Hi Folks-
I have a 2003 VW Jetta that I just purchased to drive back and forth to work (About 200 miles round trip per day). It was about time for an oil change and I decided I wasn't going to go to the neighborhood quick lube place anymore, I was going to change it myself. So, since I didn't get an owner's manual with it, I called the VW dealer and asked what weight they preferred. They said to use only a 5w-40 full synthetic, nothing less. They also stated to NEVER use Mobil 1 synthetic in a VW because it is bad for it. This caught me off guard because I run 0w20 Mobil 1 in my 04 F150 and have never had a single problem with it. The neighborhood place was using conventional 5w30 because that's "what they recommend for everyone." I started shopping around and it's relatively difficult to find a good 5w40 synthetic in my area. You think I would be ok using something like Pennzoil Platinum 5w30? European blends and those that meet the VW 502 standard are both hard to find and a little pricey, but I haven't been able to find one near me, and I don't want to pay the dealer an arm and a leg just for an oil change. As fast as I rack up the miles, I would be building up quite a tab in a hurry. Thanks for the help!
I have a 2003 VW Jetta that I just purchased to drive back and forth to work (About 200 miles round trip per day). It was about time for an oil change and I decided I wasn't going to go to the neighborhood quick lube place anymore, I was going to change it myself. So, since I didn't get an owner's manual with it, I called the VW dealer and asked what weight they preferred. They said to use only a 5w-40 full synthetic, nothing less. They also stated to NEVER use Mobil 1 synthetic in a VW because it is bad for it. This caught me off guard because I run 0w20 Mobil 1 in my 04 F150 and have never had a single problem with it. The neighborhood place was using conventional 5w30 because that's "what they recommend for everyone." I started shopping around and it's relatively difficult to find a good 5w40 synthetic in my area. You think I would be ok using something like Pennzoil Platinum 5w30? European blends and those that meet the VW 502 standard are both hard to find and a little pricey, but I haven't been able to find one near me, and I don't want to pay the dealer an arm and a leg just for an oil change. As fast as I rack up the miles, I would be building up quite a tab in a hurry. Thanks for the help!