2016 GTI Oil

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the_bakerboy3685
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2016 GTI Oil

Post by the_bakerboy3685 »

I know this has probably been asked a million times before but I'm just not clear what oil is best for my 2016 Polo GTI.

I bought Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5w30 which is VW 504 00 approved, but I thought it was 502 00 and so now not sure whether to use it.

I know handbook says both are ok but not entirely sure which is best so really appreciate any advice as to what people use. It will be due it's 3rd service around Feb 2019.

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RUM4MO
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by RUM4MO »

I'd say it is okay to use it, it is said to be fit for use on long servicing, but it sounds like you service your car annually - which is what I do with my Audi S4 and will do with my wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI 110PS, though the dealer just used 5W-40 oil as that is the one that VW Group generally use for short/fixed servicing.

I started buying Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 as you can buy it quite cheaply for what is billed as being a quality product. Opie Oils?

Edit:- I'm not implying that Mobil1 ESP 5W-30 is a cheap oil, far from it, but it is a good enough oil that can be bought well below target price, which is not always the case with all oils, Castrol for instance!
the_bakerboy3685
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by the_bakerboy3685 »

Thanks, yeah I do service mine yearly.

Was just a bit concerned as the VW 504 00 said for flexible service QI6 long life in the handbook.

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veteran
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by veteran »

Prior to getting my new 2017 Polo last year, I'd always used Mobil 1 oil in the engine of my old Golf Mk3. The fact that my 1994 Golf had no engine problems in 23 years and indeed was still going strong when I finally passed the vehicle on to my grand nephew is partial testament to the efficacy of that brand of oil. Mobil oils of this kind are, IMHO, excellent and are hard to better. As with Castrol, etc they're under constant development.

I do all my own servicing and, although I didn't need to, I changed the Polo's factory-filled presumed Castrol 5W-30 Professional Longlife III after 6 months for some Mobil ESP Formula 5W-30. It's to VW spec 504 00, is backward-compatible with 502 00, and is especially suited to racier, higher-performance engines. In running terms, no difference apart from the Mobil ESP quietening things down a little.

I think you'll find, as I did, that Castrol 5W-30 Pro Longlife III is now all but impossible to get. I bought some online in the summer but it had to be shipped from Spain. Indeed, I'm fairly sure that Castrol's stopped making it now, and instead they and VW recommend using a newer, thinner oil. There have been various reports from Polo and Golf drivers, though, that the thinner Castrol oil leaks past gaskets - a thinness too far, in my view. I myself intend staying with a 5W-30, and so what I'll resume using at my next annual service will be the Mobil ESP 5W-30. It's by no means cheap but is readily obtainable from the likes of Halfords and it'll serve my Polo extremely well, and yours too if you use it properly.

Just watch the dipstick level when re-filling, as on these Polos especially there's very little difference between 'nearly full' and 'full', often a matter of just a few tablespoonfuls, and if you overfill you'll cause the excess to blow past seals when the engine runs and cause all manner of issues. Indeed, simply don't fill to the dipstick's absolute max. Also, allow for the fact that in due course a certain amount of condensate will add to the sump (from the combustion process, and the amount will depend on your journeys/driving style), increasing that dipstick level. Do the filling on level ground. Fill to only half initially and allow at least 30 mins for it to drain into the sump. Then gradually add the rest, leaving again at least 30 mins when you approach the 3/4 full condition.
joe6
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by joe6 »

Got 5l of Castrol 5w30 pro longlife 3 recently for £30 as a part of a warehouse clearance so it is probably being phased out. The polo handbook says to check the oil level with the engine warm. I change oil and filter every 6 months as I do quite a lot of short trips.
RUM4MO
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by RUM4MO »

Ah, this has just brought great memories of Duckhams Q 20W-50 mineral oil, it looked good(if you like green),smelled good and felt good(as you rubbed it between your fingers), pity it was so thick that it took a while to get to the important places though.
joe6
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by joe6 »

RUM4MO wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:11 pm Ah, this has just brought great memories of Duckhams Q 20W-50 mineral oil, it looked good(if you like green),smelled good and felt good(as you rubbed it between your fingers), pity it was so thick that it took a while to get to the important places though.
- Ah memories!! A bit of Castrol R in the petrol to make that lovely smell - got a 1927 Wolsey Hornet in the 1960's (wooden chassis and wire wheels) for £5 that would not go because the Castrol R had gone to the bottom of the tank and into the carburettor. Wish I had it now - would be worth a fortune.
veteran
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Re: 2016 GTI Oil

Post by veteran »

joe6,

Re the advice in the handbook about checking the oil while it's hot, of course that's assuming that the oil's already been put in the engine and the car used for some time. The oil will drain through to the sump more quickly then. But that's not the situation we have here, when you're doing an oil-change. When you're doing a change the new oil is likely to be around ambient outdoor air temperature and, having put some new amount in, you'd need to leave the engine running for quite a while before the engine and oil would reach normal average running temperature. But you wouldn't want to do that with, say, only half of the new oil in the engine.

Also, when doing the change yourself, it's a good idea to let the old oil settle and cool off before you draw it off, as otherwise when you undo the drainplug and empty the sump you risk scalding your hand and arm with incredibly hot oil. I guess you know this already, anyhow.

In my view, it's best to put in only a half or three-quarters of the dipstick amount of the new oil. Then run the engine for a minute or two, then switch off and wait 30 mins for the oil to drain back into the sump. Then check the level with the dipstick again, before very gradually adding some more oil. I'd aim for about three-quarters full, or maybe a tad more. I don't think taking the car for a brief journey before topping up is going to help much, as the remainder of the oil will still be at ambient air temperature. When it comes to it, you just have to be very careful about the final few increments that you put in, making sure you don't go near that 'max' mark on the dipstick. Patience is the byword. Just keep waiting for each increment to drain through. By all means, check later when the engine's been fully run and it's hot, but do appreciate that after a journey the oil is going to take the usual 15 - 30 mins to all drain back into the sump and so give you a meaningful, accurate level. I suspect that VW and other workshops you'd take the car to don't take this much care when doing the oilchange and that this is why so often the car's handed back to the customer with the oil overfilled!
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