Change oil every 3k miles..really?

No, not really.

The 5k detailed in the manual is what you should do. They want you to change it in 3k because they'll make more money that way.

Or longer, perhaps. If you want to push it, you can have your oil analyzed by someplace like Blackstone Labs. Most people report being told they could, given their use, go well beyond 5,000 miles. Me, I'll stick with the factory OCI.

Don't go back there...with synthetic oil @ 3k you're basically pouring brand new oil down the drain...

I run Rotella T6 in my car and usually change it at 10k KM.

5k miles with severe service on synthetic in a V6, or you can go up to 10k or more depending on oil and type of driving.

5k is VERY conservative on good oil. Different story with a 1.8T however.

youthcanoe said:

they want me to come back in 3k.

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They have not noticed it was synthetic. They use their standard 3K sticker on all cars.

zanzabar said:

5k miles with severe service on synthetic in a V6, or you can go up to 10k or more depending on oil and type of driving.

5k is VERY conservative on good oil. Different story with a 1.8T however.

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With a VW 502 approved oil, wouldn't you suppose 5k is perfectly fine on the 1.8T?

5k is conservative on the v6, but likely near the end of service life on a 1.8t. Although, if the 1.8t had the same capacity as the v6 that may be a different story.

I don't use a VW "approved" oil and I go 5K religiously and I'm perfectly fine on my 1.8T. I use Royal purple.

Matt:taz:

I change mines probably about every 4-5k miles. Usually when the seasons change is when ill do the oil.

I go 10k with Amsoil euro 5w-40 and their filter in a bigger size. 90k on the car. This is my wife's car. 03' 2.8 auto.

I do 5-6k on royal purple and it comes out clean on my V6. Eh it's all up to you when you want to change it.

I have done every 5k since new on my 2000 1.8t. Most of my mileage is highway, I average 33-36k per year. For the first 140K it was dino oil, then dealer recommended synthetic. I now have 362,000 miles, dont really ever need to add in between oil changes. It really depends on your driving, shorter trips, probably more frequent oil changes.

My AUG 1.8T is on a very strict 3k mi = 5k km / 1 year OCI with Mobil 1 0W-40 and Purolator L40316 1-quart oil filter, the biggest my left motor mount will accommodate. The reason is short trips, urban driving, and low total use per year. The V6 is not nearly so fussy -- no turbo heat and huge oil sump.

I do 7k mi or every 6 months with Total Quartz 5W40 on my 1.8T. If I had the V6, I would leave it much longer.

Kronenbourg said:

I do 7k mi or every 6 months with Total Quartz 5W40 on my 1.8T. If I had the V6, I would leave it much longer.

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If my driving habits were like yours, I would probably do likewise. The recommended 5k mi OCI is a poor attempt at "one size fits all." Every other car I have owned has had separate OCI recommendations for severe (normal for urbanites) and normal (road warriors with long free-flowing freeway trips) service, usually with about a 1:2 ratio. My 1973 Chevy Chevelle had a 4 month recommended OCI, on the theory that severe service correlated with slower distance accumulation, which would not work for taxis and pizza delivery cars.

John_E said:

My 1973 Chevy Chevelle

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You still have this? :icon_eek:

3k = they either didnt use synthetic , or they want you to go back sooner and spend more money.

i use mobile1 synthetic and go 5k between changes.
one time i was so busy i forgot and went to 6k and it was fine.

v6 here btw

Ah, how times have changed. I just came across the owners manual for my long-gone Renault Caravelle. The recommended OCI was 750 miles...

Passatian said:

You still have this? :icon_eek:

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Nope -- I sold the Chevelle in 1989 when I bought the Dodge Spirit, which was the end of my steady string of domestics.

The Chevelle's 350 V8 stripped its plastic (!) cam gear at the 62.6K mile mark, collapsing several lifters and putting a few dings in the cam lobes. My elder son's 1969 Camaro did the same thing at 180K miles, so having a timing chain instead of a timing belt is not a guarantee of blissful ownership.