What oil should I use.

[GTFORZA]

I've been looking around and no one sells oil weights that match what vw says to use in the multi-viscosity suggested by vw. Of of what vw says I should use 20w-40 or 20w-50. Is that info that was made available before modern oils or should I follow that.

Amsoil suggests European Car Formula 5W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil.
Partsplaceinc.com suggests Motul High Performance 5w-40 synthetic oil.
Mobil 1 suggests Mobil 1 0W-40 (European Car Formula in North America)
Valvoline suggests Valvoline 15w-40 Premium BlueŽ Diesel Engine Oil
Castrol suggests visiting your dealer. lol

Please help me?

[Spartacus]

What kind or car are you driving? Where did you get this viscosity recommendation from?

I use Delo400 in my '86 Mk2 Jetta TurboDiesel. This is a Chevron product, petroleum based, and recently reformulated for modern low emission diesel vehicles (arguably not ideal for older diesel engines without exhaust filters, but I change the oil every 5k miles per the original VW recommendation for my car). This oil is certainly better than the oil that was available in 1986. The viscosity is 15W-40.

Back in 1986 I ran Castrol brand oil in my air cooled Beetle. I have heard that Castrol is not what it used to be. I have never been impressed with Valvoline motor oil.

In multi-viscosity motor oil, the first number refers to the appropriate low temperature range, and the second number refers to the upper temperature range.

There is much discussion about lubricating oil at the Bob Is The Oil Guy Forum (bobistheoilguy.com).

Lubricating oil has changed (improved) a great deal in the last 40 years, especially multi-viscosity and synthetic oils. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I almost never see freezing temperatures, therefore I do not run a lower viscosity Winter oil. If you experience freezing temperatures, then you will need a lower viscosity oil for Winter... If not, then any dinosaur based oil intended for diesel engines rated 15W-40 should be fine in a VW IDI engine, and is readily available at Chinamart. If you routinely see triple digit temperatures in the Summer, then you may want to consider a thicker oil for that time of year.

[GTFORZA]

My car is a 1984 Jetta Turbo Diesel. I got the info directly from the manufacturers an the Motul from parts place inc.

[bbob203]

I use wolfs head 15w40 or Rotella t 15w40 change it at 6-7k because I do tons of highway longhaulz. oil seems perfectly fine not anymore nasty than changing at 3 or 4k.

[Spartacus]

I use wolfs head 15w40 or Rotella t 15w40 change it at 6-7k because I do tons of highway longhaulz. oil seems perfectly fine not anymore nasty than changing at 3 or 4k.

Bob, you use this year round in both vehicles? Is it Rotella T5?

[bbob203]

I use it year round have never had problems down into low teens.

[Spartacus]

I use it year round have never had problems down into low teens.

Thanks, Bob. I finally get Shell's naming convention for their 3 Rotella products: T is petroleum based, T5 is a synthetic blend, and T6 is fully synthetic. And, you are running Rotella T, as you said.

[theman53]

This isn't a good faq question, so I am moving it to IDI. At any rate Oils aren't what they used to be.

Main question is not being asked, what condition is the engine? New 0 mile or 500,000 or somewhere in between. You Do Not run a syth or blended synth on a new engine from 84. IMHO syth is not a great choice for the 500,000 oil if it hasn't seen it all its life as it will cause most seals to leak as they are not used to the detergents in syth. For break in new engine I like the Rotella T3 10w30 or Brad Penn 10w-30-both are diesel rated.
Most all big manufactures of oil are not what they used to be. Pennzoil, quaker state, wolfs head, valvoline, and more are NOT using Pennsylvania crude oil as a base. They are using saudi oil for a base which is lighter and doesn't have the zinc content that penn. crude does. For conventional oil BRAD PENN is the only oil I have found that the base oil is pulled from Bradford, Penn. The stuff is a bit green going in. The Brad Penn and Rotella are the only oils I will use *t3 is the rotella that is conventional* For sythetic most all are pretty good at adding what is needed, but Schaeffer's adds the zinc and it is a greenish color as well. I can buy the Schaeffer's oil for 22.00 ish / gallon for the full synthetic 9000 series and something like 18.00/ gallon for the 7000 semi sythetic. With that you get FREE oil analysis when using their oil, shipping and all. They make a great product, and the only one I will use currently. Amsoil is ok, but the rep couldn't tell me where the base stock they get comes from, and never came around again to let me know.

Recap: Rotella, Brad Penn, Schaeffer's diesel rated oil that is all I use.

[wolf_walker]

Another happy rotella 15/40 user, in almost anything from the 80's with a few miles on it. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[8v-of-fury]

I run Rotella 0w40 in my 1.6 TD, my 1.9 AAZ and my 1.9 TDI. The AAZ has a MANN, the other two FRAM filters. I get 80psi on a cold start on all engines on the 0w.. Woohaww good oil psi.