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Volkswagen Passat Sludge Issues

292 messages,  Last post on Jan 08, 2011 at 7:11 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Passat Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 23 of 30

#215 of 292 Add another notch on the oil sludge belt! by hotrod249

Oct 03, 2008 (7:26 pm)

I'm new on this site, so be gentle! I just got my Passat back from the VW dealer after dropping about $2,000. I was the idiot, well not me but my daughter, when it came to this car.
 
My daughter purchased the car from a second hand car dealer who was selling the car on consignment. We were told that the previous owner was a VW mechanic at the local dealer. My daughter was sold on the car immediately.
 
She remained away at college with her car while I returned home. I'm a big stickler on oil changes. They are cheap, quickly done, and keep the engine in excellent shape. I insisted she take the car for an oil change every 3000 miles. At this time no one, nor anything in the idiot manual indicated the need for synthetic oil.
 
Like Dad told her, she took the car for an oil change at one of the local "retard" quick change places. The moron there ask here if she would like her engine flushed. She called home and I told her emphatically to refuse the offer. I said use their best oil and then leave. My daughter later told me "the guy was cute, and kept recommending the flush". She lost all brain power, or what little she had, and let the jerk flush the engine. He told her that I was behind the times and it was best to be done. Besides, Dad will never know!
 
She drove it maybe another 2000 miles before the stop engine light came on. Not knowing what was causing it, she pulled over and called me. At first I thought maybe they forgot to add the oil back. Don't laugh, another oil place did that to me. The engine actually blew up less than 5 miles later! After seeing it had oil I had the passat taken to the dealer.
 
The service writer told me what was wrong without even looking. Then off the top of his head he quoted a repair cost. That seemed weird to me, so I ask how he knew what the cost was? He stated because they had done so many of those cars.
 
 Great.....I figured the engine flush knocked all of the crap loose, it got caught in the oil pickup, and starved the engine of oil, thus killing it. Well I was partially right....the motor was oil starved from a bad design of the oil pan. I had no choice in the repair as she was upside down in the loan. I must admit that her Passat impressed me. I can see why she bought it.
 
Being she nor I have ever owned a turbo, I had no idea what to expect. Even after all of this no one at the dealer has even bothered to tell me to use synthetic oil! Very poor communication between VW, and the consumer. I know it is not totally VW's fault, but if someone had advised us, or published it in the manual, I would have seen that the oil was changed at a 2500 mile interval.
 
 Now I have a car that I know had to suffer some major internal engine damage, My intentions are to wash and wax it, make it pretty, and try and dump it on some unknowing fool............Not really. Although that's what I feel was done to my daughter. Too bad for the problems....what a car it must have been!!!!

#216 of 292 Re: Passat oil [drotse] by 600kgolfgt

Oct 04, 2008 (6:03 pm)

Replying to: drotse (Oct 03, 2008 3:25 am)
Go to your dealer ( or a good reputable mechanic) with this info and ack them if or if not it is superior. https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/afl.aspx
 
Here's the bottom line - It doesn't matter if you, I, or Amsoil says that their oil is certified for the 502.00 or 503.01 specification - VW has the final say. And using oil that is not on the 502.00 or 503.01 Specification list gives VW justification for rejecting a sludge warranty claim.
 
So people can go back and forth on this one until the cows come home - but in this case VW calls the shots whether we like it nor not...
 
So if anyone wants to use Amsoil in the VW/Audi 1.8T - knock yourself out. It's your money, and if anyone can afford the thousands of dollars it will cost for an engine replacement, more power to them...
 
...or to put it another way (in the words of my parents):
 
"Those who won't hear, must feel..."

#217 of 292 Re: Passat oil [600kgolfgt] by drotse

Oct 05, 2008 (3:11 am)

Replying to: 600kgolfgt (Oct 04, 2008 6:03 pm)
I absolutely agree !!! Amsoil must be acceptable. From the records my son gave them namely Amsoil 5W/40 European Oil 3000OCI and they sprung for the bill.

#218 of 292 Re: Add another notch on the oil sludge belt! [hotrod249] by majicman

Oct 05, 2008 (8:28 am)

Replying to: hotrod249 (Oct 03, 2008 7:26 pm)
Just a thought if you are going to sell the car... look for an electric car club, they are always looking for a car with a broken motor to convert to electric operation.
 
Jim

#219 of 292 Re: problem with amsoil [drotse] by krzyss

Oct 06, 2008 (10:08 am)

Replying to: drotse (Oct 03, 2008 8:07 am)
"They charge an arm and a leg for it. Get real !!!
When you compare the price per mile it is actually less expensive, not to mention the fuel mileage increase and protection to the car !! "
 
What are you talking about? Amsoil is more expensive than Mobil 1 0W40 that I use. I change oil each 5K miles. Do you suggest I keep Amsoil longer in 1.8T than maximum recommended by VW for oils that meet VW 502.00, 503.01?
 
Krzys
 
PS My car has 95K miles.

#220 of 292 by drotse

Oct 06, 2008 (12:54 pm)

OK here is the skinny on AMsoil. Just letting you know my personnal experience.
 
Look up the Amsoil web site Oh here is the link http://www.amsoil.com/ , read and become informed. I am not going to tell you to extend past the manufaturer interval but I owned three Nissan pickups (not turbo). I drove them 3800 to 4000 miles a week as a courier. I changed the oil at 25,000 to 30,000 miles. I ran one 670,000 the other two about 375,000 a piece. NEVER ANY ENGINE WEAR PROBLEMS ! AS a matter of fact I blew a head gasket on the 670 truck at 310,000. THe cylinders had no score marks, the timing cain was in good enough shape that the sprockets still had their hone marks on both sides of the teeth. I was using the amsoil 1mc. filters(important!).
 
I have a 2003 freightliner Sprinter with the turbo diesel 117,000. I use the Amsoil 15W-40 diesel in it and change it at 20,000 weither I have to or not.
 
Now here is the thing. When I went from oem oil to Amsoil at 10,000 in the Sprinter I gained right at 10% MPG. In the nissans I experienced the same increase over using a Castrol GTX with a Teflon treatment added.
 
Now going from Moble 1 to Amsoil might not give you that much of a boost but Ithink that if you relly want to learn more I would get in touch with the folks at Amsoil and Check it out.
 
One thing you must also do is use the fine 1mc. fiters,remember that normal oil filters are usually 10mc. That makes a big difference.
 
I don't know if Moble1 can be used with 1mc. filters. If it can then do it and get great protection. I have a friend that has a 2000 Passat. I flushed hie engine, put in the Amsoil with the 1mc. filter and he now has 160,000 on it NO TROUBLES( the change was at 23,000 miles).
 
Now ironically reding alot of these threads on this forum it seems people are haveing more troubles with this engine after they switch oil. The reason is the new oil is cleaning andloosen up crap and the pickup screen is close to the pan. DO A GOOOOD FLUSH.
 
The dealer in Wisconsin that has done the work on my son's car was gracious enough to email me the protocol that VW has for this problem hopefully they followed it to the letter.

#221 of 292 by drotse

Oct 06, 2008 (1:05 pm)

I just called to the Mobil1 tech support line and they said the Mobil1 can not be filtered any finer than the standard 10mc. filters. So Amsoil can go down to 1mc. so it will remove a whole lot more stuff from the oil so when comparing the two oils take that into account when comparing protection and price.

#222 of 292 by drotse

Oct 06, 2008 (1:10 pm)

More on filters. Amsoil can be filtered down to .1mc.. At that point the by-pass filter will keep the oil so clean that with regular testing, to determine the quality of protection, you might not even have to change the oil for 100,000.
 
And that is typical of over the road diesel truckers experience.
 
Now who wants to scream at me when I say that Amsoil is superior to Mobil1.

#223 of 292 I'm not a moderator... by altair4

Oct 07, 2008 (7:23 am)

...but this is getting off the track of Passat sludging. You can't run a VW Passat 1.8T 20 or 30,000 miles with an oil change. Not without jeopardizing the warranty and jeopardizing the longevity of the engine.
 
I wouldn't compare low-revving over the road diesel engines with sumps that hold gallons of oil to a forced induction gasoline engine that barely hold 1 gallon.
 
Look. We get it. You love Amsoil. Maybe you're even a dealer to get a price on the stuff in their pyramid scheme. But you're doing a diservice to other readers here by hinting at extended oils changes being appropriate for a very hot running, small sumped, gasoline forced induction engine.
 
Anyone who does is making a leap of faith. Your son's case of doing 3,000 mile oil changes and getting warranty coverage on a sludged engine is one thing. But it's another to lead people on, some of whom aren't familiar enough with this car to consider the consequences.
 
I can tell you this...the web is full of stories of people who couldn't get their sludged engines covered because they couldn't supply full documentation of all oil changes within a 5,000 mile interval.

#224 of 292 by drotse

Oct 07, 2008 (9:29 am)

And your point is ?
 
You can if you do the above. I have a freind that has and at 160,000 miles he has no
problems. Now there you are.
 
You are talking about sludge problems. Why? If you do your oil changes and use good oil you will have no problems.
Yes the engine has a propencity to sludge up but if you do it right(oil) there is no reason to predisposition yourself to have to cry.

Messages Page 23 of 30

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