# 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes



## george1961 (Aug 25, 2007)

HI, I just traded in my 2004 Jetta Diesel for a 2006 2.5 Jetta, low mileage. At what intervals should I have oil changes done and what type of oil, synthetic?
Thanks


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## vw93to85 (May 10, 2007)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (george1961)*

5k


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (vw93to85)*

Owners manual shows changes at 5K, 10K, 20K...etc...so 5K for first two changes..then 10K...it specs the VW 5XX oil which is only syn...but I'm thinkin about just doing my normal 4X year (about 3000K miles) and using Castrol GTX..I've run cars on that schedule for well over 150K miles and they were clean as a whistle inside...I think VW is just CTA over all the sludge issues with the turbo motors by demanding synthetic oil in all VW cars turbo or not.


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## george1961 (Aug 25, 2007)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (spitpilot)*

Yeah I was thinking more along the lines of 10,000km,s, I have 54,000 KM on the car.


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## shipo (Jan 3, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (spitpilot)*

If you use Castrol GTX in your engine, even if you change it every couple thousand miles, and then suffer an engine failure, then the new engine will be on your dime as VW will most likely void your warranty.
The thing is, why would you bother sticking with your old regimen? As I see it, the cost of three 3,333 mile oil changes with Castrol GTX would cost you considerably more than one oil change every 10,000 miles. Consider the following:
Castrol GTX:
3 - Mann Oil filters - $36
18 - Quarts of Castrol GTX - $54 (assumes that you can get it for ~$3.00 per quart)
Total: $90.00
Castrol Syntec 0W-30:
1 - Mann Oil Filter - $12
6 - Quarts of Castrol Syntec - $36
Total: $48.00
You also need to account for the time it takes you to perform the oil changes as well as the time to deal with the oil disposal.


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (shipo)*

I can get Castrol GTX for 99 cents a quart with rebate...and I wouldn't do only one synthetic change in a year...you do alot of stop and go..short trips like I do and oil never gets hot enuff to burn off contamination/moisture and I doubt the additive package in the oil can handle that for a year...so if you do 2X synthetic changes then the math makes more sense...but its about a wash looking at your numbers for syn oil/filters...you can get filters for about $10..syn oil here about $6-7...so two changes are about $100...vs about $65 or so for 4 GTX changes....plus I like goin under the car every 3 months to check things out..torn CV boots, fluid leaks etc... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## shipo (Jan 3, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (spitpilot)*

I'm thinking that you're missing a few key points:
1) VW doesn't just recommend 502.00 oil, they _require_ it. If your engine suffers some internal damage during the warranty period, it could cost you a lot of money if you cannot prove you used the correct oil.
2) Time is money; that's an indisputable fact. The more you spend time under your car, shopping for the best deal on oil and filters, and then disposing of them when the time comes, the less time you have for making money with other endeavors.
3) I'm thinking that it's a bad assumption that you can count on getting GTX for a buck a quart on a regular basis. As far as I can tell, the typical street price is between two and three dollars (and closer to three at that).
4) I'm also thinking that it's a bad assumption that you'll need to pay between six and seven dollars for 502.00 certified oil. FWIW, our local Walmart sells Mobil 1 0W-40 for $5.49 per quart.
5) Yes, I know that cheaper filters can be had for the 2.5, however, I've been hearing too many negatives for too long regarding aftermarket filters for VWs, hence the fact that I speced Mann filters above.
As far as going longer distances between oil changes doing the kind of driving that you do. I've read a significant number of UOAs from 2.5 liter VWs, many of which are driven as you drive, and so far at least, I've yet to see a single one that looked fully exhausted after 10,000 miles. The thing is, synthetic oils are so much more stable in the face of contaminates that they don't react to water and fuel dilution in the same way as conventional oil does. As such, the oil simply holds said water and fuel in suspension, and boils them off on the rare occasion when you do get the engine sufficiently up to temperature (I mean, you can't _always_ be starting it cold, drive two miles and then shut it down for hours on end).
If you want to prove it to yourself, take a sample after 10,000 miles and send it in for analysis. If you do go to that extent, please, post the UOA here so that we can all have a good look-see. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## ajax1977 (Mar 16, 2005)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (george1961)*

Vw filter an d 6.3 qts of mobile one every 10k miles... along with a tire rotation. pollen filter every 20k, plugs, air and pollen filter every 40k, lube hinges and latches every 10k also.... recomend driving long and hard once daily to beach, strongly recomend taking lots of pictures while at beach and sharing with the vortex family.


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (spitpilot)*

This argument always crops up, conventional vs. synthetic and my approach has always been to do what keeps the warranty happy. 
But as a practical matter: has anyone heard of a true oil-related failure on any modern engine? I personaly know of several people who've changed "sporadically" at 6K mile intervals using conventional oil (what's on sale at Jiffy Lube fer chrisake) for 250K miles or more, using oil at no more than one qt per 2K miles. 
Finally: this is the first time I've had a car where they give credit for synthetic by allowing 10K miles between changes (so long as it's VW502) so I'm sticking to the recommended service intervals. Ultimately, I don't think it really matters as far as keeping the car running well: the only question is how much you care about your pocket book and your waste stream.
B


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## shipo (Jan 3, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (BuddyWh)*

While not as frequent as years gone by, there are oil related engine failures that pop up from time to time. I'm corresponding with a guy on a different board who has an Audi A4 3.0 with an engine that got so sludged that the oil screen clogged and the engine failed.
"What oil?" I asked. 
"I don't know, whatever Jiffy Lube puts in."
"Uh-huh, how long did you go between oil changes?"
"Ohhh, anywhere from five to eight thousand miles."


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (shipo)*

aaaaahh...well I guess I SHOULD add that none of those guys have/had turbos! 
Totally see how it's completely different when FI's involved, especially turbo's.


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## george1961 (Aug 25, 2007)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (BuddyWh)*

Thanks to all. I will use Synthetic at 10,000 km,s. Mostly highway driving.
Thanks again


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## spitpilot (Feb 14, 2000)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (shipo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *shipo* »_I'm thinking that you're missing a few key points:
1) VW doesn't just recommend 502.00 oil, they _require_ it. If your engine suffers some internal damage during the warranty period, it could cost you a lot of money if you cannot prove you used the correct oil.
2) Time is money; that's an indisputable fact. The more you spend time under your car, shopping for the best deal on oil and filters, and then disposing of them when the time comes, the less time you have for making money with other endeavors.
3) I'm thinking that it's a bad assumption that you can count on getting GTX for a buck a quart on a regular basis. As far as I can tell, the typical street price is between two and three dollars (and closer to three at that).
4) I'm also thinking that it's a bad assumption that you'll need to pay between six and seven dollars for 502.00 certified oil. FWIW, our local Walmart sells Mobil 1 0W-40 for $5.49 per quart.
5) Yes, I know that cheaper filters can be had for the 2.5, however, I've been hearing too many negatives for too long regarding aftermarket filters for VWs, hence the fact that I speced Mann filters above.
As far as going longer distances between oil changes doing the kind of driving that you do. I've read a significant number of UOAs from 2.5 liter VWs, many of which are driven as you drive, and so far at least, I've yet to see a single one that looked fully exhausted after 10,000 miles. The thing is, synthetic oils are so much more stable in the face of contaminates that they don't react to water and fuel dilution in the same way as conventional oil does. As such, the oil simply holds said water and fuel in suspension, and boils them off on the rare occasion when you do get the engine sufficiently up to temperature (I mean, you can't _always_ be starting it cold, drive two miles and then shut it down for hours on end).
If you want to prove it to yourself, take a sample after 10,000 miles and send it in for analysis. If you do go to that extent, please, post the UOA here so that we can all have a good look-see. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

I'm not missing any points...I'm basing my actions on my situation...I watched the synthetic oil mandate as VW rolled it out after the turbo failures in early Passats...the only problems with sludge they had was on turbo motors..but they RETROACTIVELY requiered the VW 5XX spec for all cars after 2000, even my V6 30V. Here in CA we have more competition among auto parts stores...(we have more than just VIP)...so someone's always having sales...I don't make special trips out to just buy a case of Castrol for 99 cents/quart....so happens there are two competing auto stores less than a block apart and located right next to big home improvement center that I frequent for house projects...so little extra spent in time or gas to get supplies. I change oil on Sat morning, with ramps...so maybe 10 mins outa my life..I don't sit there and watch it drain I got other things goin on..fixing a bike, working in yard etc.....
Benefits of DIY oil changes:
#1..Your oil gets changed HOT...you put it up on the ramps with engine hot an dump it...take it to the dealer at 7 am they may not change it till 2pm! Changin oil hot is most important to get maxium contamination out of engine.
#2...You get to see what's goin on under your car...not some oil change tech who gets a bonus by how fast he changes oil..you don't get the master tech at a dealer doin the oil jobs! Just spottin one problem early can save you big time and bucks!..Say a CV boot that you catch just as it cracks...you save axle and just spend $20 for a boot kit...
All that being said...I'm takin my new Rabbit in to dealer (as I do every new car I buy) for the first year or so..say two oil changes..that way I have bulletproof maintenance records during the "infant mortalaity" stage of car's life when most problems crop up...two oil changes will buy me perfect maintenance to 20K miles by VW's reccomendations and that should pretty much catch early failures. After that I'm back to my DIY plan....just had major powertrain warranty work done on the Passat and they didn't even ask for maintenance records..oil seal failures, cam adjust chain stretch not a maintenance issue...as are water pump failures, timing belt tensioner failures etc etc... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## shipo (Jan 3, 2006)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (spitpilot)*

Engines sludge, especially when they have fairly high specific outputs and are lubricated with conventional oil. Fact of life.
Ironically, I'm corresponing with a guy right now on a different board with a normally aspirated Audi engine, and gues what, it sludged so badly that the oil pan pick-up screen clogged and the engine failed. Yup, you guessed it, he changed his oil more often than the recommended OCI, however, he didn't use synthetic oil. Audi's not honoring his warranty and he's going to be out to the tune of $8,000 for a new motor.


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## NastradamasVR6 (Jul 8, 2009)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (george1961)*

do you know hoe many quarts of oil a jetta 2.5 holds?


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## MKVJET08 (Feb 12, 2008)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (NastradamasVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *NastradamasVR6* »_do you know hoe many quarts of oil a jetta 2.5 holds?










_Quote, originally posted by *ajax1977* »_Vw filter and 6.3 qts of mobile one every 10k miles...


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## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

Heh, I agree about the whole synthetic debate that is going on here. I just bought my Jetta 2 months ago at a Ford dealership which they put a synthetic blend in the car. I was even nervous being that my oil was a semi-synthetic! Today, 1900 miles later its at the mechanic getting Castrol Syntec 5w30 because I do not trust what the dealer put in the car for long term. I know these motors are particular for long term reliability and im not going to void my warranty over spending $15 less an oil change. Plus this oil change only costs $55 at this Foreign shop. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Its a no brainer! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## lokijetta (Oct 19, 2009)

My 2005 New Jetta 2.5L's owner manual recommends oil change at 5k intervals. Also confirmed this with my VW dealer.
I bought my car used from a Honda dealer and am sure he put the regular **** in there. I have changed oil just once yet - VW dealer had a summer special - syn oil for ~ $50.
@NastradamasVR6, 2.5L oil capacity is 5.8qt


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (lokijetta)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lokijetta* »_My 2005 New Jetta 2.5L's owner manual recommends oil change at 5k intervals. Also confirmed this with my VW dealer....

Check your manual again...5k interval for first 2 changes, 10k thereafter using VW502 oil. We would doubtless be perfectly safe running much longer, maybe even double, but warranty coverage is in jeopardy then.
Ignore your dealer if he doesn't tell you the complete truth, which they can rarely be trusted to it. Cars in Europe have used greatly extended drain intervals for quite some time now (using appropriate oils). For us, VW has provided both warranty coverage and an oil specification to ensure we use an oil suitable to the purpose (VW502) since European specification oils aren't widely available and are grossly misunderstood in the US. I'm more than happy to take full advantage of this and find it more than a tad annoying that VW's own dealer network is helping to perpetuate this myth. Not only is it a great unnecessary expense, but it's harmful to the environment.
An, to add to this 2.5's advantages for extended drain interval: it's a very strong design that is really lightly stressed and low revving in it's stock form. And much more important, it has a huge oil capacity for such a small displacement engine.



_Modified by BuddyWh at 8:30 AM 12-9-2009_


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## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

*Re: (BuddyWh)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BuddyWh* »_
And much more important, it has a huge oil capacity for such a small displacement engine.
_Modified by BuddyWh at 8:30 AM 12-9-2009_

Thats because it consumes more than average.


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## kungfoojesus (Jan 10, 2005)

castrol syntec should not be run in the vehicle for longer than 5k
why does nobody run 5w40? its no wonder all the people around here complain about burn off running group 3 oils of the wrong weight. 
funny, i broke my car in properly, used the best oil weight and quality... and I HAVE ZERO burn off over 5k miles I lose virtually nothing.
for my 09 they got rid of the 5k mile intervals. dunno why. i refuse to break an engine in on the same oil for 10k, just asking for trouble.


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## the_humeister (Sep 25, 2008)

*Re: (kungfoojesus)*

The only VW spec oil I can find in my area is Mobil 1. No one carries anything else.


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (rob454)*


_Quote, originally posted by *rob454* »_
Thats because it consumes more than average.









Not in my experience...I get about 7K mark before adding 1/2 quart.
And besides that, synthetic oil's mechanical properties are little affected at such low mileage. What is affected is the TBN, and the makeup oil boosts that back to like new. 
Some burn-off is good, not bad.


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (BuddyWh)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BuddyWh* »_
An, to add to this 2.5's advantages for extended drain interval: it's a very strong design that is really lightly stressed and low revving in it's stock form. And much more important, it has a huge oil capacity for such a small displacement engine.
_Modified by BuddyWh at 8:30 AM 12-9-2009_

Just a thought: add in the torque-y nature of this motor and it suddenly makes sense to me: this is a truck engine. Does anyone know if VW uses this in a commercial urban delivery van kind of truck? that really looks to be the best application...


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (NastradamasVR6)*


_Quote, originally posted by *NastradamasVR6* »_do you know hoe many quarts of oil a jetta 2.5 holds?









Depends on the model year. The older ones (150 hp) take 6 liters and the newer ones (170 hp) take 5.5 L or something like that.


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## lokijetta (Oct 19, 2009)

Talking abt the torquey engine .... after 6 months of ownership the only one thing I didn't like abt this car is no 6th gear


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## BuddyWh (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: (lokijetta)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lokijetta* »_Talking abt the torquey engine .... after 6 months of ownership the only one thing I didn't like abt this car is no 6th gear









Isn't that the truth...not trying to take it off topic but I really wish this thing had a longer-legged top gear even if it was 5th gear in the tranny it's got.


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## kungfoojesus (Jan 10, 2005)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (george1961)*


_Quote, originally posted by *george1961* »_HI, I just traded in my 2004 Jetta Diesel for a 2006 2.5 Jetta, low mileage. At what intervals should I have oil changes done and what type of oil, synthetic?
Thanks

5k miles for atleast the first 4 oil changes. then 10k after if you are using a group 4 PAO synthetic with the vw 502.00 rating. This will protect your warranty and the engine better than simply using any 502 oil that the dealership drops in. German Castrol is a good full synthetic, as well as mobil 1 0w40 european formula, and lubro moly full synthetic 5w40. I run lubro moly because Amsoil does not have 502.00 rating yet, and probably never will. Outside of warranty I would definitely run Amsoil 5w40 european formula, buying it by the case through dealers here on the tex that cut people good deals. Lubro Moly can be found at Napa, mobil 1 anywhere. Stick to the 0w40 and 5w40 european formulas.
Make sure to check the latest vw 502.00 oil list for whatever you decide to run. The engine warranty can be voided by using the "wrong" oil in your engine. Your manual tells you all the requirements, as well as many sources online.


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## [email protected] (Dec 5, 2005)

*FV-QR*

The dealer is going to tell you/recommend 10K service intervals after the first 10K miles. They do that for a number of reasons including the fact that the majority of people take into an account future maintenance costs when buying a new car. Is 10K intervals going to hurt anything? Most likely not, but it's an extra what...$60-80 every 2-3 months on average. It's going to significant reduce the potential for issues later on down the road.


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_The dealer is going to tell you/recommend 10K service intervals after the first 10K miles. They do that for a number of reasons including the fact that the majority of people take into an account future maintenance costs when buying a new car. Is 10K intervals going to hurt anything? Most likely not, but it's an extra what...$60-80 every 2-3 months on average. It's going to significant reduce the potential for issues later on down the road.

My dealer always tries to push 5k intervals


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## [email protected] (Dec 5, 2005)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *classicjetta* »_
My dealer always tries to push 5k intervals


It depends what dealership you go to, but VW and most dealers recommend 10K after the first 10.


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## Salty VW (Sep 2, 2004)

*Re: 2006 Jetta 2.5 litre Oil changes (BuddyWh)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BuddyWh* »_...I personaly know of several people who've changed "sporadically" at 6K mile intervals using conventional oil (what's on sale at Jiffy Lube fer chrisake) for 250K miles or more...

I honestly think that's most car owners now a days.


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## lokijetta (Oct 19, 2009)

Just checked my owners manual (2005.5 MKV New Jetta 2.5L) and it recommends 5k oil changes. But the Bentley manual recommends 10k for the 2005 engine.
Did VW try to play safe in the first year and then up the service interval once they realized the engines were reliable enough?


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## seanmcd72 (May 14, 2008)

*Re: (the_humeister)*


_Quote, originally posted by *the_humeister* »_The only VW spec oil I can find in my area is Mobil 1. No one carries anything else.

Check your local Napa for "Lubro Moly" 5w40. It's 502.00 and sells for about $45 for 6L
My manual states to change it at 5K, 10K, then 20K and every 10K after that. As always - it all depends on how hard you drive the car. If you drive it super easy, you can go 10K intervals easy. If you drive it kind of hard, I'd say go 5K or 7K. I think it's pointless to change the oil after 3K miles anymore. Way too early unless you race your car every single day...


_Modified by seanmcd72 at 9:32 AM 1-23-2010_


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## cryption (Mar 28, 2006)

I change mine every 3-5k with Valvoline synthetic 5w40, or Mobil 0w40. Sure I may change it more frequently then necessary - but it's just an oil change and not really expensive when you think about the long term benefits it has on the car. Why not just do it and not wonder if you are changing it soon enough? Flame me all you want - but I'll be sticking with 3-5k intervals (usually closer to 3 than 5) more for my peace of mind then anything.
Plus, I have an excel spreadsheet I put anything in and keep all the receipts so I don't worry about loosing warranty. 


_Modified by cryption at 11:32 AM 1-29-2010_


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: (lokijetta)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lokijetta* »_Just checked my owners manual (2005.5 MKV New Jetta 2.5L) and it recommends 5k oil changes. But the Bentley manual recommends 10k for the 2005 engine.
Did VW try to play safe in the first year and then up the service interval once they realized the engines were reliable enough? 

Are you sure it doesn't say 1.8T at the top of the 15k page?


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## lokijetta (Oct 19, 2009)

Huh. There never was a 1.8T in the new Jetta MKV. Mebbe someone else with a 2005.5 New Jetta can confirm this from their owners manual?


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: (lokijetta)*


_Quote, originally posted by *lokijetta* »_Huh. There never was a 1.8T in the new Jetta MKV. Mebbe someone else with a 2005.5 New Jetta can confirm this from their owners manual?

Actually there is in China. But my point was that the service booklet isn't model specific. They have everything from Golf to Phaeton and thus you have to look closely to see if a particular interval is relevant to your car.


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