Help! MK 4 GOLF advised to change oil type- now problems

[Twentyfour7]

Hi All

I have a MK 4 1998 Golf . I was advised that as it was drinking a lot of oil I could use 10w -40 oil instead of 5 w-40, so I put this in a few weeks ago and have driven the car a couple of times.

Then on Sunday the engine made a bad sound on starting, needed revving but stalled a couple of times . I then drove about 40 miles with no problem . I didn't notice anything on dash but I admit I did not look . Then on Sunday evening as I was going to drive 120 miles thought I would check the oil - very little oil on dip stick so toped up the oil. Drove 120 miles, fine.

Then this morning tried to start car and again bad noise from engine , noticed sign saying "OIL" flashing on dash. Didn't have time to check the dip stick as had to go to work ....
But I am wondering if it's a leak/ filled up too much or the wrong oil ?

Need my car for Friday night for long drive again

Is 10w -40 ok to use? the manufacturer says should be 5w-40 , can the engine detect if you put wrong oil in??

Your thoughts would be a great help !Thanks

[Twentyfour7]

Hi All

I have a MK 4 1998 Golf . I was advised that as it was drinking a lot of oil I could use 10w -40 oil instead of 5 w-40, so I put this in a few weeks ago and have driven the car a couple of times.

Then on Sunday the engine made a bad sound on starting, needed revving but stalled a couple of times . I then drove about 40 miles with no problem . I didn't notice anything on dash but I admit I did not look . Then on Sunday evening as I was going to drive 120 miles thought I would check the oil - very little oil on dip stick so toped up the oil. Drove 120 miles, fine.

Then this morning tried to start car and again bad noise from engine , noticed sign saying "OIL" flashing on dash. Didn't have time to check the dip stick as had to go to work ....
But I am wondering if it's a leak/ filled up too much or the wrong oil ?

Need my car for Friday night for long drive again

Is 10w -40 ok to use? the manufacturer says should be 5w-40 , can the engine detect if you put wrong oil in??

Your thoughts would be a great help !Thanks

[catso]

Can't see 10w - 40 causing any problem or it using much less for that matter.

'Bad noise' sounds ominous, does 'Oil' on the dash relate to level or pressure?

[Tyrell Corp]

The 10w is the cold oil 'thickness' viscosity. So you have just slightly upped for maybe less rattle on cold start up, but if anything something higher like a 50w (for thicker oil when hot) might help if the issue is rings/bore wear.

I suspect this oil viscosity maybe a red herring and your underlying oil consumption issues needs more diagnosis: Thicker oil can quieten and reduce smoking on an old motor but not really the answer.

Edited by Tyrell Corp on Wednesday 17th August 16:05

[zedx19]

Engine has no idea what oil you're using, especially on an old Golf which sounds like it's coming to the end of it's life.

If it's an old diesel, high oil consumption can be normal for them, but it sounds like you may have been driving while on low oil, causing possibly terminal damage to the engine. Could be any number of things, but I'd certainly not want to cover 120 miles in it until the fault was properly diagnosed.

[mmm-five]

It's using/losing oil somewhere, you haven't fixed the underlying problem, and it's become worse!

[HJG]

Advice to use a 10W instead of 5W was incorrect and pointless.

As mentioned a thicker oil against the 'hot' grade, which is the second number (higher = 'thicker'), would maybe have helped but ultimately engine has a consumption issue and is likely beyond economical repair.

If you need to keep it running then just put 10w/50 in and keep checking it. No need for top branded oils, this engine is past caring!

[Twentyfour7]

I have just checked car plenty of oil in engine so no leak …worried still was wrong oil as manufacturer says 5w 40 only for mk 4 1998

[Twentyfour7]

Don’t know….
I have just checked car plenty of oil in engine so no leak …worried still was wrong oil as manufacturer says 5w 40 only for mk 4 1998

[Krikkit]

If you think it will really make a difference then have it drained and refilled with 5w40, it's incredibly unlikely it'll make a difference.

Different hot and cold weights are commonly recommended depending on ambient temperatures in the area it's used.

e.g.

Edited by Krikkit on Wednesday 17th August 23:19

[Sheepshanks]

Twentyfour7 said:

I have just checked car plenty of oil in engine so no leak …worried still was wrong oil as manufacturer says 5w 40 only for mk 4 1998

As others have said, the first number is the oil’s viscosity when cold. The only time it might possibly be an issue to use the 10W oil is in the very depths of winter, and even then it’s unlikely to make any much difference. At this time of year it really doesn’t matter at all.

[GreenV8S]

You seem to be reporting inconsistent oil levels and I suggest you work out how to read the dipstick to get a consistent reading. For example you might need to ensure the engine has been stopped for a few minutes, and you might need to be more careful about wiping the dipstick so you get an accurate reading. Otherwise you risk underfilling or overfilling it, either of which could damage the engine.

Do you know what the OIL light you mention means? If it's a low oil pressure light then that's a reason to stop and switch off the engine immediately.

[E-bmw]

Twentyfour7 said:

Sunday the engine made a bad sound on starting, needed revving but stalled a couple of times . I then drove about 40 miles with no problem .

Then on Sunday evening as I was going to drive 120 miles thought I would check the oil - very little oil on dip stick so toped up the oil. Drove 120 miles, fine.

Then this morning tried to start car and again bad noise from engine , noticed sign saying "OIL" flashing on dash. Didn't have time to check the dip stick as had to go to work .
..
But I am wondering if it's a leak/ filled up too much or the wrong oil ?

No matter how much time you do or don't have this 100% cannot be ignored. Worst case is 100yards down the road the engine seizes due to lack of oil, how much time have you not got now?

That aside, as was said above, you need to get straight the correct way to check your oil, as you say the engine uses oil, so you need to find out what it is using & how much you need to top up when or you will never know whether it is any better for changing the oil or not.

The car should be on level ground, it should have been off for at least a few minutes, you need to fully remove the dipstick, wipe it clean, and carefully insert it fully to get a good accurate reading, do this several times to make sure the reading is accurate & stable.

Only then do you top up to the top of the "range" shown on the dipstick.

Then every day, then 2 days, then 3 days....... up to 1 week, to see how much it is using and when it needs topping up.

The oil you have put in will 100% not be the issue, but don't forget that the car is 24 years old, so the noise you mention could be any one of 100s of things.

[Twentyfour7]

I realise now the OIL message on dash is just a service notification , it not like an alert light
I have been told it sounds like the engine is misfiring and that a cylinder may need replacing

[rottenegg]

Continuing to drive it in spite of the nasty rattling noises and oil pressure warnings. Good one.

[Scrump]

Twentyfour7 said:

I realise now the OIL message on dash is just a service notification , it not like an alert light
I have been told it sounds like the engine is misfiring and that a cylinder may need replacing

You already knew the engine was misfiring:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=19...

[Twentyfour7]

Very observant , yes and had spent 3 days in garage and the intermittent fault not found , returned to driving beautifully but on Sunday must have completely failed

[zedx19]

I think you must be getting confused with what you're being told and what you're telling us, you can't just change a cylinder!