2005 Jetta. 2.0 Ltr. Using Castrol 5W-40 Synthetic, year round. Summer AND winter. How long can I typically go on an oil change with this oil? Thanks. Like to hear a couple of opinions on this.

 

i was a fleet manager for about 10 years. vehicles numbered anywhere from about 8-16. did oil changes every 10,000 miles with sams club certified oil. never had any engine related failure ever. two cars even reached 600,000 miles. i always tell people that and they call me crazy lol. we used to used synthetic when i first started there but the boss got cheap. i been putting the same stuff in my trucks since i left there about 3 years ago and still no problems. so with better oil you should be fine

 

I usually do between 5,000 and 7,000. anything less is really a waste of money.

 

I go about 5,000 miles on Synthetic. That's what the usual interval is.

 

i run mobil 1 and do it every 6-8000. lasted the last 40K miles no problem. i do have a catalytic converter bad but thats unrelated

 

I do 3k on Castrol. I need to get a oil sample kit send it out and get it diagnose. If everything looks good I will bump it up in to 4500. It is not syn. As the truck had 130k when I bought it.

 

I usually go 5-6000 miles on Mobil 1.

 

Got this little tid-bit directly from Castrol........

Thank You for contacting Castrol North America,

Castrol always recommends following the guidelines of the original engine manufacturer for the recommended oil to use in your specific application.

Volkswagen carries two separate SLX Professional Products:

SLX Professional OE is formulated for VW vehicles, is a fully Synthetic Motor Oil and meets the following specs:

* 505 01, 502 00, 505 00
* API SL/CF
* ACEA A3/B4, C3
* MB 229.51

SLX Professional LLO3 is formulated for VW vehicles, is a fully Synthetic Motor Oil and meets the following specs:

* 504. 00
* 507.00

SLX Professional products are branded and only available in North America through VW Dealerships.
Please ensure the correct product is being used in your VW.

In determining oil change intervals using SYNTEC, Castrol leans toward the conservative side and recommends following the engine manufacturers' guidelines found in your vehicle's manual for the specific type of driving you do.

This is important because combustion byproducts and other contaminants are still going to build up in any type or brand of engine oil. A number of factors including the engine design, type of driving, weather conditions, oil filter used, etc. determine how much buildup is created. By changing your oil frequently, you remove by-products of combustion such as acid, soot, abrasives, water and unburned fuel. All of these substances can have damaging effects on both the performance and life of your engine.

Manufacturers recommended service intervals today cite maintenance schedules based on ‘Normal Driving Conditions’. If you short trip the vehicle, drive in traffic, travel at speeds over 60 mph then you are in all likelihood running a ‘Severe Driving Condition’ interval.

If you read the fine print on many of the oil life monitors and how they work they point out that in the event of battery disconnect or power loss revert to a 3 month/3,000 mile oil change interval. Why? Because it establishes a base point and it is the safest interval for maximum engine protection and longevity.

We have tested our oil under considerably higher oil change intervals and it has performed very well however with the number of unknowns as mentioned above, we must err on the side of caution and reiterate that the manufacturers' recommendation be followed.

We recommend for ultimate protection that you change your engine oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months (whichever comes first).

Thank you again for your interest in Castrol, we value your patronage!

Castrol Consumer Relations

 

I personally would say that it depends on your driving habits. I do it about 5-8k. But i drive 25 miles one way on the highway to work. If you had to drive those same 25 miles thru the city in stop and go traffic it would take more toll on the oil. So decide based on your driving habits but synthetic should have no troubles going 7-10k in the right conditions.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/ is a good read.

 

i do it every 5k and have never had any problems my honda has had the oil changed every 5k since it was brand new. never had one engine problem except a cps which is unrelated to oil. the owners manual even says every 10k in my hondas owner manual. and i plan to get the blazer on the same 5k interval so i can just do them around the same time.