Since Bmw switched from Castrol to Shell, what motor oil are you guys using ??

[doni01]

Hi guys, just like the title says. Since Bmw now uses shell oil, are you guys making the switch as well or staying with the Castrol ?? My oil change is coming up and all I have ever used was the Bmw Castrol but now don't know if I should just go to walmart and get the Castrol there or switch to Shell. Thanks in advance...

[Lubehead]

Does the Wal Mart sourced product meets the BMW specs?

[bawareca]

Originally Posted by Lubehead

Does the Wal Mart sourced product meets the BMW specs?

Obviously now, yes But they will decrease the change interval to 20 k miles so that will compensate

I personally will never put anything than Castrol in my cars. Except Motul in my race car, but this is another story.

[lanbrown]

The US based Castrol oils are garbage. They can sell a synthetic that is not really a synthetic. That same oil cannot be marketed as synthetic elsewhere in the civilized world. So I prefer to use a reputable brand oil.

You want an oil that supports the longlife 04 specification.

[JGard]

Originally Posted by lanbrown

The US based Castrol oils are garbage. They can sell a synthetic that is not really a synthetic. That same oil cannot be marketed as synthetic elsewhere in the civilized world. So I prefer to use a reputable brand oil.

You want an oil that supports the longlife 04 specification.

Catrol has a 0W-30 "European Formula" you can buy here. I've been told it's the same as the BMW stuff, but obviously slightly different viscosity. However, if a car calls for 5W-30, 0W-30 is not going to do you any harm, in fact it'll probably be better for the life of your engine.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by lanbrown

The US based Castrol oils are garbage. They can sell a synthetic that is not really a synthetic. That same oil cannot be marketed as synthetic elsewhere in the civilized world. So I prefer to use a reputable brand oil.

You want an oil that supports the longlife 04 specification.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I differ on the quality of Castrol oils. They have worked well for me, as has the BMW OE oil. I found it stands up well to 24,000 km oil change intervals.

Mobil lost their case about what constitutes a synthetic, so Castrol is a synthetic according to that decision. I don't see why it matters which synthetic process is used to create the product, it only matters what standards it meets and how it works at the end of the day.

A full synthetic means that the oil is produced with a specific process, whatever the base stock was, PAO or otherwise. A synthetic blend means that the above oil is then blended with a traditional oil to produce a blend. There appears to be confusion over the two separate issue of what constitutes a blend, and which base stock was used to create the synthetic oil.

Not sure where you are based as you don't give your location, but for North American readers, don't use an LL04 oil in a gasoline BMW. BMW recommended that back in 09 or so, due to early breakdown of the LL04 oils with typical US fuels. LL01 if you like, but I don't see the benefit of looking for an oil that meets a 14 year old spec.

[bawareca]

Originally Posted by JCL

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I differ on the quality of Castrol oils. They have worked well for me, as has the BMW OE oil. I found it stands up well to 24,000 km oil change intervals.

Mobil lost their case about what constitutes a synthetic, so Castrol is a synthetic according to that decision. I don't see why it matters which synthetic process is used to create the product, it only matters what standards it meets and how it works at the end of the day.

A full synthetic means that the oil is produced with a specific process, whatever the base stock was, PAO or otherwise. A synthetic blend means that the above oil is then blended with a traditional oil to produce a blend. There appears to be confusion over the two separate issue of what constitutes a blend, and which base stock was used to create the synthetic oil.

Not sure where you are based as you don't give your location, but for North American readers, don't use an LL04 oil in a gasoline BMW. BMW recommended that back in 09 or so, due to early breakdown of the LL04 oils with typical US fuels. LL01 if you like, but I don't see the benefit of looking for an oil that meets a 14 year old spec.

+1
Never ever had a problem as long as the Castrol is original (this is not a problem in North America). Never drained oil that looks well over it's usefull life or had an excessive engine wear in any of my cars. As a matter of fact, the first generation 24 valve engines from the 90s always had a noisy lifters with almost any oil, but once you put 10w40 Castrol semi-synthetic (blend) the engine was purring regardless of the mileage.
In a modern engine first symptoms of an oil losing it's qualities is when you start to hear a valve tick. N52 engine is very sensitive in this area. At the end of the summer I went to the track with my wife's Z4 and it as more than flawless with 5W30 in between changes and oil temps up to 260F. Couldnt hear even a slightest abnormal noise. My 06 530xit with 181 k miles was as silent as new. I consider Castrol very well suited to the modern BMW engines, buy as mentioned already everyone has it's opinion.

[lanbrown]

Originally Posted by JCL

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I differ on the quality of Castrol oils. They have worked well for me, as has the BMW OE oil. I found it stands up well to 24,000 km oil change intervals.

Mobil lost their case about what constitutes a synthetic, so Castrol is a synthetic according to that decision. I don't see why it matters which synthetic process is used to create the product, it only matters what standards it meets and how it works at the end of the day.

A full synthetic means that the oil is produced with a specific process, whatever the base stock was, PAO or otherwise. A synthetic blend means that the above oil is then blended with a traditional oil to produce a blend. There appears to be confusion over the two separate issue of what constitutes a blend, and which base stock was used to create the synthetic oil.

Not sure where you are based as you don't give your location, but for North American readers, don't use an LL04 oil in a gasoline BMW. BMW recommended that back in 09 or so, due to early breakdown of the LL04 oils with typical US fuels. LL01 if you like, but I don't see the benefit of looking for an oil that meets a 14 year old spec.

Castrol is charging for a synthetic when it is not and is using cheaper components. Why overpay when you can use a different brand for much less? So it does matter on the process. Why doesn't Castrol use the same process over in Europe that they do here if it performs so well?

Walking and not driving was the mode of transportation for many hundreds of years. That worked well way back when. Why change? A car is better you say. Why get a BMW when an econobox will suffice.

[josiahg52]

The BMW/Castrol oil is a synthetic. We can argue all day long about "how much" of a synthetic it is and how the European synthetic oils are SOOOO much better and how we in the US get ripped off.

I have yet to see any factual and empirical data showing that said "lower" quality oils contribute to poorer running or wearing engines. A lot of "this is better", "that sucks" and the like. Maybe I'm just naive or too stupid. Maybe I just don't care. What I do know is that I don't need anyone worrying their pretty little head about how I'm getting ripped off because it's not a "real" synthetic. If it's good enough for the engine, then it's good enough.

I don't even like Castrol products although their SRF brake fluid is pretty awesome. I used the BMW/Castrol oil in my X5d this change just to say I tried it. When it comes time to change it, I'll take a sample and have it analyzed like I do ALL my engine oils. If I'm impressed, maybe I'll track more of it down. More than likely I will switch up to Mobil 1 ESP Formula M 5W/30. I'll do the same when it comes to change that out and maybe I'll try the new BMW/Shell oil.

NOTE: I have a 2011 xDrive35d

[lanbrown]

That is not a US based oil though.