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Engine oil with VW 504 00 / 507 00
VW 504 00 and 507 00 are the VW Group's long-life approvals: 504 00 for petrol engines, 507 00 for diesels with a particulate filter. They are almost always granted as a pair - every oil in our range carrying 507 00 also carries 504 00. If your service book says "Longlife", this is the approval that has to be on the container.
What this approval means
It is not a performance class like ACEA but a release: VW has tested this specific oil and approved it for its engines. Three properties are built into it:
- **Long-life capable** - stable enough against ageing for the flexible drain interval the vehicle calculates itself
- **Low SAPS** - reduced ash, phosphorus and sulphur content, so that diesel and petrol particulate filters do not clog
- **HTHS stable** - the oil film holds up at high temperature and shear even though the oil is thin
That is why "meets VW 504 00" is not enough here. If the container only says "meets" or "satisfies the requirements of", the oil manufacturer has declared that itself - inside the warranty period and on a vehicle with a particulate filter, that is a difference you do not gamble on.
Which vehicles
VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Cupra on long-life servicing, essentially from the 2004 model year on: petrol engines (TSI, TFSI) via 504 00, diesels with a DPF (common rail TDI) via 507 00. Exceptions where VW expressly specifies a different oil still exist - pump-injector (Pumpe-Düse) diesels (VW 505 01) and some R and RS engines, for example.
This approval does not automatically apply to the whole group, nor to every engine in a model range. That is exactly what the oil finder is for: it matches oils to the engine, not to the model.
Which viscosity grades exist
Oils with 504 00/507 00 are fully synthetic and practically always 5W-30 or 0W-30. A 5W-40 or 10W-40 with this approval does not exist - the combination of a thin oil and a durable oil film is the core of the specification.
The difference between 0W-30 and 5W-30 lies purely in the cold start; in a warm engine they behave identically. If you do a lot of short journeys in winter, 0W-30 is a shade better.
Using the long-life interval properly
The flexible interval only works with an approved oil - and only if the service indicator is reset correctly. Two things that undo it: mostly short journeys (the vehicle then shortens the interval by itself, often closer to 15,000 km) and topping up with an oil that lacks this approval.
An oil change includes a new oil filter and a new sealing ring for the drain plug. Fill quantities on the TDI and TSI engines are mostly between 4.3 and 6.5 litres - for many engines the oil finder shows the figure directly.
Frequently asked questions
Are VW 504 00 and 507 00 the same thing?
Two approvals that are granted together: 504 00 applies to petrol engines, 507 00 to diesels with a particulate filter. In practice every oil carrying 507 00 also carries 504 00, which is why a container usually names both numbers and suits both engine types.
What happens with an oil that lacks this approval?
Two risks. An oil with a high ash content clogs the particulate filter, and replacing that costs many times an oil fill. And the long-life interval is not covered by it: the oil ages faster than the vehicle calculates. Inside the warranty period the question of the warranty claim comes on top.
Which viscosity does oil with VW 504 00/507 00 have?
Does the approval apply to my vehicle if it is a VW?
Not automatically. Pump-injector diesels call for VW 505 01, for example, and some performance engines have approvals of their own. The owner's manual is what counts, or select your engine in the oil finder - the matching there runs on the manufacturer specification, not on the model name.
Can I use 504 00/507 00 with a fixed interval too
Yes. The approval permits the long interval but does not require it. If you do a lot of short journeys, changing the same oil deliberately early is always allowed and is the gentler option for the engine.
