Best Oil

[kob1801]

So I have a manual 2008 A4 2.0T Quattro sedan at 52,103 miles, and I'm looking for a recommendation on the oil. Just to be clear I am aware that the manual suggests using a 5w-40 oil, I am looking for a suggestion of the brand, and any suggestions on changing the weight from recommended. I am also aware of the VW 502 spec. I am simply looking for your recommendation on the best oil given my circumstances.

First things first, I live in Hawaii so the weather is mostly constant. Most of my driving is in the city with short runs on the highway (I'd estimate 70%/30% City/Hwy). This car is my daily driver, however, I will be "enjoying" it as much as I can on the roads being that there are no tracks near me. In the future I will be doing some modifications up to stage 2 including a/an: exhaust, cold air intake, short throw shifter, stage 2 tune, coilovers, a new s-line steering wheel, and possibly in the future a larger turbo. With this in mind, I would like your recommendation on brand and oil weight.


This is my both my first car and the first time I'm posting here, so any help or advice (either regarding the mods I listed above or in general) would be great. If you could provide both an economical option and the best option that would be great.

Thanks.

[A4Qwattro]

The forum wisdom is a tossup between Motul X-Cess 8100 and the Liqui-Moly stuff for the "best". They are usually pricier but the price comes down if you buy in bulk from Amazon. 5W-40 is the best weight for your climate.

Although realistically, no VW502 spec oil is going to give you problems in the long run. That includes the Castrol, Mobil brands which can be a little cheaper than the ones mentioned above.
Some people change oil brands until they find one that does not burn off over the oil change interval.

[tloft4]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...?highlight=oil

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...?highlight=oil

among the rest of them on the same idea.

cant tell a difference at all between m1 0-40 and the current 5-40 in it, but ill be sticking with m1 0-40 for the rest of its life after this change.

[kob1801]

thanks for the tips. any recs for the filter? Mann, K&N...etc

[EvolutionArmory]

As long as there has been car forums, there have been which oil should I use questions. Use a an approved Audi synthetic oil in the correct weight and an OEM filter and change your oil when you’re suppose to. With these cartridge type filters, the filter you use is way more important than what brand is on the oil jug. I only use OEM filters though Mann is said to be the original equipment supplier. Some of the other off brand filters are known to collapse or break up.

You can’t go wrong. Motul, Liqui-Moly, Castrol, Mobil 1, everyone is just splitting hairs when it comes to “oil performance”. 😀

[Hugh@EuropaParts]

Good question. Click on the picture below to see the 7 top selling oils for the B7 A4.

[StatusQuo]

All the top oils are so good that the difference between them is minor. It's almost pointless really unless you are looking for a specialty oil for racing applications but they don't last a long time

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Audizine mobile app

[Brillo]

It's quite long but if you read this treatise (link below) you will appreciate some of the more important differences between oil brands.
This guy has done extensive testing of many motor oils.
Starting about a quarter of the way down he ranks them (about 200 of them) by their HTHS strength which is probably the most important measure of the wear performance of a motor oil. Obviously, there are other considerations too such as the total base number (the ability to neutralize acidic products of combustion), viscosity, etc.
In that listing you will see that Mobil 1 0W-40 FS European Formula is near the top of the rankings. I see it at Walmart all the time in Indianapolis and Florida, where I live. Availability in Hawaii may be a different story.
You will be surprised by how far down the list other premium priced synthetics are such as Liqui Moly and Royal Purple.
If you drive like a normal person it probably doesn't make much difference as long as you use a 0W or 5W - 40 weight synthetic oil. Alternatively, if you drive hard like many on this forum it could make a difference. You decide. Use a premium oil filter such as Mann. Good luck.

https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/201...-test-ranking/

[80sGuy]

My car has been using dealer serviced since the day it left the showroom - Castrol 5W-40 but I always carry a qt of Mobil 1 0W-40 in the trunk.