What kind of oil are you running?

[jparnes1]

Originally Posted by Baremeg55

Are we on our period or what??? The man offered advice, which I'm sure some on the lesser knowledgeable people on this forum could benefit from. While he offers his knowledge or experience, others like myself too often take it for granted everyone has the same skill sets and don't bother pointing out the obvious. I feel better now!

You don't know the half of it buddy. There's a lot of history here.

[Baremeg55]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

You don't know the half of it buddy. There's a lot of history here.

I understand. However, this is a forum where people seek advice, and people offer same. I considered the comment made by BMWZ4 to be rather rude and uncalled for, in this context. Unfortunately, with the internet, people often talk to others in such a manner that would be unacceptable in person. I was amused he had to take offense to my remark.

I will now take the top down, wife wants to go for a ride. It's a nice evening!!!

[Constant.S]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

I didn't have the energy to engage Rolf in another one of these discussions.

Makes two of us :P

[Constant.S]

Just found something interesting at 1addicts on the N54 section posted by a moderator (Dackelone) that lives in Germany and I thought its cool to share:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

As promised here is the new bottle design of the Castrol 0w40 synthetic oil. This was at my German dealership. I had noticed before they had the old-er bottles like you see from Tischer, et all. My dealer sells this oil for 24 euros PER liter!

It is interesting to note the specs now say: "Quality Long Life 4" and not LL-1 anymore. ? Is that the marketing dept or what? ??? I also thought I would post the other top oils here too - bellow. Enjoy!

BMW Factory oil that the dealer sells.




Also... here is the Mobil-1 oil that I use in my car. This is the ONLY Mobil-1 oil that carries BMW's LL-1 approval. Mobil-1 0w40 european blend, in the black label.


Mobil-1 0w40 european blend




And the German/Euro Castrol Edge RS 5w30 full synthetic oil



this is the back of a different Catrol RS bottle that also carries BMW LL-4 approval.

Also, From BMW site:

Required maintenance work or services should be performed for your vehicle by your authorized BMW center.

BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is recommended for scheduled engine oil changes.

BMW High Performance SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Oil
* (BMW part number 07 51 0 017 866)

BMW recommends that you check your engine oil level whenever you add fuel to your vehicle.

If you need to add oil between oil changes and BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is unavailable, you may top up the oil level with one of the following approved synthetic oils. For information on checking your engine oil level refer to your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.

The oils listed below meet BMW’s Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in BMW Passenger vehicles and SAVs in the US market with gasoline engines.


BMW Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market:

Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30

Use only oils with an API rating of SM or higher.

The choice of the right SAE grade is based on the climatic conditions in the region in which you normally drive your BMW.

To best determine which SAE grade is best suited for your vehicle, contact an authorized BMW center.

[Constant.S]

The last one is the one im using, but the 5W40 version, its BMW approved and according to my BMW tech its recommended i use this one since im running higher boost.

Ps: Apparently "EDGE" is the logo Castrol uses for its Fully synthetic high performance engine oil line.

[bmwmick]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

Our engines, whether it's an N54, N55 or N20 are all turbocharged and run pretty hot (especially for you software junkies out there!). Do you think the stock BMW 5W-30 have enough viscosity to lubricate adequately under those high heat conditions? Anyone using a different brand of oil or a different viscosity?

J,
My last two oil changes have been Mobil 1 0W40. This summer, I plan to change to 15W50 for our occasional 110 degree heat. It is more important to keep the RPM down until the oil is warm with the heavier oil but it offers MUCH more protection than the 5W30 synthetic bmw uses. Last time I looked into it, Valvoline was formulating the bmw synthetic oil. I'll stick with my proven oil. Our Z3 has over 170K miles with a steady diet of M1 15W50. All my bikes get it too. Well over 300K miles of experience with the bikes on M1 15W50. I do think oil changes at 5K are better for our engines if we plan on keeping the car. For those who rent them, it doesn't matter much. Just my 2 cents.

[jparnes1]

Thank you Constant.S and BMWmick for that excellent info.
24 Euros / liter! Unbelievable.

[jparnes1]

I gleaned the info below from this web page, if you care to read the whole description of motor oils: http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/

The below speaks well for Mobil 1. Amsoil, Total and LubroMoly fall into the Group IV category as well. Redline is a Group V oil (I think the statement regarding Group V oils below aren't accurate for Redline):

What about synthetic motor oils? Do they need Viscosity Additives?
Group IV (4) and Group V (5) base oil (synthetics) are chemically made from uniform molecules with no paraffin and don't need Viscosity Additives. However, in recent years Group III (3) based oils have been labeled "synthetic" through a legal loophole. These are petroleum based Group II (2) oils that have had the sulfur refined out making them more pure and longer lasting. Group III (3) "synthetic" motor oils must employ Viscosity Additives being petroleum based.

Group V (5) based synthetics are usually not compatible with petroleum or petroleum fuels and have poor seal swell. These are used for air compressors, hydraulics, etc. It's the Group IV (4) PAO based synthetics that make the best motor oils. They are compatible with petroleum based oils and fuels plus they have better seal swell than petroleum. Typically PAO based motor oils use no Viscosity Additives yet pass the multi-grade viscosity requirements as a straight weight! This makes them ideal under a greater temperature range. One advantage of not having to employ Viscosity Improving additives is having a more pure undiluted lubricant that can be loaded with more longevity and performance additives to keep the oil cleaner longer with better mileage/horsepower.

How do I know what motor oil is a Group IV (4) based PAO synthetic motor oil?
As more and more large oil companies switched their "synthetic" motor oils to the less expensive/more profitable Group III (3) base stocks it has become much easier to identify which are PAO based true synthetic. Of the large oil companies, only Mobil 1, as of this writing (12-15-2007), is still a PAO based true synthetic. The rest, including Castrol Syntec, have switched to the cheaper/more profitable Group III (3) petroleum based "synthetic" motor oil. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are PAO based true synthetic motor oils with the exception of the short oil drain XL-7500 synthetic motor oils sold at some Auto Parts Stores and Quick Oil Change Centers. This leaves more than 20 PAO based true synthetic motor oils manufactured and marketed by AMSOIL with only 4 Group III (3) based synthetic motor oils identified by the "XL-7500" product name.

So as you can see, the average performance of motor oils can be affected by how they change during their service life. Multi grade petroleum can lose viscosity and thin causing accelerated wear as the VI additives shear back. Straight weight petroleum (i.e. SAE 30, SAE 40) thicken a lot as they cool meaning longer time before lubricant reaches critical parts on cold starts, but have no VI additives so they resists thinning. However, they can degrade and thicken as heat and by products of combustion affect the unsaturated chemistry. Group III (3) synthetics resists this degradation much better, but being petroleum based employ some VI additives which is a negative and typically don't have as good performance in the volatility viscosity retention areas. Only the Group IV (4) PAO base synthetics have the saturated chemistry to resist degrading when exposed to the by products of combustion and heat, plus typically employ no VI additives making them very thermally stable for longer periods. For this reason the Group IV (4) synthetics maintain peak mileage and power throughout their service life

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Constant.S

The last one is the one im using, but the 5W40 version, its BMW approved and according to my BMW tech its recommended i use this one since im running higher boost.

Ps: Apparently "EDGE" is the logo Castrol uses for its Fully synthetic high performance engine oil line.

The ONLY Mobil-1 oil that is BMW LL-1 approved is their 0w40 LL1 oil. Not any other viscosities. To be sure read the back of the bottle in question. Not what some tech tells you.

Btw... the reason why I switched from Mobil-1 0w40 LL-1 "european blend" to German made Castrol 0w40 LL-4 is bc when I switched to Castrol my engine was quieters on cold starts and runs almost two needle widths colder tan with Mobil-1.


Dack

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

The ONLY Mobil-1 oil that is BMW LL-1 approved is their 0w40 LL1 oil. Not any other viscosities. To be sure read the back of the bottle in question. Not what some tech tells you.

Btw... the reason why I switched from Mobil-1 0w40 LL-1 "european blend" to German made Castrol 0w40 LL-4 is bc when I switched to Castrol my engine was quieters on cold starts and runs almost two needle widths colder tan with Mobil-1.


Dack

Thanks Dackel you're the Man

[Constant.S]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

The ONLY Mobil-1 oil that is BMW LL-1 approved is their 0w40 LL1 oil. Not any other viscosities. To be sure read the back of the bottle in question. Not what some tech tells you.

Btw... the reason why I switched from Mobil-1 0w40 LL-1 "european blend" to German made Castrol 0w40 LL-4 is bc when I switched to Castrol my engine was quieters on cold starts and runs almost two needle widths colder tan with Mobil-1.


Dack

But I never said im using the Mobil 1. I'm using the Castrol Edge 5W40 which is LL4 approved, I meant the last one of your pictures.
Thank you for the input on this topic Dackelone, very helpful! I also noticed slightly lower engine temps with the Castrol and faster (relatively) cooldowns on cruising speeds after pushing the car hard, but im waiting for summer and higher temps to confirm it.
According to the German website the 0W40 seems to be LL1 Dackelone, check it out http://castroledge.de/motorenole/0w-40-a3/b4


Ps: here's an image of the one im using to clear further misunderstanding.

[Dackelone]

Ohh ok. SOunds like you are using the correct oil then.

Btw... over here in DE(at least) the Castrol RS Edge oil (LL-4)has been replaced by Castrol FST (fluid strength technology) oil (LL-1).

Also... from what I gather... a LL-4 rated oil can also be used where LL-1 rated oil is sped'd. But not the other way around!

LL-1 oils = high sulfur fuels (USA/NA)
LL-4 oils = low sulfur fuels (Europe)

[Constant.S]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Also... from what I gather... a LL-4 rated oil can also be used where LL-1 rated oil is sped'd. But not the other way around!

LL-1 oils = high sulfur fuels (USA/NA)
LL-4 oils = low sulfur fuels (Europe)

Thank you for the valuable input! Be safe And enjoy that car of yours on the Autobahn

[bmwmick]

After comparing the Castrol Edge W40 specs with my Mobil1 0w40 specs, I'll stick with the Mobil1. It has a higher flash point and a higher VI number than the Castrol stuff. http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...l_1_0W-40.aspx vs http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp..._Sept_2011.pdf

Mick

Thanks for starting this thread jparnes.

[Nv Z]

I went to the Castrol website to see what oil they recommended, I found this quite interesting:
YOUR SELECTION
Category : Automotive
Sub-category : Car, Van, SUV, Truck
Manufacturer : BMW
Model : Z4
Year : 2012
Engine : 6 Cyl-3.0L N54 B30A
Climate : All Temps
Change Selection
YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS
ENGINE OIL-
THANK YOU FOR INQUIRING ABOUT WHAT OIL IS BEST FOR YOUR VEHICLE. BASED ON THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED, YOUR VEHICLE REQUIRES A SPECIAL ENGINE OIL THAT CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER. PLEASE VISIT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO ENSURE THAT YOUR VEHICLE IS SERVICED PROPERLY.

[mstevens]

I don't plan to be selecting or changing oil myself since I have maintenance included for another couple of years.

[bmwmick]

Originally Posted by mstevens

I don't plan to be selecting or changing oil myself since I have maintenance included for another couple of years.

Yes, but, they will only do it at 15K miles, I've done two so far myself and will let them do the annual. Letting them do ALL the service is OK for a rental.

Mick

[ChuckB]

BMW in Hockenheim will only install BMW Quality Longlife-04, 0W40 at Euro 16.80 per liter. (does not include Euro3.17 in Tax) in my N52.

[ChuckB]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

Our engines, whether it's an N54, N55 or N20...

Don't forget about the N52B25/30
"It was awarded as one of Ward's 10 Best Engines of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Technologically it is even more advanced than the new N54B30 bi-turbo, which is based on an older M54B30 design and lacks several improvements that BMW has made for this engine."

[jparnes1]

Originally Posted by ChuckB

Don't forget about the N52B25/30
"It was awarded as one of Ward's 10 Best Engines of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Technologically it is even more advanced than the new N54B30 bi-turbo, which is based on an older M54B30 design and lacks several improvements that BMW has made for this engine."

It seems BMW often gets "engine of the year", but thanks for the correction.