What engine oil are you using in your VR6 01-03 VW T4 Eurovan?

[markcm2]

Just wondering what engine oil is preferred in the last generation 01-03 T4 with the VR6?

Thanks

[jjvincent]

Oh Boy. Another motor oil question on a forum. These never turn out well.

[markcm2]

I'm mostly curious what the spec oil weight is, like 5w-30? 10w-40?

I pretty much use Rotella T-6 in all my vehicles, I know its a diesel oil with a multi use rating, but it works for me, really well. but it only comes in 5w-40, I'm wondering what the spec oil weight is for these engines.

[jjvincent]

I mostly run Rotella T6. Just because I can use it in the TDI also and the price is right. Only time I run anything different (Elf, Total or Liqui Molly) is because I can get it even cheaper and free shipping when I get a load of parts.

I do suggest going with anything light because one thing nobody ever talks about is the workings of the cam timing. They only talk about cylinder wear and bearings. If you ever took at the engine apart, the bottom end is like anything from the last 50 years. It's just things like the cam timing (I can't remember what VW calls it buy the same as BMW Vanos or Porsche Variocam) and lifters are tiny and intricate. Thus a thick oil is not the best when it comes to making them work properly over the range of temps that an engine sees.

Best thing to say is that motor oil is so good as compared to 30 years ago, it isn't even funny.

[fkahlert]

Without going further in it and for informational purpose only...
VW specifies 5-40 for the Eurovan but says topping up with 5-30 is acceptable.
Right there in the manual.

Florian 03 MVWK

[markcm2]

Thanks guys,

That's what I was looking for.

[jjvincent]

Plus, the coolant is lifetime. Just so you know, never change it because VW doesn't want you to.

On a side note, my 17 yer old Jetta and my 2003 EV still have the original coolant in it. I screwed up on the oil but I made up for it in the coolant department.

[fkahlert]

lifetime - so was the trans fluid - at least for a while.

Also, the Passat oil filter suddenly got bigger after the oil sludge debacle.

But still - i think its fair to say that VW proposes fairly wide range oils 5-40 and pretty thin ones as well.

Not like my BMW 1200Gs that used 20-50 tractor fluids....

[gakali]

Re. lifetime fluids - I was told by a VW engineer that "lifetime" is considered as 150,000 km from their standpoint. This makes sense to me.
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Why do it? Because you can.

1999 Eurovan
2003 A4 Avant 1.8T Quattro
1992 W201 190e 2.3 Mercedes
2006 W220 S600 V12 Twin Turbo 5.5 Mercedes

[Abscate]

I run 0W-40 Mobil in mine

It's run upstate in moderate climates for the most part

See sticky oily thread above, too.
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.ssS!