Apparently there's been a service bulletin regarding new TDIs to this effect - now when doing an oil change the dealer doesn't fill it completely full, I assume for the reasons cited.  

Donna, 87 Wolfsburg, 98 Beetle TDI (Herbie, of course)

>>> PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET> 06/25/01 11:08AM >>>
Exactly!
I've noticed the same thing with my '85--
I thought mine was burning oil, but actually it seems
fine if I just don't keep topping it off when it gets a half
quart low.

Phaedra

----- Original Message -----
From: Donald Baxter <onanov@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: Oil Level Again

> I remember in the old Muir book on the aircooled VW bus said that adding
> an oil cooler was like getting an additional cylinder's worth of power.
> I keep the oil level in the middle of the stick to avoid foaming in the
> Vanagon.  I've noticed in my VR6 Passat (as have others) that any
> addition of oil past the half mark on the stick seems to be pointless as
> that oil seems to disappear somehow.  I thought the engine was burning
> oil until I realized that it never went below 1/2 way down on the
> dipstick