engine oil
 

I have 02 3.0, whats the best oil to use. Mobil one or bmw oil, thanks

Yes.

Any name brand synthetic that meets the API spec is fine, in the weight that BMW recommend. Usually that is 5w-30.

Mobil 1 or Castrol Syntec (the BMW product, rebranded) are both fine. I wouldn't use Syntec Blend, as it is not a full synthetic.

yeah try to use a "full" synthetic 5w -30 Castrol or Mobil 1.

whats good brand for oil filter.

The oil filter is very cheap at the dealership. Also you can generally get 10-20% off if they send you coupons on parts if on mailing list or just asking them.

Always get an OEM oil filter from the dealer...It comes with a new rubber O-ring, and a crush washer for the drain bolt.

Buy the OEM one from the dealer.

:iagree:

You can find filters at autoparts stores made by the same companies that make filters for BMW, but you have no guarantee that they are built to the same spec internally. Physical dimensions being the same and a cross-reference number doesn't guarantee that they use the same filter media.

the only safe alternative for bmw oil filter is mann brand (which makes bmw oil filter anyway) they share the same part number.

German Syntec is not the same as the US version. The German one is better. Check out bob the oil guy to get the full story

FYI the new version of Mobil One is not as good as the old stuff. That said, I use it to top up between oil changes with no issue.

Ever tested it? Just wondering if the micron rating is different. I have been involved in testing of filters from OEM sources (not BMW) and the same apparent filters direct from filter manufacturers, with the same part numbers, that have different filter media. We tested them with portable particle counter testers (Parker CM20 as I recall) plumbed to the equipment to prove it out. Sometimes manufacturers use the same part number but a different internal tracking number in the manufacturing process.

In our case, we solved a wear problem by determining that a specific oil filter was flowing higher micron particles than the spec allowed, despite the labelling on the filter. Changing the filter supplier saved hundreds of thousands of dollars. Customer went back to OEM filters.

Has anyone tried Mobil 1 Extended Performance or Castrol Edge? I drive about 400 miles weekly, can really use the longer interval between oil changes... suggestions?

While I am a fan of OEM filters myself, I also know that BMW and other manufacturers design these cars knowing full well that they are being sent to places all over this planet... some of these places availability of OEM parts and such are not as good as U.S. or Europe.

These cars are being run in countries where gas is not as good a quality, general oil changes are done using good old 'regular' oil, and the filters are whatever is available at that city/location. These engines still run 100k+ miles with no serious engine problems.

I would not hesitate to use a filter from the same manufacturer if the part numbers match (or similar filters from other reputable manufacturers).

Really, this is not rocket science. ;)

I hope the Mann filters are as good or better than OEM. I have been using them for years. Oil and air. I was under the impression that they were.

Why take a chance? We're talking about 20 bucks here...just go OEM from the dealer and be comfortable with one less worry...

In my personal situation, it is much easier for me to order filters from Bavarian Autosport, Turner Motorsports and so on. I order about 3 at a time and 1 air filter and never have to go to the dealer. The only reason I did this is because I was under the impression that Mann filters were equal to OEM filters. If they aren't, then I will make that trip to the dealer. I would like to see any info comparing Mann to OEM if anyone has it though.

MANN and MAHLE (and a few others) have been supplying Euro manufacturers, including BMW, with their filters (and more) for a very long time. The main differences between and aftermarket filter and one purchased form the stealership are price obviously, and packaging. Trust me, I see it everyday as I'm a parts consultant for another Euro brand dealer....

As for oil, Castrol has deals with a few different makers, so that's what you'll find at the dealerships. For me, I was using Lubro-Moly 5W40 religiously on all my Euros, due to the Castrol 5W30 would lose its viscosity after about 3000kms/1875 miles of my 'spirited' driving style, and the LM would last til even after the 5000kms/3000 miles. I have started using another brand though, Total Quartz Energy 9000 5W40 with the BMW LL-98 rating, which is actually made by Elf, and so far it's been holding up.....

I run one oil only in the wifes x5, GC 0w-30. GC stands for German Castrol. How do you know? It will say made in Germany on the back. Go to bobstheoilguy and read all about it. Love this stuff, harder to find. Autozone carries it around here. My brothers parts place in Shoreline WA also sells it. And he carries the Mann(oem) HU925/4X for the 3.0 in stock....
j

One more point, and I am not suggesting that anyone is retailing these knowingly or intentionally: If you get the filter from the dealer, you are pretty much assured that it is a genuine part. Buy it from an aftermarket outlet, and you have a chance of getting a counterfeit part that doesn't meet any spec, but which is packaged in a look-alike box. Often the retailer doesn't know that they are counterfeit, as they were sold by someone further up the distribution chain. We see it regularly, and consumers have no way of knowing what they are getting when it happens. First indication is that the filter disintegrates prior to being changed out. Mahle themselves address the problem on their web site, as they are one of the targets. See the link: http://www.mahle-aftermarket.com/C12...Y7DKE753STULEN Another article suggests that 50% of shop technicians were unable to spot the difference: http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/april2007/mech.htm

What is the value of the LL-98 rating in 2009, in your opinion? It has been obsolete for 8 years, since LL-01 came out, which was prior to LL-04, and any oil that has an eight year old formulation would be pretty suspect. Or is it a newer formulation that they haven't retested to the more recent standards? I just don't get why they would be using that spec and advertising it, unless they couldn't meet the newer ones. I don't look for the LL designation myself, since BMW isn't calling for it in any of my recent owner's manuals, and many oil manufacturers didn't bother to certify to it. That didn't mean that their oil couldn't meet the newer LL standard, just that they didn't see the point in paying for the test. When an oil company purposely advertises that they meet an outdated spec, I wonder about their motivation and thought processes.

thanks for the info guys, really appreciated. i guess ill go for mobil 1 and oem filter.

Well BMW says to use API SH or higher SAE rated oil in place of the "BMW high-performance synthetic oil," so I guess any full-synthetic with those ratings or higher would be sufficient.... but for myself, the Castrol just doesn't cut it....

That may have been the recommendation when your model was manufactured, but they are now recommending API SM in new vehicles, so I would use that as a minimum. SH came out in 1994. SM came out in 2004, and is several generations better than SH, SJ, or SL.

Crazy info JCL, thanks for the clarification. This should be stickied somewhere too...

It looks like the API SM rated oil is the same as the BMW LL-04, and the API SL is the BMW LL-98 in the Elf brand that I'm using, so needless to say I'll be using the BMW LL-04 now....

Long
 

The API ratings and the BMW LL ratings do not correlate, except that some generations of the standards came out around the same time. They are very different ratings.

The API is an industry standard test, used by all oil companies. the American Petroleum Institute sets the standards, and all oils sold in North America are tested against the same standard. Automakers use the API spec as a widely recognized and very controlled standard. There are additional standards in Europe.

Several engine manufacturers decided on their own that they wanted to drive oil standards higher, particularly in respect of longer oil life, or deposit control, or piston wear. The engine manufacturer that I work with developed private oil test standards related to deposits on ring glands in one specific engine series, as an example. That test doesn't mean anything for even the other engine models from the same manufacturer.

BMW developed a correlation between oil life and certain oil characteristics, and published the BMW LL (long life) oil standard in 98, updating it in 2001 and 2004. You can see why from the API history above; when the BMW LL-98 spec was being developed, the current API spec was six years old. Oils changed a lot during that period. The BMW LL standard is not a complete standard in my opinion, it is simply an endorsement as to engine oil life in a BMW test engine. It doesn't cover the rest of the quality standards covered by API tests.

The BMW LL spec is entirely optional, many oil companies simply ignore it because they don't see a marketing benefit for paying to achieve that particular certification. Big oil companies tend not to like every engine manufacturer having their own spec, it is difficult and expensive to keep them all current and some of the standards are opposed. The oil companies that do go after the manufacturer's private tests include those that need the credibility because they are relatively small and unknown, or those that cater to a particular market segment such as BMW or Mercedes owners. The same oil company may get a Euro oil certified (like Castrol) and not bother with the American Castrol because it is too much trouble. That does not mean that the American Castrol in that example is not as good an oil, although many like to buy German Castrol because it does get certifed. The key point is that because it is an optional test, the absence of a BMW LL certification does not mean that the oil is lower quality. It may be, but not related to whether or not it has the LL certification. I agree that the German Castrol may use a different base stock, but it doesn't meet any higher published standards, so I use whichever Castrol I can obtain, and don't worry about it.

Since the API standards have advanced so much, with the latest being API-SM, the BMW LL tests seem to have fallen by the wayside. Even the BMW oil bottles at my dealership don't always have the BMW LL designation. While my previous owner's manuals called for a BMW LL spec oil, none of my recent vehicle's manuals make any reference at all to an LL spec, they have instead gone for the more recent API SM spec and left it at that. I suspect that the BMW LL specs will simply fade away over time in North America.

And that is why I am very suspect of a small oil company advertising that they meet a BMW LL-98 spec. I would stay a long way away from that oil, it seems very suspect, likely based on mid-nineties technology.

Okay now I got it... Forget about anything to do with LL ratings and stick to the API ratings, gotcha finally. Yes I will be staying away from them although I thought Elf was a fairly well-known large company, in Europe anyway....

Nothing wrong with Elf as a company, and they are large in Europe. They are not as common in North America. I was referring above more generically to smaller oil companies, and not trying to diss Elf specifically.

The Elf site says that that particular oil now has a BMW LL-01 rating, so you may be dealing with old stock that has been sitting in a warehouse. The same Elf site notes that they have other oils that meet the API SM standard, and which coincidentally meet the BMW LL-04 spec. I would look to those oils. :thumbup: