What makes VW 507 oil so necessary?

58441 Views 195 Replies 33 Participants Last post by jeffnhiscars, Mar 23, 2022

BenTDI

Discussion Starter · May 27, 2016

I can't help but to think, if our vehicles-3.0 TDI motors-are so special, so expensive and so exclusive, why do we need the magical VW 507 spec. oil? What is it in our motors that makes them so seemingly magical that they need this oil we can't just by at Vatozone, Advanced Auto, Walmart, etc. and have to pay about $10 a quart for?

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BeemerMikeTX

· #135 · Jun 12, 2016

Black Grouse said:
A different post, #102, gives a specification for 507.00 which lists both 5W-30 and 0W-30 - my bad, I wrongly recalled it as 0W-20.

Post #102 is from a handbook by Afton Chemical. VW's list in their Technical Bulletin only shows oils with viscosity of 5W-30 as 504.00/507.00 approved. Whose chart do you think we should believe?

https://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/audiusa/Documents/Audi-1997-2012-Technical-Service-Bulletin.pdf

http://www.anciravolkswagen.com/blogs/949/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Approved-Oil-List.pdf

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BeemerMikeTX

· #137 · Jun 13, 2016

Black Grouse said:
Documents from VWoA only apply in the USA - 507.00 is a global specification.

It seems clear to me that demand for 507.00 in USA is lower than other parts of the world, down to the difference in market penetration of VW diesels.

Did you read the two documents? The VW Technical Bulletin says it is a "Worldwide" list of engine oils that meet the 504.00/507.00 specification, and that not all of them may be available in North America. The much shorter Audi TSB list says they are the 504.00/507.00 oils that are generally available in North America.

But, if you have a "VW-Europe" list, or an actual container of oil, that shows a 0W-30 engine oil with a VW 504.00/507.00 approval, please let us know about it.

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BeemerMikeTX

· #139 · Jun 13, 2016

Black Grouse said:
Shell Helix Ultra ECT C2/C3 0w-30 Car Engine Oil

Found in 20 seconds using Google!

Found in 20 seconds, but took days to tell us about it.

But thanks for letting us know that a 0W-30 507.00 oil actually exists. I never searched for 0W-30 and 507.00 before (I was just searching for 507.00 oils), but a quick search for that now indicates that a 0W-30 oil that meets 507.00 is a fairly recent development only in the last year or two, and there are not that many of them yet. This probably explains why none of them are on the VW or Audi lists, which have publication dates around 2012 or so.

Which of course raises the question of why it has taken so long for a 0W-30 oil to get 507.00 approval. There are five Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 oils on the VW 507.00 list (although none are "ECT"), but no Shell Ultra ECT (Emissions Compatible Technology) 0W-30 . . . which is apparently a new formulation.

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BeemerMikeTX

· #153 · Dec 28, 2016

So, in my six-month break from this thread it appears that no one has discovered what is the "secret" to the VW 507 00 diesel engine oil that our engines require.

Oh well, yesterday I dropped by my VW dealer (who is only 12 miles away) and bought of quart of their TDI oil. For US$ 8.00 (plus tax), they sold me a quart of Castrol Edge Professional "full synthetic" SAE 5W-30 LL03 (apparently made by BP Lubricants in the USA), that is marked with approvals "VW 504 00/507 00; ACEA C3" (and no other approvals). For $8.00/quart and ready, nearby supply, I don't think I need to work this issue any more.

I may use my remaining VW diesel cards to pick up a couple of cases. :smile2:

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BeemerMikeTX

· #155 · Dec 29, 2016

Philth said:
I don't think anybody was really researching it. Lol

Well, for awhile they were really researching it, apparently to deal with the issue that you cannot just walk into most auto parts stores or big box stores and buy 507 00 oil (at least in the U.S.). But apparently no one has been able to crack the 507 00 code. The good news is you can walk into your nearest VW dealer and buy 507 00 oil at a reasonable price. Well, that's good news if you have a VW dealer nearby (as I do).

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BeemerMikeTX

· #158 · Dec 29, 2016

Black Grouse said:
It's not necessary for owners to "crack" the code.

It is if 507 00 oil is not readily available, and you want to find a suitable substitute.

Black Grouse said:
I feel sure that any of the global oil companies can ask VW for the requirements of 507.00, have their oil chemists create an oil meeting that requirement and then have it certified by VW as meeting that requirement which they can market with the "coveted" 507.00 approval.

I'm sure that's true. But no one here is looking to MAKE 507 00 oil. They're looking to BUY 507 00 oil, or a suitable substitute.

Black Grouse said:
In the UK, I can go into Asda (owned by Walmart from the US) and buy Castrol 507.00 for no more than a 5W-30 ACEA-C3 without VW approval - I can use Opie Oil mail order and get 507.00 by Mobil, Amsoil, Red Line and Valvoline - all of which are US companies.

Of course the (still) unanswered question is whether 5W-30 ACEA C3 oil WITHOUT VW's 507 00 approval is really the same as 5W-30 ACEA C3 oil WITH VW's 507 00 approval?

Black Grouse said:
Perhaps you should ask those last four brands why their 507.00 isn't readily available in the US?

That would be interesting to know, but is ultimately irrelevant since their 507 00 oils are currently NOT readily available in the U.S.

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BeemerMikeTX

· #159 · Dec 29, 2016

Stabone33 said:
I think that's an easy answer - because diesel VWs and Audis are actually quite rare here, as are diesel passenger cars in general, despite the big deal our government has made about Dieselgate. That, and most motor oil is produced and consumed regionally.

That's probably the answer. As I noted, the Castrol 507 00 oil says that it is made by BP Lubricants IN the USA (from domestic and imported components).

Stabone33 said:
You can actually find MB Bluetec spec oil on the shelves at most major auto parts stores, and they sold even fewer here than VAG did. I wonder why that is?

One possible explanation is that the MB Bluetec oil spec is satisfied by an existing oil formulation that has broader applicability, but the VW 507 00 oil spec has something different about it that is NOT satisfied by a broader applicability formulation.

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BeemerMikeTX

· #162 · Dec 29, 2016

Black Grouse said:
I'd suggest they aren't the same - as in the UK we have available 5W-30 ACEA-C3 without VW 507.00 and often from the same brand, a 5W-30 ACEA-C3 with VW 507.00 approval.

Which just brings us back to the OP's question.

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BeemerMikeTX

· #163 · Dec 29, 2016

BenTDI said:
Just think, with all the 3.0's that will be coming off the road, if the "Noah's Ark" of oils, the vaunted 507 spec was a challenge to find before, just think of what it will be like once the buyback/compensation/fix is complete.

No doubt, but you should always be able to find it at your VW dealer (and at a reasonable price). Other folks may have to go to the trouble of on-line ordering, but at least you know what the VW dealer is using.

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