# 2.5 Burning Oil (lots)



## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

I had my car in the shop today for its 2nd set of brakes in 28,500 miles, don't ask how cause I don't know. I would say I drive my car harder than average, but I certainly don't beat on it. It's been dealer serviced since I got it.
The dealer had originally replaced the brakes at 10,000 miles for free under warranty. Now they were going again. I made it clear that I didn't know why they were going so quickly. The dealer made me a fair offer...they would cover the labor but I had to buy the parts since I did get nearly 20,000 miles off of them. Fair deal. No problem.
When they called me to tell me that my car was ready, they said that the oil light had come on when the tech drove the car into the garage. Let me just say that I have NEVER had the oil light come on for me. When they checked, the oil was "low" and they asked if I wanted them to do an oil change. Since it's due for service in 1,500 miles, I said no I would just add oil now and get it changed done then.
So when I got there, they sold me a quart of oil, which I added to the car. When I checked the dip stick, it was bone dry. I was still a bit confused, so I started the car up till it idled down. No oil light. I turned the car off, went back inside, and bought 2 more quarts. I ended up putting both in, at which point the oil was still barely touching the bottom of the dip stick. Went back in, bought 2 more quarts. I ended up adding another full quart to get in well into the safe range (for a total of 4!!!).
When I went back inside, the tech that I'd been dealing with was very concerned about the situation, as I was. We decided that I would keep a close eye on how much oil it was burning for the next 1,500 miles and decide what to do when I brought it back in for service. He also mentioned it to the tech next to him. The guy responded that it is normal for that engine to burn a quart of oil every 1,000 to 1,500 miles.
I was absolutely amazed to hear that. It makes no sense to me. If that's true, the car would completely run out of oil between recommended changes at a 10,000 mile interval (which is recommended in the book).
1. Has anyone else had this problem? This is a major concern, right?
2. Shouldn't the oil light come on a long time before it gets to that point (I sure thought so)?
3. I still can not believe that the engine should be burning so much oil. I plan on calling some other dealerships and asking their opinion, including the one I bought it from (I bought it at home, but I am usually at school when it's time to get it serviced). Even still, is another dealer going to be willing to help me out when I haven't been bringing my car to them?
4. What can/should I do about this?

_Edit: I stuck my head under the car and looked at the oil pan...no signs of a leak._ 


_Modified by calvz at 8:40 PM 8-21-2007_


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## rangerbrown (Jul 12, 2007)

1. read the book again and the dealer will confirm the oil change is very 5k then at 10K and then 15K it is worded wrong in the book and seems like you get 10k oil changes
as for buring oil, it is normal for any engine to use some oil, more so if your spirited in driveing style. but, to a point. you shouldnt use more than a 1/2 qt between oil changes at the most.

at this point keep a eye on it. 
park in spots that dont have oil spots so you can see whats new or if its a seal that leaking and it not burning it.


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## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: (rangerbrown)*

My book says:
5k
10k
20k
30k
...
Every 10k thereafter.
The dealership that sold me the car also used the 10k oil change interval as a selling point for the car.


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## AdamVC (Jul 26, 2006)

*Re: (calvz)*

I would keep an eye for oil spots. Just got my oil pan re-sealed at the dealership because it was "sweating", and I have heard of others getting their seals replaced.
definitely not normal to burn 1L every 1000-1500 miles!


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## whatsyourbeef (Jan 2, 2007)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

Mine just turned 15K miles, never a drop low and I check about every 500 miles/ once per week....sounds fishy to me. are your exhaust tip insides showing oil, there would be a residue ther if you were burning it. good luck with it!


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## Dandbest (Sep 11, 2003)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

The owners manual also says you should check the oil at every fill up. Altough I think that's a bit crazy, I don't see any reason not to check the oil at least once a month. And yes, 1qt per 1000 miles is the accepted ammount by the automotive industry. How much oil you use also largely depends on how you break in the engine. If you were driving aggresively from day 1, that may be the reason why you're having issues now. My Jetta lost about 1/2 qt of oil between oil changes, which I did every 5k.


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## Jimmy Russells (Feb 4, 2007)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (Dandbest)*

I check mine about once a month and I have never added oil to it in 8k miles (5k oil change) ... Doesn't seem to burn anything. I would do what another person said before and watch carefully for leaks.


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## xjdaddy (Nov 19, 2006)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

Both of mine use about 1/2 quart every 5K miles. This means I put in 1/2 quart half way between changes on my wife's car since I change hers at 10k (lease), and I just simply change the oil in mine since I change mine at 5k anyway (buying, planning on keeping till it falls apart.







).


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

For everyone's benefit, the oil warning light is an indicator of low oil pressure. It is *NOT* an indicator of low oil level. The level should be checked at every fill up while the car is on level ground.
I'd closely watch what it does over the next couple of months. It is sadly true that all manufacturers have decided that 1 quart per 1,000 miles is acceptable. I think it's ridiculous personally, but there's nothing anyone can do about it.


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## rustlerdude (Aug 13, 2007)

There was a tsb by vw saying 1 quart every 500 miles was acceptable. I'm surprised by you getting your oil pan gasket replaced from seepage...another tsb states seepage is normal. 
the cluster does have a light for low oil pressure AND low oil level. Different models have the level sender though, not all. The manual does state 10k oil changes, but it also clearly states you MUST check it often and add it nessesary.


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## vw_rabbit (Nov 9, 2006)

*Re: (rustlerdude)*

The 2.5 is not know for burning oil, but its a good idea to check your oil at least once a week and by the way the oil light is a low pressure indicator not a low level... so by the time it shines you may have oil starvation and possbile damage.
I noticed on my car an oil pan sweating, verry small leak but still on a 10 000 miles car , wtf, so the dealer change the seal under warranty. I think there is other people who got this issue , maybe the first large scale real problem for the 2.5 http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## ninety9gl (Nov 27, 2005)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

OP: what weight oil are you using? Some of the older motors (even the mk4 2.0) burned/consumed xW-30.


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## spraynpray (Feb 17, 2006)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

I seem to be having the same problem as you.Between my oil changes it seems to be burning up about 2-3 quarts.Iv'e now gotten in the habit of checking my oil once a week because the last thing i want to do is run it dry again.My Jetta now has about 125,000km on it and it has a funny (not really)rattle to my engine under load.It sounds like to me like its my valvesbut i really cant tell. I know the 2.5 has always had a noisy valve train but this sound is different .Im just wondering if anyone has had or is having this problem?Any help would be great


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## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (ninety9gl)*

5W-40 Synthetic (Castrol syntec). That's what the book recommends and I'm assuming that's what the dealer uses when they do the oil changes.


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## rangerbrown (Jul 12, 2007)

check again your oil change lite will come on every 5k 
i know as mine hads 4 times now with only 20k on the clock


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## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: (rangerbrown)*

I've done the 5k, 10k, 20k so far and the light hasn't come on yet.


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## ILikeRabbits (Aug 14, 2007)

I had some extensive problems with a 2000 2.0 burning oil, even after several services. 
I stopped using 30w oil and it went away. Maybe try a different consistancy/weight


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## Spotdog (Jun 10, 2005)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

My 2005.5 has excessive oil consumption as well.....my gues is about a quart every 5000 miles over the 25,000 miles on the odometer, but I'm measuring it now just to be sure. It seems to me that since day one there was soot at the exhaust pipe and upon discussing the oil consumption with the Dallas service manager I was given the same speach. I do not have any other engine problems, but my car does get a good workout now that I live in Germany....I am able to drive 110-120 mph for long periods when I travel. The high speeds may contribute to the elevated oil use.
Am I the only one that has a difficult time reading the odd dipstick?


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## flynavyj (Jan 26, 2007)

no spotdog, don't think you're the only one as i have a little bit of trouble reading it as well...it's been 8,000 miles since my last oil change, was driving across state recently so i went ahead and checked it before i left, and noticed it was a half quart low, added some, drove, came back, no issues, and consumption in the 500 mile round trip. oh, and i just filled it through the cross-hatched pattern and put it under the "full" line. 
Over 10,000 miles, i'd expect a little consumption, but nothing like several quarts of oil, that simply isn't good.
Oh and spotdog, i'm jealous of your chance to routinely do over 100 mph...every time i'm on the interstate, i notice that the car is totally willing to do speeds like that, but myself and my checkbook are not. Happy motoring.


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## nickleblanc (Aug 26, 2007)

I bought my 06 Jetta 2.5 used w/ 11K on it (early lease turn in). Car now has 16.5K on it. This car is impeccable condition. I sometimes give it a workout but I usually drive it very nice (the 4.5 miles between work and home is a speedtrap). 
Anyway, my car is now at the dealer again for the oil consumption problem (as well as two others). I am burning one quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so. I don't understand this at all. When I bought this vehicle, I traded in my 2001 Hyundai Elantra with 187,000 miles on the original engine and that car did not burn a SINGLE DROP of oil between oil changes (every 3K). 
Again, I don't understand this. I get the same speech. "VW allows for 1 quart of oil per 1,000 miles without providing for service." I find this absolute crap. The only time I have had a car that consumes that kind of oil was some old junker w/ a million miles on the clock. 
Anyway, any suggestions? It's not the even the oil consumption that bothers me. It's simply that oil burn of this rate usually indicates a MUCH larger problem and with my luck and track record, the engine will disintegrate at 50,001 miles on the odometer and VW will tell me to pound sand...
Oh yea, I'm not an expert but the Jetta and other models have TWO oil warning lights. One is for oil level (shows the standard oil can icon and the "water waves" to signify level) and the other is just the oil can icon to show the engine is not sensing enough pressure.


_Modified by nickleblanc at 5:53 PM 10-25-2007_


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## meaculpa1 (Jul 10, 2007)

it is not normal , 12k on the clock no drop (hopefully)


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## someguyfromMaryland (Feb 19, 2007)

*Re: (l9bi7)*

Let's make sure we understand terms here. When a dealer tells you it is "normal" for a 2.0 or 2.5 to use up to 1 qt/1000 miles, they mean "we aren't liable to provide warranty service to resolve your consumption problem". When you reach 1 qt/1000 or 800 miles, they get to the point where the mfr tells them they have to respond. 
Anecdotal evidence on this and any other web list you care to sample (Honda, Toyota, BMW, whoever) will tell you it is not "normal" for an engine to push a qt of oil in 1000 miles. That said, you will see higher oil consumption at higher engine speeds/loads. It's a function of more washdown and higher pressures/forces at the rings where the oil is being kept in the crankcase and out of the combustion chamber.


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## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*

Update:
I kept up on the problem on my own until I took the car in for the 30k service. I would make sure I checked it at as close to exact 1000 mile intervals as I could and would add oil to get it exactly to where it was the last time I added it. I was having to add 3/4 of a quart ever 1000 miles. I've also noticed that there is enough oil being burned that there is a lot of grime and oil residue on the tail pipe.
At the 30k service I told them about the problem and they started a consumption test and told me to bring it back in 1000 miles. So far I'm about 300 miles into that, so we'll see what happens. I have been impressed with the dealership service so far so hopefully they will take care of it. Burning that much oil can't be a good thing regardless of what VW says. If there's oil residue on the tail pipe it's gotta be tearing up the cat.


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## CA dub (Oct 27, 2007)

I haven't had mine for very long, only about 3000 miles so far. But I have not had to add any oil so far. Good luck and please keep us updated on your progress.


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## Unilateral Phase Detractor (Aug 23, 2005)

*Re: 2.5 Burning Oil (calvz)*


_Quote, originally posted by *calvz* »_Update:
I kept up on the problem on my own until I took the car in for the 30k service. I would make sure I checked it at as close to exact 1000 mile intervals as I could and would add oil to get it exactly to where it was the last time I added it. I was having to add 3/4 of a quart ever 1000 miles. I've also noticed that there is enough oil being burned that there is a lot of grime and oil residue on the tail pipe.
At the 30k service I told them about the problem and they started a consumption test and told me to bring it back in 1000 miles. So far I'm about 300 miles into that, so we'll see what happens. I have been impressed with the dealership service so far so hopefully they will take care of it. Burning that much oil can't be a good thing regardless of what VW says. If there's oil residue on the tail pipe it's gotta be tearing up the cat.

Don't forget to hit the redline a bunch!


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## rustlerdude (Aug 13, 2007)

For those of you saying 1 quart in 1000 miles is not normal must unclog your ears. VW and Audi have formal litterature stating this IS normal for their vehicle. In 2008 their 2.5 engines got a valve seal redesign, this MIGHT have something to do with consumption. 
Your powertrain warranty expires at 60k miles from VW and 70k through Federal warranty. 
Also don't be so quick to blame the engine. Find out exactly what weight oil is being used. I use 0w30 German castrol and in 2000 miles since my last oil change I have used barely any oil. Customers who request a different brand or weight of oil that deviates from the recommended 5w40 Castrol syntec oil tend to have higher oil consumption.


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## not SoQuick (Jan 8, 2004)

*Re: (rustlerdude)*

on my old mk4 they did the "consumption test" for the oil.I helped it consume some extra







so they would take care of my problem


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

*Re: (not SoQuick)*

It's completely normal for the 2.0 in the early MKIV's to consume that much oil, but NOT the 2.5's. My mom has 47K miles on her 2.5 and it has NEVER burned even a drop of oil between changes. This has also been the case with my 2.5 Rabbit and 2.5 Jetta.
The reason it was a problem on the early MKIV's was because the oil rings were installed upside down. My cousin has a 2001 Jetta 2.0 and my sister had a 2000 Beetle 2.0 that drank about a quart of oil every two weeks








Anyway, I hope your problem gets resolved soon.
- Jeremy.


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

*Re: (rustlerdude)*


_Quote, originally posted by *rustlerdude* »_Also don't be so quick to blame the engine. Find out exactly what weight oil is being used. I use 0w30 German castrol and in 2000 miles since my last oil change I have used barely any oil. Customers who request a different brand or weight of oil that deviates from the recommended 5w40 Castrol syntec oil tend to have higher oil consumption.

Does the 2.5 ship with Castrol Syntec oil? I know the oil cap recommends Syntec, but the dealership didn't know if that's what they put in at the factory or if it's just a marketing deal between Castrol and VW.
- Jeremy.


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## someguyfromMaryland (Feb 19, 2007)

*Re: (rustlerdude)*

Rustlerdude posted,
For those of you saying 1 quart in 1000 miles is not normal must unclog your ears. VW and Audi have formal litterature stating this IS normal for their vehicle. In 2008 their 2.5 engines got a valve seal redesign, this MIGHT have something to do with consumption. 
To which I have to respond,
Our ears are unclogged. Just because a mfr covers their butt with a statement in "formal literature" that oil consumption of 1 qt/1000 miles is NORMAL doesn't mean that is what is seen by 95% of the vehicle owners. In MY WORLD, when 95% of the owners see very little oil consumption in between 5k mile oil changes, 1 qt/1000 miles IS NOT NORMAL. 
I stand by my original post that this is more about the dealer/mfr protecting themselves from economic harm than anything else.


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## calvz (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: (someguyfromMaryland)*

^^^
Exactly.
Just because a manufacturer decides to set its quality standards lower than that of other manufacturers does not make it "normal," or even OK for those of us who shelled out good money for a vehicle. If they don't want to help me with this issue (and I have no reason to think they won't based on my experience with this dealership), it will affect my opinion of the vehicle -- and that will likely have a lot to do with the badge on my next car.


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## not SoQuick (Jan 8, 2004)

*Re: (calvz)*


_Quote, originally posted by *calvz* »_^^^
Exactly.
Just because a manufacturer decides to set its quality standards lower than that of other manufacturers does not make it "normal," or even OK for those of us who shelled out good money for a vehicle. If they don't want to help me with this issue (and I have no reason to think they won't based on my experience with this dealership), it will affect my opinion of the vehicle -- and that will likely have a lot to do with the badge on my next car.


and this is why you may need to help the car exceed the standard vw has set for consumption


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## jkcorradovr6 (Mar 13, 2002)

*Re: (not SoQuick)*

I don't follow the manuel. I change my oil every 3000 miles w/ Castrol Syntec 5W40 and have never had a problem. Many car companys have had problem with long interval oil changes in the past, such as Toyota with oil sludge and oil buring. Many of us won't know until the 2.5s hit higher mileage. Hopefully there won't be a TSB out in the future on a shorter oil change interval for those who change it every 5k+ miles.


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