Hi,

I searched the forums, but could not come up with a definitive answer regarding, whether or not we should be chaning the oil based solely on mileage or time, e.g. every 3 months.

I have a 2002 1.8T 5-speed and am always unsure which to go by, I have been taking it in based on the date, but I am starting to question it as it has become rather frequent (at least it feels that way).

One last question, shifting has felt sticky lately, mainly going into 1st, is that a transmission fluid issue?

Thanks for all your help!

 

Depends on the type of oil you use. Synthetic every 5000 miles, regular oil every 3000 miles. Oil doesn't go bad from sitting, so why every 3 months? Recommendation from the oil guy?

 

Thanks, the reason I ask is, on the sticker you receive after an oil change, it states a specific mileage and a date. So, I'm never sure which to go by. I am using synthetic, and previously had it changed about every 2 months at ~2k miles.

I was told to change it as frequently as possible due to sludge build up.

 

Changing it every 2K miles is basically wasting money as far as I know. Like cpageIII said, with synthetic, every 5K miles is fine. That said, I disagree with him about regular oil; I would avoid it.

 

Not sure about the A4, but my A6 computer keeps an eye on the oil based on factors such as time and mileage, and pops a service warning when it's time to change. I use Mobil1 0W-40 and generally change it around 7-9k, but I do a lot of highway driving which is pretty easy on the oil. I would absolutely recommend synthetic for your turbo and encourage 0W- weight if you live in a cold climate. I also change the transmission and differential fluids every 60k. A6 still shifts smoothly, although I notice an occasional stickiness going into 2nd that I attribute to synchros wearing at 190k miles.