Bron:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=65779.0
OK, this repeatedly gets asked, and some peeps seem confused, and others are concerned about modifications- so I'll post the detail of the current requirements (when this post was made), along with my own opinions.
Before we start, let's clarify two separate, but related issues. The "LongLife serving regime" is a completely distinct, and separate issue from the "LongLife oils". (But you MUST only use LongLife oils when using the LongLife servicing regime).
Got that? Now the lesson can begin . . .
SERVICING REGIMES - & their requrements
LongLife Servicing Regime - variable servicing intervals
The actual LongLife serving regime really should not be used on any high performance, high revving petrol engine. Although the LongLife regime was introduced across virtually all VAG cars in 2000/2001, with virtually no restrictions on useage, as time has progressed, and presumably VAG have gained "real-world" data, then the LongLife "requirements" have changed quite noticeably. From 2006, the detailed requirements for LongLife were notably "downgraded".
This is the actual list of specific operating requirements for LongLife regime:
Mileage: more than 30 miles per day.
Type of Journey: Motorway and main road driving. Mainly longer distance journeys. Constant speeds.
Conditions: Normal engine loading - eg, with little or no towing, with little or no hill climbs. Normal vehicle loading.
Driving style: Moderate acceleration, moderate braking, engine revs mainly below 3000rpm.
You must ONLY use the correctly specified VW approved LongLife oil. A "generic" longlife, or a GM or BMW approved longlife oil is NOT acceptable. If you do top up inbetween services with a non-VW LongLife oil, the oil quality sensor will notice this, and the car will develop a noticeable reduction in the service due computer.
You need to be able to comply with all of the above requirements. If you can not comply with all of them, or there is a element of doubt that makes certain issues "boarderline", then you should not even consider LongLife, and use the Time and Distance regime instead. Unfortunately, many VW stealers do not fully understand the exacting requirements for the LongLife regime, and will therefore incorrectly advise the customer of the wrong service regime. :rolleyes:
Time and Distance Servicing Regime - conventional fixed servicing intervals
These are the more "relaxed" operating requirements for Time & Distance regime:
Mileage: less than 10,000* miles per year.
Type of Journey: Mainly city/town centre driving. Short journeys.
Conditions: Frequent cold starts. High engine loading - eg, frequent hill climbs, vehicle fully loaded, towing.
Driving style: Uneconomical - eg, heavy acceleration, heavy braking, constant changes in speed, constant use of high revs, 'sporty' driving.
* Mileages are approximate, as the service indicator system uses kilometers as its distance measurement.
Even if you only meet one of these requirements, but atually meet more (but not all of the above LongLife requrements), you should still use this Time & Distance regime.
When I originally wrote this thread back in 2007, the "official" advice is that you may use either the "normal" VW approved Time and Distance oils, or, you can also use the higher quality VW approved LongLife oils for enhanced protection (or indeed a mixture of both - usually for topping up purposes). However, from mid-2008, all official franchised dealerships were forwarned of updates for this specific issue - and from December 2008, the ONLY oil allowed to be used in franchised workshops, irrespective of service regime, is the LongLife 3 standard of oil (there are a few very limited exceptions, but these do not affect any Volkswagen).
ENGINE OILS - specification standards and useage
LongLife oils
LongLife oils are a very specific, and very high grade fully (usually) synthetic engine oils. They undergo all the "standard" oil tests, but also have to undergo more rigourous and arduous tests. The two crucial areas are the "duration" tests, and HTHS tests. The duration tests demand that the oil can last over twice as long as the ACEA requirements for conventional drain high performance engine oils. The HTHS is more interesting, and is very relevent to turbos. HTHS stands for "High Temperature, High Shear", and basically places an additional, extremely rigorous test at 150deg C, whereas conventional ACEA and API tests only go up to 100deg C.
The appropriate VW LongLife standards:
503.00, 506.00, 506.01 - this is the VW LongLife "2" specification. SAE 0W30. For petrol engines, the 503.00 is the relevant spec, for non-PD diesels it is 506.00, and for diesels with PD 506.01
504.00, 507.00 - this is the latest VW LongLife "3" specification. SAE 5W30. 504.00 is the spec for petrol engines, and is the ONLY standard which includes FSI-specific tests, and 507.00 is for diesel engines (note: 507.00 oils MUST only be used in diesels with DPF)
Time and Distance oils
Well, these can vary from ancient quality straight mineral oils, through to relatively high performance full synthetic multigrades. However, being as this is a Golf Mk5 section, I'll stick with relevent lubes for the Mk5.
One of the VW standards for conventional (non-LongLife) Time and Distance servicing for petrol engines is 502.00. This is usually a fairly high spec 'fully synthetic' oil, normally 5W40 (though some oils from American manufacturers are not acutally 'fully' synthetic
So I hope you all agree that it can be deduced that LongLife oils are of considerably higher quality than even the best conventional fully synthetic T&D oils.
For part numbers of official VAG and Quantum (made by Castrol for VW) engine oils, look here: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=95565, and for some further discussion, look here: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=98261
ACTUAL "INTERVALS" OF THE TWO DIFFERENT REGIMES
These are the actual physical intervals - how many miles, and/or over what timescale will the car actually go between services.
Time and Distance Servicing Regime - conventional fixed servicing intervals
For the fixed interval "Time and Distance" servicing, then the actual intervals are 12 months or 10k miles - whichever occurs soonest.
That means that your car can go up to one year since the last service, and/or up to 10,000 miles. The upper level for one of those will always be reached - so that means if you are an occasional driver doing, say less than 50 miles per week, then you will go 12 months between services (but will have only covered about 2,600miles). However, if you are a high mileage driver, doing say 2,000 miles per month, then you will go the full 10,000 miles, but will only manage 5 months between.
LongLife Servicing Regime - variable servicing intervals
For the "LongLife" servicing regime, for a petrol engine, it can go up to 24 months, or, up to 20k miles (diesels up to 30kmiles), again, whichever occurs soonest. However, unlike the T&D above (which WILL reach one or the other of the upper levels), with LongLife, there is absolutely no guarantee that you could reach either of the upper levels - they are "variable".
Even on LongLife regime, the 'Service Interval Display' (SID) can still ping for a service in as little as 12months, or as shockingly as little as 9,600miles - which is is blatant T&D territory. At this extreme example, the LongLife can actually cost more to service - because you will be needing a "full" 20k service every 10k miles. If you were on the T&D regime, then you would only be paying for effectively an oil and filter change at 10k, and then going another 10k before paying for the larger 20k service. It is extremely rare, and virtually unknown for any engine to reach the claimed upper limits of mileages. The accumulated data for Petrol engines on LongLife have shown they may reach around 13k to 15k miles, whereas Diesel engines do fare a little better, with around 27k miles being achieved. So, based on this data, it confirms my "suspicions" and recommendations that no petrol engined car should be on the LongLife regime, especially if they have a turbo!
My recommendation for "modified" cars and/or "enthusiastic" driving
Now, to the point of modifications, particularly engine based mods. My advice is simple. Do NOT use the LongLife servicing regime, and only use the conventional fixed interval "Time and Distance" servicing regimes. However, please DO continue to use the higher quality LongLife oil, and not the lesser quality Time and Distance oils. If your engine or car is highly modified, or if you are a particularly 'enthusiastic' driver
