Rotella T6 5w-40 synthetic oil

[jlam86]

Has anyone experienced this oil with the x5s before? I used to use it in my stage 4 subaru WRX and it was phenomenal stuff.

I've done quite a bit of searching around for information and the closest information I can find on this topic was in the 3series E90/92 forum and they said it was outstanding.

Input please!

[ard]

Originally Posted by jlam86

Hit was phenomenal stuff.

it was outstanding.

If it wasn't so sad, it'd be laughable...

Yet another silly, pointless oil thread based on absolutely NOTHING... published marketing specs, and unsupported assertions by 'experts' and 'tuners'. Not a single person who even KNOWS what UOA stands for, let alone has one for this oil.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by jlam86

it was phenomenal stuff.

What was phenomenal about it?

Did you do any oil analysis? I'd be interested in the results.

[jlam86]

This thread wouldn't be so "pointless" if someone who had experience with the oil in this particular vehicle previously.

I asked a simple question. I don't know how our vehicles would respond to this type of oil. I've done many searches and have yielded minimal results.

Have you come across any "helpful" information Ard?

I don't have any numbers in terms of analysis. Though I did notice the vehicle was more responsive under acceleration, had better gas consumption, and the oil was not consumed at all in comparison to the royal purple and mobil 1 that I have used previously and had changed in the same time intervals.

[JCL]

I can only offer peripherally helpful comments.

I assume you have a gasoline X5, but you don't mention it and don't list it in your profile. If you have a diesel, some of the comments below don't apply. But since you mention a Subaru, I'll assume gasoline.

I have used Rotella oils in the past, but never in a BMW. Many years of experience. All of it on heavy duty medium and high speed diesels (100 hp to 8000 hp). Some experience with spark ignited heavy duty natural gas engines as well, but I recall that one being a specific Rotella blend, from memory.

Always had good luck with Rotella oils in those applications. Never used a T6 oil (the one under discussion) and I don't presume that my comments about D6 tractors, off highway mining trucks, stationary power generation, etc, are applicable to this particular blend.

However, this is a CJ4 oil, with additional tests certified by Mack, Cummins, Detroit, MAN, Volvo, and Caterpillar. It exists to handle low sulphur fuels and diesels with exhaust aftertreatment systems (DPF, etc). It is a low-ash oil, so it doesn't plug up the diesel particulate filter when it is burned in the engine. It also meets the API SL spec, for automotive engines, so it isn't likely to kill your engine, but if I had to choose, I would not opt for an oil that was specifically blended for a very different application requirement. Given that everything is a trade-off, I would expect to be be gaining DPF compatibility (for example) at the expense of something else.

I would not expect this oil to deal well with the sulphur levels we get in our fuels in North America. Not sure about the ethanol. Depending on the starting TBN, it could lead to earlier breakdown. That is purely speculation, but the recommendation is supported by BMW's experience with their LL-04 oil (another low ash oil compatible with DPF filters). BMW came out and advised against using their own oil in their gasoline engines in North America due to that problem, early oil breakdown caused by the combination of low starting TBN, sulphur levels in North American gasoline, and ethanol.

I would not expect this oil to be optimized for the long drain intervals the BMW engines are designed for. Heavy equipment and heavy duty trucks use proportionally larger sumps to achieve longer drain intervals.

I would not expect this oil to be optimized for higher RPM engines. Those tests they list on the link you provided are largely concerned with engines that never go over 2100 rpm, maximum. Many of them live at 1200 rpm, and some are governed to 720 rpm.

Any difference in how your engine feels and sounds likely has to do with viscosity rather than oil performance. And with the seat-of-the-pants sense that a car runs better just after it has been washed, or had maintenance done. It just feels good.

Don't know if all that helps. Sounds like you want to experiment.

[jlam86]

Thanks for input JCL. I do want to experiment but I want to find out a little bit more information first before I give it the green light. I will see if I can dig up anymore info. If I do, I will be sure to post! Thanks again

[fast4d]

lots of people on bob's the oil guy forum love this oil.

I'm using the T6 (and prior version).

I've used it on our X5 4.4 for about 70k miles (170k when we traded in). I'm currently using in E90 328. I've used it for years in my commute motorcycles. I ride about 100 miles per day.

as far as drain interval you should get you used oil tested to see if you need to adjust.

just relaying my experience so don't consider it a recommendation.

[jlam86]

Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

I have read a lot of others experience with this on the bob the oil guy site and I get the same impression