Oil recommendation for a sludge monster

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I believe that the 1.8t that had the potential for sludging was the transverse mounted one in the FWD cars. I'm not 100% sure, but all of the 1.8ts in the A4 were longitudinally mounted because of the AWD, so they were less likely to sludge if good synthetic oil was used at 5k mile intervals.


The 1.8T's in VW Passat's and Audi A4's were longitudinally mounted.

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: TurboJim
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
I believe that the 1.8t that had the potential for sludging was the transverse mounted one in the FWD cars. I'm not 100% sure, but all of the 1.8ts in the A4 were longitudinally mounted because of the AWD, so they were less likely to sludge if good synthetic oil was used at 5k mile intervals.


The 1.8T's in VW Passat's and Audi A4's were longitudinally mounted.


Yes, and the car I spoke of that my buddies dad had the sludge issues in was a Passat wagon, so I don't know if theres little truth to the longitudinally mounted engines being less prone, or if his was just an abused example.

 

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted By: afoulk
...the car I spoke of that my buddies dad had the sludge issues in was a Passat wagon, so I don't know if theres little truth to the longitudinally mounted engines being less prone, or if his was just an abused example.


Audi's & VW's with transverse mounted 1.8t's had a slightly larger sump capacity. This even after the longtitudinaly mounted engines were spec'd for a larger oil filter.

A turbocharged engine with a small oil capacity is not a good combo. Upgrading to a Wix 51333 / Napa Gold 1333 or similar size oil filter eliminates the worry that you don't have enough oil in the engine.

 

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted By: DireStraits
The owners manual does not mention VW 502. I clearly stated what my owners manual said.

When did the VW 502 spec come into play? Remember, we're talking about a 2001 model car.


VW / Audi issued suppliments to the owners manual's around July, 2004.

 

[DireStraits]

Are there any inherent risks or consequences for upsizing the oil filter? I'm assuming there is none since you suggested it.

Briefly describe what needs serviced on the PVC system on a regular basis; what mileage or time frame would you say is a "regular basis"?

TIA.


Originally Posted By: TurboJim
Originally Posted By: DireStraits
The owners manual suggests a dino or synthetic oil. 0W-40 or 5w30 to be changed every 5000 miles.

The 1.8L turbo engine has known sludging issues. My question here is: Is the sludging issue an engineering flaw, excessive heat from the turbo or lax maintenance schedules on the owner's part?

My plan was to run the 5w30 OE oil (with a Wix filter) and drain it every 3000 miles in hopes of preventing any new sludge build-up and cleaning out the old sludge.


Sounds like you are missing some of the owner's manual updates. The only oil's you should be considering are synthetic.

Audi A4 and VW Passat have the 1.8T's that are most prone to sludging. The oil capacity in these vehicles is slightly less than in other 1.8T applications.

Not all 1.8T's get sludge, but sludge isn't the only problem you could run into. Small bit's of coked oil, generated by the turbo, can clog the oil pump pick-up screen. When this happens the only sure remedy is to drop the pan and replace the pick-up screen, usually along with the oil pump. It is a very labor intensive process.

The PCV systems on these engines are complicated but should be serviced on a regular basis. If you find any cloth covered vacuum lines that are original equipment replace them.

To increase your oil capacity to over 5 quarts consider using the Wix 51333. An alternative in this Big Kahuna size is the Purolator L40316.

 

[JAG]

There is no negative consequence of using the larger filter. Mann or Mahle filters can be bought for cheap on the Internet.

The entire PCV system, which is complicated, is prone to blockage. If the rubber is in good shape, you can take it apart and clean it with brake cleaner. Otherwise replace deteriorated parts with new ones but that is pricey. There are instructions for taking the system apart online. It's not super easy to take apart due to access restrictions. I think a weak crankcase vacuum is a big contributor to the longitudinal and transverse 1.8T engines being sludge-prone. I've not found any oil that can last more than 4k miles in my transverse 1.8T without deposits starting to build up. I have a big thread in the Euro oils forum discussing my battle against deposits in the GTI's engine. http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...true#Post851616

The longitudinal 1.8T is more prone to sludging due to smaller oil capacity and exhaust manifold location that heats up parts of the oil in nearby oil lines. If you can insulate them from the exhaust that should help.

I think VW 502 came out in 2002. It's been updated since then, becoming more stringent. The HTHS viscosity must be greater than 3.5cP. Amsoil OE 5w30 does not have a HTHS viscosity that high. An easy and good choice is to use Mobil 1 0W-40. Amsoil 5W-40 European formula is intentionally a bit weak on detergents so I'd avoid that. They make a good 5W-40 for diesel engines that I'd recommend. They make a few other oils I'd recommend but we can discuss that more, later, if you want.

 

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted By: DireStraits
Are there any inherent risks or consequences for upsizing the oil filter? I'm assuming there is none since you suggested it.

Briefly describe what needs serviced on the PVC system on a regular basis; what mileage or time frame would you say is a "regular basis"?


The only downsize to the 51333 size filter is price. I stocked up on some Napa Gold 1333's awhile back when they were on sale. The regular price is $12.15.

I would recommend servicing the PCV system at least every couple of years. The first time you do it is the most difficult because of all the one time use band clamps that must be removed.

This is a useful tool to use for checking vacuum / boost leaks - http://www.a4mods.com/index.php?page=webcontent/pages/boostleak.html