Which oil to use

[jonharnew69]

Which is the best oil to use on a Polo 1.2 TSI Bluemotion 2016 done 20k miles says C16 in service book but I only do between 4000 to 6000miles a year all journeys over 20 miles and the car is only used in dry weather on average one and a half times a week at most. Either Mobil 1 0w-40 VW 502 Or Petronas Syntium 5000AV 5w-30 VW504. I know C16 says use 504 Petronas but would VW502 Mobil 1 be better. I service the car every year

[RUM4MO]

I use Mobil One 5W-30 ESP on both my cars for convenience, typical use for the Polo 1.2TSI 110PS 2015 is broadly the same as you have said, probably that oil is "more than" what that engine needs when used in that way, but it suits me to use that oil.

Which oil to use is a very personal choice as there are many that are "okay" or "will do the job" for a car used in that way.

Edit:- and like you I service the car every 12 months.

[jonharnew69]

Hi
Thanks for your reply that 5-30 oil you use is a VW504 long life. I guess what I am asking is, is the long life oil really the one to use in cars like ours that dont do high mileage or use in harsh conditions between changes, and if that is so, is the VW502 a better oil or not to use.

[RUM4MO]

The long life VW spec ensures that that oil has better lubricity, less engine wear and probably loaded with more detergents when compared with fixed/short life oils - I'd think that is so that it meets the need for long life.

There are many lists comparing VW engine oil specs online so you can see where the advances have been and what they are claimed to be, going down to a 0W engine oil will improve MPG but at what price to engine wear etc, I for one am more interested in keeping engine wear down than aiming for a mile or two more out of a gallon of fuel.

[veteran]

johnharnew69,

I echo what RUM4MO says. I've been a user of Mobil 1 oils for a number of years, both on my Polo and my previous car, and can vouch for their efficacy. Like RUM4MO, I use the ESP 5W-30 Mobil oil in my 2017 1.2 TSI Polo, which more than meets VW's minimum specification. It's certainly one of the best engine oils around. Being a 5W-30, it's a little bit thicker than the oil VW themselves would put in the engine, but that's actually an advantage because that ultra-thin stuff of VW more easily leaks past gaskets and seals. ESP 5W-30 is a little bit more expensive than its Castrol counterpart but well worth it, in my view. That Castrol stuff is hard to get now, anyway.

Mobil ESP 5W-30 is often sold by Halfords but another vendor of it is Opie Oils. One little annoyance is that it comes in a 5-litre container, whereas as a refill you need only about 3.7 litres (so a nominal 4 litres). But I gradually use up the excess over the succeeding oil changes.

I tend to disregard mpg figures, as they depend so much on how you use and drive the car. Incidentally, a good-quality oil is essential for the return of good emissions figures at MOT times. I also take little notice of dashboard oil-change reminders because I do even fewer miles per annum than you do, and so will change the oil annually regardless of its specification or how many miles I've done. The oil filter as well, of course.

[jonharnew69]

Thanks for all the suggestions I have decided to try Mobil1 0w-40 with genuine VAG OE filter As guarantee has now run out I can abandon dealer service.

[veteran]

The choice is entirely yours. IMHO, the one disadavantage of 0W-40 is that, as I said earlier, it's very thin, almost like water.

During the furora surrounding the diesel emissions scandal a few years ago, VW decided to upgrade from 5W-30 to 0W-40 to screw just a tiny bit more mpg from the Polo petrol models, but I doubt if any driver of a Polo has ever confirmed a difference.

5W-30, at least the Mobil 5W-30, seems to make the engine run quieter.

[jonharnew69]

Wouldn't it only be thinner when the oil is cold I would have thought it would be thicker at 40w when the engine warmed up, or am I missing something.