What Oil in a V10 S8?
 

As above really, what engine oil would you guys recommend for use in an S8?

I've always used Mobil 1 previously. Is that suitable for my new car, or is there something better?

I know the oil filler cap says Castrol is recommended, but does that mean that's just the company that paid Audi the most?

Audi does a fixed price for routine service 175£ it is I think
Instead of going to buy oil would rather go there
They will do a nice health check for free too

Thanks Borys. I knew about the fixed price servicing but a few Audi-owning friends have said my local Audi dealer has a really half-a*sed approach to servicing, so I didn't give it much thought.

Do you know what engine oil Audi use? It's always good to have a top-up, just in case.

No clue what audi uses
I run Castrol Edge 5w30 around here recomendation goes to quantum

I've been searching exactly the same thing for a fellow member, Conquistador. Also came close to writing a post. Here's what I know so far.

Audi Service advised the oil they use is Castrol 0w30, Longlife conforming to 504.00 and 507.00.

Audi Parts advised 0w30 or 5w30 to similar specifications.

Halfrauds and Euro Car Parts website gave all different specs and viscosities, but seemed to fall around 5w40.

I work for a Seat/Skoda Main Dealer, and we use Quantum. In the workshop, for petrol engines we use 5w30 on Longlife Servicing. When I checked the bottles, they conform to 504.00 and 507.00. The bottle also says "Manufactured by Volkswagen etc....".

So a long story short, if you can find the right viscosity, use Quantum, since it's made by the same people who make the car.

I also use Quantum, bought from TPS

TPS were mean to me today :(

I'd previously asked (last July) to join and they didn't get back to me. I sent them an email over the weekend to ask about my membership and today I got a call from a stroppy git who gave me the third degree about why I needed membership.

Thankfully, I could only hear half of what he said because he called me from a mobile that had terrible reception. Despite me telling him this, he continued in the same manner, telling me they don't give out memberships 'willy nilly' and that he'd visited my premises and it was 'just a house with a brown door'.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to find myself another means by which to acquire my parts.

I find this whole TPS thing a bit weird, the Bletchley one, you just rock up without an account and get your bits, its pretty simple, why are some others really snotty about it?

So the guy went to your registered office and not the workshop. Should have told him if he wants to visit he'll have to make an appointment as you're not open to any riff raff that just turns up unannounced. Tell the little **** he'll have to apply for membership but it don't look good for him.

You know, I was thinking along the same lines during the call myself, but held myself back at the thought of paying dealer prices!

I rang the Milton Keynes TPS, who were far friendlier and didn't talk to me like a criminal, but when they gave me prices, I noticed they were retail prices. In fairness, the friendly chap on the phone did end the call by saying that he'd try to help me out on the price when I ordered.

My experience with Milton Keynes TPS is that they will happily sell to general public but at retail price or with very little discount, it always worked out cheaper for me to go to Audi Northampton and ask them for discount and many times they offer discount straight away even without asking. And it's closer as well so after couple of tries and fails I don't even check the price with TPS any more.

Thanks for the tip, I'll add Northampton to tomorrow's call list! +++

Mobil 1 vs the rest ...
 

Audi supposedly 'developed' Longlife oil with Castrol but it's not about the viscosity, it's about the specification.:)

Audi [and all VAG group cars] quote the VAG specification. Confusingly, this has changed over the years but 'sort of' boils down to diesel/petrol engine oil specs.

I think I'm right in saying that 504.00 and 507.00 are the specs. these days which replace all previous versions.

Mobil 1 is a brand - you'd still need the get the 'right' Mobil 1 for the S8.

I'm using Mannol 7715 OEM which is a German brand that is 504.00 and 507.00 'compliant' on the label, is 'Long Life' and is also appropriate replacement for 502.00, 505.00, 505.01, 503.00, 503.01, 506.00, & 506.01. [My A8 is supposed to use 506.01 for Longlife in my 3.0 diesel according to my 2004 owner's manual].

In my mind, if the oil meets the spec., there's no 'better' brands, only more expensive ones ;)

Julian

Wow... That's so alien to me. My previous cars have always run so differently depending on which oil I chose!

Thanks for the information. :)

Had mine done today and used Quantum Longlife 3 5W-30 Fully Syn. Undertray was a bit sweaty with oil for some reason so will remove it again in 500 miles and see what's new.

The car took exactly 10 litres of oil though which resulted in it being the perfect level on the dipstick. £44 for the recommended oil from here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1820521105...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://i64.tinypic.com/1hlpw.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/286xzjr.jpg

[quote=Conquistador;110462]Had mine done today and used Quantum Longlife 3 5W-30 Fully Syn. Undertray was a bit sweaty with oil for some reason so will remove it again in 500 miles and see what's new.

The car took exactly 10 litres of oil though which resulted in it being the perfect level on the dipstick. £44 for the recommended oil from here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1820521105...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT



could have saved four quid, that's about 8 miles worth of fuel;)

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11431

Good deal at opie oils for 8l of mobil1 0w/40:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Engine...QAAMXQeW5Ta7aI

OK, so I stopped into Vagtech in Milton Keynes over the weekend. It's likely they will be doing my carbon clean and they really seem to know their stuff.

I was talking to Sam, the tuning manager, about routine maintenance and he said they give owners the choice of two engine oils - either the standard 5w30 Quantum or the Castrol Edge 10w60.

I balked when he mentioned 10w60 and immediately said that it was too thick for my car. He reasoned that it's the recommended oil the R8 V10 and works better in high temperature environments.

I went into research mode and have been studying specs and recommendations most of yesterday. I learned that the stated viscosity isn't always the actual viscosity and it's possible to have an oil that has higher xW-yy numbers that is actually thinner than another. Another tidbit was that the 10w60 oil is indeed recommended in R8s newer than (2010?). I assumed there was a change in the engine this model year, but there wasn't, which implies that Audi simply found the thicker oil worked better. A very, very knowledgeable guy on another forum also cautioned against Audi's 'x-w30' recommendation, arguing that the design of the BSM V10 engine is well covered for cold starts and the real risk lies at high temperatures. I'm paraphrasing horribly, but the gist of what he was saying was definitely to look for a thicker oil than recommended.

Sam at Vagtech told me he runs the 10w60 in his RS6 and it works really well. I'm considering it, especially during the summer months. I'd like to do two oil changes a year - one before summer and one before winter, so I'd be quite happy to use the thicker oil in summer and the thinner one in winter. Would help balance the cost too!

Anyone else use 10w60 oil?

Like you say, the specification numbers sort of overrule oil viscosity ratings. Nowadays, it's important to understand how the lubricating properties are affected by temperature, age, pressure, and various other factors. The V10 S8 was something like 502.00, but the oil specification 504.00 superceeds that. Providing the oil meets the specs, there's no reason to say the oil couldn't be 0w20 or 15w50, just as long as it met specification.

A good example is Fiat. The 1.4multiair used in the 500x takes 5w40, but the 1.4multiair used in the Abarth 595 uses 10w50. Same engine, different use and different specs.

The Castrol Edge 10w60 is branded a racing oil, but conforms to 505.01 and 505.00.

I'd use this oil at your own risk, since most S8's aren't driven at the peak end of their performance, and perhaps if the vehicle isn't under this sort of load, the oil pressure or temperature may not be sufficient to protect the engine properly?

Whereabouts are you based? Im in Northampton, and VRS will be doing my carbon clean as well as inlet flaps delete and remap after - they dyno it before and after to see the difference.

What were you quoted from Vagtech?

I'm based in West London, but I'm in Milton Keynes most weekends. I've pretty much given up on trying to get my car repaired in/around London. I've yet to find a garage that gives a monkeys about me or my car.

I'll PM you the prices I've been quoted. +++

About time I changed my oil again so I'm wondering whether to use the same as before (Quantum Longlife 3 5W-30) or use a slightly thicker oil. Definitely won't be using 10w-60!

Thoughts?

Apologies if you've already seen my other thread, but Costco have an offer on at the moment on Castrol Edge. I bought nine 4 litre cans of 5w30 for £26 each.

I've instructed Vagtech to use the cans I've bought, but I'm still tempted to try out the 10w60 for the summer. I'd hedge my bets and add a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil, which adds more detergents and is a friction reducer. It's thin, so it'll lower the viscosity slightly.

Audi's recommended oil for the car is 0w30 Shell Helix or Castrol.

I've gone for the same as last year - Quantum III 5w30.