Audi S4 recommendation

[Nevering]

I've been reading this forum and have found many interesting comments regarding various synthetic oils. I've been using Amsoil in my Audi 1988 80Q for several years now and am quite please with it.

I have now acquired a 2000 Audi S4. My mechanic is wanting to put Redline in it and is bad mouthing Amsoil.

I'm wondering if anyone has any detailed information/experiences/recommendations about these 2 oils in the S4. It currently has 100K miles, but is in great condition. I'm hoping to get at least another 150K miles out of it.

Should I go with Amsoil (which type and weight) or Redline (type and weight) or some other brand.

thanks

 

[Idrinkmotoroil]

I can't see why any mechanic would have reason to bad mouth Amsoil. I think Redline is an excellent choice, but nothing wrong with Amsoil. I wish mechanics would stick to what they know, which is fixing cars. Mechanics don't know any more about oil than the average person out there, that's my opinion. They rely too much an anectdotal evidence. Case in point about one mechanic mentioned on this site who said every blown engine he worked on was using Mobil1 oil, thus he hypothesized that Mobil1 oil is crap. That's the kind of evidence you get from Mechanics. Sorry if I've offended any mechanics on this site but these mechanic recommendations are getting a bit ridiculous. If we listened to every mechanic opinion we couldnt run any brand of oil in our engines.

Redline and Amsoil are good choices, as is Mobil1. I'd even recommend one of the high mileage oils if you kept it to 3000 mile OCI's.

[ September 15, 2004, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Idrinkmotoroil ]

 

[Audi Junkie]

quote:

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every blown engine he worked on was using Mobil1 oil, thus he hypothesized that Mobil1 oil is crap

---

If you mean my post, my mechanic was comparing the performance of M1 15w-50 to his Syntec 5w-50. This is in highly modified turbo Porsche engines that he builds and services. Between him, his brother and his Dad, they have almost 100 years as MASTER Porsche/Audi/BMW mechanics. He says that under the same conditons, with data logging, the engines running Mobil 1 tend to blow while the Syntec engines hold together. He pointed to the red jug clearly visible through the rear window of his latest "patient". He hold a full competition licence, his shop is litterd with "real" race cars and blown engines, but I guess he is a total idiot and knows less than internet gurus as far as these 2 oils go in these particluar cars.

I would take the advice of the person working on your car. IMO, Mobil 1 0w-40 is a fair choice for your S4.

 

[Sin City]

I would use Amsoil European Car Formula (AFL) 5W-40, Mobil 1 Truck & SUV 5W-40, Mobil 1 European Car Formula 0W-40, or Redline 5W-40 in that order. Redline may be as good as or better than the others but I don't think it is worth the extra money.

Here is a thread on a used oil analysis for an Audi S4. bobistheoilguy web page

We also have site sponsors that sell Amsoil and Redline bobistheoilguy site sponsors

.

[ September 15, 2004, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: Sin City ]

 

[pscholte]

Nevering,

If you have an oil you are happy with, stick with it...now IF IT WERE ME, and especially given your mountain climate, I would go with SLX (aka German Castrol) without hesitation (I'm running SLX in an A6 2.7T). German car...German oil...alpine climate...SLX, for me, would be an eminently logical choice...of course, there are probably some on this board who would say if you were running an M1 tank in the Sahara I'd recommend SLX...........they are probably right.

 

[Nevering]

Thanks all for the replies. All of them very useful.

Pscholte, is the Castrol SLX a synthetic and is it easy to get over here? Also is there any reviews on it on this site you know of?

What do others think, Amsoil, Redline, Castrol SLX ?

thanks, i'm learning
Nev

 

[moribundman]

Another synthetic oil, unless the S4 wants a VW 503.01 spec oil (which I would not use).

PENTOSYNTH 5W-40
API SJ-EC/CF, ACEA A3/B3,
Porsche
VW 502.00/505.00
DaimlerChrysler MB 229.1


Available at many BMW dealers, or you can google it.

 

[Dr. T]

Hey Audi Junkie, what does this mechanic say about German Castrol 0-30 and Syntec 5-50? How do they compare in his books?

 

[Audi Junkie]

T, he's clueless with oils other then the 2 I mentioned and a few others. His drum oil is the Syntec and Castrol RX 15w-40. He must know something to use HDEO in all the customer cars that don't require synth. I ask, how can you send customers out in winter with a 15w? I bet if he tried the newer 5w-30s he'd consider them, but we are talking about customers who do not pop the hood for topping. Maybe the 15w-40 is best for bulk. I showed him the GC and he will not consider any 0w oil...leaks??? He knows all bout "W" ratings and what visc ACTUALLY means. With tons of automotive experience to connect with the oils used and their results. (like the blue smoke from S4s that run 30 wt) This is something many of us lack, build-up experience. I don't want to knock the corner domestic mechanic (even though I've seen their antics), but I cannot let people lump John in with them. He owns a BOSCH Service Center, holds a full competition licence and does some highly technical work for tuners like Garrett Lim. His personal ride is an Ur-S6 running 16lbs of boost and Valvoline Racing 20w-50 changes every 2000mi.


PS to the original poster, don't use a thin 30wt oil, but too thick an oil at start will burn out your engine as well due to the extra narrow k/03 turbo oiling lines.

[ September 16, 2004, 10:44 AM: Message edited by: Audi Junkie ]

 

[Dr. T]

The second last point was a little confusing....if he's touting Syntec 5-50, why does he use Valv. 20-50 in his car?

 

[Quattro Pete]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nevering:
I have now acquired a 2000 Audi S4. My mechanic is wanting to put Redline in it and is bad mouthing Amsoil.

I'm wondering if anyone has any detailed information/experiences/recommendations about these 2 oils in the S4.

---

First of all,

.

Now, IMO, there's no evidence to badmouth either one of these oil brands as far as performance goes. Now, marketing is another ball of wax, but let's not get into this again.

For starters, you might want to browse through the UOA forum to see the results of both of these oils in S4s. I'll get you started:

Here's GC (SLX), M1 0w-40, and Amsoil 0w-30 in PaJohn's S4:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001759#000000

And here's M1 0w-40 and Redline 5w-30 in funkadelic's S4:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001288#000000

Honestly, these engines are so solid, it practically doesn't matter what oil you run, as long as it's synthetic.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by Nevering:
Thanks all for the replies. All of them very useful.

Pscholte, is the Castrol SLX a synthetic and is it easy to get over here? Also is there any reviews on it on this site you know of?Nev

---

Yes, probably a PAO with significant ester support; availability depends on whether or not you have Autozones (only US seller) and whether they choose to stock...you can order through them; yes, plenty, do a search in UOA forum.

and

 

[cvl]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dr. T:
The second last point was a little confusing....if he's touting Syntec 5-50, why does he use Valv. 20-50 in his car?

---

Good question. Super Mechanic loves 5w oils but would never consider 0w oils? Um, okay.

 

[moribundman]

I can see why AJ's mechanic would use 20W-50 in his UrS6's engine. I doubt all his customers have an UrS6?

 

[Dr. T]

Yeah, but there's Syntec 20W-50...a buddy of mine is using it in his BMW 3 series right now....

 

[moribundman]

With an oil change interval of only 2k miles, I doubt it makes a difference which 20W-50 is being used.

 

[Nevering]

The mechanic that was dissing Amsoil was stating that the twin turbos on the S4 would likely get damaged quicker with Amsoil as opposed to Redline.

 

[Nevering]

I was wondering what weights on the synthetic you'd recommend for the S4. The manual say 10-40.

thanks

 

[JustinH]

0w40 mobil1 in that s4.

 

[moribundman]

Does the manual recommend only 10W-40?