# how often you change engine oil ?



## Fantomasz (Aug 15, 2001)

owners manual say 10k but what you do ?


----------



## GrkPranksta69 (Jan 11, 2009)

Anywhere from 4-5 thousand miles


----------



## HIBB 304 (Nov 8, 2008)

Every 5000 here.


----------



## WarlockVW (Sep 21, 2008)

I change mine every 5k as well.


----------



## nothing-leaves-stock (Mar 1, 2005)

3-4K
seen too many lower levels of oil inbetween oil changes and also the filters....we have seen a few filters after 5K burnt, hard and fall apart.
customers cars i put 3K stickers on them.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

5k


----------



## stangg172006 (Jul 21, 2006)

You're supposed to do it @ 5k, 10k, 15k, 20k, 30k, 40k, 50k etc etc...


----------



## nothing-leaves-stock (Mar 1, 2005)

i'll NEVER do it more then 5K ever. oil MAY hadle it but the paper filter can't, the level WILL go down, leaks, burn etc and then crap fromt he engine and pcv system..NO WAY. not here.

remember when mk4's 1.8T timing belt at 100K when they came out...too many broke so they dropped it now to 65 or 70K. no way will i trust long term bs from VW again. 3K for me its only a few bucks for an oil change VS 1000's for a motor.


----------



## vw93to85 (May 10, 2007)

Every 5k with MOTUL 8100 X-cess 5W-40.


----------



## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

4k


----------



## LampyB (Apr 2, 2007)

i do 5K-7K miles. always inspect the filter afterward and i've never seen any degrading problems at all. oil looks just fine too. i don't mind putting in a little bit of oil in between changes if necessary, but my car never seems to burn it off or lose anything between changes. no reason to change fully synthetic oil at 3-4K miles, come on now this is what you do with non-syntec. If VW recommends 
10K mile intervals you're just wasting money doing it every 3-4K. it's not like we've got a turbo in this car either, the engine is solid and i've never heard of a single person with sludge problems to date.


----------



## efsiller (Apr 13, 2009)

10K, change filter every 5K and refill. Mobil1 0w-40


----------



## nothing-leaves-stock (Mar 1, 2005)

yet we see messed up filters, MELTED filter housings, low levels, hard, crushy filters.....no worries


----------



## Cabrio60 (Oct 14, 2006)

Every 5,000 miles with Lubro Moly Voll-Synthese 5w40 in year round, with OEM filter.


----------



## EricRK (Nov 4, 2009)

Do it every 5k maximum. $40-60 per change at the dealer, even if you did it 3 times a year at the higher end of the cost spectrum you're spending $180 annually which puts my stretched timing chain(its been mentioned that infrequent oil changes and low levels could be a cuplrit) which costs $3200 at my dealer to replace, to shame. I dont blame oil for the stretching but its good preventative maintenance that you shouldnt skimp on!


----------



## efsiller (Apr 13, 2009)

I find it hard to believe that an ACEA A3, B3/B4 and VW 502.00/505.00/503.01 oil such as Mobil1 0w-40 could not "last" 10K. 

By definition the ACEA B3 & VW 503.01 are for extended drain, if I remember is for up to 18K.

Granted the filter would be the weakest link there, so just replace the filter at 5K and refill.


----------



## japoipnoi (Oct 31, 2005)

3300 miles exact.


----------



## efsiller (Apr 13, 2009)

every 3300 miles w/syn oil?
What did you used to do w/conventional oil?


----------



## seanmcd72 (May 14, 2008)

I do it every 5K but it TRULY depends on how you drive and what the conditions are like where you drive. I think 3K would be way too soon unless you are beating the crap out of your engine. Stock filter has never looked or felt like anything but dirty when I've removed it after 5K. Get your oil analyzed if you want to know.


----------



## magics5rip (Mar 17, 2004)

I've read independent studies that show Mobil 1 protecting agents lasting over 29xxx miles, seems like a waste to be changing oil every 3k if its still good. 

Full synthetics should be good for anywhere between 5-10k for regular daily driver conditions. At least, I've never had a problem with this practice and have seen consistent economy with no change in how the engine feels using this change interval. 3k mile changes were suggeted in the 50s, possibly even before then, when design was cruder and oils may not have been as refined. I used to run dino oils to 5-6k on my old Dodge Daytonas and there was never an oil related problem. 

I'm completely convinced I could run 10k+ on one change of synthetic. But hey, peace of mind is worth it for $50 every 7500 miles.


----------



## richard_rsp (Mar 17, 2010)

hmmmm... 

now that I have been totally scared (im at 6,200 on factory fill), i think i will schedule an oil change tomorrow... 

in all seriousness, thank you. I was wondering about this. 10k seems so long, but way too long for the first initial change... 

i just read the 9500 mile Lab Report on the 09 Jetta... thinking that it might be a good idea to get some of those break-in sediments out.

and sorry for my ignorance, but is the factory oil some sort of synthetic or is it just 100% dino-oil?

EDIT: Called to set up an appointment today. Tech says its synthetic and uses over 6 quarts (!). and in related news: HOLY $91 Oil Change!


----------



## dmgraz (Jan 3, 2008)

Every 2k. Mostly city driving


----------



## LaTuFu (Feb 24, 2005)

If you're running full syn, less than 5k intervals are just a waste of money. Unless you're towing a tractor pull sled daily, stopping and going every 100 yards...

I used to argue "either way" about VW switching from 5k intervals to 10k intervals, until my 2.0T motor started showing up a quart+ short around 5-6k into the interval.

I just picked up a rabbit with the 2.5, I plan to stick to a 5k interval. Yeah, its not a turbo, but like others have said, its not that much more expensive to do it every 5k, and its way cheaper than a rebuild. :beer:


----------



## dmgraz (Jan 3, 2008)

not synthetic, south florida has traffic lights every 100 yrds


----------



## XM_Rocks (Jan 29, 2005)

5k or 6 mos whichever comes first.


----------



## zig0zag (Sep 5, 2004)

I go 5k I always change my own oil just used castrol the last two times. I am going to have to go to a dealer or shop this year though because im moving and will have no access to a place I can change my own oil or anywhere to take used oil.


----------



## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

Now that I'm driving about 4,000 miles/year, I've switched to just changing it every spring. Before when I was driving 12k/year mostly highway, I would change it every 10k.


----------



## MKVJET08 (Feb 12, 2008)

EricRK said:


> Do it every 5k maximum. $40-60 per change at the dealer...


I wish I could go to your dealer. I'm paying $80-85 per oil change at my dealership.


----------



## _V-Dubber_ (Jan 30, 2007)

It's not really just the mileage, it's also how long you use the oil too guys. Oil breaks down over time, just like gasoline. You cant start up a car with a year old gasoline can you? So why would you do the same with your oil? Synthetic oil is good for 10K miles OR 1 year, whichever comes first.

My 2010 Golf has free scheduled maintenance but I've had the car almost a year and I only have 4300miles on it. It'd take me another year just to get close to the 10K miles change interval but no way am I running the same oil for 2 years in a young engine just breaking in. I'm paying for it to be changed at 5K miles next month. Screw waiting 2yrs for 10K miles for VW to cover it :thumbdown:


----------



## efsiller (Apr 13, 2009)

The VW care free maintenance is every 10k OR 12 months, whichever comes first. So if you already have a year you can go get the service at the dealership


----------



## XM_Rocks (Jan 29, 2005)

efsiller said:


> The VW care free maintenance is every 10k OR 12 months, whichever comes first. So if you already have a year you can go get the service at the dealership


Yep.

My wifes car was PDI'd in March 2010... we bought it in June with ~300 miles on it.

So if we did the Carefree we would have to wait until June.

Her car just rolled 5k miles so I am itching to change the oil in March... I would have already changed it if it wasn't for the break-in fluids in the oil.

For the past 3 years I have done my own oil changes.

I don't trust the dealer and they use Castrol Syntec which imo is crap.


----------



## racerd911 (Oct 7, 2005)

I follow the owners guide. Every 10K miles with Synthetic (yes, first change iwas at 5K, then 10K, then every 10K thereafter iirc). 93K miles and no issues yet. My commute is mostly highway with plenty of time to heat up the oil and burn off any condensation.


----------



## _V-Dubber_ (Jan 30, 2007)

XM_Rocks said:


> I don't trust the dealer and they use *Castrol Syntec which imo is crap*.


 How is it crap? Ok how about in addition to when you change your oil, we should all say what oil we prefer to use. My money is on the new Castrol Edge :thumbup:


----------



## H3LVTCA (Oct 27, 2004)

I change my oil every 3k-5k, which ends up being twice a year. Typically in the Spring and then again in the Fall, which also coincides with my summer/winter setup rotation.


----------



## WannabeA3 (Sep 21, 2010)

Every 3,500 miles for me. Even with full synthetic, its still oil and breaks down. Filters in these cars are even worse. Nothing more than 3,500 for me.


----------



## MK5CNY (Sep 4, 2007)

5k miles 

...can I suggest a Poll for Vortex...seems like a lot of replies could have just been a simple click of a button to answer this, just sayin'. Were they here once?


----------



## scottbob99 (Jan 28, 2008)

First was at 5k and every 10k after that. I drive 40k a year with 55 mile one way commute. It's got 82k and all i've changed is the tires, rear brakes, spark plugs and oil.


----------



## tagsvags (Nov 25, 2005)

*SPRING OR FALL oil change?*

I change oil and oil filter in the Rabbit and the GTI once a year or every 3K. Once a year comes up before the 3K. 
I need your opinion as to when to change. Should it be spring or fall. The Rabbit 2.5L is driven year around and the GTI spends November-March in storage. I have been changing them both in the spring anyone have any thoughts from the VTEXRS?


----------



## TeamZleep (Aug 28, 2007)

Wow... I have 75k on an 08... so 25k a year.  When I was na I changed every 10k (only lost half a quart of oil between changes, looked good still too). Never had an issue with the filter/housing, nada. 

Now that I'm turbo, I'm nearing 6500 and I'm changing it this week. Sad thing is that the consumption hasn't changed, and it still looks good. I figure every 6-7.5k with my current setup will be fine. I look at how often some of you change your oil and my jaw drops, but yet again, I put on about 25k a year...


----------



## Dantoweed60 (Feb 2, 2010)

when my engine was NA, the oil never seemed to get dirty even at 10K miles. I just turned 5K on my turbo install and the oil is black! changed it at 5//k and will keep a close watch on it. but it was unusually dirty. 
what are the experiences with other turbo drivers?


----------



## TeamZleep (Aug 28, 2007)

Dantoweed60 said:


> when my engine was NA, the oil never seemed to get dirty even at 10K miles. I just turned 5K on my turbo install and the oil is black! changed it at 5//k and will keep a close watch on it. but it was unusually dirty.
> what are the experiences with other turbo drivers?


 That's odd... Mine still looks clean... Hmmmmm....


----------



## tay272 (Aug 22, 2007)

I change mine every 5k when the service interval light comes on in the dash. It could go longer but Id rather have the piece of mind. Idk about my oil not lookin dirty tho, you cant see through it but its not completely black when its comin out. Still looks like pretty used oil, not clean like when it goes in.


----------



## vdubbed81 (Dec 14, 2000)

scottbob99 said:


> First was at 5k and every 10k after that. I drive 40k a year with 55 mile one way commute. It's got 82k and all i've changed is the tires, rear brakes, spark plugs and oil.


 
Similar story here. 35K a year, all highway, 75K on the car, 10K interval oil changes... I've changed rear brakes, tires, and oil.


----------



## cryption (Mar 28, 2006)

09 With 51k. Change oil every 5k miles. I've changed a lot of oil.


----------



## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)




----------



## elf911 (Jul 27, 2007)

Every 5k actually justy did mine today and was glad I did....was pretty dark and beat up


----------

