synthetic oil change interval, how many miles between oil changes?

I can't speak to the oil change interval on the V6, but I will say you may want to change your oil cooler gasket if you haven't in a while. They tend to get a little brittle and the cold weather will make it worse.

Thanks Roostre, I wasn't aware of the oil cooler gasket. I don't want that gasket wearing out in the middle of winter.

No, it's bad when it does. And they're dirt cheap and easy to change when you are doing an oil change.

Interval is 5000 miles.

Roostre said:

I can't speak to the oil change interval on the V6, but I will say you may want to change your oil cooler gasket if you haven't in a while. They tend to get a little brittle and the cold weather will make it worse.

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You may just want to replace the oil cooler itself while you are at it -- they are a known failure point on both engines, and you really do not want oil in your coolant. (Been there ... done that on every VW/Audi car we have owned.)

rreyes said:

Interval is 5000 miles.

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Average interval, as recommended by VWoA, is indeed 5k miles, but also, if I recall correctly, every six months, whichever comes first. Those who drive short distances and urban stop-and-go should consider something like a 3K mile interval, whereas those who cruise the freeways on longer trips can probably safely go 7500 or even 10K.

Companies like Blackstone Labs will analyze a sample of your used oil, and make a recommendation for a personal OCI. In my case, with my engine and driving style, they said I could go to 7200 miles. I do it at 5000 anyway.

I would have no concerns stretching the oil change interval on the V6, especially since the 30-valver consumes more oil which gets refreshed in the meantime. In Europe they typically go to 15,000 km (9400 miles). The 4 banger turbo I would change more frequently.

Thanks for all the advice. I will change the oil every 5K or six months. I imagine that it might be possible to get a very general idea of how good or bad the oil is from checking the dip stick.

How much does Blackstone Labs charge for analyzing the oil? Do you send samples from various mileage intervals?

While the kit is free, the oil analysis costs $28.00.
TomK

i've always done it every 3000 miles

I change mine every 5K or once a year (on both the V6 and 1.8T), which is about how long it takes for 5K now. When I took it for long trips, it got changed every 5K or after a trip (one trip was 6600 miles).

My youngest son usually gets about 8K/6month changes on his V6 but went well over that on his last change (just under 12K) along with 3qt added during the 6mo and he does 90% long distance driving. The oil actually looked a bit dirty after the 12K, but after the 8K previous changes it looked pretty clean and I told him to go to 10K, but he forgot to keep track. At least he kept oil in the motor!

Looks like my older son with his V6 will get yearly changes as well as I just changed his at about 5K in the last 12 months with 2qt added in that time (leaks were fixed in spring).

The Golf 2.0 gets yearly changes with well under 5K in the last year.

kutcht1 said:

While the kit is free, the oil analysis costs $28.00.
TomK

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However, a 5-quart jug of Mobil-1 at my local Wal-Mart is less than $28. Regarding the OP's question, I change synthetic oil in my V6 every 10K, 5K miles in the harder-working 1.8T.

I would say once the car gets on in years and mileage, go to a 3k interval. can't hurt things, and it gets you into the engine bay more frequently to see if something is up. I've always done 3k on all my vehicles regardless of how old they are for 26 years now, and they've rewarded me

kutcht1 said:

While the kit is free, the oil analysis costs $28.00.
TomK

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Basic UOA is $28 but if you add on TBN, another $10.

Blackstone Labs has a price list on their website. Well worth it.

If you want to go a step further, Terry Dyson does oil analysis as well. Never used it but years ago folks at BITOG raved them.

RCinSTP said:

What many miles do you recommend between oil changes with full synthetic oil, with a V6, 150,000 miles, driving 80% city streets, 20% highway. Also, does the weather affect things, like a cold winter in Minnesota? I always change the filter when I change the oil.

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Best thing is to get your oil analyzed and go from there. Everyone's situation is different. Since your car is no longer under warranty, if the oil analysis says you can go longer you can follow the recommendation of the lab that analyzed the oil if you wish. If not, just follow the OCI recommendation from VW, sticking with the oils that meet the VW502 spec and you should be fine.

What's the thoughts on time, if not driven that much? Since I left work 18 months ago, I've only put a total of about 2000 miles on my car. What is the justification for changing once a year, if only driven 1500 miles?

Attofarad said:

What's the thoughts on time, if not driven that much? Since I left work 18 months ago, I've only put a total of about 2000 miles on my car. What is the justification for changing once a year, if only driven 1500 miles?

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Depends on oil condition. Most mfr's recommend maximum of 1 year between OCI but I recall seeing people go longer if mileage is low on BITOG. Best way to know is to do an oil analysis to see the condition of the oil. If everything looks good and car is out of warranty, choice is yours. At least you'll have some hard data on hand to make a decision versus going on someone's opinion.