# 2.5L 2006 Jetta Oil conundrum



## JettaCluster (Nov 7, 2017)

So I had an oil change today and I'm quite confused about which oil is the best for my car and I thought you VW fans maybe could have some insight.

The first garage where I went used non-synthetic classic Castrol 5W-30. The guy at the shop where I went today says that's ****ty oil and recommended to me CRB Multi 15W-40 CK-4. Now I know VW recommends synthetic 5W-40 for this model, but the 15W-40 is a bit less expensive and the guy says it's better. So, who's right? Does it make a big difference? By the way, I don't know if temperature makes a difference but I live in northern Canada and winters are really cold here (in the -13F cold).


----------



## Fogcat (Apr 29, 2015)

502.00 spec oil. Anything that is 502 spec will do fine. Obviously the higher number ie. the 5 in 5w-30 or 0w-30 makes for harder cranking in colder weather. I really don't think that there is a lot of difference between the 5 and 0...that would be a personal choice but 15??? Is that oil even a proper spec for your car? Most of us use a Castrol or M1 since they are easily available and don't cost all that much. Liqui-Moly is excellent, many are. Just make sure that it is a properly speced oil. It will say so right on the bottle. You can find lists in this forum oof the oils that meet the spec or yo can search the interwebs. In the near future I will be using Liqui-Moly 5w-40 because my engine is getting up there in miles and I want to baby it. 

If you really want to get into particulars; bobistheoilguy.com is the place to lurk or go. Don't fall for fanboys or the like. The spec is the important factor. Good motoring!


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Fogcat said:


> 502.00 spec oil. Anything that is 502 spec will do fine..........Liqui-Moly is excellent, many are. Just make sure that it is a properly speced oil. It will say so right on the bottle.......Don't fall for fanboys or the like. The spec is the important factor. Good motoring!


This guy knows his stuff and the shops you have been sending your car to are not doing you a favor at all. I would run away from them as fast as you could.

There is a reason why VW has a spec. There is no reason you should put lower quality dino or diesel engine oil in your engine. Stick with the oils that pass the spec. If the oil will pass the spec [502 00 or better] they will brag about on the back of the label. So if it does not say 502 00, then put it back on the shelf.

You are going about it all wrong, shopping by price is done after you found the right product. As a shop owner and technician for over 35+ years, I have never understood why people are so cheap on engine oil.

BTW, step up and buy a real oil filter too, Mann or Hengst are worth the money and will go the distance on oil service.


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

Mobile 1 Euro 0W40
Castrol Edge 5W40

Both available at Walmart, both are 502.00


----------



## stratclub (Feb 3, 2007)

Tech Tip:* Look in your owners manual.* The guy that sold you this: https://www.castrol.com/content/dam...cial-vehicles/PDS - CRB Multi 15W-40 CK-4.pdf is an imbecile. It is the wrong weight and does not meet *any* of the specs for your car.

My 2006 Jetta owners manual states that *any* of the following specs are acceptable for gas engines:

VW 500 00, VW 505.01, VW502 00
ACEA A3
Following Grades:

5W40 for all for normal driving temperatures 
5W30 if 5W40 is not available

DO NOT trust oil change jockeys to have a clue on what oil to use unless they, (Drum Roll Please) Look it up in your owners manual. Alternately, they may have oil spec data they can look it up in, as well.


----------



## BsickPassat (May 10, 2010)

PowerslavePA said:


> Mobile 1 Euro 0W40
> Castrol Edge 5W40
> 
> Both available at Walmart, both are 502.00


My local Walmart doesn't have Castrol 5w40

It has 0w40

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

BsickPassat said:


> My local Walmart doesn't have Castrol 5w40
> 
> It has 0w40


Would be fine... Will say "Made in Belgium" on the back of it, and will have VW 502.00 

I haven't seen a Walmart here that doesn't have the Castrol Edge 5W40, in either
the quart bottles or 5 quart jug. They have also had the M1 Euro 0W40 5qt jug.


----------



## RangerRich96 (Nov 17, 2017)

I typically use whatever is cheapest and proven oils for all my cars. I have an '08 2.5 and have been using T6 5w40, they typically run coupons for them for $20 or 25.00 for the gallon jug. No, it doesn't get VW's official stamp of approval but it seems to do pretty well in this application and seems quite popular amongst various other makes especially Euro cars that require a 40wt oil. Quite honestly, I'm pretty sure you can run a quality 5W30 in this motor, it is not anything special.

I've run M1 0W-40 and although it has the VW spec labeled on it, my car always had a faint tick coming from the valve cover area (lifter?) when warm. It never did this with the T6 oil in it.


----------



## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

I'm just going to throw out that on my last visit to my local wally world, they had NO oils that met any Euro specs other than the diesel trucks they have in Europe. No Euro 5w-30, 5w-40, or 0w-40. They did have 15W-40 diesel oil, but I don't drive a Mercedes Actros.


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

Every Walmart I have been to has had the 5W40 Edge, and/or the 0W40 Euro Mobile 1.
They have also had the Euro 5W30.

None of their Diesel motor oils are 2011+ VW compliant, and would not use for a gas motor
anyway. The chemicals in diesel motor oil is bad for Catalytic converters.

No Walmart Diesel oils are 507.00 compliant, but I used T6 and DELO400 in my '13 TDI, 
and it had 240,000 miles on it when they bought it back...

Use what you WANT, and if not then use SPEC, that's the only choices there should be.
Not what I say, not what THEY say, what YOU want...

I actually mix 1 quart of DELO400 5W40 with 5 quarts of whatever 502.00 oil I find, in my TSI.


----------



## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

PowerslavePA said:


> Every Walmart I have been to has had the 5W40 Edge, and/or the 0W40 Euro Mobile 1.
> They have also had the Euro 5W30.
> 
> None of their Diesel motor oils are 2011+ VW compliant, and would not use for a gas motor
> ...


Feel free to visit my Walmarts. lol I was shocked myself. They used to carry the Mobil1 0w-40 and Pennzoil 5w-40 European oils. The Pennzoil Platinum 5w-40 was only available in quarts. They used to have T6 that was VW compliant, but now they don't even have that. And none of my local Walmarts have ever carried Castrol Edge 5w-40.


----------



## BsickPassat (May 10, 2010)

racerpoet said:


> Feel free to visit my Walmarts. lol I was shocked myself. They used to carry the Mobil1 0w-40 and Pennzoil 5w-40 European oils. The Pennzoil Platinum 5w-40 was only available in quarts. They used to have T6 that was VW compliant, but now they don't even have that. And none of my local Walmarts have ever carried Castrol Edge 5w-40.


T6 has never been VW compliant.

my local Walmart has Mobil 1 0w40, Pennzoil Ultra 0w40, and Castrol Edge 0w40.


----------



## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

BsickPassat said:


> T6 has never been VW compliant.
> 
> my local Walmart has Mobil 1 0w40, Pennzoil Ultra 0w40, and Castrol Edge 0w40.


You're right, the T6 I used in my dad's '02 TDI and didn't really care about the spec. The others are no longer available, or never were available at my local Walmarts. Glad you guys can get oil for your VWs at Wally World. :thumbup: I can't...


----------



## BsickPassat (May 10, 2010)

racerpoet said:


> You're right, the T6 I used in my dad's '02 TDI and didn't really care about the spec. The others are no longer available, or never were available at my local Walmarts. Glad you guys can get oil for your VWs at Wally World. :thumbup: I can't...


All the manual stated for specs were (drawing from memory):
VW 505.00
API CF-4/CG-4
I forget which ACEA it called for.

The TDI people focused on the API specs, as 505.00 didn't meet the API spec needed (all 505.00 oil were CF)


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

racerpoet said:


> You're right, the T6 I used in my dad's '02 TDI and didn't really care about the spec. The others are no longer available, or never were available at my local Walmarts. Glad you guys can get oil for your VWs at Wally World. :thumbup: I can't...


T6 and DELO400 would be just fine in the PRE-DPF cars, no sweat. Lots of people used it
in those models.

However, I debunked that DPF theory anyway, by using T6 and DELO400 in my '13 TDI, for
240,000 miles. My first oil change was with T6, and from then on out... I switched to DELO400
later, noticed less oil consumption, so I stuck with it. Oh, probably well after the 100,000
mile mark was when I switched.

I am using Edge 5W40 or M1 Euro 0W40 in my '15 TSI.


----------



## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

PowerslavePA said:


> T6 and DELO400 would be just fine in the PRE-DPF cars, no sweat. Lots of people used it
> in those models.
> 
> However, I debunked that DPF theory anyway, by using T6 and DELO400 in my '13 TDI, for
> ...


Yeah, I couldn't really care less what I stick in my dad ALH. lol It's my cars I'm worried about. :laugh: I used Pennzoil Platinum because that's what I had at work. Since then, I've quit because I went back to school full-time. I still have a case at home, but once I use that up I'll probably order something online...


----------



## OldBeater (Jan 13, 2017)

Butcher said:


> This guy knows his stuff and the shops you have been sending your car to are not doing you a favor at all. I would run away from them as fast as you could.
> 
> There is a reason why VW has a spec. There is no reason you should put lower quality dino or diesel engine oil in your engine. Stick with the oils that pass the spec. If the oil will pass the spec [502 00 or better] they will brag about on the back of the label. So if it does not say 502 00, then put it back on the shelf.
> 
> ...


This x10000.

Get the right oil period. Don't be cheap.

Just find a couple brands that meet the 502 spec, then you can shop between those.

I personally stick ot Liquimoly though, I just wait for sales on that specific oil. ECS just had a 10% sale (might still be up)


----------



## PowerslavePA (Dec 9, 2014)

OldBeater said:


> This x10000.
> 
> Get the right oil period. Don't be cheap.
> 
> ...


I was going to try the Liquimoly (x2 jugs), the new florescent green stuff, but their free
shipping wasn't free for me, said my address didn't qualify for free shipping... So, I 
bailed on that... I did get free shipping on the Coil packs, so, go figure...


----------



## OldBeater (Jan 13, 2017)

Molygen (the green stuff) is recommended by Liquimoly for VW 502, but it does not actually have official approval from VW for the 502 spec. Just something to be aware of.

I buy the liquimoly leichtlauf which has the official approval from VW.


----------

