2008 BMW M3, BMW TwinPower Turbo 10W-60, 7134 mi

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Previous UOA here. 136939 miles on the engine at the time of sampling.

Longer OCI this time. Figured that wouldn't be horrible given that a lot of these miles were from multiple 7+ hour road trips.

Just after this OCI, I had a crazy misfire issue that seems to have been due to an O2 sensor fault. Assuming that failure didn't happen overnight, I'm sure it affected this sample.

Last time I noted what looks like a formulation change. Much more moly than the sample before that one, titanium making an appearance, ~half as much boron, and a little less phosphorus. Looks like that was real. Also looks like this new formulation has better viscosity retention. Given BMW's recent switch from Shell back to Castrol, maybe this product is back in the TWS lineage.

In the pic, ignore the flag on titanium. They probably flagged it because it wasn't showing up in previous samples and they didn't know this engine has no titanium in it.

Copying the numbers here because I don't like how Polaris's reports are formatted:


Wear Metals

Iron - 7
Chromium - 0
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 3
Copper - 2
Lead - 0
Tin - 1
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Particle Quantifier (PQ) Index - 12


Contaminant Metals

Silicon - 7
Sodium - 3
Potassium - 0


Multi-Source Metals

Titanium - 44
Molybdenum - 178
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 30


Additive Metals

Magnesium - 18
Calcium - 2772
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 791
Zinc - 950


Other Contaminants

Fuel Dilution - 2.0% (GC)
Soot - Water -

Fluid Properties

Viscosity @ 100º C - 19.0 cSt
TBN - 4.45
Oxidation - 13
Nitration - 8
 

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Previous UOA here. 136939 miles on the engine at the time of sampling.

Longer OCI this time. Figured that wouldn't be horrible given that a lot of these miles were from multiple 7+ hour road trips.

Just after this OCI, I had a crazy misfire issue that seems to have been due to an O2 sensor fault. Assuming that failure didn't happen overnight, I'm sure it affected this sample.

Last time I noted what looks like a formulation change. Much more moly than the sample before that one, titanium making an appearance, ~half as much boron, and a little less phosphorus. Looks like that was real. Also looks like this new formulation has better viscosity retention. Given BMW's recent switch from Shell back to Castrol, maybe this product is back in the TWS lineage.

In the pic, ignore the flag on titanium. They probably flagged it because it wasn't showing up in previous samples and they didn't know this engine has no titanium in it.

Copying the numbers here because I don't like how Polaris's reports are formatted:


Wear Metals

Iron - 7
Chromium - 0
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 3
Copper - 2
Lead - 0
Tin - 1
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Particle Quantifier (PQ) Index - 12


Contaminant Metals

Silicon - 7
Sodium - 3
Potassium - 0


Multi-Source Metals

Titanium - 44
Molybdenum - 178
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 30


Additive Metals

Magnesium - 18
Calcium - 2772
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 791
Zinc - 950


Other Contaminants

Fuel Dilution - 2.0% (GC)
Soot - Water -

Fluid Properties

Viscosity @ 100º C - 19.0 cSt
TBN - 4.45
Oxidation - 13
Nitration - 8
Better viscosity retention? It's 19. How much do you need?
Previous UOA here. 136939 miles on the engine at the time of sampling.

Longer OCI this time. Figured that wouldn't be horrible given that a lot of these miles were from multiple 7+ hour road trips.

Just after this OCI, I had a crazy misfire issue that seems to have been due to an O2 sensor fault. Assuming that failure didn't happen overnight, I'm sure it affected this sample.

Last time I noted what looks like a formulation change. Much more moly than the sample before that one, titanium making an appearance, ~half as much boron, and a little less phosphorus. Looks like that was real. Also looks like this new formulation has better viscosity retention. Given BMW's recent switch from Shell back to Castrol, maybe this product is back in the TWS lineage.

In the pic, ignore the flag on titanium. They probably flagged it because it wasn't showing up in previous samples and they didn't know this engine has no titanium in it.

Copying the numbers here because I don't like how Polaris's reports are formatted:


Wear Metals

Iron - 7
Chromium - 0
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 3
Copper - 2
Lead - 0
Tin - 1
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Particle Quantifier (PQ) Index - 12


Contaminant Metals

Silicon - 7
Sodium - 3
Potassium - 0


Multi-Source Metals

Titanium - 44
Molybdenum - 178
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 30


Additive Metals

Magnesium - 18
Calcium - 2772
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 791
Zinc - 950


Other Contaminants

Fuel Dilution - 2.0% (GC)
Soot - Water -

Fluid Properties

Viscosity @ 100º C - 19.0 cSt
TBN - 4.45
Oxidation - 13
Nitration - 8
Retained it's vis better? VIs is at 19. How much vis do you need? All runs were good and the lower vis runs were the same. If the oil cap spec is 10-60 why are BMW's spec's so much higher than , say , my Camry? lol
 
Retained it's vis better? VIs is at 19. How much vis do you need?
xW-60 should be above 21.9 cSt @ 100º C. All runs with the previous version of this oil ended up below 19. This version stayed at or above 19.

If the oil cap spec is 10-60 why are BMW's spec's so much higher than , say , my Camry? lol
The high-RPM (8k+) naturally aspirated engines from BMW's M division all spec a 10W-60. Not 10W-60 generally, or 10W-60 oils that meet a certain spec; one specific 10W-60.

There's a ton of speculation about why. No one knows but BMW. Though plenty of people seem happy to act like they know...

The only explanation I've seen that makes any sense to me is that these engines are designed to run all day at the track, including in hot climates, and under that usage they can produce oil temps up to 300º F.

It started when BMW partnered with Castrol in the late '90s, when Castrol brought a killer engine oil with a long and successful history in racing to the table (TWS). That oil happened to be a 10W-60. Castrol tweaked it for BMW M. Whatever their reasons for picking it in the first place – because it was a 10W-60, or because they liked it for other reasons, or because of some corporate corruption, or whatever – BMW M then designed later engines (including the one in my car) with it in mind.

Guessing none of that applies to your Camry. ;)
 
I got it now. That's the name of the oil. Wow 🙄

Sorry for the derailment.
😂 No worries.

It is kind of mystifying that they used the "TwinPower Turbo" branding for this oil given that exactly zero turbocharged engines spec it.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: a5m
😂 No worries.

It is kind of mystifying that they used the "TwinPower Turbo" branding for this oil given that exactly zero turbocharged engines spec it.
Lmao of course. I was so confused, went through your previous threads looking for mention of motor swap or turbocharging, saw pic of 8 spark plugs. Now I can rest easy :LOL:

Btw very nice car. My dream car. Hope I own one some day.
 
Previous UOA here. 136939 miles on the engine at the time of sampling.

Longer OCI this time. Figured that wouldn't be horrible given that a lot of these miles were from multiple 7+ hour road trips.

Just after this OCI, I had a crazy misfire issue that seems to have been due to an O2 sensor fault. Assuming that failure didn't happen overnight, I'm sure it affected this sample.

Last time I noted what looks like a formulation change. Much more moly than the sample before that one, titanium making an appearance, ~half as much boron, and a little less phosphorus. Looks like that was real. Also looks like this new formulation has better viscosity retention. Given BMW's recent switch from Shell back to Castrol, maybe this product is back in the TWS lineage.

In the pic, ignore the flag on titanium. They probably flagged it because it wasn't showing up in previous samples and they didn't know this engine has no titanium in it.

Copying the numbers here because I don't like how Polaris's reports are formatted:


Wear Metals

Iron - 7
Chromium - 0
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 3
Copper - 2
Lead - 0
Tin - 1
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0

Particle Quantifier (PQ) Index - 12


Contaminant Metals

Silicon - 7
Sodium - 3
Potassium - 0


Multi-Source Metals

Titanium - 44
Molybdenum - 178
Antimony - 0
Manganese - 0
Lithium - 0
Boron - 30


Additive Metals

Magnesium - 18
Calcium - 2772
Barium - 0
Phosphorus - 791
Zinc - 950


Other Contaminants

Fuel Dilution - 2.0% (GC)
Soot - Water -

Fluid Properties

Viscosity @ 100º C - 19.0 cSt
TBN - 4.45
Oxidation - 13
Nitration - 8
How mucj longer do you intend on keeping the car
 
Just curious. Is it going to be a keeper as a third car/track toy?
Ah.

I plan to keep it as long as I need a single car that does everything from errands to family trips to track days – and not a moment longer.

No idea how long that'll be, though. :ROFLMAO:
 
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