# Best Oil Type/Filter?



## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

I've been doing some research online but everyone posts different combinations of oil. 

Some recommend 0W40, others 5W40 and 5W30. 

I know most of you run a bunch of tests in your car and look for the minimal performance increases. I'd like to use that knowledge to my advantage and make my car run better. 

I'm a fan of Mobil 1 Synthetic but what type of oil would you recommend? Also for the filter whats the best replacement? 

Thanks in advance! So far you guys helped me out a lot!


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## hermes350GT (Oct 18, 2013)

A bunch of us run mobil 1 0w-40 I believe, and I have had no complaints with it, especially with walmart selling 5 qt. jugs of it for ~$25. As for filter, I usually go OEM or mann. (advanced auto surprisingly carries mann).


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

There is no magic snake oil that adds power. You're not going to squeeze out extra HP from the "best" oil. That said, Mobil is cheap and available and fine for 90% of users who don't abuse their cars on tracks. I run Amsoil. OEM or Mann filter, the bigger ones from the Passat, though I'm using an Amsoil filter currently.


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

20v master said:


> There is no magic snake oil that adds power. You're not going to squeeze out extra HP from the "best" oil. That said, Mobil is cheap and available and fine for 90% of users who don't abuse their cars on tracks. I run Amsoil. OEM or Mann filter, the bigger ones from the Passat, though I'm using an Amsoil filter currently.


I know oil doesn't increase horsepower. That's why I'm talking about performance and how the engine performs depending on which mixture suits the 1.8T better. I was using 5W30 Mobil 1 for my previous car with no issues. Also at Walmart they sell it for like $25. So I guess I'll stick to Mobil 1 and go with 0-W40? 

I ask because in my previous platform guys would run Royal Purple and swear it increases 3whp and all this crazy stuff lol. I wouldn't spend that much for 3 horses. I'll gain that power losing 5lbs on a diet haha! 

For the oil filter anyone has the stock brand? My old car used ACDELCO, anyone has a link so I can check if my local autozone has it? I don't trust their system and "their brand" products they try to sell you to make commission. 


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## 20v master (May 7, 2009)

Autozone isn't going to carry OEM VW/Audi filters. They may have Mann 940.25, which is the bigger style. My local one does, but they're about $11/each, or you can order a 5 pack from ECS for ~$27. 

https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKI-Quattro-225HP/Engine/Oil_Service/Filter/

With the larger filter, capacity goes from 4.6Q to 5 flat. Makes those 5 quart Mobil jugs perfect for fill and recycle purposes. :laugh:


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

20v master said:


> Autozone isn't going to carry OEM VW/Audi filters. They may have Mann 940.25, which is the bigger style. My local one does, but they're about $11/each, or you can order a 5 pack from ECS for ~$27.
> 
> https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKI-Quattro-225HP/Engine/Oil_Service/Filter/
> 
> With the larger filter, capacity goes from 4.6Q to 5 flat. Makes those 5 quart Mobil jugs perfect for fill and recycle purposes. :laugh:


Awesome!! This is what I loved about my last car. It was 5 quarts flat and just pour the whole thing no measuring required. I was disappointed I was gonna have to keep .5 until my next oil change and recycle. I'll definitely do the bigger oil filter. Thanks for the info man! I dont think my car needs an oil change yet but rather be safe than sorry.


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

Where are you located? If like many of us you have a real winter, use 5w30/5w40 winter and 15w30 or 15w50 summer. If you're in a place like Folrida just use the 15 weight oil year round. 

As for oil brand, it's kind of like religion, everyone has their favorite, and tend to be very passionate about it. I like real full syntetics with high ZDDP levels. To get that, you probably have to go to Amsoil or other exotic oil brands that are likely classified as "racing only" because they add higher level of ZDDP than maximum certifications (today's certifications are for mostly caterimg to emissions, not engine protection or performance). I used to run Amsoil and was a dealer for a long time, but their ZZDP levels have dropped over the years to meet certification levels. I have recently switched to Valvoline VR1 Racing full synthetic . If shopping for Valvoline VR1, make sure it's the racing sythetic as they also have a non-sythetic VR1 racing too that is just as good if not better (just requires shorter service intervals).


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

I'm in New York so the winter is pretty rough. I'll have to keep this in mind. Since I'm changing the oil prob by beggining of November it should last me until Spring or so. So your best recommendation for winter is 5W30? And then once spring / warmer weather hits I can do 15W30? What's different/better compared to the 0W40? 


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## Gonzalo1495 (Feb 2, 2015)

Marcus_Aurelius said:


> If you're in a place like Folrida just use the 15 weight oil year round.


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

Lucky Florida people, they don't even need to do emissions -_-


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## Gonzalo1495 (Feb 2, 2015)

dieGone said:


> Lucky Florida people, they don't even need to do emissions -_-
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Exhaust bangs all day long son :laugh:


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

dieGone said:


> I'm in New York so the winter is pretty rough. I'll have to keep this in mind. Since I'm changing the oil prob by beggining of November it should last me until Spring or so. So your best recommendation for winter is 5W30? And then once spring / warmer weather hits I can do 15W30? What's different/better compared to the 0W40?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ok, I'm in NY too. For our climate, 5w30 or 5w40 is perfect for the cold months, while from May to September you can switch to the heavier oil. Running 0w40 is like running water, with the engine warmed up and boosting it's way too thin of a blend.


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## Badgerfetus (Oct 1, 2014)

I live in FL and I'm running LiquiMoly 5w-30


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

I've used Mobil 1 Ow-40 exclusively for six years now year-round. I live in Upstate NY and drive my car all winter long (with regrets b/c of our salted roads, of course). I also use the Mobil 1 oil filter (M1-205?)


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

lite1979 said:


> I've used Mobil 1 Ow-40 exclusively for six years now year-round. I live in Upstate NY and drive my car all winter long (with regrets b/c of our salted roads, of course). I also use the Mobil 1 oil filter (M1-205?)


Nothing to regret man. I bought AWD on purpose so I can enjoy it in the snow 


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

lite1979 said:


> I've used Mobil 1 Ow-40 exclusively for six years now year-round. I live in Upstate NY and drive my car all winter long (with regrets b/c of our salted roads, of course). I also use the Mobil 1 oil filter (M1-205?)


Brave man, have you seen what 0-w looks like at the operating temperature that we see when pushing our turbocharged cars? Scary stuff if you ask me...


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## dieGone (Sep 25, 2015)

Marcus_Aurelius said:


> Brave man, have you seen what 0-w looks like at the operating temperature that we see when pushing our turbocharged cars? Scary stuff if you ask me...


You know everything about this platform man. You're gonna be my new best friend haha. I sent you a PM btw not sure if you got it? Sometimes tapatalk craps out on me.


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## hermes350GT (Oct 18, 2013)

Marcus_Aurelius said:


> Brave man, have you seen what 0-w looks like at the operating temperature that we see when pushing our turbocharged cars? Scary stuff if you ask me...


how scary we talking?


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

I really never beat on my car, and I started using that since back in the day it was a VW 502 00 and 505 00. I've never seen any reason to change brands since I can almost always find a 5qt +oil filter = $35 at one of the local parts stores. 

I'll press the gas a little here and there to have fun, but I'm not tracking it. The only oil-related problems I've had so far have been the usual PCV and oil-cooler-O-ring, and I'm about to replace my rear main seal (155k miles).


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

dieGone said:


> You know everything about this platform man. You're gonna be my new best friend haha. I sent you a PM btw not sure if you got it? Sometimes tapatalk craps out on me.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Got it! Sent you some contact info because the PM box is the worst way to get a hold of me. :beer:


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## Marcus_Aurelius (Mar 1, 2012)

hermes350GT said:


> how scary we talking?


Scary as in not looking like normal viscous oil but closer to water at around 200 deg. It is not unusual to see 205-215 deg after just a few spirited pulls done consecutively in our cars. If tracking, people have seen upward of 245 deg sustained after 15-20 min of abuse. 



lite1979 said:


> I really never beat on my car, and I started using that since back in the day it was a VW 502 00 and 505 00. I've never seen any reason to change brands since I can almost always find a 5qt +oil filter = $35 at one of the local parts stores.
> 
> I'll press the gas a little here and there to have fun, but I'm not tracking it. The only oil-related problems I've had so far have been the usual PCV and oil-cooler-O-ring, and I'm about to replace my rear main seal (155k miles).


I understand and there is nothing wrong with running whatever (even conventional non-syntetic oil will work at moderate usage). But why pick the wrong mulit-grade oil for your motor when the poroper grade is available at no extra cost or hassle? Unless living at the poles, I don't see why one would want to run 0W. It's kind of like someone deciding to run 5w20 or 10w20 in our motor, it'll still run, but the hot viscosity of 20 would not be appropriate for the application. 


These charts should help with the decision when picking the proper oil for your use but mostly climate since you baby the car:


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## lite1979 (Sep 9, 2005)

Like I said, I used it because it was a VW approved oil. At the time, it was the only one I could find on the shelf, and I've been using it ever since. Before having a 1.8t, I always used 10w-40 conventional oil in all of my vehicles. This was all based on my father's experience with driving his '90 Jetta 30k miles a year for 11 years. 

I'm willing to try a different oil as long as it's safe; I got the 502 00 rhetoric jammed into my ears at the time. Why is it that VW/Audi only approve certain oils?


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## TheDeckMan (Sep 26, 2004)

Been running 10-60 Liquimoly for track use, 5-40 Shell Rotella T6 for street use.


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## youngblood3076r (Sep 3, 2015)

dieGone said:


> Lucky Florida people, they don't even need to do emissions -_-
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm in Mississippi...None here either..No state inspection at all lol

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## SCANB (Nov 5, 2015)

*0w-40 too thin?*

Please see this link: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/

Bob Is The Oil Guy (or BITOG) is an amazing Internet resource for anything regarding industrial/automotive lubrication. The link above is an introductory discussion to help enthusiasts like us understand some of the more technical details concerning the proper lubricants to use in our cars. If you've never had the chance to read it, I can recommend it very highly. In my case, it made me realize that, for years now, I had been using the wrong viscosity oil in my 225 TTQ! Also, one of their numerous forums discusses oil filters, too.


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## mlema11 (Dec 3, 2018)

Marcus_Aurelius said:


> Brave man, have you seen what 0-w looks like at the operating temperature that we see when pushing our turbocharged cars? Scary stuff if you ask me...


Hey bud, a little confused at your comment because 0w is the viscosity of oil at cold temperatures, for engine operating temperatures I am pretty sure we need to be looking at the second number after the 0w.

For example, a 0w-40 weight oil and a 5w-40 weight oil should have the same viscosity at your engine's operating temperature. 

Mike


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## asiwa (Dec 18, 2014)

mlema11 said:


> Hey bud, a little confused at your comment because 0w is the viscosity of oil at cold temperatures, for engine operating temperatures I am pretty sure we need to be looking at the second number after the 0w.
> 
> For example, a 0w-40 weight oil and a 5w-40 weight oil should have the same viscosity at your engine's operating temperature.
> 
> Mike


Not quite. Because the oil needs to have a wider range of viscosities (all the way from 0 weight up to 40 weight when hot) the oil winds up thinner overall. If you were to run 0w-40 and 5w-40 next to each other, you would be able to see that even when hot the 0w-40 is a thinner oil.

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## SCANB (Nov 5, 2015)

*Not Quite, Indeed*

Actually, milema 11 is right. A 0w-40 weight oil and a 5w-40 weight oil *do* have the *same* viscosity at normal engine operating temperature. 

Here's a comparison of *HOT* oil viscosity that I got directly from the Redline website:

Redline Oils:
15W-40 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 14.5
10W-40 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 15.1
5W-40 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 15.6
0W-40 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 15.4

As you can see, all the oils are nearly the same viscosity once the engine is at full operating temperature (100°C). In fact, Red Line 0W-40 is actually a little bit thicker than their 15W-40! But these differences are too small to be significant. Essentially, they are all the same at normal operating temp.

Since they are the same at operating temp, what you really want is an oil that is as thin as possible when cold. Most engine wear takes place at cold start-up when the oil hasn't gotten to the lubrication points. A thinner oil will pump up into the engine much faster.

*COLD* viscosity readings from the Redline website:

0W-40 Vis @ 40°C, cSt = 86
5W-40 Vis @ 40°C, cSt = 97

The 5W-40 is significantly thicker when cold. Note that the readings are taken at 40°C which is not exactly cold (about 104°F). In real-world conditions the difference in thickness at start-up would be even greater. The 0W-40 oil flows faster when cold, pumps up into the engine quicker and would protect the engine better.

On the other hand, _*I would never use a 0W-40 oil*_ in my 2005 Audi TT 225 Quattro.

The owner's manual says, "*0W- 30 oil should be used 'across all temperature ranges for normal driving*.'” Put simply, Audi/VW engineers designed the engine with a 30-weight oil in mind.

Comparison of '30' and '40' oil *HOT* viscosity from the Redline website:

0W-30 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 11.7
0W-40 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 15.4

That's a significant difference. According to the engine's design parameters, 0W-40 is thicker than necessary. If the engineers thought a '40' oil would be more appropriate, that's what they would have specified.

One of the many important reasons to use a '30' instead of a '40' is the turbo, which, obviously, gets very hot. The '30' flows through the turbo faster, carrying away the excess heat more efficiently. The '40' might produce greater oil pressure, but would not cool and lubricate the turbo as well.

Please do not confuse oil pressure with lubrication. A higher oil pressure merely means it takes more effort to force the oil through the bearing – which equates to a slow, impeded flow of oil. Less oil flow means less lubrication. If oil pressure were somehow the thing that lubricated the engine, we would all be using 90-weight engine oil. You might have incredible oil pressure, but it would obviously be a disaster since very little oil would actually get through the bearings.

'30' vs '40' *COLD* viscosity comparison from the Redline site:

0W-30 Vis @ 40°C, cSt = 69 
0W-40 Vis @ 40°C, cSt = 86


Even though they are both '0W', the '40' is way thicker than the '30' when cold. After the car has been sitting all night (or, like my car, a couple of days), the '40' would take longer to get pumped up into the dry engine = more wear.

And last, '30' oil *HOT vs COLD*:

0W-30 Vis @ 40°C, cSt = 69
0W-30 Vis @ 100°C, cSt = 11.7

If the engine is designed to use an oil with viscosity of about 12 when hot, even the 0W-30 is still way too thick when cold. It's just the closest you can get and stay within the normal operating temp design parameters. Lesson - let the engine warm up before you push it.

Of course, if you track your car (I don't), the above doesn't apply. Higher operating temperatures encountered at the track would require different oil considerations.

I drive my car fast and hard, but it's all around-town with occasional trips through the mountain curves and long Interstate hauls. I've never used anything but a quality 0W-30 oil and, at over 100k miles, she still doesn't use a drop between oil changes. The car simply doesn't need anything thicker for normal spirited use.

My $0.02.


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## mlema11 (Dec 3, 2018)

That’s for the backup, solid write up.

Source: Mechanical Engineer 


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