Hey Guys,

The MK3 needs an oil change, Its a 1 Litre, and its done 99,000 miles.

Whats the best oil to put in her, bearing in mind that anything too thin makes my Tappets rattle like f00k.

Any help would be great :)

Thanks

It depends. I'd use Morris 10w-40 semi. If you drive it hard then maybe go for fully synthetic 5w-40 or 5w-30, probably Castrol Magnatec. Be sure to get a known and trusted brand! IE don't go for asda's own, your engine will crap itself after 10 miles.

It is 'thick' or 'heavy' oil which will make the tappets rattle, most people run on the best quality SAE10W40 without too much of a problem.It is up to you if you wish to go down the synthetic road, but some people swear by it, albeit rather expensive.

Regards.

I know to get good oil from my Italian 2 Stroke days xD

Might go for some Castrol stuff then, I just want my engine to last bless it, I don't really drive it hard though

Save a bit of money and get some stuff from Eurocarparts, 'Carlube' its called. I've been using it in my Golfs and it's fine.

Same specifications etc as cheaper Castrol stuff so no worries there.

anyone got a guide to change the oil on my car please, i've done it on thousands of 2 strokes before, but never on a car really

If your having tappet troubles the oil will be too thick. This might be because its a thick oil.. or more likely because its turned to black sludge having missed oil services in the past. Also the crap particles themselves get caught up in the tappets.

- I would recommend flushing the oil first. Engine flush stuff (eg Wynns) is available from GSF and euro (almost certainly halfrauds aswell). follow the instructions on the back. This involves running the engine at a fast idle for around 20mins.

- drain the oil: Park the car on a level surface. take the filler cap off. With the drain can positioned undo the drain plug (19mm) (cautiously as it can pop off and get lost in the sludge) Also I keep hold of the plug in my hand, ready to re-insert it, as I find the drain cans/tanks can over-flow if the flow is too fast. The sump takes around half hour to fully drain sometimes.

- replace the Oil filter (essential)! do this whilst the sump drains. You will need to use a spanner or strap-wrench. Smear a little oil on the rubber seal of the new filter before you screw it in.. can help it to seal.

- screw the sump drain plug back in and retighten (doesnt need/want to be really tight)

-pour in new oil (capacity 3 litres) Do not over-fill. Check level on dipstick after a few minutes. Castrol magnatec 10W40 usually sorts tappets out, though is pricey. If the tappet noise still isnt gone I would try putting a little valve-train improver in (though I would ask other opinions on this). After I put wynns valve-train improver in I had no tappet troubles + it sorted out a loud over-run noise I had.

oh and

-degrease your drive

haha

Just flush the engine with about half a litre from the bottle of new oil. Pour it so it goes straight through and drains out again. I usually do it until the dribble coming out becomes with same colour as whats being poured in. Don't use too much though or you won't have enough to fill up completely. Make sure the engine has been run before hand so its nice and warm.

Bear in mind that the filter will fill up when you run the engine with the new oil in. So the level will probably want topping up after the first run.

Edited 11 August, 201115 yr by Polo Will

I usually do both. (that as well)

Also- some people beleive in waiting 15mins or so before starting after the new oil has been put in (apparently its best for the valve-train components not to be completely oil-logged.

I wouldn't waste your money on any engine flush potions. Unless services have been missed or extended way beyond 12 months or 10k, it’s not necessary. If oil changes have been missed, you're probably better off changing the oil every 1k for 3k or until most of the sludge is removed. You'll know this is done when the fresh oil remains relatively clean after a few hundred miles following a change. The problem with engine flushes is that they can be too much of a good thing by dislodging clumps of crud which easily block finer oil galleries with obvious consequences.

As for oil choice: any branded 10w/40 will be fine. These engines don't need expensive synthetics. I personally use VW's own Quantum Synta Silver but have used Magnatec before and it was fine. I don't think it's worth the money though. If you're thinking of doing regular changes, have a look on eBay as I managed to get 25ltrs of Synta for the equivalent of £2.70per/l. The handbook advises that the VW spec is VW501.01 or VW500.00 but these are pretty old now but are still available on some of the oils.

The best way to prime the oil filter is to unplug the hall sender connector from the top of the distributor and crank the engine on the starter. Unplugging the hall sender will allow you to turn the engine over without it starting. Crank the engine for 10 seconds until the oil pressure light stops blinking. Mine takes about 15 secs of cranking in total for the oil light to go out.

Thought about a Haynes manual?

I would agree with not using flushing oil, I have given my reasons for this on here many times in the past.

However, I most certainly would not agree that all SAE10W40 oils are the same! The Quantum Synta is a splendid oil and well suited to your engine, but you can buy very cheap (and nasty) oils marked SAE10W40 which do not come up to the specification of the above oil. Remember that SAE10W40 is not a measure of quality, it is merely a measure of viscosity and with 'cheap' oils, even this may be in some doubt!

Regards.

it wont be relevant to the mk3 but i used castrol edge 5w-30 for my 6n2 and it is a sterling oil much better than cheap oils.