We see a lot of VW 1.4 16v engines come through our workshop with noisy valve train and hydraulic lifters. All the cars are using either the longlife 5w-30 oil or 10w40/5w40 502.00 oil for fixed interval recommended on all the oil company websites on their recommendation tools.
I have another technical data system which interestingly recommends the following
ENGINE: TIME/DISTANCE DEPENDENT SERVICE ( >2007)
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 5W-50, 10w-60 All temperatures
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 5W-30, 5w40, 10w-30, 10w40 Below 15 °C
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 15W-40, 15w50, 20w50 Above -15 °C
ENGINE: TIME/DISTANCE DEPENDENT SERVICE (2008> )
Engine oil VW 502 00 SAE 5W-30, 5w40, 10w40 All temperatures
We've put 15w40 mineral oil in my mates Golf 1.4 16v (only 60k miles) instead of 10w40 semi syn and it stopped tapping. We've put 15w50 mineral oil in one of our customers 1.4 16v's with a horrendous tap and general valve train noise and now it's all quite on the western front. I guess they had a modification done in 2007 to these engines.
My question is what is the difference between a 15w40 mineral and a 10w40 syn when at operating temp because on paper there shouldn't be one but real world there definitely is. A friend of mine has a classic car which specs 20w50, we put Motul 15w50 Ester synthetic in there and the oil light flickers at idle when hot. We put a mineral 15w50 in and it's fine.
I have another technical data system which interestingly recommends the following
ENGINE: TIME/DISTANCE DEPENDENT SERVICE ( >2007)
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 5W-50, 10w-60 All temperatures
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 5W-30, 5w40, 10w-30, 10w40 Below 15 °C
Engine oil VW 501 01 SAE 15W-40, 15w50, 20w50 Above -15 °C
ENGINE: TIME/DISTANCE DEPENDENT SERVICE (2008> )
Engine oil VW 502 00 SAE 5W-30, 5w40, 10w40 All temperatures
We've put 15w40 mineral oil in my mates Golf 1.4 16v (only 60k miles) instead of 10w40 semi syn and it stopped tapping. We've put 15w50 mineral oil in one of our customers 1.4 16v's with a horrendous tap and general valve train noise and now it's all quite on the western front. I guess they had a modification done in 2007 to these engines.
My question is what is the difference between a 15w40 mineral and a 10w40 syn when at operating temp because on paper there shouldn't be one but real world there definitely is. A friend of mine has a classic car which specs 20w50, we put Motul 15w50 Ester synthetic in there and the oil light flickers at idle when hot. We put a mineral 15w50 in and it's fine.
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