Sprintman is right that oil can start as a 40, shear down to a 30 in use and then load up with contaminants to the point where it becomes a 40 again. I don't think it happens in these cars for a long long time, but it can happen. I once ran the BMW 5w30 in my Mini for 12k miles to see if it could take it, as BMW says it can, and that stuff came back from the lab thicker than when it came out of the bottle. It was almost a 10 and was solidly into a 40 weight when warm. Never again.
Lets try to keep it civil. Heres a list of BMW approved oils. /End of thread
ADDINOL Super power MV 0537 SAE 5W-30 Addinol Lube Oil GmbH
Agip Formula LL B 01 SAE 0W-30 ENI S.p.A.Refining and Marketing Division
Agip Sint 2000 Evolution SAE 5W-40 ENI S.p.A.Refining and Marketing Division
Agip TECSINT SL SAE 5W-40 ENI S.p.A.Refining and Marketing Division
Aral SuperTronic SAE 5W-30 Aral
AXCL S-Class Motor Oil SAE 0W-30 AXCL Gulf FZE
BP Visco 7000 SAE 0W-40 BP Oil International
BP Visco 7000 Special SAE 0W-30 BP Oil International
BP Visco 7000 Turbo Diesel SAE 0W-40 BP Oil International
SBS 5.0 "Longlife-01" BMW AG - TIS 26.12.2004 21:36
Castrol Formula SLX LL01 SAE 0W-30 Castrol Limited
Castrol Formula SLX Turbo Diesel SAE 0W-30 Castrol Limited
Castrol Formula RS Power and Protection SAE 0W-40 Castrol Limited
Castrol Syntec SAE 0W-30 Castrol Limited
Castrol Super Racing 0W-40 SAE 0W-40 Castrol Limited
Castrol TXT Softec LL01 SAE 5W-30 Castrol Limited
Cepsa Star Mega Synthetic SAE 0W-30 Cepsa Lubricantes S.A.
Elf Excellium LDX SAE 0W-30 Total
Formula Shell Ultra AB SAE 5W-30 Shell International Petroleum Company
Gulf Formula TLX SAE 0W-30 Total
Havoline Synthetic BM SAE 0W-30 Texaco
Igol Process Compact P SAE 5W-30 Igol France S.A.
Jet Top Level SAE 0W-40 ConocoPhillips GmbH
Labo RC SAE 0W-30 Fuchs Labo Auto S.A.
Liqui Moly Longlife High Tech SAE 5W-30 Liqui Moly
megol Motorenöl New Generation SAE 5W-30 Meguin GmbH
Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40 ExxonMobil
Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel SAE 0W-40 ExxonMobil
Motorex Profile B-XL SAE 0W-30 Bucher AG
Motorex Select SP-X SAE 5W-30 Bucher AG
Motul Specific LL-01 SAE 5W-30 Motul S.A:
OMV full syn plus SAE 5W-30 OMV AG
Pennzoil European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30 Pennzoil Quaker State
Pentospeed 0W-30 VS* SAE 0W-30 Deutsche Pentosin-Werke
Petronas Syntium 3000 LL SAE 5W-30 Petronas
Q8 Formula Special SAE 0W-30 Kuwait Petroleum
Quaker State European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30 Pennzoil Quaker State
Satoil LazerWay B SAE 5W-30 Svenska Statoil AB
Shell Helix Ultra AB SAE 5W-30 Shell International Petroleum Company
Titan Supersyn SL SAE 0W-30 Fuchs Petrolub AG
Valvoline SynPower MXL SAE 0W-30 Valvoline
Veedol Powertron LL01 SAE 5W-30 Veedol International
Veedol Syntron SAE 0W-30 Veedol International
Wintershall VIVA 1 Longlife SAE 5W-30 SRS Schmierstoff Vertrieb GmbH
Yacco VX 1600 SAE 5W-30 Yacco S.A.S.
I've got a 540i/6, 135k.
I've always run Mobil 1 0w40, but I'm considering trying out the M1 High-Mileage synthetic.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...age_5W-30.aspx
Site says it's has a higher level of detergent plus seal conditioners. Thought I'd give it a try and see if it helps with my a slight oil pan leak, and perhaps it will clean out some sludge too.
Please don't reply that I should just replace the gasket - its on my todo list.
I'm in SoCal, so no chance the car will be in weather lower than 50 degrees or higher than 85 before my next change.
Any experience with M1 high mileage oils? I believe 0w40 is the only one that meet BMW specs, but Mobil 1 is a high quality product throughout the range...
One meets spec and one doesn't so a simple choice
Last edited by felicitero; 12-29-2012 at 10:02 PM.
Where are you guys finding your Mobil1 0W40?? High Mileage or normal...
'08 Chevrolet Corvette / '04 BMW 325xi
oil arguments are even more fun than turbo arguments.
97 BMW M3 (s52b32) - VF-Supercharger kit ( Vortech V2-SQ supercharger, 32 pound injectors, VF tuning ), VDO/LeatherZ Gauge Kit (Oil Temp, Oil Pressure, and Boost), UUC Motorwerks RSC36 Exhaust, Stainless Steel 6-2 Exhaust Headers, Bilstein Sports, Rear Adjustable Camber bushings, Wheel Spacers 10mm in front 25mm in back, Uprated Clutch, UUC Shift Knob, Short Shifter and Clutch Stop, Cross Brace, Mason Engineering front strut bar, Contour Wheels, Euro Ellipsoid (Angel Eyes) HID Headlights, braided steel brake lines, aluminum thermostat housing, mishimoto aluminum radiator and silicone hoses and a partridge in a pear tree
This was a fun read....0-40,5w-30,10w-40,15w-50,20w-50....all oil weights from Mobil 1 all good. More than particular weight its about changing it on time. If your serious about getting it right.....go buy oil at the dealer in the weight they recommend.
Everyone shut up and stop talking about oil.
High millage oil swells seals. If you have never used it don't, if you started - don't stop or you'll get leaks.
Sent from Android
2001 BMW 530i e39 / Automatic / Orient on Dove
Ill blow minds....some times i put in 4 qts. Of 10w-40 high mileage then 1 qt of 15w-50....top it off if it needs with 5w-30... why?! Bc that's what i have in the garage
M1 10w40 HM is good oil. Speaking of which, using BMW approved oils as a source is almost laughable. They change on a regular basis... my manual states that any ACEA A3 oil is approved for use in my M62. Using the LL recommendations is only applicable if *gasp* you run BMW's recommended OCIs which I bet few here do. Furthermore, just because an oil fails to appear on the list does not disqualify it from potential use. Do your research and choose an appropriate oil that meets your individual needs.
Multi-weight oils (such as 10W-30) are a new invention made possible by adding polymers to oil. The polymers allow the oil to have different weights at different temperatures. The first number indicates the viscosity of the oil at a cold temperature, while the second number indicates the viscosity at operating temperature.
Multi viscosity oils work like this:
Polymers are added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.
Multi viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi grade with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures you are going to encounter.
The wide viscosity range oils, in general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives. Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the best.
0W30 is the same viscosity range as 20w50 but they are not equal.
The 20W50 is better, due to the fact that it starts with a heavier base and it requires less viscosity index improvers (polymers) to do the job
Last edited by vinnie328; 01-25-2013 at 03:45 PM. Reason: Forgot some info
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