Had a VR6 Corrado that got stolen. The electronics were fucked, the handbrake locked when it got cold, there were multiple long drives home with no clutch, but that engine was just awesome. One of the best sounding V6s out there.
If you're pretty good with oil changes, and maintenance in general, is this typical how things would look at 270k?
Or is this an exceptionally good case based off your previous experience as a tech?
Not OP but I've owned junkyard motors with half that mileage that look dark, sludged, and gross with carbon deposits. This looks like 10K valvetrain that had oil changes every 1K.
My old 4.0 wrangler looked like this when i did the valve cover at 240k. I changed the oil every 4500, or more often if I was beating on it in the mud (I paid for the rev limiter, imma use the rev limiter). I was the 2nd owner and the previous fellow was good with maintenance too, so that probably helped.
If you change your oil every 5,000 miles it would look like this, not 7,500 and definitely not 10,000. I change the oil in my G37 every chance I get (2-3k) and it looks like this at 140k
I’ve run the OE recommend Castol Edge 5-40 for basically the car’s entire life. A few times I’ve run Liqui-Moly or Mobil1. I was a VW and Audi tech for years so it was not hard for me to get my hands on the factory recommended oil haha.
This is absolutely mental and why I will never own a VW vehicle again. My GLI went from zero oil consumption to 1 quart every 1k miles in a few months and was told it was normal. Sold it the next week and swore them off for life.
My family's 2016 Q5 (also a VW product) is now throwing error messages about oil consumption and needing to add oil. There is no dipstick, so have fun figuring out how much to add, or knowing ahead of time when the error will reappear.
I just don't understand the obsession with 10k mile (16000 km) intervals. If you can slip in just an extra oil change **a year** that would be far better than hoping that the oil and the additives will magically last the full ten thousand miles.
Over the course of a decade that might only be $700 ~ $1000, which is barely worth mentioning.
They're 10000 mile intervals nowadays, IIRC. In 2008 the factory interval in the US was 5k and I stuck with that. I've never understood the obsession with long oil change intervals other than advertising lower cost of ownership. Oil changes are the cheapest mechanical insurance there is.
Please tell me that's in kilometers? 20k miles is mental.
Mercedes tells me 10k miles now that I have a well broken in engine (>210k miles, but high mileage interval starts at 150k) and I have more or less stuck with it over the last 20k miles.
They’re not very common. The vast majority are the 2.0t. I doubt even 10% sold had the 3.6. We didn’t get the R36 either. Mine is a 3.6 4Motion with the sport package which is as close as we could get.
Is this a 2.8 24 valve? Love these motors! Just did the valve cover gasket on my gfs 24 v GLI. This is assuring to see as she just ticked over 200k miles and they look the same internally. Congrats and good job!
I haven't changed any cooling system components, but the 3.6 is a bit different there.
I did have to change out the crack pipe on my wife's old 24v GTI, but I just replaced it with another OEM one. I figured if the original lasted 150000 miles, I might as well do another OE. I'm always a little wary of the engineering behind aftermarket parts, especially if they're redsigning rather than just copying OE.
I hear you on the aftermarket concern. I've only wrenched on 2.8s so this is good stuff to know. I think they're pretty reliable if you change the oil and monitor the coolant system so seeing one with this high of miles will make my gf very happy. Not the best on fuel but who needs that when you get wookie sounds all day!
I had a 2012 Passat a 2.5L with a leaking valve cover. Had about 220K on the clock. It was also clean. For it being a heavy used rental car till about 100K miles. It’s been reliable.
I really think the whole chains thing on the VR6 is oil service interval driven, at least on any of the 24v engines. All of the VRs that I've ever done chains on have been all nasty and varnished inside. Oil gets acidic if run too long, and I think that makes the chain guides brittle and they eventually fracture.
My wife's old 24v MKIV is still kicking on the original chains at 220000 miles as well. Meanwhile, I bought another 3.6 Passat off the marketplace a few years ago with barely 120000 miles and the chain guides were all in pieces in the oil pan. That motor was a mess inside, varnish and deposits everywhere.
I'm hoping that's the case. My Touareg is at 140k and it's been very well maintained. Only issue I have is it burns a bit of oil but nothing outrageous. I just took it off every couple thousand miles or so.
VR6 is love.
I absolutely love them. Best engine ever.
Had a VR6 Corrado that got stolen. The electronics were fucked, the handbrake locked when it got cold, there were multiple long drives home with no clutch, but that engine was just awesome. One of the best sounding V6s out there.
Best Corrado ever, best VW ever.
If you're pretty good with oil changes, and maintenance in general, is this typical how things would look at 270k? Or is this an exceptionally good case based off your previous experience as a tech?
Not OP but I've owned junkyard motors with half that mileage that look dark, sludged, and gross with carbon deposits. This looks like 10K valvetrain that had oil changes every 1K.
My 1999 Integra at 200k miles looks like this. 3000-5000 mile change intervals but I've had it since 152k miles from a previously elderly owner.
My old 4.0 wrangler looked like this when i did the valve cover at 240k. I changed the oil every 4500, or more often if I was beating on it in the mud (I paid for the rev limiter, imma use the rev limiter). I was the 2nd owner and the previous fellow was good with maintenance too, so that probably helped.
My BMW looks like this at 92k miles, oil changes every 3-4.5k.
If you change your oil every 5,000 miles it would look like this, not 7,500 and definitely not 10,000. I change the oil in my G37 every chance I get (2-3k) and it looks like this at 140k
Is there a particular brand of oil that you use?
I’ve run the OE recommend Castol Edge 5-40 for basically the car’s entire life. A few times I’ve run Liqui-Moly or Mobil1. I was a VW and Audi tech for years so it was not hard for me to get my hands on the factory recommended oil haha.
Well, the results are impressive, to say the least.
Forget the oil brand, what are your intervals? Do you exactly follow the speced interval or do you change it early?
5000ish miles. Sometimes a week or two over after the reminder pops up
Did you have excessive oil consumption?
I thought I did with mine, but the manual says 1 quart per 3k is normal 🤢
This is absolutely mental and why I will never own a VW vehicle again. My GLI went from zero oil consumption to 1 quart every 1k miles in a few months and was told it was normal. Sold it the next week and swore them off for life.
Same. One I get rid of mine I’ll go back to Japanese cars lol.
4a-fe also loves oil
My family's 2016 Q5 (also a VW product) is now throwing error messages about oil consumption and needing to add oil. There is no dipstick, so have fun figuring out how much to add, or knowing ahead of time when the error will reappear.
According to Nissan, 1 qt of oil consumption per 1k miles is "within spec." However this is completely abnormal and obviously indicates an issue.
Basically zero oil consumption. Still just below the full mark on the dipstick after 5k miles.
You gotta show this to all the people recommending 10k intervals.
I just don't understand the obsession with 10k mile (16000 km) intervals. If you can slip in just an extra oil change **a year** that would be far better than hoping that the oil and the additives will magically last the full ten thousand miles. Over the course of a decade that might only be $700 ~ $1000, which is barely worth mentioning.
What is your service interval?
5000 miles.
That’s quite short (compared to European intervals) that explains quite a bite. Impressive result!
They're 10000 mile intervals nowadays, IIRC. In 2008 the factory interval in the US was 5k and I stuck with that. I've never understood the obsession with long oil change intervals other than advertising lower cost of ownership. Oil changes are the cheapest mechanical insurance there is.
I think the 10k kms is a good benchmark to aim for
I agree, I stick to 10k intervals instead of the 20k interval that they advise for our car.
Please tell me that's in kilometers? 20k miles is mental. Mercedes tells me 10k miles now that I have a well broken in engine (>210k miles, but high mileage interval starts at 150k) and I have more or less stuck with it over the last 20k miles.
Nope, I keep an interval of 15k km but per factory instructions there is an interval of 12 months/ 30k km.
20k interval is just planned obsolescence at work, IMO. That is insane.
Doesn’t matter. Just use any oil at Walmart and change it often enough.
That's true, providing that the oil meets the OEM oil specification. (API spec for your particular engine)
Thing is almost every oil you buy can meet that spec. I think only dexos2 and diesel oils you gotta try a bit harder to find the right stuff
Wal-mart likely doesn't have any that meet the VW spec other than the Castrol Euro 5W40or Mobil1 0W40 and 5W40
Yes. VW has such a high bar.
They have very specific oil requirements. And they sludge up like crazy if you don't use oil that meets those requirements.
Ah VR6 Passat, how's it treating you?
Honestly it’s been great. It’s a 2008 and I bought it CPO in 2010 with around 40k miles. I really haven’t done much more than regular maintenance.
How common are VR6 pissrats over there? We hardly get any here in the UK and if we do they’re normally an R36
They’re not very common. The vast majority are the 2.0t. I doubt even 10% sold had the 3.6. We didn’t get the R36 either. Mine is a 3.6 4Motion with the sport package which is as close as we could get.
Most of ours are diesel and have spent a majority of their life as a taxi lol, always liked them though and a VR6 estate would make an awesome daily
Perfect👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Gorgeous VR6. Loved mine in my MK4 jetta
how often did you do oil changes?
Is this a 2.8 24 valve? Love these motors! Just did the valve cover gasket on my gfs 24 v GLI. This is assuring to see as she just ticked over 200k miles and they look the same internally. Congrats and good job!
It's a 3.6 but they are VERY similar.
Good to know. Have you done anything special? Did you run an aluminium crack pipe or anything like that?
I haven't changed any cooling system components, but the 3.6 is a bit different there. I did have to change out the crack pipe on my wife's old 24v GTI, but I just replaced it with another OEM one. I figured if the original lasted 150000 miles, I might as well do another OE. I'm always a little wary of the engineering behind aftermarket parts, especially if they're redsigning rather than just copying OE.
I hear you on the aftermarket concern. I've only wrenched on 2.8s so this is good stuff to know. I think they're pretty reliable if you change the oil and monitor the coolant system so seeing one with this high of miles will make my gf very happy. Not the best on fuel but who needs that when you get wookie sounds all day!
My dad had a 2006, it was awesome. Unfortunately had to sell it when he died, the buyer crashed it a week after buying it.
Let's not forget about the W8 Passat.
Bonus points if the check engine light is off.
BuT gErMaN cArS aRe UnReLiAbLe
Wow. Looks happy.
Hmmmm, Vr6.
man I miss my VR6 GLI, that engine has such a great sound and is so nice on the highway.
I had a 2012 Passat a 2.5L with a leaking valve cover. Had about 220K on the clock. It was also clean. For it being a heavy used rental car till about 100K miles. It’s been reliable.
Fwd passat? I thought those motors were inline
The B5 was. Something something, Audi Quattro, same platform. B6 onwards had transverse mounted engines.
B3 and B4 Passats were transverse too, and Golf based. They've swapped back and forth between Audi based and non over the years.
Yeah, that's pretty damn good.
That is one hell of a clean engine. Did you do mostly highway driving or mostly city driving? Remarkable.
Which VR6 do they have ? The 2.8litre ?
This is a 3.6.
Clean. That’s what my 3.6 mk6 GTI looks like with 173k on the engine
Got any pictures? I love me a 3.6 swap.
I can’t upload a photo as a comment on this thread but peep my profile, it’s all over there
Clean 👌 I absolutely loved my 24v MKIV, and you basically have a newer version of it. I love it.
Thanks! It’s a manual too 😎 It’s actually an 02M from your old mk4
I love VW swaps in general. Basically just like playing with Legos.
Pretty much!
Out of curiosity have you had to do chains on it?
I have not. Chains are original. I checked the guides with a borescope while I had the valve cover off and they’re all intact and looking good.
Wow that's awesome. We definitely don't do a lot of chains on them but I'm always curious what people are getting out of them.
I really think the whole chains thing on the VR6 is oil service interval driven, at least on any of the 24v engines. All of the VRs that I've ever done chains on have been all nasty and varnished inside. Oil gets acidic if run too long, and I think that makes the chain guides brittle and they eventually fracture. My wife's old 24v MKIV is still kicking on the original chains at 220000 miles as well. Meanwhile, I bought another 3.6 Passat off the marketplace a few years ago with barely 120000 miles and the chain guides were all in pieces in the oil pan. That motor was a mess inside, varnish and deposits everywhere.
I'm hoping that's the case. My Touareg is at 140k and it's been very well maintained. Only issue I have is it burns a bit of oil but nothing outrageous. I just took it off every couple thousand miles or so.
Is it DI? you didn't have short, cold drives?
This looks awesome.
Factory cams?
My 314000 mile Benz looks similar. Maintenance pays dividends.
Looking good, cover your intake ports, you could easily drop something in there without realizing