants for the oil.

Sort of the opposite of taxis which last forever because they are always warmed up, never cold.

Certainly if I had a TDI which was doing lots of short trips I would be changing the oil at 7,500Km or 6 months.

JMHO, others may differ (so please don't take offence) ;)

Greg Roles
18-02-2008, 04:19 PM
Dude, no offence at all, I'm here to learn. I know f-all about diesels, never having owned one, and even less about VW's, so I am totally open to points of view. It's why I am here!

So thankyou for your reply!

My only concern is running a car in on synthetic oil. Sure it'll be fine, but on several engines, both car and motorbike I've gotten great results each time with the specific motoman-usa style run in. I'm just keen to do it again if I can. I've yet to end up with an engine that wasn't over performing in both power and economy, which is tough to live with:D

The particle filter is making it a hard thing though, Penrite have said their specific run in oil has a high ash, and will therefore block the filter in the very least. Add to that a turbo, and the valvetrain factors you mention above and yeah, I've a lot to consider.

I've just added to this post after two hours of mind warping oil related reading from TDI club, and yeah.... I see your point....

Basically I'm screwed because of the high ash in run in oils - blocking the particle filter - and affecting any warranty, and the high forces from the high leverage action of the diesel cam followers, due to the physical constraints imposed by the injection system. Seems the very specific oils are required, and synthetic, for both the turbo and cam followers specifically.

I wonder if that's why run in is taking so long? It would follow that a syn oil would lead to extended run in........

OK, there has to be a "lower" syn 505.01 oil out there????

What does the GT TDI manual recommend anyway???

I'm screwed aren't I?

Greg Roles
18-02-2008, 08:59 PM
Hi Victor,

Thanks for the input. I have much to learn, and have come a long way in the last few hours alone. I have square eyes!!

I've satisfied myself that you are indeed correct. The general opinion is that there is indeed a semi syn oil delivered in the car specifically to aid the run in process, so I agree those sneaky Germans have thought of this, and won't be messing with the oils. Seems the switch to the full synthetic 507? happens at the first service. The brochuse says the GT is a PD, so I now understand the valvetrain requirements for a high shear synthetic oil, and all I need to satisfy myself now is that my dealer does indeed use this better oil at service time, and not a "good enough" equivalent.

Thanks for the responses, and understanding my misunderstanding. I'll get this diesel thing downpat yet!

Greg Roles
19-02-2008, 05:42 AM
Hi Victor,

Thanks again, these tips are very valuable to me, as I am all about looking after the new toy. I see the value in an oil temp guage, and my outgoing car had both oil temp and pressure which is what I lived by rather than coolant temp.

What is this I read about the variable vanes on the turbo getting stuck?

gldgti
19-02-2008, 06:55 AM
GUYS!

Sorry, but the reason this thread was stickied was to be useful to new users about the topic in the subject heading. On basic issues, I am attempting to make a few stickied threads which are related to commonly asked questions.

If you want to ask a new question - GREAT! but please, please do it in a new thread, or one related - this thread about warming up your diesel is not related to a discussion about what oil to use - thats in many other threads.

Thanks very much. I don't mean to cause offense - your discussion here about oils and run in here is a good one - informed, intelligent, good natured - as such it deserves a place where others will find it in a search. I just want you to know whats going on.

Cheers,
Aydan (mod)

Logzy
19-02-2008, 08:43 AM
What is this I read about the variable vanes on the turbo getting stuck?

They can "soot" up and get stuck if you dont rev the engine enough to blow all the crap through.
This is why there is alot of information reccomending that the engine is revved to 2500 when cold to prevent the soot build up when cold.

2500 does sound a little high to me on a cold engine but thats whats being reccomended so thats what I'll be doing when i get mine.

I'm also anul about running my new TDI in properly and looking after it to ensure the veins dont clog up.
From all the reading i have done, 2.5 months worth, I think i will be driving it hard when i get mine.

I'm going from a tuned VXII Clubsport to a GT Sport TDI DSG.

origin
10-07-2008, 10:34 AM
Hi Logzy,

Other people are thinking I am a maniac driver.. coz I need to keep up with my rev all the time.. :duh:

:wasntme: it is TDI....

sixtyniners
04-09-2008, 02:50 PM
when you drive fast, and you produce lots of boost, the exhasut gas temperature goes right up. this makes the turbine very hot, which then soaks through into the turbocharger bearings.

while the engine is running, you're ok because the oil keeps pumping through the bearings. but if you have been hard at it, and you stop the engine, the oil flow stops but the heat saoks through the turbine and into the bearings. this makes them hotter than ususal. this puts undue stress on the bearings and shortens theire life.

by allowing a no load scenario, like idleing, you have a period of normal oil flow, and low heat production, allowing the turbocharger temperature to stabilise before cutting off the oil supply. this means that when the engine cools down after shutdown, the bearing will not become any hotter than it was before, and is happy :-)

hi guys im a new owner of a golf 2.0 gt sport tdi built july 08 i was just wondering would it be more simple to put a turbo timer on and let that do the job on cooling down? and i start mine reverse out of the garage then lock up the house b4 driving that gives me some time for things to start to warm up...
ted:driver:

Brom
04-09-2008, 05:45 PM
A question for the owners of the older diesels. Do you notice a difference when using your cold-start cables. Really my 1500 diesel seems just as happy starting with it in or out and doesnt seems to alter the revs at all. or is it meant to charge the fuel mix?
I'm wondering if it not adjusted correctly, broken or just normal and not really needed in a sydney winter.

gldgti
05-09-2008, 07:31 AM
A question for the owners of the older diesels. Do you notice a difference when using your cold-start cables. Really my 1500 diesel seems just as happy starting with it in or out and doesnt seems to alter the revs at all. or is it meant to charge the fuel mix?
I'm wondering if it not adjusted correctly, broken or just normal and not really needed in a sydney winter.

mate,
the cold start cable advances the injection timing on the injector pump below 2500rpm, thats all.

if your injector pressures are a long way out (very old) or your glow plugs are crap (very old) then you may notice little difference in the cold starting behaviour. you should be able to notice an increase in the diesel rattle when the cable is pulled out at idle.

hope that helps

Greg Roles
05-09-2008, 07:56 AM
OK to make up for my newbie bad behaviour several posts back......

Just wanted to add that the Exhaust gas recirculation system is also designed to assist warmup. On the latest TDI ( not sure about the earlier ones ) the exhaust gas cooler in this system is bypassed until the water temp gets over about 40 degrees, adding straight hot exhaust gas to the inlet, to assist faster warmup.

If I do cripple this system, I am currently considering leaving this cold start portion in place, and just blanking off the cooled pathway.

bluey
30-09-2008, 04:56 PM
I found this an interesting read, though slightly old now.

http://tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ/

It mentioned diesels being so thermally efficient they would not warm up appreciably idling.

Mobil's lubricant selector recommends for Polo 1.9TDi Mobil 1 especially 5W30 grade. Put you own car in and see what it says.... (All companies seem to have something similar.)
http://www.datateck.com.au/lube/mobil_au/

Personally, I'm happy keeping synthetic in the engine. Bedding in rings might take a little longer but I'm happy not wearing out the other moving parts using an inferior lubricant.

Soup Nazi
29-07-2009, 11:48 PM
VW Tdi engines are cool running and take long time to warm up compared to others. Fully synthetic oils are ideal for this application as they flow very well when cold and remain stable at high temps for the turbo bearings. Additionally they are absolutely critical for the cleaning of the EGR system, nothing short of blocking the EGR off altogether will keep your intake manifold completely clean but this is the next best thing. You should also consider a provent.

PD engines also have very high loads on the cam lobes, vw has gone to great lengths to establish a spec for the oils they use, stay with them.

IMHO anyone using any petroleum based oils anywhere near a Tdi should be scheduled! Oil is cheap.

Shifter
24-08-2009, 11:11 AM
SN, could you elaborate on the use of sythetic lube oils a little for me?

Is it not true that VW recommend and use a Castrol lubricant (VW506)?

Castrol as far as I am aware do not make any base oil stocks, they blend using "other" base stocks, presumably BP now?

Would Mobil 1 (0 -50W) or a good quality CG-4, CH-4 or even CH-I oil be a good substitute for the Castrol oil? Mobil of course do make their own base stock.

Interesting!

brad
24-08-2009, 02:26 PM
SN, could you elaborate on the use of sythetic lube oils a little for me?

Is it not true that VW recommend and use a Castrol lubricant (VW506)?

Castrol as far as I am aware do not make any base oil stocks, they blend using "other" base stocks, presumably BP now?

Would Mobil 1 (0 -50W) or a good quality CG-4, CH-4 or even CH-I oil be a good substitute for the Castrol oil? Mobil of course do make their own base stock.

Interesting!

It might be worthwhile to do a search of the forum & read the oil threads.

VW recomend you use oil of the correct VW spec. For most of the late model diesels, this is now VW507. Your owners manual will confirm this.

VW do not recomend any particular brand of oil & factory fill is generally thought to be Shell or Fuchs. Here is a list of some of the VW aproved manufacturers of 504/507 spec oil (http://my-gti.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/volkswagen_technical_bulletin17-08-01engine_oils.pdf). nb: double check that Australian product is compliant/approved as this list is eurocentric.

The SAI(??) specs that you quoted don't really count.

Transporter
24-08-2009, 02:58 PM
SN, could you elaborate on the use of sythetic lube oils a little for me?

Is it not true that VW recommend and use a Castrol lubricant (VW506)?

Castrol as far as I am aware do not make any base oil stocks, they blend using "other" base stocks, presumably BP now?

Would Mobil 1 (0 -50W) or a good quality CG-4, CH-4 or even CH-I oil be a good substitute for the Castrol oil? Mobil of course do make their own base stock.

Interesting!

VW tests the oils and when they pass their test they give it an approval. I have some saved documents on Castrol oils and engine tests in this LINK (http://www.mediafire.com/file/zwmy0dy2nhm/Castrol oil for VW PD Unit Injector TDi.pdf)

Shifter
24-08-2009, 08:11 PM
API specs are the ones I quoted CG-I etc.

Thanks for the listing of various lube oil - interesting to see Castrol Edge there and some Mobil products.

I will continue my quest to find a sound wquivalent to the VW 507.

It might be Penrite Enviro Plus 5W 30, but will have to do a little more reaserch. http://www.penriteoil.com.au/pis_pdfs/0Enviro%20+%20Engine%20Oils.pdf

brad
24-08-2009, 09:37 PM
API specs are the ones I quoted CG-I etc.

Thanks for the listing of various lube oil - interesting to see Castrol Edge there and some Mobil products.

I will continue my quest to find a sound wquivalent to the VW 507.

It might be Penrite Enviro Plus 5W 30, but will have to do a little more reaserch. http://www.penriteoil.com.au/pis_pdfs/0Enviro%20+%20Engine%20Oils.pdf

As I said, check the manufacturers Tech Data Sheets as Australian Edge 5w30 is only 502/505 IIRC.

There are plenty of alternatives available in Australia. Mobil1 ESP 5w30, SHell Helix Ultra Plus, Fuchs, Valvoline & Motul all have product.

Shifter
25-08-2009, 07:42 AM
Thanks for the info.

flat04
30-09-2009, 10:17 AM
Would just like to say a big thank you for the useful information in this thread. Thanks for your time contributing.

Andrew

Frankenstrat
14-02-2010, 11:43 AM
This is all new to me since my 103TDI is the first diesel I've driven.

My typical day's driving comprises the following;
Drive slowly out of my garage down the driveway (I live in a complex of four townhouses).
Approximately 5 minutes of 50km/h in a built up area.
Two to three minutes sat at the lights waiting for them to change.
Three minutes of 60km/h then I'm on the freeway (if I get through the second set of lights).
Approximately 17 minutes of mostly 100km/h
Leave the freeway then fifteen minutes that varies from 80km/h, 70km/h, 60km/h, 40km/h, 60km/h 80km/h, 60km/h. Then I'm at work.

In future I will make a conscious effort not to use the cruise control on the freeway, although I have to override it fairly often usually when traffic is entering.

The display on the dashboard tells me when to change gear, and sometimes when I lob it into 6th, it feels to me like the engine is labouring, so I drop it back down. The fact that you guys recommend giving the engine a bit of stick is very welcome news to me, particularly since it won't adversely affect the fuel consumption. On the odd occasion when I've had to jab the throttle, the car responds really well, so it's gratifying to know we're both deriving benefit from that!

NovaArtist
27-02-2010, 12:32 AM
Regarding the auto "upshift" indicator in the dash - you're doing 70 in 5th at about 1200 rpm and it tells you to up shift to 6th. You can feel that you just on the edge of the engine being happy at that speed in 5th - so going to 6th does not make sense to me. I think you have to pick your times when to believe the computer display, and when to say "yeah right - as if"