Checker - looks like we got similar previous owners on identical cars. Same for mine. Previous owner maintained literally everything and went overboard on some things. Which is great.

Thanks for all of the info. I think I will keep synthetic and alter the oil type based on the time of year. Figure I will keep the same and then the next oil change in like Nov-Dec I will move to the colder type.

 

That's the only one I have, never had the engine out so no oil pan pictures.

 

Has oil sludge issues because the oil return line on the turbo is located in between all the hottest places on the engine. The 1.8T may need servicing with the oil a little more frequently because of the oil coking on the turbo return line. Bakes it to like 300 + degrees when the car is off because of the exhaust manifold & ignition chamber are both right next to it & the oil will have ceased to be circulated to battle the heat.

Just change the damn oil when it's suppose to be changed. Service manual has many fairy tales written in it such as, life time trans fluid & change oil every 10K miles.

 

Wish my cylinder head was that clean.

 

hahaha me too!

 

Then you guys oughta love this. This was what I saw when Bill and I changed the CCT on this 166k mile 98 1.8T. This was the sight when we pulled the valve cover. Damn thing looks fresh from a machine shop. Had I not driven the car immediately before disassembly, and had I not been actually turning the wrenches myself, I wouldn't have believed this head was used in a car. No ugly oil starvation noises either. Unfreakinbelievable...

 

That is amazing, I'm about to do my VCG's & CCT gaskets, I'd post a pic but it'd probably be embarrassing since I'm still undoing laziness of the last POS owner! Since everyone's still talking about oil what kind was that guy using ?!?

 

I don't know but I'm suspecting a mix of virgin tears, unicorn blood, and powdered bones of a saint...

 

Ah, exactly what I thought!

 

I too just bought a 215K mile 1998 AHA engine B5. I find oil discussions really interesting. I have driven many cars over 200K miles, and am a "stretcher of oil changes" at times. I worked in a garage over 30 years ago, and i have owned 25-30 cars from air cooled VW to Cadillacs. I have never had an engine/drivetrain failure of any type. I do watch oil levels at all times. I check for engine oil color at every dip stick check. I use the right viscosity, but think nothing of blending oils between changes. I live in a very harsh climate (Canada), and drive in 100 degree summer weather and below far below freezing winter weather. I also used to drive 60K miles per year as a salesman at one point.
So, for my Audi which had a new timing belt and oil change when I bought it (at 345K kms = 215K miles), I will use 0W40 syn (available from auto parts stores or my Audi dealer down the road from me). Watch driving behavior which ticks up the oil temperature, and if driving hard, do a relaxed low rev 5-10 min cool down before shutting engine down. If someone were going to send every oil change sample to a lab(?), I would suggest the money better spent on a oil cooling system to lower your oil's max running temperature. And always, always check the levels.