What kind and grade of motor oil do u use for you E32 735i.

[BondsE30]

Any recommendations? I was going to use 5w30 valvoline.

[BondsE30]

Ended up going with 10w30 mobile 1

[richinvan]

M30B35 summer oil should be closer to 20w50.

Check the owner's manual - it will give you the info you need based on where you are/summer temp.

[BondsE30]

Yah I did but that didn't seem right... I was going to go with 15w40 cause that's what bmw said to use wen I called them but he said 10w30 would be fine. And then I went to O'Reillys auto and Carquest and they said the computer said to go with 5w30. So I ended up going with the 10w30.

[BondsE30]

I think I'm going to see if O'Reillys will swap the 10w30 for 15w40 cause I've been doing alot of reading and where
I live it's been 65 for the low and 95 for the high every day and consistently 80 out and humid so the 15w40 might be the way to go.

[CroughtonE32]

I have your car and I've used Castrol GTX 20 W 50 mineral oil for 24 years. Never synthetic. Every three thousand miles no matter what, and here's what the head looks like today.



Jeff

[BondsE30]

What does having thicker oil do?

[CroughtonE32]

I just know that the book says that where I live (Florida) 20 W 50 is what is called for. I've never changed from that, and never went more than 3000 miles without changing the oil and filter. I've got 171,000 miles now and the day I bought the car it had 6 miles on it. I think taking the time to do the oil changes has kept my M30 spotless inside. When I had the manifold off a couple of months ago for powder coating, I got that side view of the valves and they were clean and as shiny as the inside of the head. I did not take care of my E23 (83 733I) as well, and I paid dearly for it.
Jeff

[BondsE30]

Interesting thanks for the feedback. Sounds like your a 7 kinda guy lol! Ne pics of the 733i? My dad had one back in the day before I was even born lol! And I looked at previous owner receipts and he used 5w30 valvoline. So would it be bad to switch now to a 10w30 or 15w40? I live in Wisconsin so it gets in the negatives during winter. But in summer it's a steady 70-95 degrees out until September it gets in the mid 60s. Cause going by the book it looks like I should use 15w40 or even 15w50 in summer and 5w30 or 10w30 in winter. What do u think I should do I don't want to mess anything up!!!

[BondsE30]

What the difference between non synthetic and full synthetic?

[shogun]

BMW official statement, Status 06/2005:
Unproblematic mixability / compatibility:

All engine oils must be able to be mixed with each other to any degree, even synthetic with mineral oils, without this resulting in any incompatibility reactions.
Another requirement is compatibility with all the materials wetted by the oil, in particular, seal materials, hoses and paints.

The type of engine oil used is a decisive factor when it comes to ensuring proper functioning of and a long service life for an engine.
The engine oil is expected to overcome very wide-ranging tasks under all the operating conditions that may arise.
What is required is not just that the engine is always filled with an adequate quantity of oil, but that the quality and viscosity of the oil matches the technical status of the engine and the operating conditions. The requirements made of engine oils depend on the engine design, the operating conditions, the oil-change intervals and the fuel quality.
A modern engine oil must fulfil a range of tasks that extend far beyond their actual function as a lubricant. The main requirements are High level of protection against wear and reduction of friction.
Wear through friction leads to a reduction in the efficiency of engines. It must therefore be kept as low as possible by the engine oil.
In general, the term wear is used to refer to the abrasion of material or damage to the surface of frictional partners. High wear values lead either to a reduction in service life (e.g. bearing, piston-ring or cam wear) or to acute malfunctioning (scoring/scuffing).

Favourable viscosity/temperature characteristics
The viscosity is a measure of the internal friction of a fluid.
The viscosity of an engine oil must not be too high when the engine is cold, in order to make starting easier, allow the oil to flow quickly to the parts in need of lubrication and to keep fuel consumption low.
At high temperatures and engine speeds, however, a minimum viscosity is required, in order to minimise contact between the frictional partners by means of an adequately thick lubricating film

High residue-scavenging, cleaning and neutralising capability (good dispersant/detergent effect)
While an engine is running, combustion residues and oxidation products (some of which are acidic in nature), and abrasion and dirt particles from the air intake are constantly finding their way into the oil circuit. The engine oil must neutralise the acidic components, prevent the residues from settling and agglomerating and keep sludge and coke deposits on all the engine components lubricated by the oil as low as possible

High thermal stability
There must be no impermissible decomposition and change in viscosity even when the oil is subjected to extreme thermal loading

High oxidation and ageing stability
Oxidation is the absorption of oxygen by the hydrocarbons contained in the oil. Oxidation products change the viscosity of the oil, promote corrosion on certain metals and encourage sludge formation.
Oil ageing refers both to oxidation and any other chemical and physical change that occurs in the oil while the engine is running

Slight tendency to vaporise
Every engine oil consists of components of differing volatility.
The "apparent" oil consumption caused by vaporisation of readily volatile compounds should be as low as possible

Favourable foaming characteristics
When the engine is running, the oil is swirled around to a great extent with air.
Heavy foaming leads to poorer lubricity and reduced oil flow.For these reasons, the oil should on the one hand absorb as little air as possible and on the other hand not tend towards forming stable foams. After absorbing air, the oil must give it off again immediately

Good protection against corrosion
The engine oil must prevent corrosion of engine components not only when the engine is in use, but also when the vehicle is laid up over a longer period

High thermal conductivity / good cooling capability
The oil also has an important role to play in cooling the engine. It must transport heat not only away from the friction points, but also a major proportion of the heat generated during combustion, e.g. by means of splash oil on the pistons and cylinder barrels

Restricted tendency to form combustion residues

When the engine is running, a limited amount of oil inevitably finds its way into the combustion chambers and is combusted there. Residues that build up in the combustion chambers lead to an unwanted increase in compression and encourage auto-ignition

http://bmw.workshop-manuals.com/7_Se...ex.php?id=1509

engine oil wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil

I used to use 20W50, but as that is now more difficult to get, I use 10W40, 15W40 should also be o.k.

The autodata CD I have says for the M70 (and the oil spec also refers to M30):

engine code 50 12A (M70 engine)

cold climate SAE 5W30
moderate climate 10W40
hot climate 15W40
Engine oil classification: API/ACEA SH/A2-96

engine oil - alternative - moderate climate SAE 10W60 Synthetic
engine oil - alternative - moderate climate API/ACEA SH/A3-96

Volume: Engine with filter: 7.5 litres, M70 engine
Japan version M70 engine: 8.25 litres with filter


I drive all year round 10W40 = moderate climate

[CroughtonE32]

Took the words right out of my mouth............................................

[BondsE30]

I think I'm goin to go with the 15w40 for the rest of summer then change it before winter to 10w30.

[Gold3nMAn]

I change mine around depening on the time of year. The temps around here can go anywhere from 10F to 100F during the year. So I switch between 15w-40 and 10w-30 (summer/winter)

[BondsE30]

Should I go with a full synthetic or regular?

[shogun]

that is up to you, here is another thread talking about engine oil and recommendations by Amsoil
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d-E32-oil-type

[BondsE30]

Ended up going with Castrol gtx 10w40 for now but bmw recommended using 15w40 Castrol gtx non synthetic in summer and 10w30 or 5w30 in winter same brand.

[BondsE30]

Is 15w40 a weird weight cause none off the places in town carry it lol

[Mello740]

Try Walmart shell rotella 15w40 it's like 12 bucks

Sent from my iPhone using BF.com

[richinvan]

Like Mello said - it's typically branded a Diesel oil, but don't let that fool you.

Shell Rotella T 15w40 is a great oil for the M30. I use it most of the time now, unless it's the peak of summer.
I know a few guys that use it in their S38 as well.

[BondsE30]

I ended up going with mobile 1 full syn 10w40 for now. Got a buddy who went to UTI and works at a Mercedes dealership in Tampa and he said the use mobile 1 in all there cars. He also said that if the previous owners used full syn nd then I switched to non syn that it could be bad
And mess up seals. So I went
With the mobile 1 full syn. But bmw recommended the Castrol gtx non syn unless syn had already be put in.

[BondsE30]

Here's some pics of the oil change. Wen I dumped out the old oil it looked like there were metel shavings were in the oil!?!!!?! Is this normal???

[shogun]

Quite interesting article in TECHDRIVE volume 3, number 2 dated May 2006. This is a publication for independent BMW professionals. Feature article - use the right juice.

http://webpages.charter.net/mikekohl...-%20Fluids.pdf
It becomes interesting when they write about older BMW:
Because synthetic oil works so well, should you recommend it to customers with older (prior to 1999) BMWs?
The answer is a qualified "yes".

On 1980 or older models, there can be serious problems with the engine seals, because synthetics are not compatible with some obsolete types of seals. For these vehicles, don't use synthetic if the seals have not been replaced.
SEALS MADE AFTER 1980 ARE COMPATIBLE WITH SYNTHETIC OILS.

Before converting any engine from conventional to synthetic, however, you should make sure there are no oil leaks.
Because synthetics are more "slippery" than conventional oils, a leak with petroleum-based oil can become a gusher with synthetics.
For maximum protection, sell your customer an engine cleaning and "black light dye test" to spot any leaks before converting from mineral based to synthetic oil. Obviously,fix any leak before making the oil switch.

On the question of using any aftermarket additives, BMW is again very clear - don't do it.
According to BMW, "The use of engine oil additives is not recommended and not necessary on BMW engines".

Coolant

BMW is fairly liberal on coolant use, requiring only that all cooling systems be filled with a "reputable brand name ethylene glycol long-term antifreeze having corrosion inhibitors that are compatible with aluminium radiators". But this becomes a risk for you and your reputation because now some aftermarket manufacturers are selling generic antifreeze with essentially the same formula as the troublesome one used in certain domestic cars that everybody in the auto service business has heard of, and making the same claims about extended change intervals.
The exclusively-formulated antifreeze that BMW specifies and makes available through it's dealership is a different story. It's an ethylene glycol based silicated OAT (Organic Acid Technology)formula, which contains no nitrates or phosphates, and has been chemically designed to prevent excessive silicate dropout.
Also, the silicates leave an anti-corrosive coating on metal that remains even if the coolant level should be allowed to drop.


More details in the link on ATF, power steering and sunroof oils etc

[BondsE30]

That is very helpful! On a lot of aspects actually! I did not know the bmw used General Motors transmissions in these cars!? What tranny would be in my 92 735i?

[shogun]

in your E32 735 is a ZF 4HP22.
The GM transmission was produced in France. The 4L30-E was an automatic transmission developed and produced by General Motors. It was developed for light-duty use in longitudinal engine rear-wheel drive vehicles, replacing the similar TH180/3L30. The 4L30-E was used in many European and Japanese vehicles, including the BMW 3- and 5 Series, Isuzu Rodeo and its derivatives, and Opel Omega/Cadillac Catera.
1992–1998 BMW 318i,1997–1999 BMW 323i,1992–1995 BMW 325i,1996–1999 BMW 328i,1990–1996 BMW 518i,1990–1996 BMW 525i,1992–1996 BMW 525td,1996–1999 BMW 528i
1996–2000 BMW Z3, according to wiki