Mag1 Allfleet vs Euro formula

[CA_Leonard]

Great site with lots of help for folks like me. Reading through various posts, I came across good reviews for the Mag1 oil and I'm considering changing to it from M1 0w-40. I have an 11 Audi Q5 3.2 that feels a little off since I used M1 on the last change. I've only used M1 once after whatever it was the dealer was using on the free changes. I'm not a loyalist to any brand and I'm open to what works best.

I recently discovered I can get Mag1 Allfleet 5w-40 through my employer at a discounted price. I know the Mag1 Euro formula states it meets VW 502 00, but not the Allfleet which is branded more towards diesel and heavy duty use.

Has anyone used the Mag1 Allfleet oil on regular gas engines? Is it safe for use with Audi vehicles? Living in Los Angeles, my trips are short with lots of stops, with occasional road trips on weekends. I work 5 miles from home, drop kids off in AM, pick up in PM. Winter gets a little busier as I tend to frequent the local snow resorts.

Any help/suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[Quattro Pete]

The All Fleet has a fairly high Noack at 13%. That's probably the main thing that would steer me away from it, especially in a direct injection engine, such as your 3.2. These engines already suffer from significant carbon deposits, and high Noack is probably not helping.

Which leads me to another question: is it possible your engine feels "off" as a result of carbon deposits and not as a result of using M1? Your short tripping just makes matters worse. How many miles do you have on it?

There is a long thread on audiworld about all the Q5 3.2 carbon deposit issues...

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete


There is a long thread on audiworld about all the Q5 3.2 carbon deposit issues...



Quattro Pete: What do you Audi guys do about these deposits? Has there been a remedy? Has anyone provided any evidence (images from a scope perhaps) showing deposits were removed using Product X? Just curious.

 

[Quattro Pete]

A remedy is periodic cleaning by the dealer. I haven't followed it in a while, but here is that thread I mentioned earlier. The information you're asking might be in there somewhere...

http://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-sq5-discussion-129/q5-fsi-carbon-build-up-2817781/

 

[threeputtpar]

The dealer was likely using Castrol 5W-40, which when it comes to approved VW 502.00 oil, is thought to be at the bottom of the list. This may have contributed to any possible carbon buildup on the intake valves, or also the fact that your engine is not really worked all that hard. One school of thought is if the engine is really worked hard the intake valves will get up to a temp that would slow down the buildup. Nothing has been proven, though.

WRT the Mag1 All Fleet, there are much better oils for comparable prices that you'd be better off using, unless you're getting it for free.

 

[CA_Leonard]

Thanks a bunch for the help, Pete. I'll definitely start by reading up on the carbon buildup. I had previously read something about red-lining every so often, but I rarely get on the highway during the week.

I have about 57K miles on it. I think I do about 10-11K a year. Is the build up more susceptible to happen in summer? I guess I should take it to play more often.

And while not free, I can get the allfleet for about $5 a quart. I did; however, also found wally world has the 5 qt jug of M1 for about 26.

Pete - which oil do you use/recommend for Audi. I know this can be a touchy subject, so taking the 5th is fine.

 

[Quattro Pete]

At a high level, anything meeting VW 502.00 spec should be fine.

However, I have read sources saying that oils that also have low Noack and low SAPS may be beneficial to help minimize (but not eliminate) carbon deposits in DI engines. From that standpoint something like M1 ESP 5w-30 could work well. Due to it being low SAPS, you may need to reduce your oil change intervals a bit. Although you are in California and already have ultra low sulfur gasoline, so this should not be a concern for you.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Phishin

Quattro Pete: What do you Audi guys do about these deposits? Has there been a remedy? Has anyone provided any evidence (images from a scope perhaps) showing deposits were removed using Product X? Just curious.


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