View Poll Results: What are yur feelings on BMW Oil Recommendations

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  • BMW recommendations are the ONLY option

    2 33.33%
  • International standards are plenty specific

    3 50.00%
  • Computers know when to change regardless of oil used

    1 16.67%
  • BMW guidelines are BS to make you get service at a dealer

    1 16.67%
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Thread: BMW Oil recommendations

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    BMW Oil recommendations

    It seems to me that BMW has truly gone out of their way to over complicate what should be a basic service feature. They have even gone as far as not even telling you the capacity of the different motors available for the vehicle. I want to see what folks think about this topic. I have owned several high end vehicles and none have over complicated such a routine service as much as BMW. Do we really think LL-01 and LL-04 are more important than API ILSAC GF-5 for example.

    1. BMW recommendations are the bible (Germans know best)

    2. While important, the international standards (API ILSAC GF-5) are sufficient for the vehicles.

    3. The computers know when to change oil regardless of what you use.

    4. The LL stuff is just BMW's way of making you buy their product and its a lot of BS.

    I was amazed with all of their recommendations how little the owners manual guide you relative to temperatures etc. This was the first time I experienced an Owner's manual that would not tell you the capacity of the engine. All manuals I've used had a section of specifications and/or capacities. Is it me or does BMW have their heads of their a@@es on this one. If the Oil life indicators actually work, shouldn't they know when its time to change the oil regardless of its being extended life or regular synthetic? Lastly, we all know "BMW motor oil" is Castrol, thus reason they carry the LL qualifications. Why would anyone else care about a BMW Oil standard especially if they had to pay BMW for its use? Today at Advanced I checked all the top synthetic brands carried and only the Castrol products mentioned at least LL-01. Never found LL-04 anywhere. Not on Pennzoil, Valvoline, Mobil 1, Shell Rotella, Texaco, etc. Yea right!
    Last edited by ddsski; 10-24-2015 at 07:50 PM.
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  2. #2
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    The engines were designed around oil of a specific rating. With the VANOS systems operating at as high of a pressure as they operate plus a myriad of other factors, I'm inclined to use oils that meet BMW's criteria. But there are non-BMW brand oils that state on the bottle they meet certain BMW "LL" specifications. Those are what I use on most of my cars. Here is a thread with a (largely incomplete) list of different oils that meet different BMW specifications.

    Also, BMW no longer uses Castrol. They moved to Shell.

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  3. #3
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    The biggest problem I've seen is people using low quality oil filters and having VANOS solenoid clogging up. BMW oil is competitively priced with other oil. Anytime I've opened a engine running BMW oil it's always clean can't say the same for other brand oil usage.
    Last edited by Wilson740; 10-25-2015 at 04:23 PM.

  4. #4
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    I have been working for a small independent shop for a few months now who specialize in BMW. Along with Wilson740 we have seen the same thing. Customers who go to these cheap oil change places who use incorrect oil start to develope vanos issues. We put bmw specific oil in them and problem goes away. It is not very often that a vanos solenoid has to be replaced. What is really strange and kind of a testimate to BMW oil, My E36 M3 with 225,000 miles on it 2 years ago it started to get an oil light flicker at idle when the engine was at temp. I checked oil pressure, replaced oil pressure sending unit everything was good I was using mobil 1 synthetic 5w30. So I went up to higher weights finally at 15w50 it stopped doing it. So this year when I started working for this shop and several discussions with the owner who has been a BMW tech for 30 years. I changed the oil and used the BMW specific 5w30 synthetic and have not had an oil light flicker..

  5. #5
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    I stand by my statement... Those engineers get paid lots of money to make decisions. Before I start changing things to change things, I better understand why and take responsibility for my choice.

    Sent from my iPhone using BF.com
    Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?

  6. #6
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    Again how much does one pay to put the LL on their bottle? Also, I'm not talking Jiffy screw with their cheap oil and super cheap filters. BTW VERY GOOD POINT about filtration. I'm happy to see Shell being used. Hopefully its the Rotella T6 product. I've used it in my tacked Lotus cars for years now due to the higher zinc levels preventing wiped cams. Are Valvoline, Pennzoil, Mobil1, etc bad oils? Also not talking about wrong grade usage. Let's not muddy the waters. I'm talking 5W-30 Synthetic oil with at least an API ILSAC GF-5 rating. Only thing I was looking for was possibility of using 0W-30 because diesel goes to Maine and gets started in single digits to below zero a lot. If so important, why doesn't the manual tell you WHY its so important. I hate german "because I said so " stuff.
    Last edited by ddsski; 10-25-2015 at 09:17 PM.
    2004 Graduate Skip Barber 3 day Race School Competition Certified
    2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Montalcino Red, Ivory
    2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata GTPRHT True Red
    2011 X5 Xdrive35d Vermillion Red, Cinnamon Leather, Bamboo trim, Freight train
    2011 Lotus EvoraS Persian Blue, Black Suedetex Leather
    2008 Isuzu Ascender Lux Flint grey, Grey Leather


  7. #7
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    Thanks again for that sheet! ALL THE Valvoline Synpower 5W-30 is LL-04 acceptable even though not marked on the containers. And I bought it because it was on sale next to The Pennzoil Synterch and Shell didn't have their Synthetic available in viscosoity I needed. Gave up on Mobil 1 after the reformulation years ago. Would only use The Delvac product now. Still pretty overcomplicated IMHO. But I guess they still think they are TUDM.
    2004 Graduate Skip Barber 3 day Race School Competition Certified
    2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Montalcino Red, Ivory
    2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata GTPRHT True Red
    2011 X5 Xdrive35d Vermillion Red, Cinnamon Leather, Bamboo trim, Freight train
    2011 Lotus EvoraS Persian Blue, Black Suedetex Leather
    2008 Isuzu Ascender Lux Flint grey, Grey Leather


  8. #8
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    Now that list is from 2008 I just noticed. Guess no one cares or doesn't bother
    2004 Graduate Skip Barber 3 day Race School Competition Certified
    2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Montalcino Red, Ivory
    2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata GTPRHT True Red
    2011 X5 Xdrive35d Vermillion Red, Cinnamon Leather, Bamboo trim, Freight train
    2011 Lotus EvoraS Persian Blue, Black Suedetex Leather
    2008 Isuzu Ascender Lux Flint grey, Grey Leather


  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by ddsski View Post
    I hate german "because I said so " stuff.
    It's not german ... it's all the engineers behind a proven brand. Before I go changing stuff off a Subaru or VW, I stand by the same statement. Did the engineers design it this way for a reason or did the bean counters say we could do this for less money.
    Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by hundreds of engineers that get paid thousands of dollars for something you bought at Pep Boys because your buddy who doesn't have a job told you it was 'better'?!?

  10. #10
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    And I ask myself, how much of this is self=profit driven? For Joe Average, its a great way to keep them coming in for service. Let's face it, the auto industry isn't exactly the most ethical on the planet. Big $$$$ talks. Fortunately, I now know how to reset the service indicators, as obtuse as that was considering it should have been a lot more straightforward if allowed in I Drive. Best TPMS reset on the market though!!

    I'll put my oil change up against a shop anyday. That last half hour of dripping is when all the smutz at the bottom of the pan comes out. These new suction systems truly concern me because the bottom of the pan, where all the gunk is, I would think, doesn't get properly removed. Gonna be a lot of us drilling oil pans and installing plugs in the years to come. Again, let's make it difficult for the owner to service their vehicle. That was really the intent of this thread.

    As for proven brand, even BMW has slipped off the weight precipice in recent years thus reason they have gone to the Z4 chassis in Tudor.
    Last edited by ddsski; 10-27-2015 at 11:19 AM.
    2004 Graduate Skip Barber 3 day Race School Competition Certified
    2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Montalcino Red, Ivory
    2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata GTPRHT True Red
    2011 X5 Xdrive35d Vermillion Red, Cinnamon Leather, Bamboo trim, Freight train
    2011 Lotus EvoraS Persian Blue, Black Suedetex Leather
    2008 Isuzu Ascender Lux Flint grey, Grey Leather


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