Synthetic Engine Oil - I've made my choice!

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by M3325
Kevlar, so you don't use the recommended 10W60 in your M3?

Yes... I currently use the 10W-60 in my E46 M3, but I used 0W-30 back when I had my E36 M3 (this thread was from a long time ago).

[///Mpmp1025]

i want to change to a synthetic i have 87K. i bought my car used at 65K and i think the guy before me went to the dealer for all his work. should i change to synthetic?

kevlar, where in Ft. lauderdale do u live? i live in Weston, when im down from Tallahassee where i got to school. i dont know y but that back ground looks familiar.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by ///Mpmp1025
i want to change to a synthetic i have 87K. i bought my car used at 65K and i think the guy before me went to the dealer for all his work. should i change to synthetic?

You can change to synthetic ... no problems.

Originally posted by ///Mpmp1025
kevlar, where in Ft. lauderdale do u live? i live in Weston, when im down from Tallahassee where i got to school. i dont know y but that back ground looks familiar.

just south of weston in pembroke pines (by muvico).

[NoSoup4U]

Questions then Bob and Kevlar -

Can you ACTUALLY GO without changing your oil for 15K with Amsoil, or are you still changing your oil every 3-5K?

I use BMW 5w30 and change it EVERY 2500-3000 miles, so, spending $63 or whatever on amsoil would be okay, if I could extend that period to maybe 6K or 8K.

However, is this recommended for f/i'ed cars? More contaminants would probably build up over a shorter period of time.

Further, if the latter number is the weight of the oil, wouldn't a heavier oil be better suited for track use (at least in ambient conditions that are above normal), because for instance, when the ambient temperatures are around 90 degrees and you've just done a 20 minute session of hard driving, wouldn't you want a heavier oil instead of a lighter oil. The lighter oil would thin out to much at the higher temperatures, wouldn't it???

Or has consumers been entirely mislead by these other companies?

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by NoSoup4U
Can you ACTUALLY GO without changing your oil for 15K with Amsoil, or are you still changing your oil every 3-5K?

I changed my oil at about 7500 miles... once let it go to 9000miles and this included numerous auto-x, a track event and extreme harddriving from ambient climates from 30 degrees to 100 degrees

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

I use BMW 5w30 and change it EVERY 2500-3000 miles, so, spending $63 or whatever on amsoil would be okay, if I could extend that period to maybe 6K or 8K.

A client of mine sent his oil away from analysis and his oil came back suitable for further use without a problem. The oil he had sampled he used for 20,000 miles in his car... but he did change the filter at 10,000 miles.

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

However, is this recommended for f/i'ed cars? More contaminants would probably build up over a shorter period of time.

Yes... the oil would have to be changed more frequently for a FI car. The oil change interval would have to be determined by the intensity of the FI kit and how hard the car is run and how the FI system is maintained.

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

Further, if the latter number is the weight of the oil, wouldn't a heavier oil be better suited for track use (at least in ambient conditions that are above normal), because for instance, when the ambient temperatures are around 90 degrees and you've just done a 20 minute session of hard driving, wouldn't you want a heavier oil instead of a lighter oil. The lighter oil would thin out to much at the higher temperatures, wouldn't it???

I used 0W-30 for track sessions without a problem and I never noticed the oil temperature get too extreme... even after numerous laps on the track on a 90 degree day. The oil temperature was well below the burn point of the 0W-30... now, those are just my specific results. Different grade oils are available if people want...

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

Or has consumers been entirely mislead by these other companies?

I can only report on what I know and what I've researched...

[in_d_haus]

Bob,
Who did you speak to at Mobil and Redline? Of course since you talked to an engineer at Amsoil I'm sure you talked to his equivellent at the other two companies, taking for granted that anyone who works at these companies are going to be biased toward their products...they are trying to sell their oil after all.

What did the Redline and Mobil engineers say?

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by in_d_haus
What did the Redline and Mobil engineers say?

Everything Bob learned is available at http://********************/kevin/amsoilstudy.cfm

[jaramill]

My God this IS an old thread but it is one of my ARCHIVED (bookmarked threads) for it is where I learned the basics about oil and was turned on to AMSOIL. All my info came from Bob ///M3's thread.

I have also gone about 7500 miles before changing the oil (though I did have to add about 2 quarts during that time due to some hard driving an it was running low).

Gio

P.S. - I see you have an E46 now Kevlar. How's it feel upgrading?

[scottycs]

When I used 0w30 my car DRANK oil. When I switched to a slightly heavier oil, it stopped using oil, and has not used oil since.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by jaramill
P.S. - I see you have an E46 now Kevlar. How's it feel upgrading?

Feels very good... at first I was skeptical, but now, I love every minute of it... and it is the only car that deserves to replace the old one.

When I used 0w30 my car DRANK oil. When I switched to a slightly heavier oil, it stopped using oil, and has not used oil since.

I have heard that from a few customers. As far as I know (or it has been explained to me... the Amsoil 0W-30 has some excellent cleaning agents in it. The oil works great for this reason as it keeps the engine clean. However, when you first start to run the 0W-30, it often times cleans out the sludge that prevents your car from burning/leaking any oil. I've had a few customers that have complained that initially their cars drank oil excessively during the first oil changeover to 0W-30, but after some mileage (normally by the second use of 0W-30) the problem goes away...

That's how it was explained to me. Now that being said, some cars just prefer a thicker blend... look at my car, it requires 10W-60 now. It's Ok tho, Amsoil has blends from 0W-30 to 20W-50 to a strict racing 60 weight oil ... and everything in between

[LY95]

Bob and others,

What do you guys think of Redline oil? I'm debating on switching to them for my next oil change. I don't burn much, about 1/4 per 3000-3500 miles. BTW I'm running a turbo.

Opinions on Redline oil? Thanks in advance.

[jaramill]

The top 3 oils used by most members of this board (not in any particular order) are:

Mobil 1
AMSOIL
Redline

Then there are those that use the BMW brand made by Castrol
and others that use Royal Purple or even Valvoline or Quaker State. You won't go wrong using any synthetic and I hear Redline is pretty good too and you can find it in stores though not as easily as Mobil 1 but definitely better than AMSOIL since AMSOIL is mail-order only.

Gio

[LY95]

What are the weights of Redline, if you could provide them? Do they have 0W30? Thanks.

[jaramill]

Here's a cut&paste from their website:

<a href="http://www.redlineoil.com">RedLine Oil</a>

<b>
Red Line 5W30: Provides the quickest starts and fastest oil pressure rise. Will reduce turbo lag and provides more power and best economy in an engine in good condition. Replacement for OE factory-fill oils in passenger cars and most light trucks. Thicker oil film at operating temperature than a petroleum 10W-40. Best choice for engines operated in extreme cold weather.

Red Line 10W30: Best all-weather viscosity grade for gasoline engines in cars and light trucks that are driven on the street on a daily basis. Reduces turbo lag and provides more power and economy while providing thicker bearing oil films at operating temperature than a petroleum 10W-40. Best all-round, synthetic oil for stock or slightly modified engines in high- performance cars that are street-driven. Best choice to replace a 5W-30 or 10W-30, petroleum-based or other-brand synthetic oil if maximum durability is preferred. Acceptable for engines that are occasionally operated in extreme cold weather.

Red Line 10W40: Best choice for engines that typically run high oil temperature. Best choice for engines in daily drivers operated in very hot weather on a regular basis. Best choice for medium and heavy duty gasoline engines in trucks. Best choice for high-performance engines that see street as well as frequent racetrack duty. Thicker oil film at operating temperature than a petro-based 20W-50.

Red Line 15W50 & 20W50: The ultimate high-temperature protection in Red Line engine oils recommended for street use. Good for engines that regularly run very high oil temperatures. Best for engines that run large clearances such as air-cooled engines or large-displacement, all-out racing engines that see occasional street use. Provides 25% more viscosity in bearings than petroleum 20W-50s. Not recommended for use in cold climates where temperatures are at or below 10°F or -12°C. Not recommended for street use in production engines that see sustained oil temperatures below 225°F. Those engines should use Red Line 10W-30 or 10W-40.
</b>

[NoSoup4U]

Red Line 10W40 -- see, the stuff that's listed there, that's contradictory to what has been posted here, e.g., ow30....

IMO, every oil manufacturer seems to indicate that a heavier oil, is better for more sport/performance oriented engines....such as f/i, and I would assume, even the high-revving e46 m3 engine.

[pas]

I've been going back and forth on this issue. I will be switching to Amsoil, but I was planning to go with a 15W50 viscosity/grade for better shear protection, or perhaps 10W30, which is what Amsoil recommended to me originally. I did some research into the use of the 0W30 and indeed independently confirmed Amsoil tech's opinions as expressed originally to Bob (actually Darryn Wallace from Amsoil responded directly to my query to confirm this information through Amsoil's tech line - he did recommend the 0W30 and noted that if the car was not using synthetic previously, an application of the engine flush was recommended).

My question: has anyone been using the 0W30 oil in their M3 for a long (e.g., >1 year) period of time with no detrimental engine affects?

[jaramill]

Originally posted by pas
My question: has anyone been using the 0W30 oil in their M3 for a long (e.g., >1 year) period of time with no detrimental engine affects?

Being that I am an AMSOIL <b>Independent</b> Dealer it may sound bias but I have been running 0W-30 AMSOIL in my E36 M3 for over a year and a half and have had not one problem engine-wise. My mechanic who I take my car to for regular service and enhancements knows my car is tight and though he subscribes to the "heavier" oil is better theory, he did say that 0W-30 would be fine in my car as well.

Gio

[quik96M3]

I had a problem when running low viscosity oil in both my previous E36 ('93 325is) and current E36 ('96 M3). Both cars experienced more pronounced oil starvation problems while autocrossing on low visc (Mobil 1 5W-30) oil, and the valvetrain/lifter noise decreased significantly by switching to Mobil1 15W-50. Best I can surmise, the higher viscosity helps to reduce the level of slosh in the pan. Like many other E36 owners, I found running the oil level about 1/2-3/4 quart above the full mark also helps to reduce the starvation problem. The only real fix is to install a modified or dual pick-up pan, but the higher viscosity oil definitely made a difference in my E36's.

Keith Q.
Cary, NC

[NightKidz]

hmm...so how many quart do i need if i have a 99 M3 3.2 L engine?

eric

[document]

As many as it takes... Something like 8 quarts for a complete change, but you should just fill up to the top mark on the dipstick and then add, like was said, about 1/2-1 quart additional. Don't bother if you're not autoxing/tracking your car, unless you drive like a madman on the street.

[polifimos]

Hey guys --

A very illuminating exhange of information on oil grades...

I've been using 10W-30 Castrol or Mobil pure synthetic. Does it make that much of a difference using 0W-30 Amsoil vs Mobil or Castrol?

I wonder if there exist more comparative tests on the various same-grade synthetic oils ( besides the graph used by Amsoil to promote its own product ).

Any leads?

Thanks.

[jaramill]

Well I know that my mpg (miles per/gallon) has gone up a bit by using AMSOIL. The only for you to truly find out is to fill up with one brand of oil. Then drive until you're almost empty on gas. Then mark down your mileage.

Then on your next oil change switch over and then fill up the gas tank and drive again. See how your MPG change. The higher the better.

Gio

[LY95]

It doesn't take 8 quarts. The owner's manual says 6.9 for 95s and I'm sure the 96+ M3s aren't that much higher, if they are at all. Possibly 7, but most definitely not 8.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by Kevlar
i used to use 7 1/2 quarts, maybe 7 3/4 quarts...

[Gene V]

For a '97, my manual says 6.9 qt with a filter change...

Bentley says 6.9 qt for for the S50US and 6.3 qt for the S52US (seems like it should maybe be the other way around)...

I just changed my oil today and it took 7 qts to the full mark on the dipstick, I added another 1/2 qt...

Specified weight is 15w40 in a climate where the temp reaches 80 deg F and warmer...subsequently, I use Redline 10W40 because of that and for the reasons stated under that viscosity on their website...I'm not worried about my gas mileage...