As a regular subscriber to Diesel Car for over 14 years, I would be much appreciative of your advice. My 2007 Jeep Patriot, which is powered by a VW 2.0 TDI PD engine, has always used the recommended PD oil to specification VW 505.01, which is a 5W/40 fully synthetic grade. My local supplier has recently informed me that the A1 motor stores oil brand Technolube are no longer supplying a PD specific oil, and they now recommend a VW 504-507 specification 5/30 grade oil. The car has just over 100K miles on the clock, and has a full Jeep service record, using engine oil supplied by myself, and I am well aware of the special stresses imposed by the PD fuel injection system on the VW engine. Could you please advise me if it would be safe to use the VW 504-507 5W/30 grade oil without risk to the injectors, camshaft, etc., or would I be better continuing my search for an alternative oil supplier that can offer a fully synthetic 5W/40 oil to the original 505.01 specification? Can you possibly recommend to me an alternative oil supplier that does offer the 505.01 oil?

Thanking you in anticipation, 

Robert Abraham

Hello Robert. 

Thanks for your e-mail message. As far as I am aware, VW 504.01 and 507.00 are not really suitable, as they do not have the qualities needed for PD engines. I doubt that the engine would suffer, or blow up, unless it was driven really hard, but there is no doubt that these oils are not strictly correct. You do need a VW 505.01 5W/40 oil. Others that I have seen quoted as being suitable are mostly 5W/30, and not 5W/40, for a start, which may not be critical, but 5W/40 must have been specified for a very good reason.

Suppliers of the correct oils are Millers Oils, who offer two possible products – see full details on their website: they are XF Longlife 5W/40, and a superior grade, with nano particles for extra protection – EE Longlife 5W/40. A company called Titan Oils offer Titan GTI 5W-40 XTL, which is specified for PD engines. If you search the web for VW 505.01, you will probably find plenty of sources, mostly available mail order only. So you can either try and find your nearest Millers or Titan stockist, as otherwise you may have to pay carriage costs. I hope this helps, but if you supply me with your postcode, I can try and find a nearby Millers stockist. 

Best regards, 

Doc Diesel

P.S. Well done for keeping the Patriot so long. Has it done a lot of miles?

Robert gave me his postcode, and I was able to advise him that Eastfield Discount Auto Spares in Peterborough were the nearest Millers Oils stockists that I could find for him. He told me that the Jeep’s mileage was a shade over 100K, and that he had only had to replace one battery, a turbocharger (a reconditioned unit supplied by Turbo Technics, at a great saving on the cost of a new one), and a few sets of Falken tyres. His car is run strictly on Shell Super diesel, giving a regular 45 to 50 mpg, and “still feels a very sound vehicle, due to excellent servicing by Westaway Motors, Northampton” – an excellent garage reference for any Diesel Car readers in the Northants area with a Ford, Jeep, Isuzu, SsangYong or Mitsubishi. Thanks Robert.

Doc Diesel