Haha, just shows you how little the guys that work at local auto part stores know about turbo cars. The thinner the oil the quicker the turbo will spool up, even Redline states this on their web site. Also a 20w50 should only be used for road racing. It isn't about how hot it is where you live but how hot your oil temps run when your driving the car, using a 20w50 in a car that doesn't see 250 oil temps for a long period of time is pointless and could do more harm then good.

 

Interesting that Mobil1 5W-30 isn't listed.

Elf is good stuff. It smells like laundry detergent if laundry detergent was made from soybeans!.

 

what are you talking about? Your oil temps are directly affected to how hot it is where you live, you use thinner oil for cooler weather because it flows better at cold starts and dosen't heat up to high temps because its not hot out, and you use thicker oil in the warmer weather to prevent the oil temp from getting too high because of the warmer weather.
I won't lie, I abuse my car very much, so I use 0-40 during the two coldest winter months and 15-50 Mobile 1 during most of the rest of the year, failure to do so results in 10-20degree increases in oil temp. cold starts never really affect me since I turn on the car for 10 min and let it warm up before each use. the 1.8T is a very hot running engine, I can't see there being any harm in using a thicker oil except for a slight decrease in performance, espically since the owners manual specificaly says to use viscosity grades *including* : 10W-50, 10W-60, 15W-50 and 20W-50 during hotter weather.

 

Running thicker oil then what is needed doesn't make it better. Even companies like Redline suggest NOT running 40 in a car that does not see 225 or higher oil temps for a long period of time. Just because someone drives in 90+ temps at fwy speeds doesn't mean they are going to have high oil temps. Most people can run a 30 for winter and a 40 for summer seeing that they dont go racing their cars on the street all day long.

 

cool so i think almost every oil was suggested...so im back where i started haha. but i think im gunna keep dino oil for the first 5k like suggested, then switch back to moble 1 10-40 like i used to run and never had problems or sludge.

 

The Bentley Publishers Audi A4 Service Manual for 1996 ~ 2001 1.8L turbo and 2.8L including Avant and quattro specifically says 20W-50 is approved for use at 10 degrees Fahrenheit and above. So unless you live in a place that usually is -20 degrees Fahrenheit, you are fine. If you do live in a really cold place, then I recommend 10W-30 full synthetic. 40 weight oils are different then 30 and 50.

So as long as the oil is rated API Service SJ or better.

Yes, I would recommend full synthetic oil.

I see no reason why running 20W-50 is bad for a turbo. You won't notice any change in turbo lag. It will be as slow as it currently is. If you already have sludge issues, it doesn't matter what you run for oil, the engine bearings won't be oiled as well as they should be.

New owners should have run 10W-30 synthetic right from the factory and changed oil every 4 to 5k miles. That's not what happened with most people running 0W-40 for 10k miles per change. This causes bearings to wear quickly, which lowers oil pressure....which makes the case for using heavier then normal weight oils in these particular engines....I would consider it a must do if you don't want to be replacing bearings. Hell, I would do it even if you had sludging problems....the heavier oil might push some of that sludge through and out into the sump. If you do have sludging, I bet your biggest issue is a plugged up oil pump pickup tube screen. Clean that out and run a heavier then normal oil.

 

Please do not necro bump a seven year old thread for zero reason

 

Shoot, the ever-popular oil thread, and I'm too late to the party!