1.8T burning oil, your experience?

[Bill D]

I have a 1.8T transplant... professionally rebuilt out of a 2003 Jetta, professionally installed. Would like to know if others who have this engine are burning oil... and how much per 5 000 mile oil change. Mine has burned oil from the beginning and still at 18,000 miles.
Thanks
Bill D
90 Westy Syncro

[skills@eurocarsplus]

all of my 1.8T powered cars use none. zip.

something is wrong with yours

FWIW, 1 is 'stock' but tuned 140k on that one

The other one is a mystery engine and gets the everloving shit beaten out of it every time it gets used.

ok, every car uses oil, but mine don't use enough to ever show up on the stick. oil changes at 3-3500 miles
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[Bill D]

What year 1.8T engines do you have that are not burning oil?

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[tgraham]

I've got a '03 1.8t in mine and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary, I agree with the other posts. Something doesn't seem right with the conversion.
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1990 Multivan/Weekender Auto 3.27 R&P SAH 1.8T

[dougnlina]

My 1.8T has mucho miles on it and burns virtually no oil, the level might get incrementally lower over the 4000 between change miles, but I cannot ever remember looking at the dipstick and needing to add.
"Professionally rebuilt"? While even the pros make mistakes, it sounds like your hone job or valve seals were not "done right". What do your spark plugs look like?
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"Olive" a '60 Ragtop Beetle
"Grover" a '87 Syncro Poptop 1.8T

[MarkWard]

Have someone follow you while you heavy accelerate and decelerate. Curious if you are getting smoke out the exhaust. I would also look at the spark plugs. Seeing if they are identical or if one or more are carboned up. I’d also check for play in the turbo impeller. Is your engine installed upright or laid over at 50 degrees. VW in the late 70s had a problem with valve stem seals not controlling oil. The fix was to replace the seals under warranty. Paid about an hour, but could be done with the engine installed. Probably need to get back with the rebuilder too.
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[connorsvw2]

99 Passat 1.8t in the original vehicle, 198,000 miles. Goes the 5k oil change interval without any oil added; always has. Tightest engine I've ever owned.
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'85 Westy Wolfsburg camper/2002 2.5 Subaru since 2003.
'85 GTI 1.8L 1-owner 8v-gave up on 9A 2.0L 16v transplant. Keeping her stock!
'99 Passat 1.8T Variant-AKA "The Money Pit". Still limping along...
'09 Subaru Outback XT 5-speed, 245 hp rocket (wife's car)

[alaskadan]

Wife's summer car is an 05 gti 1.8t no oil burning. That little engine has always impressed me. It's a ripper.

[WolfsburgAutoService]

99 A4 1.8t engine in the van, also own a 99 A4 1.8t wagon. Maybe have to add 1/2 a quart over the course of 5000 miles. These engines generally aren't oil burners unless something is wrong.. like on my big turbo 1.8T. Smoked the rings in one engine after 50 drag passes, had another one have exhaust valve guide/seal leakage. Possible issue with the rebuild or turbo seals.

[crazyvwvanman]

The real question isn't how much oil use is typical in a car that came originally with the engine.
The important issue is how much oil use is acceptable in a professional Vanagon conversion with a rebuilt motor of the 1.8T variety.


Mark

[uberaudi]

I daily an '02 Audi B6 with the 1.8t. It has 250k on it, has had good maintenance over the years and doesn't burn anything noticeable. I check it more than I need to because I feel like it should burn oil at this age, but it just doesnt...and it's running a tune with some supporting mods, like an owner with a heavy foot.
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'84 Adventurewagen 1Z Tdi, '89 Tintop ABA, and a 86 Syncro tintop WBX.

[MarkWard]

When I worked for VW back in the day, the higher ups were saying a quart in 1000 miles was acceptable. The problem older members will recall was most gas stations up till the gas crisis were full serve. All cars got a look under the hood during fill up. Then came the self serve, and bays were converted to mini marts. Owners weren’t in the habit of checking and adding oil.

The VW water cooled engines were seizing up some still in warranty. The engine had a 4 qt pan that if oil level wasn’t checked and maintained couldn’t make the recommended 7500 mile interval. I grew up with a 2000 mile oil change interval. Any how the factory fix was a 5 quart pan and some owner education. Then as I mentioned above, there was a service action to replace valve stem seals of better quality.

The engine above oil consumption is likely not going to improve at this point. The next step is to pin point where the oil is escaping.
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[WolfsburgAutoService]

[Bill D]

Mine burned 1 3/4 qts from 10,000 to 14,000 miles (4,000 miles) Extrapolated that is over 2 qts per 5 000 miles. It's still under warranty, but rebuilder wants me to use oil stop additive. What do you guys think about additive as a solution???

[skills@eurocarsplus]