I just purhased a 2001 2.4T with 105K miles and I was wondering if 5w30 or 10w30 sythetic would be better? I have done a SEARCH on this forum as well as several others and it seems 5w30 is better below 86 deg. I live in NC and the temperatures can be higher the 86 but only during a month or two in the summer. My other vehicles take 5w30, so it would be nice to use the same oil if possible. Would 5w30 be a good choice or is 10w30 better in NC weather?

Also, would there be any problem switching to synthetic at 105K miles. I drive around 40k miles a year, so I would prefer synthetic.

Thanks for the help!

 

Owner's manual recommendations are for conventional oils. 5W-30 conventional can shear down to a 20 weight. Synthetics are more shear stable. This is also thelow-pressure turbo so the 5W-30 would probably be fine. You can verify with oil analysis. How cold does it get there? There is also a European formula Castrol Syntec 0W-30 that would be ideal year round for you. Look for it at Autozone. Says "made in Germany" on the back. It is a high 30 weight so it could even be run year round here in Houston and still give protection. It isvery shear stable.

 

It doesn't get very cold here, maybe a week or two in the 20's each year. My main concern is when we have 90+ degree days in the summer. Usually July and August we see 90+ temperatures but other than that, it is usually in the upper 80's in the summer.

Thanks!