0w-40 or 5w-40 for BMW N52?

To me Liquimoly is hardcore advertising. Their oil is nothing special but it will get the job done in which it is intended to do so. I’ve seen M1, PP, Castrol (euro approved all of them) have the same if not better wear numbers for a much much cheaper price.

I’d stick to what you’re using as long as it meets specs.
It sounds like he is doing the FCP Euro oil change kits with Liqui-Moly, which in that case you only pay for shipping the old oil back to them and get a full refund. The entire oil change can be had for just the cost of shipping, which for me is around $15. I did a UOA of Castrol 0w40 and Liqui-Moly Molygen 5w40 and the wear numbers were almost identical.
 
To me Liquimoly is hardcore advertising. Their oil is nothing special but it will get the job done in which it is intended to do so. I’ve seen M1, PP, Castrol (euro approved all of them) have the same if not better wear numbers for a much much cheaper price.

I’d stick to what you’re using as long as it meets specs.
That's what a lot of people in the BMW forums say. I mean, I only use it LM because I get it for free
 
It sounds like he is doing the FCP Euro oil change kits with Liqui-Moly, which in that case you only pay for shipping the old oil back to them and get a full refund. The entire oil change can be had for just the cost of shipping, which for me is around $15. I did a UOA of Castrol 0w40 and Liqui-Moly Molygen 5w40 and the wear numbers were almost identical.
I don't pay for return shipping either. Paypal Reiumursing shipping back to me :)
 
I also own a high milage Euro N52B25 with 230k miles. In europe they where specd for LL04 5w30.
I have good results with shell (pennzoil) 5w30 GTL oil in my n52. I even heard people running them on 0w30 without any problems.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...5w30-pennzoil-euro-l-review-with-pics.334248/

Car is driven hard for long distances with and has seen 15k ocis all its life.

The euro n52s have an oil/water heat exchanger which heats up the oil faster, as far as i know the US models dont have that so thinner oil in your climate would be beneficial.

I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them? Technical wise they are the exact same engines.
I dont know why they did 5w40 for us and 5w30 for europe, i thought it had to do with wat was availbe at the time and in europe the diesels also used 5w30 c3 oil for the diesels so it was easier to have in bulk.
 
I also own a high milage Euro N52B25 with 230k miles. In europe they where specd for LL04 5w30.
I have good results with shell (pennzoil) 5w30 GTL oil in my n52. I even heard people running them on 0w30 without any problems.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...5w30-pennzoil-euro-l-review-with-pics.334248/

Car is driven hard for long distances with and has seen 15k ocis all its life.

The euro n52s have an oil/water heat exchanger which heats up the oil faster, as far as i know the US models dont have that so thinner oil in your climate would be beneficial.

I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them? Technical wise they are the exact same engines.
I dont know why they did 5w40 for us and 5w30 for europe, i thought it had to do with wat was availbe at the time and in europe the diesels also used 5w30 c3 oil for the diesels so it was easier to have in bulk.
Your post illustrates the common misconceptions between grade and approval. The BMW approval allows multiple grades but specifies a minimum HT/HS. This is the driving force behind the approval, not the grade. Grade is largely irrelevant with an approval like Longlife-01. You can argue a bit over the winter rating depending on your climate and expected starting temperatures but that’s about it.

You also don’t understand the winter rating either, which is another common misconception.
 
Your post illustrates the common misconceptions between grade and approval. The BMW approval allows multiple grades but specifies a minimum HT/HS. This is the driving force behind the approval, not the grade. Grade is largely irrelevant with an approval like Longlife-01. You can argue a bit over the winter rating depending on your climate and expected starting temperatures but that’s about it.

You also don’t understand the winter rating either, which is another common misconception.
I am aware that bmw specifies for a 3.5 hths with the ll01 aswell as the ll04.
I am only suggesting the thread starter that he is also safe to use the ll04 approved 0w30 or 5w30.

Seeing that he lives in a colder climate and the US n52 doesnt have an water to oil heat exchanger.
 
I am aware that bmw specifies for a 3.5 hths with the ll01 aswell as the ll04.
I am only suggesting the thread starter that he is also safe to use the ll04 approved 0w30 or 5w30.

Seeing that he lives in a colder climate and the US n52 doesnt have an water to oil heat exchanger.
It wasn’t evident you understood when your post asked “I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them?”

It’s still not about grade really. Especially not the winter rating. Why continue to focus on that?
 
I don't pay for return shipping either. Paypal Reiumursing shipping back to me :)
How does that work exactly?

Edit. Ok, now set up for return refunds through PayPal. Now my LM kits are truly free from FCP!
 
Last edited:
It sounds like he is doing the FCP Euro oil change kits with Liqui-Moly, which in that case you only pay for shipping the old oil back to them and get a full refund. The entire oil change can be had for just the cost of shipping, which for me is around $15. I did a UOA of Castrol 0w40 and Liqui-Moly Molygen 5w40 and the wear numbers were almost identical.
I've had great wear numbers using Molygen in my VW but some discussion on shear stability vs. the more PAO-based 0W40s from M1 etc. recently here...I keep saying I'll do a M1 change to have a look.
 
It wasn’t evident you understood when your post asked “I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them?”

It’s still not about grade really. Especially not the winter rating. Why continue to focus on that?
LL04 is also requiring hths 3.5>

The part about harming the engine is because i thought that for the us bmw also changed some things due to the different fuel that is used there compared to EU.
 
Yes I know the minimum HT/HS requirement for Longlife-04, but even with your fuel explanation I’m still confused about “I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them?” What does it all have to do with the grade designation again?
 
Yes I know the minimum HT/HS requirement for Longlife-04, but even with your fuel explanation I’m still confused about “I know that in US they where specced for ll01 but dont know if 5w30 or 0w30 will harm them?” What does it all have to do with the grade designation again?
I thought it had to do with sulphur in the US fuel.
 
OK, again, what that has to do with 0W30 or 5W30?
US Fuel is ULSG since 2017.
Also, heat exchanger is present on some N52 engines (X3, X5 ewtc.) not 328. Several reasons, mostly BMW trying to save money. Easy to add though.
It is possible, though not likely, to get as gasoline with as much as 95ppm Sulfur in the US. How detrimental to anything would it be if running LL04 and getting a tankful of high S gaso?

And something I've always wondered about - why is higher/full SAPS the right choice for higher sulfur in the gasoline? Would have thought the opposite.
 
It is possible, though not likely, to get as gasoline with as much as 95ppm Sulfur in the US. How detrimental to anything would it be if running LL04 and getting a tankful of high S gaso?

And something I've always wondered about - why is higher/full SAPS the right choice for higher sulfur in the gasoline? Would have thought the opposite.
You can find answers you are wondering about easily here.
It is very unlikely you will stumble on 95ppm now anywhere in the US. In the beginning after ULSG became effective? Yes. But oil companies cannot just like that switch production. If I was betting, Citgo will have maybe higher sulfur gas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4WD
Back
Top