[Vwdiesel] VW diesel oil filters

[William J Toensing]

I see a question as to where to buy at the best price, Mahle & Mann oil filters. I can't help you there but I have had good luck with Amsoil oil filters as they are quite heavy duty. I wouldn't use Fram or cheap oil filters because VW diesels, at least the Rabbit & Dasher diesels but out a lot of oil pressure on start up. I installed an after market oil pressure gage on my first Rabbit diesel back in 1980 & found the needle pegged at 100 psi. Got a special racing oil pressure gage that read to 200 psi & as I recall, the reading was around 180 to 200 psi on cold startup. On my Dasher diesel, I note the 80 psi gage will go past the 80 psi mark to zero & peg, suggesting maybe 120 psi or higher. The older Amsoil oil filter application guide, 1980 to 1995, called for the "ASF-15" oil filter (now the "SDF-15") for the VW diesels from 1978 thru 1992. For 1993 & later, they did not show any VW diesels. However, in Amsoil's 2002 application guide, they do not recommend any of their Amsoil oil filters but recommend the Hastings (which Amsoil also markets) # LF517 oil filter for VW diesels, 1980 In 1998, they still recommend the LF517 for the Jetta diesel but LF529 for the New Beetle turbo diesel. For 1999 thru 2002, they recommend the LF529 Hastings oil filter for the Golf, New Beetle & Jetta turbo diesels. They make no recommendations for the Eurovan & Passet diesels. I am using, so far successfully, the SDF-15 in my 1981 Dasher diesel. Why Amsoil no longer recommends their SDF-15 for diesel applications, I don't know.
Should any of you wish to use Amsoil products including their synthetic oil, go to www.amsoil.com to research what you want. If you have any technical questions, you can contact their technical dept. If you do not have a local Amsoil dealer, you can order on line & use my dealer number # ZO 2185. You must have some dealer's number to order on line.