[jaysonbmw]

I’m fix in to change my oil for the 1st time and my question is should I stick to what bmw recommends or is there any better performance oil's out their?

[742]

Stick to the BMW approved oils, for the sake of your warranty if nothing else.

So:

Oil from the dealer
Castrol 0W-30
Mobil 1 0W-40

These carry BMW LL-01 approval. There are some others, but they are hard to find.

Be wary of boutique oils that are “recommended for”; this is not same as “approved”. The approval process involves considerable, and expensive, testing.

Note that Mobil 1 5W-30 and Castrol 5W-30 are not approved.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ZFovWuv2+5TQ==

[nicknaz]

I agree stick with LL01 oils. I've used German Castrol 0w30 in my old WRX and it held up well to track use (did not shear down) and protected the motor (very low wear metals)

[jaysonbmw]

Thank's for the help!!

Can i buy Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30 at Autozone and the filter from the dealer?

[742]

Originally Posted by jaysonbmw

Thank's for the help!!

Can i buy Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30 at Autozone and the filter from the dealer?

That is what I do. You could also mail order the filters from any of the BMW suppliers.

[951's 330i]

Originally Posted by 742

Stick to the BMW approved oils, for the sake of your warranty if nothing else.

So:

Oil from the dealer
Castrol 0W-30
Mobil 1 0W-40

These carry BMW LL-01 approval. There are some others, but they are hard to find.

Be wary of boutique oils that are “recommended for”; this is not same as “approved”. The approval process involves considerable, and expensive, testing.

Note that Mobil 1 5W-30 and Castrol 5W-30 are not approved.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ZFovWuv2+5TQ==

Does this also count if you have 43xxx miles on the car? The guys at autozone said i would need 5w-30 castrol. I just bought it but havent changed the oil yet as waiting for my K&N filter to come in.

[hl0m4n]

amsoil and elf . i always use elf and noticed a 10degree drop along with better results then oem plus these two oils carry bmw ll-04

[742]

Originally Posted by 951's 330i

Does this also count if you have 43xxx miles on the car? The guys at autozone said i would need 5w-30 castrol. I just bought it but havent changed the oil yet as waiting for my K&N filter to come in.

It is of course your car, and this is the Internet. But...

BMW has an oil specification, so I stick too it and will continue to do so until the car goes to the junkyard. These German oil specs are not minor things, and it takes a good oil and serious testing to earn approval. And I have to assume that the engines were designed with the expectation that the correct oil would be flowing through their veins.

I would take the 5W-30 back and get the 0W-30 or Mobil 1 0W-40. I don’t care about the brand, I just look for the manufacturer’s approval (LL01 in this case).

[951's 330i]

Originally Posted by 742

It is of course your car, and this is the Internet. But...

BMW has an oil specification, so I stick too it and will continue to do so until the car goes to the junkyard. These German oil specs are not minor things, and it takes a good oil and serious testing to earn approval. And I have to assume that the engines were designed with the expectation that the correct oil would be flowing through their veins.

I would take the 5W-30 back and get the 0W-30 or Mobil 1 0W-40. I don’t care about the brand, I just look for the manufacturer’s approval (LL01 in this case).

ok thanks man i really appreciate it. im gonna go and change it tomorrow.

[David 12]

Hmmm - I have changed my oil twice and bought my oil directly from the BMW dealer.

Both times I was given BMW synthetic 5w-30 oil! It also calls for 5w-30 in my owner's manual. Did the oil requirement change?

From the 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)

Okay, just reread the post - I missed that the 5w-30 FROM THE DEALER is okay!!

[742]

Originally Posted by David 12

Hmmm - I have changed my oil twice and bought my oil directly from the BMW dealer.

Both times I was given BMW synthetic 5w-30 oil! It also calls for 5w-30 in my owner's manual. Did the oil requirement change?

From the 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)

Okay, just reread the post - I missed that the 5w-30 FROM THE DEALER is okay!!

The antiquated SAE viscosity ratings are close to being the least useful bits of information with regard to oil. For example, in actual viscosity the BMW 5W-30 is closer to Mobil 1 0W-40 than it is to Mobil 1 5W-30.

All we really need to look for in North America is LL-01. Brand, viscosity numbers, color of the bottle all fall in line behind that. The trap is in following the traditional American mindset, which is to look for the SAE viscosity numbers first. In our case the BMW 5W-30 (which appears to be a fine oil) does not equate to the Castrol 5W-30 or Mobil 1 5W-30; but to the Castrol 0W-30 or the Mobil 1 0W-40.

[742]

Originally Posted by WealthManager

i believe you can use royal purple oil also.

I don't think so. They do not appear to show LL01 or LL04, or any other German approvals for that matter. And with many of these boutique oils is it important to differentiate between the manufacturer saying “recommended for” and the oil actually have been tested and approved.

Oils that meet LL01 will say so in black and white on the back of the bottle along with all of their other approvals. The testing to get the approval is both very real and expensive.

Of course all that is needed to prove me wrong is for someone who has a bottle of Royal Purple 5W-40 to read it and find the magic words on the back. Which sounds like a job for my wife

[invariant]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

amsoil and elf . i always use elf and noticed a 10degree drop along with better results then oem plus these two oils carry bmw ll-04

LL-04 oils are not approved for use outside Europe due to fuel quality issues. Only LL-01.

[ska///235i]

Yes the Mobil 1 and Castrol is LL01 approved, but here’s the catch…..
These so call Euro Formulas (LL01) are more for European autos, see below on some info I found on the net…(true or false, you decide)

"Phosphorus is an anti-wear additive, commonly as ZDDP

Mobil 1 0W-40 will have about 20% higher levels of ZDDP than North American oils. The Western European driving cycle of high speed autoroutes, it is thought the motor has better protection with higher levels of ZDDP

Here in North America, ZDDP has been dramatically reduced since the mid 1990's, and will probably be reduced to nil levels. A problem with ZDDP is that over time, it tends to coat oxygen sensors and catalytic converters. This is thought to increase exhaust emissions

In California and states that have adopted California emissions standards, the automaker typically must offer a 10 year or 120,000 mile warranty on emission components. It's unlikely for a catalytic converter or O2 sensor to keep working that long with oils high in ZDDP

In the EU, emissions warranties are much shorter. Again, the driving cycle is such that the motor will be working near maximum RPM on an autoroute. The tradeoff of better engine protection is made, over longer emissions performance"

[bulldog_yyc]

Originally Posted by ska325xi

Yes the Mobil 1 and Castrol is LL01 approved, but here’s the catch…..
These so call Euro Formulas (LL01) are more for European autos, see below on some info I found on the net…(true or false, you decide)

"Phosphorus is an anti-wear additive, commonly as ZDDP

Mobil 1 0W-40 will have about 20% higher levels of ZDDP than North American oils. The Western European driving cycle of high speed autoroutes, it is thought the motor has better protection with higher levels of ZDDP

Here in North America, ZDDP has been dramatically reduced since the mid 1990's, and will probably be reduced to nil levels. A problem with ZDDP is that over time, it tends to coat oxygen sensors and catalytic converters. This is thought to increase exhaust emissions

In California and states that have adopted California emissions standards, the automaker typically must offer a 10 year or 120,000 mile warranty on emission components. It's unlikely for a catalytic converter or O2 sensor to keep working that long with oils high in ZDDP

In the EU, emissions warranties are much shorter. Again, the driving cycle is such that the motor will be working near maximum RPM on an autoroute. The tradeoff of better engine protection is made, over longer emissions performance"

best place for a catalytic converter is in your closet

[742]

Originally Posted by ska325xi

Yes the Mobil 1 and Castrol is LL01 approved, but here’s the catch…..
These so call Euro Formulas (LL01) are more for European autos, see below on some info I found on the net…(true or false, you decide)

"Phosphorus is an anti-wear additive, commonly as ZDDP

Mobil 1 0W-40 will have about 20% higher levels of ZDDP than North American oils. The Western European driving cycle of high speed autoroutes, it is thought the motor has better protection with higher levels of ZDDP

Here in North America, ZDDP has been dramatically reduced since the mid 1990's, and will probably be reduced to nil levels. A problem with ZDDP is that over time, it tends to coat oxygen sensors and catalytic converters. This is thought to increase exhaust emissions

In California and states that have adopted California emissions standards, the automaker typically must offer a 10 year or 120,000 mile warranty on emission components. It's unlikely for a catalytic converter or O2 sensor to keep working that long with oils high in ZDDP

In the EU, emissions warranties are much shorter. Again, the driving cycle is such that the motor will be working near maximum RPM on an autoroute. The tradeoff of better engine protection is made, over longer emissions performance"

I am not willing to trash my valve train and bearings over the life of the car just because some one in California thinks ZDDP might kill some cats.

One of the things that continues to amaze me about the environmental car hating fanatics is their willingness to turn cars into short lived disposable commodities. Have any of these people given any thought to the environmental impact of making and then disposing of these cars?

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by ska325xi

The tradeoff of better engine protection is made, over longer emissions performance"

I think that is the key statement. IMHO engine oil is there to protect your engine, not the catalytic converter.

FWIW my old WRX engine was filled with Shell Rotella T 15W40 or Mobil 1 Delvac 5W40 (heavy duty oils designed for diesel engines, and have a very high level of antiwear additives such as phosphorus) for many thousands of miles and there does not appear to be any damage to the cats (it passed CA emissions test easily with close to 100k miles on the odometer)

honestly I think the oil discussion is very easy for BMW. LL01 standard is required and BMW conveniently gives us a list of oils that meet this standard. done!

[ENINTY]

Just buy the $53.00 oil change kit from Tischer (GetBMWParts.com). Buy your first kit with the filter cap wrench included ($30 extra). They ship it free. It has OEM BMW oil and filter.

[mike-y]

That site also says Valvoline SynPower 5w-30 is okay (talk about confusing!):

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

[742]

Originally Posted by mike-y

That site also says Valvoline SynPower 5w-30 is okay (talk about confusing!):

There are two versions of Synpower 5W-30. The "MST" version is LL01.

[bulldog_yyc]

motul is my preference

I have noticed that the car idles more steady, smoother revs, and more stable temperatures

[Hoog_23]

Does anyone know if the oil filter cap wrench is the same size as the e46 one?

Also has anyone picked up the Mobil 1 0-40 at Walmart?

TIA