2011 VW GTI: recommend oil (PU 4W-40 vs GC 0W-30)

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Hi

This is my first post. The topic has been sort of hashed over before but I cannot really find what I am looking for in one place.

I have a 2011 VW GTI. I drive in Toronto so it gets cold in the winter. I don't drive a lot (about 7-9000km per year). In the summer there is a fair amount of highway. Winter is maybe 40/60 highway/city. Now that I have the new car I may do more road trips this coming year.

I am going to stick to the VW recommended OCI at 15K kms. What that really means is that I will do my oil changes every 12 months since that will occur before the 15K mileage.

I want a recommendation for which oil to use. I insist on sticking with VW 502.00 and have narrowed it down to GC 0W-30 and PU Euro 5W-30---but would also entertain other suggestions.

From what I understand the GC is almost a 40 weight and the 0W should be good for the winter.
The PU seems like it has some interesting additives and it is a more 'modern' approach.

So what I am wondering is
... am I better with the GC because the 0 weight is better for winter and the 30 weight is fine for summer
.... should I try PU for its new formulation (how important is the 5W vs 0W?)
... other oils I should consider (that are VW 502)?

In other words, how much importance to put on weight vs additives, etc.

Sorry to be such a newbie and thanks for any help.
 
GC is great for winters. I'm using Edge 5w-30 for winters since I do a lot of short trips. GC in the fall for me and delaer Syntec 5w-40 in summer. Don't you get inclusive dealer oil changes in Canada?

SO, answering strictly your question, 0w-30 for winter and 5w-40 for summer is an obvious call.

I like PU, for the record.
 
No, we don't get dealer oil changes in Canada. Instead we get a 4 year warranty. My dealer charges $25 for the change and filter if I bring my own oil... so that is what I intend to do.

I will only be changing my oil once yearly so cannot do a summer weight and winter weight. I want one that will do for the whole year.
 
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I insist on sticking with VW 502.00 and have narrowed it down to GC 0W-30 and PU Euro 5W-30--

PU Euro 5w-30 is a low SAPs oil. You probably don't want that for your car. PU Euro 5w-40 maybe. Your subject line says 4w-40, so I'm a little confused about which oil you are actually referring to.

Have you checked if you're even able to get your hands on PU Euro 5w-30/40? It's practically impossible to obtain in the US, and probably even harder in Canada.
 
Sorry, my typo: I meant PU 5W-40 (not 4W and not 30). I can't see how to edit that.

Is, then GC 0W-30 the best oil for my use and I should just stick with it or are there any other oils that might be appropriate?

By the way, I can mail order the PU 5W-40 Euro directly from Pennzoil for $51 and free shipping.
 
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Two top shelf choices IMHO. Lots of good UOAs with GC. That Euro 5w40 would be interesting to use, analyze and develop a written history for the forum!
 
Both are 502 oils. Both will do the job. I think that your concern or focus should be directed at the middle of winter cold start performance. Do you have a heated or slightly warm garage (or is it at ambient temps?).

I would research whether the GC 0W-30 performs slightly better than the PU 5W-40 at extremely cold temps (if they are indeed a factor in your case. The initial startup temps after over-night is the critical one)

I frankly doubt there is significant difference in the really cold temp performance between these 2 oils because the GC is a 3.5 HTHS oil and a thick 0W-30 oil while the PU is a 3.68 HTHS oil and thin 5W-40 oil, and both seem to have similar pour points on the ASTM D-97 protocol, but on paper, the GC 0W-30 MAY be very slightly better at that critical initial cold flow performance.

I don't think you can go wrong with either of these oils, or the Castrol SLX Professional OE 5W-30 which is slightly cheaper than the GC in my neck of the woods (despite being from the dealer)
 
While I do park in a garage, it is not heated. Winters can certainly go down to -20C or so.

So you are saying the cold start ups are the main concern?
Would you recommend another oil other than the two I listed as better for cold start ups aside from a Castrol? I assume, therefore, that summer driving won't be an issue with either.

By the way, I bought the GC on sale for about $6.49 per quart. For a once a year oil change I don't think another couple of dollars per quart makes much of a difference. I don't mind spending another $10 on an oil change if it protects my engine better.
 
Originally Posted By: fredf

Is, then GC 0W-30 the best oil for my use and I should just stick with it or are there any other oils that might be appropriate?

Add M1 0w-40 to your list. I'd say all three are appropriate.
 
For what it's worth, I got to try GC in a cold start in -30 C already this winter, not plugged in. It turned over the same as last winter with Mobil 1 5w-30, and oil pressure came up quickly enough. For cold weather performance, I have no complaints. We haven't hit -40 C yet, either, though.
 
-20c is about the limit I'd use a 5w-40. It may come down to the length of your typical drive. If it's just 5-10 miles, the thinner oil will be a better choice. A turbo engine needs the best cold-start flow possible. I'm guessing you do short trips sine you're only looking to do 1 change a year and don't accurue many mile.s
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: fredf

Is, then GC 0W-30 the best oil for my use and I should just stick with it or are there any other oils that might be appropriate?

Add M1 0w-40 to your list. I'd say all three are appropriate.


Good choice. While there is some debate on the effectiveness of the ASTM D-97 test for a cold start comparison, it's at least a widely used standard to determine the lowest temperature that the oil is still in a liquid enough form to pour to a set standard and is used by most oil companies.

The M1 0W-40 offers a very low temp pour point of -54C (same as the GC 0W-30) compared to the -39C for the PU.

On this basis, one might select the GC or the M1 0W-40 for your mid winter cold starts, over the 5W-40. Both would also work fine for summer.

Now, Detroit probably has broadly similar temps to you, but while my garage is not heated (or even insulated), the temp is consistently about 5-7C degrees warmer than ambient, probably due to heat "leakage" through the adjoining walls. I'm going to be watching the temps in the morning, as I'm going to try to run the PU Euro 5W-40 through the winter as well, this winter. If I start to see cold start temps around -15C or so in the garage, I will likely switch to the GC.

BTW, I did run the SLX Pro OE 5W-30 oil last winter which has a pour point similar to the PU 5W-40 without any issues, so I don't believe I will have any issues.
 
So it sounds like, weight wise, the GC 0W-30 is good.

And what about additives and all that sort of stuff (ignorant here!) for my VW 2.0T. Is GC as good as it gets for that as well?
 
Originally Posted By: fredf
So it sounds like, weight wise, the GC 0W-30 is good.

And what about additives and all that sort of stuff (ignorant here!) for my VW 2.0T. Is GC as good as it gets for that as well?


GC is VW 502 certified, and has a very strong UOA record in many VAG and other cars. It will be perfectly fine for your car, when used at factory spec OCI.
 
Not to throw a wrench into the works, but my iirc 2010 TSI manual specifies 5w-40. Not that I let that bother me...
 
I thought that any VW 502.00 is ok. The manual does recommend 5W-40 but I thought any 502. would be good... am I wrong?
 
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Interesting! Does it specify that is should be 5W-40 AND a 502 spec, or simply 5W-40 and no mention of a spec (502 or otherwise?)

If so...this is so [censored] typical of VW/Audi. They seem to aim to confuse the [censored] out of their customers and dealers!
 
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