Member
Im sorry about starting an oil thread but i need to know. The only W-40 oil I can find locally is 0w-40. Does anyone use it, would i be better off with 10W30. It'll get another change before winter of that helps.
Member
I've been using Castrol 0w-40 for the past year (not many miles) with no issues. I run it in my e46 m54 and figured if it was good enough for that it would be good enough for my m52. I don't know why you can't find any 40 wt oil, Walmart carries all kinds of it. Try looking for diesel oil.
Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.
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I also use the Castrol 0w-40 European Formula . Used to use Mobil 1 0w-40, but I believe they changed the formula. (New stuff is marked FS.) Haven't had any problems with either. Both are carried by Walmart around here.
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You can find 15W-40 almost everywhere...it's a common weight for diesel trucks.
Member
5W30, 0W40, 5W40 synthetic all work fine and are all good choices. I don’t think you need to go thicker unless tracking the car or in a very hot climate and even then I am not sure thicker is needed.
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I use the same on my wife's 528i. We've been running it for 2 years now, since we got the car. No issues as of now.Originally Posted by jmc1590
Jamie
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Mobil 1 0w40 did not change formula, it still lists the other three automaker's specifications on the bottle, I believe they are Porsche, Audi, and VW -- maybe Mercedes is one of the others. The point is, the oil is the same and meets all of the same specifications as when it also listed BMW on the bottle. My take from this is that the automakers or the oil company pay a fee to have their name listed. Somebody paid a fee to get their name on the bottle, to have their bottle list names of automakers. Whatever, the agreement between the oil company and BMW expired for whatever reason, and BMW was taken off of the bottle. The oil still meets the EU specification of ACEA A3/B3, which mirrors the BMW specification of, LL-01.
Personally, I think your better choice is 10w40 for your older engine.
Member
0-40 is a good weight for Canada, unless you have crazy wicked cold winters that you drive in, then it might be worth it to change into a 0w-30 or something for -30F cold. But then when it gets warm again you would have to change it to something a little thicker like the 40w oils.
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10w30 has no place in an E36 unless it carries the ACEA A3/B3 (or B4) specification at a minimum. Before 0w/5w oils came into vogue as fuel economy oils, 10w30 was the big player. It is not suited to our engines. Yes, there are BMW and ACEA approved 0w/5w-30 oils today, but these are different to those produced as "fuel economy" oils.
0w/5w/10w/15w-40 would all be suitable. Pick one based on what you can get on sale, and meets the coldest temperatures you are likely to start the car in. I've run three of the four grades 'W' grades listed and noted the thinner ones do seem to drain back from the cylinder head, resulting in lifter noise upon startup. YMMV.
Member
total bullshit. 0-40 and 0-30 have the same viscosity when cold. when the engine is warmed up then the 40 is a little thicker than the 30.
Jbird
Exactly 0w-40 means 0 oil weight winter that's what the w is for, 40 weight summer, been that way for ever. But the synthetics flow very well at cold temps, when compared to conventional oils. That's why the Germans in World War Two had to invent synthetics for there equipment on the Russian front
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Only total bullshit if you misunderstood. Canada can have -40F winters, that's why I suggested 0w-30, the 30 being the important part, so when the engine is running the oil won't be too thick.
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you said 0-40 is good, and if it's very cold then 0-30 is better. so the difference for you is the number after the -
the number after the - is the viscosity for when the oil has operation temperature. something around 100°C or 212°F. at that point it doesn't matter what your outside temp is. so why would it be better when it's colder?
that's why i said your post is wrong. many, many people don't really understand the numbers on the oil can. which isn't a problem. but it's just wrong.
Member
If people would read their owners manuals it states 15w-40 oil and says nothing about synthetics. In my area most of the 15w-40 oils are diesel grade. I've run Rotella and a friend runs that all year long, with no problem unless its extremely cold, less than -30°F.
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As I recall, the owners manual for my 99M3 says 5W30 synthetic is fine. But it’s been a while since I read it. Over the years I have used 0W30, 5W30, 0W40, 5W40, 10W40, 5W50, 15W50, 20W50, and 10W60. All synthetic. Ran fine on all of them. Mostly I use 0W40 or 5W40.
I'm lost
I'm pretty positive my '94 325i said 5W-30. I didn't even have a smart phone back then so that was pre just Google everything. I would've referenced the manual to figure out what it called for. Unfortunately a PO of my '98 must've misplaced the owners manual at some point.
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It's in the Bentley manual too.
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Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.
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