# Need help for noob



## motosman1 (Dec 23, 2019)

Hello all. I just purchased a 2012 Jetta GLI for my wife. 83k miles. I have no owner or service manual, yet. I have always been a Chevy and Toyota guy, so VW’s are foreign to me.
The oil looks very dirty and according to windshield sticker it is 1,100 miles overdue for changing. When I go to O'Reilly's online for a filter, it asks if I have the CBFA or CCTA engine. I can’t find any under hood info and I have no manuals. How do I find out, and what are the differences? I’ve also read about issues with a cam chain hydraulic tensioner failure. It’s my understanding that VW is aware of it and the tensioner was revised mid year 2012. I also understand the engine oil neglect is a factor in this failure. So...my questions follow.
1. What type, viscosity and quantity of oil?
2. Do both engines use the same filter?
3. Should I use a flush product and would 
It be best to use it with the current oil 
then change it or change oil and use a 
cheaper oil with flush for short time/low
load driving then change to quality oil?
4. Recommended change interval for mild
commuter usage?

Thanks in advance for any/all help.


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## motosman1 (Dec 23, 2019)

One more thing. I am a distributor of Amsoil products. I read in another thread that someone recommended the Amsoil flush. What is the consensus for Amsoil oil in the GLI engine?


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## Greasymechtech (Jul 20, 2019)

Both engines take the same oil and filter. One is Cali emissions and other is Federal emissions.

The Amsoil website lists their recommendations.

A cold engine 5-10 minute at idle and no load flush can be considered and usually not necessary. Just change the oil and filter more often and keep oil level full. Probably would consider oil changes at 1k, 2k, 3k, 4k and then every 5k miles. Dont forget the coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid.... 

Owners manual is available on ebay. 

Punch VIN in here and see if this helps

https://www.vwserviceandparts.com/digital-resources/online-owners-manual/


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## Sagginwagen (Oct 15, 2018)

T6 is very good and I would put new oil and filter with a half quart of mmo for 1k then change again. 5k max on oil change intervals. Get 5qrts , put 4 in and add until dipstick indicates full.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I suggest you find out what VW recommends since they designed and built the engine, they probably should know. Asking for input from people you do not know is not really a good idea. Such as the Shell T6 oil, it does not pass VW's specs and is a diesel, not gas, engine oil. As for stickers on the windshield, most shops recommend oil services more frequently than the factory. This is because they are using non recommended oils/filters or they just want more money from you. 

The oil you should be using is 502.00 [or better]. I would recommend a MANN oil filter. They build the ones VW sells you over the counter. The weight of oil depends on where you live [climate is important on how thick the oil is]. I usually recommend the newer VW spec oils [if they are compatible]. With technology, things improve so therefore, why not get the best oil in your car.

Looking at the color of the oil does not work anymore. It did when oils generally did not last longer than 5k, but with oils that are much more superior, the oil may look dark but that does not indicate if the oil is good or not. Only sending it out will determine if it's past it's prime.

Flushing is usually a bad idea for me. If the stuff works like it says on the bottle, do you really want all that stuff to be dislodged and cause more harm? Sure the filter may catch some of it, but what damage will be caused before it gets to the filter? I have worked as a Shop Foreman for a large Mercedes dealer and we could get sludge issues [wrong oils used/longer interval changes than recommended]. NEVER EVER has any 'treatment' worked. The only way to get rid of the sludge was to do it old school. Take the engine apart and clean it out. The best way to keep an engine clean is to service the engine properly. 

Spend the money on proper spec oil [whatever brand that floats your boat] and a good filter. Follow the recommendation on when to change it. I own a shop and I recommend to follow the factory guidelines so the client gets their monies worth.


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## motosman1 (Dec 23, 2019)

Thanks guys. I found a VW service bulletin listing all approved oils. I have an owners manual coming (EBAY), but until then I arrived at the 502 oil spec and checked the service bulletin. Decided upon Castrol Edge 5w30 High Mileage for the first “short run” interval. I noticed “Castrol” was imprinted on the oil fill cap so I took that as a “sign”. Also picked up a Fram EG filter. Not sure if WIX would have been a better choice but shopping at Walmart for oil and filter that will be discarded in short time limited my choices. I assume I can find MANN filters online. No such animal in O’Reilly's or Auto Zone. I also see LiquiMoly is approved and recommended by some shops, also not found locally in retail.


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## motosman1 (Dec 23, 2019)

FYI, I went with High Mileage because the car has 83,000 miles on it and it appears to have a couple of small seal leaks. I also “thought” I noticed a small amount of blue/gray smoke from the tail pipe, upon acceleration from a stop, when following my wife home from purchasing the car. I had a 2005 Camry that started smoking on first start-up of the day, after about 100k miles. I started using Vavloline HM and the start-up smoking diminished significantly within 3 oil changes (@ 5k intervals). Daughter totaled the car @ 195,000 miles with never an oil leak. I have been checking the exhaust on start-up and have seen no smoke. Maybe it was my imagination, speculation, paranoia or eyesight.


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## Sagginwagen (Oct 15, 2018)

Butcher said:


> I suggest you find out what VW recommends since they designed and built the engine, they probably should know. Asking for input from people you do not know is not really a good idea. Such as the Shell T6 oil, it does not pass VW's specs and is a diesel, not gas, engine oil. As for stickers on the windshield, most shops recommend oil services more frequently than the factory. This is because they are using non recommended oils/filters or they just want more money from you.
> 
> The oil you should be using is 502.00 [or better]. I would recommend a MANN oil filter. They build the ones VW sells you over the counter. The weight of oil depends on where you live [climate is important on how thick the oil is]. I usually recommend the newer VW spec oils [if they are compatible]. With technology, things improve so therefore, why not get the best oil in your car.
> 
> ...


Exactly why I recommend the t6. A diesel oil has a lot of detergents and dispersants , is the correct viscosity and a very low evaporation rating. It is an excellent oil for any engine. Just look at uoas. 
As far as choosing an oil for the climate you live in??? Maybe if it’s really cold get a 0w rated oil but the engine will always heat up and be regulated by the thermostat. The turbo will always get very hot. 
Not too long ago, Toyota or Honda I believe, had an oil change interval of 15k miles and were having engine failures because of it. Then lowered it to 10k. This is sufficient to get it to last for the warranty period and is a great selling point. Low maintenance cost. Just look at the lifetime fluids for transmissions. Don’t tell me you believe that! 
I have never heard of a warranty claim be denied when the oil was synthetic, the correct viscosity, and reasonably clean. Ever!


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## Kjmack (Sep 19, 2018)

motosman1 said:


> FYI, I went with High Mileage because the car has 83,000 miles on it and it appears to have a couple of small seal leaks. I also “thought” I noticed a small amount of blue/gray smoke from the tail pipe, upon acceleration from a stop, when following my wife home from purchasing the car. I had a 2005 Camry that started smoking on first start-up of the day, after about 100k miles. I started using Vavloline HM and the start-up smoking diminished significantly within 3 oil changes (@ 5k intervals). Daughter totaled the car @ 195,000 miles with never an oil leak. I have been checking the exhaust on start-up and have seen no smoke. Maybe it was my imagination, speculation, paranoia or eyesight.


Just so you know the oil you got was not correct . Castrol 5w30 high mileage is not VW approved .


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Sagginwagen said:


> Exactly why I recommend the t6. A diesel oil has a lot of detergents and dispersants , is the correct viscosity and a very low evaporation rating. It is an excellent oil for any engine. Just look at uoas.
> As far as choosing an oil for the climate you live in??? Maybe if it’s really cold get a 0w rated oil but the engine will always heat up and be regulated by the thermostat. The turbo will always get very hot.
> Not too long ago, Toyota or Honda I believe, had an oil change interval of 15k miles and were having engine failures because of it. Then lowered it to 10k. This is sufficient to get it to last for the warranty period and is a great selling point. Low maintenance cost. Just look at the lifetime fluids for transmissions. Don’t tell me you believe that!
> I have never heard of a warranty claim be denied when the oil was synthetic, the correct viscosity, and reasonably clean. Ever!


I know of a few engines that were turned into customer pay because the wrong oil/filter was used. I was the diagnosing technician and the oil was sent out to have it tested. It failed the test and the customers were upset. Nothing I could do, I gathered the facts and let the facts determine the course of action. 

VW does not approve the T6. I would prefer to follow the company's recommendation. IF something would go wrong, I doubt if the factory engineer would agree with your findings. If it was as good as you say, why would the oil not pass the VW specs? 

As for what I believe, I originally believed just like you. There is no way a transmission has lifetime fluid. There is no way engine oils can last over 10k/1 yr. When Mercedes changed their maintenance program ['98], I knew were were in trouble. As a diagnosing technician [responsible for fixing the cars that could not be fixed] I could care less. I just watched the years go by and we did NOT have any problems. There was a time in the beginning that Mercedes did not put synthetic oils in the engines [the factory put a synthetic blend and did not tell anyone] and they did have issues. That was only the first few months. After that, there was never an issue. I've seen plenty of lifetime oils in transmissions and differentials that have lasted a lifetime. I left Mercedes in 2011 and can say there was never any oil related issue after 1999 [there was a few 98's because of the factory fill issue]. I now have my own shop and can say I've seen some cars come in with the factory fill lock still installed on the transmission. Still shifting fine and well over 200k. Does it work? I would not do it in my transmission, but the facts are that 'Yes' it does

So the facts that I've seen in my life are that it's a waste of time/money to change the oil before the factory recommendations. That only applies to using approved oils and filters. 

Typically we Americans have a woody over what weight to use. Mobil 1 makes several 10W/30 oils but only a few pass the VW spec. So people go buy any 10W/30 Mobil 1 and think they are saving money but they are not buying the good stuff. They also buy cheap oil filters. Filters that will not work and fall apart before the service recommendation. Then there are people that have no facts and just spew words about how great 'their' oil is and everyone else is junk. 

I tend to agree with your opinions about oil weight. I live in a climate that rarely gets to 32F and even less days above 95F. Once the engine is hot, does it matter what temperature it is outside? I understand that are people that live in the places that do not get much above 32F for many days in the year. I use 10w60 oil in my VW engines. They are all built in the 80's and way out of warranty. I would not recommend to anyone to use that thick of an oil when you live in Alaska. That is why I suggested them to use the proper weight for their climate.

I will agree, you could put any engine oil and change it at 3k and probably never have a problem. Synthetic or not. This would apply to your T6 oil. I do not think it's bad oil, it's just does not pass the VW specs. If it did, then it would be on the back of the label.

I'm cheap and I like to deal with facts. Facts determine what decision to make. Although I understand that people cannot wrap their heads around oils lasting that long, it does and you can sleep well knowing there are millions of engines on the road following their yearly oil services. 

One last thing about filters. Since I own my own shop, I do more oil services in a week that I've done at the dealership in a year. The engines I service regularly are Mercedes. Most of them have a cartridge filter. I get to touch and look at every filter I replace. I can say for certain ALL Asian oil filters [China, Thailand, etc] that have a years/10k on them literally crumble in my hand like potato chips. Some are sucked in tighter than some sphincters. When you have the can filters like some VW engines, you cannot tell if the filter is any good or not. You could cut them open, but many do not. Too much time and too messy. Get OEM filters. I honestly do not believe you can get better.


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## Greasymechtech (Jul 20, 2019)

I have worked at too many dealerships to remember. I have NEVER seen a dealer deny a warranty claim because of incorrect fluid. I have NEVER seen a dealer take an oil sample for warranty repair work. I have heard of all the rumors but won't believe it. Not sure what kind of warranty is left on a 2012 with 83k+ miles so why even use scare/fear OE parts only fanboy BS. When an engine fails, the dealerships would ask for maintenance records, especially if the engine was full of sludge mud. We could deny warranty claim for 'no oil', or 'no maintenance' proof, or blatant abuse/mods. 

For a short rinse run, I wouldn't have a problem with ANY full synthetic oil. I remember when conventionals were fine to run in VW and then they got burned for the sludging 1.8T and VW turned into oilnazis. So, use that Castrol HM for a short rinse run. Its winter and hopefully the need for HTHS visc isn't something to worry about with typically lower average oil temps. If you plan on running the oil for a full textbook interval, then you should seriously consider the latest VW spec oils starting with the recommendation in the manual, and anything that surpasses or supersedes it or equivalents. I personally don't practice the 10000 mile interval on my current VW or any extended intervals on any past VW that I've owned. 

For filter, I have not seen any issues caused by aftermarket filters that weren't user errors. And yes, even with an OE filter, some techs/hacks can create problems. So, I use what is available and don't worry about filter brand. 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...4+turbocharged,1502710,engine,oil+filter,5340

I am surprised that an Amsoil dealer doesn't know how to use the Amsoil lookup guide! 
Amsoil recommendations for both engine codes... notice the difference?
https://www.amsoil.com/lookup/auto-...-0l-4-cyl-engine-code-ccta-j-turbo/us-volume/
https://www.amsoil.com/lookup/auto-...-0l-4-cyl-engine-code-cbfa-2-turbo/us-volume/


Mobil1, Valvoline, Castrol, Pennzoil, and numerous other brand, have Euro Spec and higher HTHS oils. The US is addicted to MPG and domestics/Asians usually use lower HTHS oils. US consumer is stuck on cheap, like conventional oils. Germans were still stuck on overly thick film oils and only recently engineered for longevity with thinner oils. My 1.4T uses 0w20 oil when previous years used 5w30 and 5w40. I just haven't seen any VW test requirements that were so critical that a nonVW oil couldn't be used. As such, I would have no problem using Rotella, Delo, or other full synthetic 5w40 even without VW specs.

You don't need to use fancy German branded oils:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...2.0l+l4+turbocharged,1502710,engine,oil,12138

https://www.castrol.com/en_us/unite...l-and-fluids/motor-oil-and-fluids-finder.html
https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/products/full-synthetic-motor-oils/pennzoil-platinum-euro.html
https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/oil-selector.html
https://mobiloil.com/en/product-selector

And Redline allows you to search for the 502/504/504/507 or whatever.... oil spec, or the year/make/model
https://www.redlineoil.com/find-products-for-my-vehicle


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## Kjmack (Sep 19, 2018)

Greasymechtech said:


> I have worked at too many dealerships to remember. I have NEVER seen a dealer deny a warranty claim because of incorrect fluid. I have NEVER seen a dealer take an oil sample for warranty repair work. I have heard of all the rumors but won't believe it. Not sure what kind of warranty is left on a 2012 with 83k+ miles so why even use scare/fear OE parts only fanboy BS. When an engine fails, the dealerships would ask for maintenance records, especially if the engine was full of sludge mud. We could deny warranty claim for 'no oil', or 'no maintenance' proof, or blatant abuse/mods.
> 
> For a short rinse run, I wouldn't have a problem with ANY full synthetic oil. I remember when conventionals were fine to run in VW and then they got burned for the sludging 1.8T and VW turned into oilnazis. So, use that Castrol HM for a short rinse run. Its winter and hopefully the need for HTHS visc isn't something to worry about with typically lower average oil temps. If you plan on running the oil for a full textbook interval, then you should seriously consider the latest VW spec oils starting with the recommendation in the manual, and anything that surpasses or supersedes it or equivalents. I personally don't practice the 10000 mile interval on my current VW or any extended intervals on any past VW that I've owned.
> 
> ...


I agree with almost everything you said exception is oil temperature . in wintertime of course the starting temperature is lower , once the car is up to temperature there is barely any difference between summer and winter oil temperature , maybe 5 degrees .


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## motosman1 (Dec 23, 2019)

Great info from all, greatly appreciated! I'm more confused now than ever. 
So, it's coming up on 4k miles and I want to change the oil and filter. I finally got the VW owner's manual and looked for spec's. It specifies a synthetic, VW approved type with either VW 502.00, 503.00 or 504.00 rating. It also states that a 5W-30 or 5W-40 can be used in all temperatures. Looking at the Audi/VW tech service bulletin, the three previously mentioned oils can all be found in different viscosities, depending on manufacturer and "quality level" by that manufacturer. I was hoping the OM would have a temperature range chart suggesting what viscosity for different temps. No such luck. I used both Redline and Amsoil application charts and even they are offering two different viscosities with no reference to temps. My "old school" domestic experience tells me to run the 5W-30 in winter and 5W-40 in the summer. However, I also understand the technology today allows oil makers to market lighter viscosity oils for improved MPG ratings while protecting the engines with improved base stocks and additives. This car will see operation on 100+ degree days, however the temp gauge stays consistent at 190*F. I see no reason to run a 0W-40 oil when we seldom see <20*F days. Like most gearheads, I want it all!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You own a VW. You know what VW recommends. Why would you think other charts would help you at all? Additional information sometimes makes it confusing.

Buy a spec'd oil and find the viscosity for your climate. Done. 

What's the big concern? 99.9% of the people do not keep their car long enough that really matters what oil you put in [I'm talking about spec oil]. Between major repair bills and collisions with other cars, most do not make it past 150k. 

Life is too short to stress about engine oil. In 10 years, chances are you will not have the car anyway.


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## BsickPassat (May 10, 2010)

motosman1 said:


> Great info from all, greatly appreciated! I'm more confused now than ever.
> So, it's coming up on 4k miles and I want to change the oil and filter. I finally got the VW owner's manual and looked for spec's. It specifies a synthetic, VW approved type with either VW 502.00, 503.00 or 504.00 rating. It also states that a 5W-30 or 5W-40 can be used in all temperatures. Looking at the Audi/VW tech service bulletin, the three previously mentioned oils can all be found in different viscosities, depending on manufacturer and "quality level" by that manufacturer. I was hoping the OM would have a temperature range chart suggesting what viscosity for different temps. No such luck. I used both Redline and Amsoil application charts and even they are offering two different viscosities with no reference to temps. My "old school" domestic experience tells me to run the 5W-30 in winter and 5W-40 in the summer. However, I also understand the technology today allows oil makers to market lighter viscosity oils for improved MPG ratings while protecting the engines with improved base stocks and additives. This car will see operation on 100+ degree days, however the temp gauge stays consistent at 190*F. I see no reason to run a 0W-40 oil when we seldom see <20*F days. Like most gearheads, I want it all!


Since my engine got taken out by LSPI, the replacement engine is using SS 0w40.


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