Becoming a Thin Oil Guy

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Originally Posted By: Chewie
Your cold temp cranking times are much more likely to be related to your battery health than with the oil viscosity.


I had the same experience a few years ago with Castrol 5W40. Long cranks. Switched to M1 0W40 next winter (battery one year older). Not one long crank.

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Which 5W30 Edge? ACEA A3/B3 B4?
If it is ILSAC-GF5 5W30 then yes, you will gain bit in consumption, it will rev. faster, but it is STUPID!
No BMW engines are designed for ILSAC-GF5 oils. I assume it is ILSAC GF-5 because ACEA A3/B3 B4 5W30 should not make any difference compare to 5W40 ACE A3/B3 B4.
Heck, you can put in that engine 0W16, it will rev. even faster then 5W30.
As for your winter performance with LM 5W40, no 5W40 should have issue in -20c. I always stated that LM is just mediocre oil that has oversized Made in Germany letters in the front and people get hooked up on that.
Oil that I would run in that car in Canada is Castrol Edge 0W30 ACEA A3/B3 B4.


I am using the diesel version: SLX Professional OE.

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
I used to run my e30 on 5w40 (as opposed to the 15w50 M1 the OP ran the car exclusively on) and it loved it!
Easier to rev and slightly better fuel economy.

I eventually went back to dino 15w40 due to cost and availability.
And mostly because I don't drive the car that much (2-3 times a year).
ALSO because the bike runs on the same oil
smile.gif



Right on! Thin is in!
 
Originally Posted By: Dallas69
You are not a thin oil guy-you are a now I'm using the correct oil guy.


The E46 specs an oil that meets LL-01, which is generally a 5w-40, 0w-40 or Euro 5w-30/0w-30 which is very close in viscosity to the other two.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


I am using the diesel version: SLX Professional OE.



Right on! Thin is in!



Assuming these are the two oils:

Castrol SLX Professional 5w-30
Liqui Moly Synthoil High-Tech 5w-40

The difference at 100C is 2.4cSt. HTHS for both is required to be at least 3.5cP, so they are probably both very close here.

The difference may all be in your head.


As soon as I fired up the car and drove away I could tell a difference.

2.4 may not seem like not much, but in relative terms it's a 15% to 20% difference.
 
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


I am using the diesel version: SLX Professional OE.



Right on! Thin is in!



Assuming these are the two oils:

Castrol SLX Professional 5w-30
Liqui Moly Synthoil High-Tech 5w-40

The difference at 100C is 2.4cSt. HTHS for both is required to be at least 3.5cP, so they are probably both very close here.

The difference may all be in your head.


As soon as I fired up the car and drove away I could tell a difference.

2.4 may not seem like not much, but in relative terms it's a 15% to 20% difference.


It isn't much, because a few degrees C makes that much of a difference
wink.gif


Since both oils have the same minimum HTHS requirement, the difference between them is very, VERY little.

I'd posit that perhaps the Castrol is additized differently and the result is more due to that.
 
If you noticed it as soon as you drove away, then you were comparing the viscosity of COLD oil. wherein the spread is much more than 2.4. cold viscosity on those is 71 and 90.2. Engines don't keep their oil at exactly the temperature that the tests are performed, but vary greatly depending on outside temperature, load, etc). Which means outside a lab where the environment is controlled, many other factors are affecting your oil's viscosity. Seasonal changes make a difference.

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


I am using the diesel version: SLX Professional OE.



Right on! Thin is in!



Assuming these are the two oils:

Castrol SLX Professional 5w-30
Liqui Moly Synthoil High-Tech 5w-40

The difference at 100C is 2.4cSt. HTHS for both is required to be at least 3.5cP, so they are probably both very close here.

The difference may all be in your head.


As soon as I fired up the car and drove away I could tell a difference.

2.4 may not seem like not much, but in relative terms it's a 15% to 20% difference.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I enjoy these threads.

Reminds me of the BITOG'r who can tell their snowblower has 0w30 in 32*F weather.


I just put 0w-30 in my snowblower!


Because that's what I had for $1 / quart in the stash.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I enjoy these threads.

Reminds me of the BITOG'r who can tell their snowblower has 0w30 in 32*F weather.


It's similar to dismissing someone who feels a difference due to changing their dirty transmission fluid.
 
Been running 0w40 in mine for years and Castrol 0w30 green before that, it starts right up in -15f weather.
This is something for you guys to consider. I adjusted the valves after a few hours of operation to address initial break in wear and seat recession.

Over 10 years and 200 hrs I checked them again (I did check them at 100) they needed no adjustment one way or the other both times.
That tells a story about engine wear or the lack of. This is a 13HP OHC so it has lifters, push rods, rocker arms and pivot all at the top of the engine and the last place to receive oil.
 
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111


I am using the diesel version: SLX Professional OE.



Right on! Thin is in!



Assuming these are the two oils:

Castrol SLX Professional 5w-30
Liqui Moly Synthoil High-Tech 5w-40

The difference at 100C is 2.4cSt. HTHS for both is required to be at least 3.5cP, so they are probably both very close here.

The difference may all be in your head.


As soon as I fired up the car and drove away I could tell a difference.

2.4 may not seem like not much, but in relative terms it's a 15% to 20% difference.

There is some difference, mostly to the fact that that LM is mediocre oil. It is pretty heavy for current Euro 5W40 oils which are mostly in mid 13cst range.
However, minimum HTHS requirement means that 5W30 Edge SLX OE is NOT thin oil. 12.1cst is heavy 5W30 oil.
I think there could be some difference, but using Edge SLX OE doe snot make you thin oil guy. That is heavy oil.
Now question is why you did not use in Canadian winter before oil like Edge SLX OE?
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Now question is why you did not use in Canadian winter before oil like Edge SLX OE?


Had some work done that needed an oil change. Mechanic was a LM fan.
 
For those saying this is a dumb idea, keep in mind BMW backdated many of its engines to the LL-01 FE standard, which is a HTHS min of 3.0 (rather 3.5). Would I do it? No way. But OP’s car should be fine.

Edit: just saw the OP used a HTHS 3.5 version. I have a hard time believing the difference is due to the oil.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Popsy
Originally Posted By: alex_at
I feel you!

My 125cc Piaggio scooter came with 5w40 prefilled from the factory - and after the initial service where some standard 5w40 was used I switched to Motul 300V 5w40 which is more of a thin 5w40 oil. The difference was definitely noticeable - the engine is smoother and revs much easier with the Motul.


Are you sure that's not just because the 300V is a much better oil ? Cause its HTHS isn't that low compared to most 5W40.
300V feels smoother in my car too, compared to M1 0W40 (which is "thinner") or regular Total 5W40.


Yeah, maybe, just maybe the 300V's crazy stout anti-wear/anti-friction add pack had a little bit to do with that?
21.gif
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
I think it's all in the engine bearing clearances and what you're going to do with it-for example, Ford specs 15W50 in the Mustang Track Pack 5.0 (and in the Shelby GT350), but the same engine (block) in a garden variety Mustang can handle 5W20 just fine.


15W-50, or 5W-50?

I know that in all of the current GM LTxes, and the previous LSxes, in the y bodies and f bodies, as well as any of the V Caddies, when taken to a road course and run HARD, GM suggested the 15W-50 Mobil 1 (But they will probably say that the new unobtainium 0W-40 ESP M1 is OK as well in the current LTxes
21.gif
).
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
For those saying this is a dumb idea, keep in mind BMW backdated many of its engines to the LL-01 FE standard, which is a HTHS min of 3.0 (rather 3.5). Would I do it? No way. But OP’s car should be fine.

Edit: just saw the OP used a HTHS 3.5 version. I have a hard time believing the difference is due to the oil.

It backspecd. it only for NA market due to different driving regime here and not so much strain on engines. However, they DID NOT backspecd. older naturally aspirated engines that are out of warranty or CPO's.
In Europe, it is still HTHS 3.5 and above, even new B38/48/58 engines.
 
Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Now question is why you did not use in Canadian winter before oil like Edge SLX OE?


Had some work done that needed an oil change. Mechanic was a LM fan.

Mechanics are fans of LM because they can tell customers how they use German oil. Then they show them bottle and it has oversized letters: Made in Germany. Customers [censored] in their pants immediately.
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw
In Europe, it is still HTHS 3.5 and above, even new B38/48/58 engines.


Good to know. Further proof that low HTHS oils in NA market are driven by CAFE fuel economy requirements, not long-term engine reliability and longevity. BMW engines have a hard enough time making it to 150k as it is!
 
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