2000 BMW 540 ARX Treatment, Oil Choices

[CosmoM]

My car has 176,000 miles and I live in Southern California and want to treat the car with ARX ASAP. After searching the forums I came up with the following recommendations for oil to use when treating the car with ARX.

Conventional Oil

60% 5w-30 and 40% 10w-40, conventional oil, no brand preferance
15w-40, Mobil Delvac 1300S, or no brand preference

Synthetic, ARX Extended Treatments to 3000 miles -

Pennzoil Platinum, Group III Synthetic
Walmart Supertech Full- Synthetic, Group III Synthetic
Shell Rotella T synthetic in a 5w-40, Group III Synthetic

I don't mind using conventional motor oil for the short intervals, but someone did mention a concern for car with VANOS. I am leaning toward either the 15-40 or the mix 60/40 mix.

Anyone have any recommendations, preferences, or experiences they can share?

Any concern for the freezing weather here in Southern California? - it got down to 40 degrees, with a high of 60. I'm going to have to stop wearing shorts if it keeps up.

 

[badtlc]

Valvoline Synpower is another GrpIII synthetic, I think.

 

[BarkerMan]

Go to Costco and buy a case of Chevron Delo 15w-40. Do two complete Arx cycles but during the rinse phase (not the cleaning phase) change the oil a couple of extra times with the Chevron oil. Go to our fleet filter site sponsor and buy a case of filters.

 

[bmwtechguy]

Here's what I would do. Go to Advance Auto and get the current deal (50%off) on Valvoline Synpower viscosity of your choice. Since they only usually carry 5W30, 10W-30, or 20W-50, I would buy mostly the 5W-30 for each phase, but get one bottle of the 20W-50 to mix in there for each phase to move the viscosity up a tad to BMW standards. Maybe go 2 bottles or more of the 20W-50 in there for summer hot weather. Now you'll have full synthetic oil in there for all your phases at conventional oil prices. I would not be afraid to go more than the 3000 miles for each phase, unless in a very neglected engine. I have done this numerous times.

 

[badtlc]

Originally Posted By: bmwtechguy
Here's what I would do. Go to Advance Auto and get the current deal (50%off) on Valvoline Synpower viscosity of your choice. Since they only usually carry 5W30, 10W-30, or 20W-50, I would buy mostly the 5W-30 for each phase, but get one bottle of the 20W-50 to mix in there for each phase to move the viscosity up a tad to BMW standards. Maybe go 2 bottles or more of the 20W-50 in there for summer hot weather. Now you'll have full synthetic oil in there for all your phases at conventional oil prices. I would not be afraid to go more than the 3000 miles for each phase, unless in a very neglected engine. I have done this numerous times.


Might want to be careful with the Valvoline 20w50. Hasn't the rumor on this board been that, that oil may have some PAO or even POE in it?

 

[bmwtechguy]

Don't count on it. Even one quart of an oil containing PAO is not going to affect an ARX cleaning or rinse. Ester-containing oil is the biggest concern with ARX due to ARX being an ester. Concern is that esters will compete with the cleaning esters in ARX and render it less effective. Someone correct me here if I'm wrong in my take on this.

 

[Frank]

There is not a concern.Synthetic esters will get the full attention on "Natural Occuring Esters" that are part of Auto-Rx in the cleaning mode. Auto-Rx wil clean them out we all want Auto-Rx to concentrate on cleaning contaminants.