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Engine oil usage on almost new engine

haste

Ready to race!
Location
East NC
Car(s)
'21 GTI SE, '15 FiST
I've got a 2021 GTI that I changed the engine oil/filter in at 1900 miles(VW 508 spec 0w-20 and OEM filter). I put 6 quarts in it and the level was perfect on the dipstick. The car doesn't get driven hard as my wife mostly drives it. When I checked the oil level today it was just below the minimum level! The car now has 2790 miles on it, not even 1000 miles since the oil change.

Is this normal? I've NEVER had a car use oil like this. I looked under the car and no leaks, everything is bone dry.
 

PRRGG1

Drag Racing Champion
Location
USA
The owner's manual reads that 1 QT per 1200 Miles is normal, then adds that "New vehicles may consume more oil over the first 3000 miles".

Your '21 and my '21 have the same mileage and I have lost perhaps a bit more than 1/8 QT so far. The car was driven in 300 Miles from another Dealer and heaven knows how it was treated on the run.

I drive conservatively, but have increasingly put the spurs to it now that the engine is broken in. The factory fill is still in the crankcase. Before I bought it, I checked the engine oil at the Dealership and it was only a tiny bit above the bottom of the dipstick hashmark. The Service Manager looked at it and with a straight face said, "That's where we like to see it". I suppose they like the servicework low oil levels bring.

I bought a quart of VW 508 spec 0w-20 at the Dealership and filled it to where I like to see it -- at the top of the hashmark.

My coolant level has steadily declined, but is still between the marks. This our third VW and they all consumed coolant.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
My 18 SE was tuned at 2000 miles and has never used more than 1/2 quart of oil between my 4000 mile change interval.
 

Escape Hatch

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Wow. Gotta break it in how you intend to drive it. I beat on my motor right away when getting it. Now at more than double the horsepower and at 60k miles I don't burn any oil at 5k mile change intervals.
 

ShadyMF

Go Kart Champion
Location
Upstate NY
Car(s)
2020 GTI IS38 6MT
When you changed and checked the oil, when did you check the level? Just after filling it? After it was warmed up a bit?

I've heard from a few that they burned some oil on the first fill but not after. My MK7 Jetta was similar, but my 2020 GTI hasn't been consuming any 2 fills in, even being tuned 500 miles off the dealer lot.

I'd make sure its at level (After being warmed up, turned off for a few minutes), drive it and check until the next service interval. I doubt VW will do much unless they can show a history of usage anyways.
 

RobertJG25

Go Kart Champion
Location
Niagara Falls, ON
Car(s)
2019 VW Golf 1.4 TSI
When you changed and checked the oil, when did you check the level? Just after filling it? After it was warmed up a bit?

I've heard from a few that they burned some oil on the first fill but not after. My MK7 Jetta was similar, but my 2020 GTI hasn't been consuming any 2 fills in, even being tuned 500 miles off the dealer lot.

I'd make sure its at level (After being warmed up, turned off for a few minutes), drive it and check until the next service interval. I doubt VW will do much unless they can show a history of usage anyways.
Came here to say this, if you check just after filling and then again after running the engine, it will be lower because oil has made its way into the filter.
 

hans611

Lost
Location
Miami
Car(s)
'16 Golf R 6MT
Its weird a few people with MK7 still report moderate to heavy oil usage, half a quart or more is a decent amount imo...
My old MK5 with the FSI used to burn up to a quart at times after the 5k... but those would always burn oil....
.....it was entirely how hard it was driven/on boost.... but it would always burn some....

With my MK7 I got one that apparently burns no oil, I got it with 19k mi and went the full 10k mi actually for that first interval.... didn't drop at all..
I'm doing 6-7k mi internals now and still nothing....

One of the reasons for doing shorter internals, apart that I started driving less, even before the virus, was how little oil it would burn...
With the other car I would "replenish" the oil sort of speaking over its interval as the little MK5 burned it...
Here its the same nasty oil getting diluted with fuel, etc and not going anywhere....

edit: Back with the MK5s (FSI and TFSI) VWOA would consider 1 quart per 1,000 mi acceptable.. I guess that still applies today. 0.5q every 5k doesn't sound so bad now....
I would say now the MK7s they tend not to burn and the few that do, may burn a decent but still reasonable amount...
Back then they all burned oil.. either a bit or a shit ton...

Its weird, I wonder if its one thing, like say the turbo bearing or multiple things like + the piston rings / blow by, etc... Some may just be an unnoticed leak....
 
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beardedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Louisville, KY
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport 6mt
I hypothesize that it has less to do with mechanical tolerances and more to do with driving styles. Our family lives in the city making frequent very short trips with lots of stop and go. Pretty much the worse case for gas vehicles. Environmental factors like temp and elevation would play a role too.
 

goodvibes

Go Kart Champion
Location
IL
I've got a 2021 GTI that I changed the engine oil/filter in at 1900 miles(VW 508 spec 0w-20 and OEM filter). I put 6 quarts in it and the level was perfect on the dipstick. The car doesn't get driven hard as my wife mostly drives it. When I checked the oil level today it was just below the minimum level! The car now has 2790 miles on it, not even 1000 miles since the oil change.

Is this normal? I've NEVER had a car use oil like this. I looked under the car and no leaks, everything is bone dry.
If you drive more spirited than she does, this may be the time to switch vehicles for a bit. Use some engine braking and harder acceleration for a while and see if you can get the rings to seat a bit better.
 

hans611

Lost
Location
Miami
Car(s)
'16 Golf R 6MT
I went back to the old threads and I had it wrong, it wasnt 0.1q per 1,000mi that was acceptable, it was 1q per 1k... so 0.5q per 5k is probably fine...

I hypothesize that it has less to do with mechanical tolerances and more to do with driving styles. Our family lives in the city making frequent very short trips with lots of stop and go. Pretty much the worse case for gas vehicles. Environmental factors like temp and elevation would play a role too.

I would say I'm driving the Mk7 just as hard or harder, and in the same conditions, even with the same oil....
I also have a friend in this area, similar conditions, drives even harder, with a 2007 MK5 (FSI too) but would consume much less than my old MK5.
 

beardedGTI

Ready to race!
Location
Louisville, KY
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport 6mt
I would say I'm driving the Mk7 just as hard or harder, and in the same conditions, even with the same oil....
I also have a friend in this area, similar conditions, drives even harder, with a 2007 MK5 (FSI too) but would consume much less than my old MK5.
If your location is accurate our conditions are definitely not the same.
 

Jovian

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Denver, CO
Car(s)
2016 VW GTI
My old MK5 with the FSI used to burn up to a quart at times after the 5k...

My MK5 FSI also burned a lot, 2qt every 5k miles. Didnt seem to matter much how I drove it. I just did a lot of oil changes and checked it often. Traded it in at 155k miles.

My MK7 doesnt burn any measurable amount of oil even at 110k miles. I have owned it since new.
 
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