Schaeffer's 15w-40 VW TDI 30,000miles

[Neil Womack]

Listed below are my last three analysis results from Dyson Analysis and Holt Cat labs.

2003 VW Golf TDI

Oil Schaeffer's #700 15w-45 blend
Miles on Engine 10246 /20305 / 30211
Miles on oil 4770 /10059 / 9906

Fuel soot zero /47 / 33
%Oxid 17% / 22% / 11%
%Nox 7.50% / 35% / 20.5%
TBN 6 / 9 / 9.5
FE ppm 18 / 21 / 20
FE /1k 3.8 / 2.1 / 2.0
Chromium 1 / 1 / 1
Lead 1 / 3 / 0
Copper 3 / 3 / 3
Tin 1 / 1 / 1
Aluminum 4 / 4 / 5
Silicon 4 / 3 / 4
Sodium 3 / 2 / 2
Potassium 0 / 2 / 0
Moly 83 / 99 / 112
Phosphorus 1132 / 1300 / 1425
Zinc 1286 / 1416 / 1635
Calcium 3272 / 3882 / 4047
Magnesium 15 / 18 / 12
water neg / neg / neg
fuel neg / neg / neg
Antifreeze neg / neg / neg
Starting Vis 14 to 16
Vis@100 13.8 / 15.0 / 14.9
makeup 0 / Oz / Oz
additives none -none - Lube control
fuel treat SoyShield -SoyShield - Soyshield & FP
Filters air/oil oem -oem - OEM


Note: All the make-up was Lube Control 5 oz initial application 2k into this run then one oz per thousand with two intervals missed, fuel additives were three Ozs soyshield per four gallons and One Oz FP per tank full. Two tanks were Power Service winterizer only due to expected cold weather.

Modifications: EGR adjustment and CCV oil separator added 8000 miles into the period.

Many said I was crazy to trust my new ride to a synthetic blend. Not too shabby for a $12.00 a gallon oil.


Comments or observations?

[ March 12, 2004, 11:42 PM: Message edited by: Neil Womack ]

 

[Rand]

I'd stick with it. Use what works.. and it appears to be working good.

Rand

 

[Quick_lude]

****, that's a nice report.. What are your driving habits?

 

[Neil Womack]

Quick

I drive 50 miles each way to work most of it unimpeded with traffic lights and at speeds averaging less than 60 mph. 52 miles door to door and average drive time is 55 minutes.

The engine is allowed to warm to operating temp before I get more than 2000 RPM and it gets a 60 second cool down before putting out the fires.

Plus at least a few times a day I like to exercise the turbo with a near wide open throttle ( If I had a throttle plate that is).
So I guess for me its max injection engagement.

By the way I did not mention it in the analysis. However, I mailed the sample into CatLabs on a Monday ( read picked up by USPO truck Tuesday in the early am) and Terry had my results back by Friday.

Yes Virginia in the same week.

[ March 15, 2004, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: Neil Womack ]

 

[Terry]

Amazing to me that this result is so good as this engine has had only 3 oil changes from factory oil(which sheared out of grade) in 30,000 miles.

Meaning most elemental values will continue to drop.


Notice that the motor oil itself is in like new condition.

Soot at 33 = 1.28% by weight which is is low for a TDI.

 

[FowVay]

It looks like the only other test for the synthetic blend is to see if the piston rings show signs of sticking once you get near the 100,000 mile mark. That's the only other excuse I have heard for using full synthetic in the TDI.

I really like this oil company.. more each day.

 

[Neil Womack]

FowVay

Terry tells me that analysis will reveal rings sticking well in advance of any damage.

Right now I'm at the end of a 1500 mile AutoRx flush. The rinse phase starts tomorrow. All done with Schaeffer's 15w-40.

The next analysis will be with Schaeffer's new 12 TBN formula. My last batch was a 10 TBN formulation.

 

[GregH]

The requirement by VW that "SYNTHETIC OIL" be used is somewhat overshadowed by the facts, or lack therof. What is a synthetic,what is the quality of the synthetic that one uses. There are several definitions of synthetic none of which are addressed by VW. Also with the advent of newer refining technologies, group 2+ oil, a really good one, could be better than a poor group 3, which could legally be called synthetic. So if I understand what I think I understand, the "SYNTHETIC" requirement is absolutly worthless!
IF I am wrong, those more knowledgeable please correct my errors.
THanks
GregH

 

[toyvwbenz]

GregH,

You read my mind exactly, except, VW only recommends synthetic, it's not a requirement.

IMO, VW's recommendation is all about simplicity and reducing misapplication. One size fits all oil from Cananda to Mexico.