Hi -

I just found this site and joined.

I have a 1999 A6 with 210K Kms on it.
It needs to go in for an oil change. In the past I had the garage use synthetic oil but now I read a few times that this is not recommended for a high mileage car.
I assume 210K Kms is high mileage.

Is there any truth to that? Not to use synthetic oil in high mileage car?
Which oil would you recommend and which intervals for an oil change?

Thanks

 

synthetic oil is always better in my opinion, others may say different

 

mobile 1, royal purple

 

mobil 1 is ok for high km engines as well... i've seen them run in cars with 500k...

 

RP is not a full synthetic oil. It uses a petroleum basestock and is definitely not worth the ridiculous prices. Mobil 1 is full synthetic and is readily available at Canadian Tire and WalMart.

As long as you keep your car well maintained and change the oil at regular intervals, you should be fine with synthetic or conventional. If you drive your car like you stole it, use synthetic.

 

Just reading this thread, and wanted to add/ask.... I have an 01 A6 4.2 that I believe has used conventional oil up until now. Is there any harm in going to synthetic now, or should I stick with what it's been getting so far?

 

Ohhh, not again the oil basicssss.

No harm switching to synthetics (what is the definition for synthetics in N.A?).
If you look into your users manual you’d see service interval 15k.
On the MAN (Audi) oil filter is printed : 30000km, 2 years.

There are very, very few oils in NA I’d trust for 15k
Look for oils group IV and V (do some research).
Castrol, who started all the story with downgrading of the synthetics here, Synthec is group IV in Europe but group III here (well overpriced).
Dealers here sell US made Castrol for service intervals of 15k.

Mobil 1 was downgraded to some blend of obscured anything – look for description on their site-it’s to have some fun.
Mobil 1 Extended performance might be the correct choice.
Or use Europian oil, direct import.

It's not worthy to waste filters and labor using mineral oil.

As for high-mileage engines - I'd suggest to use one grade up- 10W-40 f.e., as the clearances are larger..

 

synthetic oil seems to be thinner after 2-3000km, and if you have high mileage the result will be consumption

 

I put conventional oil in my wifes '99 2.8, lost 1 liter in 1000Km, I use mobil 1 0W40 everytime and car now has 248,000Km. purrs like a kitten and does not loose a drop over 6000Km oil changes. If you plan on keeping the car, then keep using synthetic.

 

switched brands to ELF 5w-40, very happy so far, had slight valve noise which is now gone, also added hochstruck, which is a nano technology that does not affect the oil, but molecularly bonds to metallic surfaces, the friction coefficient of the oil does not change. My A6 was burning a small amount of oil between changes, now nothing lost. Take that for what its worth