Attn: newbies,here are your OIL FACTS

**jrtcbmw** · 11-22-2006, 10:31 PM

anyone who is useing Royal Purple what weights are your running in the summer and winter?

**thecheat1206** · 11-22-2006, 11:26 PM

heh, i run shell rotella 5w40 full synth in the 318. 10k changes never hurt nobody.

it's had rotella since 10k at 10k intervals, not stopping now.

$24 for 6 quarts, i lose a quart right at 5k.

**Daved** · 11-23-2006, 12:51 AM

I'll try to remember to put this in the FAQ tomorrow, I'm going to bed now

**TIMSGT** · 11-23-2006, 06:13 AM

thanks for the post ive always wondered what the numbers mean

**slim17265** · 11-23-2006, 06:19 AM

"10,000 mile oil changes never hurt nobody"........................................one needs to remember that oil is a vehicle to carry the crud that wears out internals. Looking at the oil by wiping the dipstick on your finger gives you the opportunity to see better because of clarity gained. When my OIL starts to turn medium brown or 3000 miles it is coming out. You folks that contend high mileage oil changes obviously have deeper pockets than i do. and last in response to better oil filters, K&N advertise that their $8.95 filter will stop 10 microns (Jegs 1-800-230-3030)

**Robstah** · 11-23-2006, 07:25 AM

German Castrol sucks with VANOS. It makes VANOS rattle like hell. I do like Castrol though. GTX is cheap, but needs replacing around 2500-3000 miles.

**1996 328ti** · 11-23-2006, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Jetblack95

so then it isn't so much the oil that we need to worry about but the filter. any recommendations in that area?

I think the filter is more important. Plenty people have sent their oil for analysis and it has come back just fine. If it makes people feel good changing their oil every 3K, feel free. I change my filter at half intervals, that's around every 3500 miles. Synthetic oil and filter at ~7000 miles. 220000 miles on the motor and tracked several weekends a year. It's doing just fine.

**Mini4x** · 11-23-2006, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by slim17265

K&N advertise that their $8.95 filter will stop 10 microns (Jegs 1-800-230-3030)

Course you can't get K&N oil filters for a BMW.

Or Mobil 1, who I believe makes the best oil filters out there.

If you really want oil protection get a Amsoil bypass filter:

Approximately 60 percent of all engine wear is caused by dirt particles in the five to 20 micron range. These particles can get inside the precision clearances between engine components and cause severe damage. While full-flow oil filters generally stop contaminants no smaller than 25 to 40 microns, the AMSOIL By-Pass Filter effectively stops particles down to one micron in size, substantially reducing engine wear.

**thecheat1206** · 11-23-2006, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by slim17265

"10,000 mile oil changes never hurt nobody"........................................one needs to remember that oil is a vehicle to carry the crud that wears out internals. Looking at the oil by wiping the dipstick on your finger gives you the opportunity to see better because of clarity gained. When my OIL starts to turn medium brown or 3000 miles it is coming out. You folks that contend high mileage oil changes obviously have deeper pockets than i do. and last in response to better oil filters, K&N advertise that their $8.95 filter will stop 10 microns (Jegs 1-800-230-3030)

my oil stays pretty clean, even at 10k changes. it's no darker than it was at 5k, or even 3k, and coming from the school of vw, where we only reccomend 10k changes with full synth, i can say that i've seen vr6 motors go 300k on 10k changes, i fully expect my bmw to go as such. maybe not with me behind the wheel, but i think it will.

**bige9999** · 01-09-2007, 10:53 AM

Thanks for taking the time to use some real data to help us out.

Mark

**Flat Broke** · 01-09-2007, 11:07 AM

Oh Gawd,
They started another oil thread !!
Here we go again, miles and miles of the same old crap...
FB

**alsteel** · 01-09-2007, 11:12 AM

Yeah, but it's real good info. This should be a sticky, it gets my vote!

**Flat Broke** · 01-09-2007, 11:21 AM

I second that, sticky it..

**Ohtwo** · 01-09-2007, 02:22 PM

My repair manual specs. 10W 40-20W 50. I'm not sure what was in the car before I bought it, but I can hear the Vanos unit a bit when cold with 10W 40. The outside temps have fallen though, so who knows what caused that.

Does the E36 fuel pump wait for a signal from the oil pressure gauge before switching on? My car with crank for a good 3 seconds from a cold start sometimes. I wonder if a lighter weight would change that.

Why is everyone running 5w 30 dino, if BMW says 10w 40 to 20w 50?

**skiboard06** · 01-09-2007, 03:00 PM

Wow, thank you sir for a great writeup. I have previously been on Castrol synthetic 5w-30. I will now be on Mobil 1 0w-40 for the next change. thanks

**Luikens** · 01-09-2007, 04:07 PM

+1 for this form, great info thanks guys

**Jetblack95** · 01-09-2007, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Mini4x

Course you can't get K&N oil filters for a BMW.

Or Mobil 1, who I believe makes the best oil filters out there.

If you really want oil protection get a Amsoil bypass filter:

Approximately 60 percent of all engine wear is caused by dirt particles in the five to 20 micron range. These particles can get inside the precision clearances between engine components and cause severe damage. While full-flow oil filters generally stop contaminants no smaller than 25 to 40 microns, the AMSOIL By-Pass Filter effectively stops particles down to one micron in size, substantially reducing engine wear.

where's this info from and where can i buy one =)

**Captain A** · 01-09-2007, 05:59 PM

Thanks, I was just fixing to get an oil change, and this helped a ton.

**thejaff** · 02-03-2007, 02:26 PM

I heard that Mobile 1 recently dropped to Group III because Katrina destroyed a huge factory and they had to change their blend. Is this true? Or is Mobile 1 0W-40 still Group IV?

I've used M1 0W-40 the last few changes, and I've smelt a little oil burn off. I also have a '97 4Runner with 229k miles that I used M1 10W-30 and got some burn off with that too.

**JohnnyWash1** · 02-03-2007, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by thejaff

I heard that Mobile 1 recently dropped to Group III because Katrina destroyed a huge factory and they had to change their blend. Is this true? Or is Mobile 1 0W-40 still Group IV?

I've used M1 0W-40 the last few changes, and I've smelt a little oil burn off. I also have a '97 4Runner with 229k miles that I used M1 10W-30 and got some burn off with that too.

There are rumors (some people have run GCMS on Mobil 1) that Mobil 1 quietly switched to group III because of the lawsuit they lost to Castrol in regards to their Syntec oil. Castrol has been marketing Syntec as Fully Synthetic for years, and it is a group III oil. Mobil 1 sued, lost, and is now rumored to have switched over to the cheaper hydrocracked mineral base (group III).

**Danny318** · 02-03-2007, 05:09 PM

so is mobil 1 0-40 good or not?

**JohnnyWash1** · 02-03-2007, 05:15 PM

IMO, if the rumors are true, it's not worth the money.

**thejaff** · 02-03-2007, 05:39 PM

Would German Castrol be Group IV then? I planned on putting that in my car tomorrow.

**JohnnyWash1** · 02-03-2007, 06:10 PM

I believe GC is group IV.

**KBtoys** · 02-03-2007, 07:49 PM

Just a note, 0w-40 M1 burned like a mofo in my car. no other oil has ever been consumed more rapidly in my car.

Thread: Attn: newbies,here are your OIL FACTS

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