# Oil recommendation mk4 2.0 AQY



## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Could any body tell me the recommended oil for an mk4 2.0 model year 2000 with AQY engine.

I have been using shell 15w50.
Should I continue with it ?
The car has done 200k km.
Temp is between 30 till 40 degree in summer.

Please share with me your recommend oil type.
Am afraid if I shift to 5w30 that I will face an oil eating engine, is that true?

Please share with me your recommendation...

Many thanks for you


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## NWFDUB (May 30, 2015)

I run the 5w-40 synthetic liqui moly in the dark blue bottle. can be sourced locally in US at NAPA for about $45. Many run the Mobil one 0w-30, I use that along with a LM engine flush, which I do every oil change( 6 month intervals) I have tried the 5w.-30 from Liqui Moly also. Best performance hands down 5w-40 year round. It has all the specs for our cars. it eats a little oil, but it doesn't take the 5 liter to fill up so there is always some left over to top off.


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks a lot, but am changing it at the moment


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

I will try your opinion the next change


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## NWFDUB (May 30, 2015)

Your welcome.


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Guys everybody is welcomed to share his experience thus we could share the best oil used for our mk4s. 

Enjoy the day...


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## Nugget Beercase (Jul 10, 2016)

I've used Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40 and 0w-40 in my AQY. (we have cold winters here)

Both seem to work well, no additional lifter noises, normal mileage. Engine sounded good even just before this years oil change. I had to add maybe 0.6-0.7l during the course of one year / 9000km driving when I was using the 5w. 

The reason I swapped to 0w was that with the 5w in the engine, it could have cranked better when we had -25 to -30 degrees C on the coldest days. 

Helix Ultra seems to be affordable and works fine. Next time I'll try using something more expensive like Castrol Edge to see if there are any differences in engine sound, mileage, power delivery smoothness etc.

EDIT: Mine has done ~234k km. Forgot to mention, I had slightly better emissions in my annual MOT with the 0w than with the 5w. Pretty much everything else on the engine is the same as last year... plugs, coil pack, fuel filter, fuel type, air filter etc.


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Nice, so better crank in the winter & better emissions with 0w than with the 5w.

Thanks for the info 

Just thinking loudly with u, isn't it better to use oil with high viscosity when the engine is cold or in extreme winter conditions specially when the car is cold? Am not am engineer just came to my mind so I asked. 

Have a nice day


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## Nugget Beercase (Jul 10, 2016)

helmyv5 said:


> Just thinking loudly with u, isn't it better to use oil with high viscosity when the engine is cold or in extreme winter conditions specially when the car is cold? Am not am engineer just came to my mind so I asked.


The first number before the letter W is viscosity when oil is cold. Lower numbers have better properties (they basically flow better and thus lubricate and protect the engine faster) when subjected to extreme cold ambient temperatures. 

The latter number defines oil properties and suitability to hotter climates/higher ambient temperatures. 

0w-40 is basically suitable from -35C to +50C ambient temps
5w-40 from -30C to +50C
5w-30 would be from -30C to +40C 
etc.

An oil should be chosen according to manufacturer recommendation plus expected ambient temperature range before next oil change.


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

That's a very nice info for me, thank you.
So, when using 15w50, do I have to wait little till the engine warm up then go?

Should I shift to 5w40 instead of 15w50 as per the manufacturer ?
Tell me your opinion please?

Thank you a lot


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## Nugget Beercase (Jul 10, 2016)

helmyv5 said:


> That's a very nice info for me, thank you.
> So, when using 15w50, do I have to wait little till the engine warm up then go?
> 
> Should I shift to 5w40 instead of 15w50 as per the manufacturer ?
> ...


I'd use 5W40. But if you live in a hot area where the temperature never drops below 0 degrees C even in winter, you are fine with the 15W50. 

Let the engine run for 10-15 seconds after startup before taking off - no need to wait any longer than that. This is with any type of oil. 

As long as the oil you are using meets VW502.00 specification (you should find that on the oil bottle/can) you can use any viscosity - as long as it is suitable for the ambient temperatures in your area. Do a google image search for "oil viscosity chart" to get a better idea.


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thank you Nugget Beercase


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## garryt (Dec 22, 2016)

depends how hard you run the car too. if you're a wise driver then go for the thinnest oil you can to start with. then if it starts burning more than you're happy with, go up a grade next time you change it:thumbup:


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## helmyv5 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks garryt for sharing the info. Yea it varies depending on your driving. Sometimes am not a wise driver, specially when going to work. Good day guys


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## Nugget Beercase (Jul 10, 2016)

Glad to be of help helmyv5. 

In one message, I mentioned I'd try a more expensive oil next time. 

I've now been running Castrol EDGE FST-Ti for the last two oil change intervals. 

Normally, oils are very hard to tell apart from one another (Like how the engine sounds, gas mileage, other "seat of the pants" stuff) 

But, this time I _can_ definitely spot one difference, which is _noticeably_ less sludge in the PCV system than with the Helix Ultra. No other changes have been made to my driving habits or usual routes. Just much less goop in the pipe that goes from under the oil cap to the intake duct. 

I was preparing for my annual PCV cleanup, since 2.0 engines can have mayo issues in the PCV system if your usual trips are short and the weather is cold. I was surprised that with the EDGE oil I could probably have skipped the whole process altogether, there wasn't much mayo at all.


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