Best oil for BMW 335i N54 twin turbo?

[moribundman]

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I don't know what compromises BMW engineers have to make but for a car like mine that is never tracked, driven hard maybe once in a great while, lives in an environment that is well above freezing, I am thinking a heavier weight oil maybe in order.

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Your car and engine are commonly operated in their moderately cool temperate native Bavarian climate, which ranges from well over 40°C in the summer to well below freezing temperatures during the winter. Spring and fall are mostly wet and cool and the weather conditions are fairly hard on cars.

At least BMW engines that were built until the late '90s (I lost track after that time), tended to suffer from poor oil choice, which commonly led to excessive wear in rod bearings and to worn/flaking camshafts (big issue with M40 in the '80s and '90s). Mechanics used to advise to replace rod bearings routinely about every 150k km. Often superior hardened aftermarket cams (Schrick etc) were installed. Back then thicker oils were usually recommended by most mechanics. I don't know if any of this still applies to current BMW engine designs almost a decade later.

 

[BMWDriver]

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I'm not familiar with BMW's but most seem to be low wearing engines. My fiance's father has a 2000 335i that has 160,000 on it (non turbo though) and it runs very good.

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The first year of production of a 335i was 2006, before then no such creature existed. A 2000 3 series in the US would be a 323i or 328i using the M52 engine, a different engine than the new turbo engine.

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Actually, 2007 was the first year model of the new TT 335i N54 engine.

Also, the BMW 5-30 oil I bought at the dealer has LL-01 and LL-04 on the label.

 

[shortyb]

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Can anyone answer the question as to why BMWNA uses the LL-98 5w-30 in the US and not the true synthetic 0w-30?

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Why they don't use the "real" oil, GC, as standard dealer offered oil probably has to do with cost and semantics. To be rated LL-01, 04, the oil has to be a "true" synthetic, grp. IV or V. The BMW oil is grp. III, thus can't technically meet the LL-01, 04 spec per se. Even though the BMW oil is very good and probably the only grp. III 5W-30 to meet ACEA A3 specs. No matter, the LL-01, 04 just gives those that push their oil to the 15K+ OCI some numerical comfort. While the BMW oil can probably do the long service, most "in the know" will change it out around 7500 anyway. If BMW packaged GC as their own, it would probably cost around $10 a quart. Gotta pay for that blue and white Roundel with the customary mark-up

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[Cary]

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Actually, 2007 was the first year model of the new TT 335i N54 engine.

Also, the BMW 5-30 oil I bought at the dealer has LL-01 and LL-04 on the label.

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Thanks for the correction on the N54, I guess with all the hype of the introduction last year I thought 2006.

It looks like BMW has upgraded their BMW branded oil in the US. The oil always bared the LL-98 only. Perhaps this was done in part because of the N54 introduction.

 

[reb03]

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Also, the BMW 5-30 oil I bought at the dealer has LL-01 and LL-04 on the label.

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Interesting. I'm looking at a bottle of BMW High Performance Synthetic 5w-30 I bought less than a month ago for my previous 335 and nowhere on the bottle does it make any reference to LL of any year. No LL-98, 01 or 04. All it says is ACEA A3/B3.

 

[JAG]

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To be rated LL-01, 04, the oil has to be a "true" synthetic, grp. IV or V. The BMW oil is grp. III, thus can't technically meet the LL-01, 04 spec per se.

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I don't believe it since it makes no sense to write a spec that way and I've searched for proof of this several times and have not found it, so what gave you this idea? I sound cranky but I'm not...just loaded up on caffeine right now.

 

[reb03]

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How do we know for sure that GC 0w-30 is the factory fill?

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Correction: GC 0w-30 IS NOT factory fill in Europe but is available at the dealer if you ask for it, and presumably pay more for it. Castrol 0w-30 is factory fill but not the Edge (GC as we know it) 0w-30. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[shortyb]

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To be rated LL-01, 04, the oil has to be a "true" synthetic, grp. IV or V. The BMW oil is grp. III, thus can't technically meet the LL-01, 04 spec per se.

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I don't believe it since it makes no sense to write a spec that way and I've searched for proof of this several times and have not found it, so what gave you this idea? I sound cranky but I'm not...just loaded up on caffeine right now.

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No worries on the "crankiness". Your attitude is quite pleasant when compared to some folks I've dealt with

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Anyway, there have been some published specs for LL oils that refer to "true" synths, grp.IV grp.V etc. The ones I've seen have been Euro published and as we all know, European ratings have not generally recognized grp. III as a "true" synthetic. Now where the lines blur is the assumption that since grp. III is not synthetic, it therefore cannot meet newer LL-01, 04 specs. Seems alittle strange to me too, and I should not have said it is gospel. It's just what I've read that lends some insight to why the BMW oil may (or may not) meet LL-01, 04. The mystery continues I suppose

 

[shortyb]

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How do we know for sure that GC 0w-30 is the factory fill?

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Correction: GC 0w-30 IS NOT factory fill in Europe but is available at the dealer if you ask for it, and presumably pay more for it. Castrol 0w-30 is factory fill but not the Edge (GC as we know it) 0w-30. Sorry for the confusion.

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I wonder if OUR GC is in fact the newer Edge (Edge Sport) oils available in Europe. There has been some reference made that our GC is from the TXT line, and the TXT was reformulated to the current Edge offerings. Don't know for certain if that may be the same change as the green to gold transition or not. Another mystery

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And as for asking for GC at the dealer, again, wonder what THAT would cost. Certainly more than a quick trip down to the local AZ or some gold

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[shortyb]

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How do we know for sure that GC 0w-30 is the factory fill?

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Correction: GC 0w-30 IS NOT factory fill in Europe but is available at the dealer if you ask for it, and presumably pay more for it. Castrol 0w-30 is factory fill but not the Edge (GC as we know it) 0w-30. Sorry for the confusion.

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I wonder if OUR GC is in fact the newer Edge (Edge Sport) oils available in Europe. There has been some reference made that our GC is from the TXT line, and the TXT was reformulated to the current Edge offerings. Don't know for certain if that may be the same change as the green to gold transition or not. Another mystery

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And as for asking for GC at the dealer, again, wonder what THAT would cost. Certainly more than a quick trip down to the local AZ or some gold

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That last sentence should read .......FOR some gold (GC).
Me needs MORE caffiene. JAG, send me some of what you're drinkin'

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[reb03]

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Certainly more than a quick trip down to the local AZ or some gold

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Just to be clear, Edge 0w-30 is only available if you specifically ask for it at dealers in Europe, not here in the US. For those of us in the US it's AZ or bust.

 

[Cary]

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I don't believe it since it makes no sense to write a spec that way and I've searched for proof of this several times and have not found it, so what gave you this idea? I sound cranky but I'm not...just loaded up on caffeine right now.

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It's very hard to find and it comes from Motul's Japan web site. According to the chart, there is no specific base oil listed for LL-98, but for LL-01, it requires the base oil be "chemical synthetic oil".

http://www.motul.co.jp/eg/fact_sheets/maker_approval.html

Click on the BMW link.

 

[JAG]

Thanks for replying fellas. I'm not sure that that phrase would exclude Group 3 because some but not all European oil companies have become lax with the term synthetic.

 

[vinu_neuro]

I'm surprised no one has suggested this..has anyone tested the M1 5W-40 designed for turbo diesel's, or any other diesel oil? I would think that any oil designed for diesel engines should be able to combat the issue of fuel dilution.

 

[Drivebelt]

ELF Solaris LSX 5W-30 … is BMW-LL-04 … and is a Group III based motor oil.

 

[Alan]

I guess the dealer oil is fine as LONG AS YOU CHANGE it way earlier than the stupid OLM indicates.

 

[Bowser]

The often discussed and never boring topic of BMW oil specs...

The BMW Long Life '01 spec calls for the strict usage of only PAO/Ester Group IV or V oils.

The more current BMW LL-04 allow for the inclusion of Group III along with Group IV and V oils, that meet ACEA A3 B3 and C3 like Group III Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic 5W30 and 10W30.

My GF's '03 BMW has been on GC and Mann filters for a couple of years with her mechanic's blessing on the quality of GC and his adherence to BMW LL-01 oils for her model year (For whatever reason).

BTW- Castrol up front says that GC was engineered for Mercedes Benz MB229.XX specifications. Whether it's a factory fill in any Euro vehicle remains to be seen.

Bowser

 

[Drivebelt]

ELF Excellium XLL 5W-40 … is BMW LL-01 … and is listed as a Group III based motor oil on their web site. link

 

[e36'n]

There goes that theory...

 

[Carmudgeon]

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I am a CCA BMW member and I recall Mike Miller in the Roundel Tech Talk section stating that the extended oil changes are nonesense and that 5W30 is too think and he was recommending 10W60 Castrol for this 335 engine. I think this was based on his experience and no scientific evidence.

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I wouldn't go so far as to call him an idiot. He does have some sound knowledge, but only pertaining to E30s and earlier. I would trust him with practical advice about E30s, since that's what he owns and knows, but I'd be circumspect otherwise.

His persistent biases against anything post-E30, and the editorial tone in which he writes have no place in a technical column. It seemed that he never declined an opportunity to pooh-pooh every issue that was brought up as due to everything produced after the E30 being junk, and not worthy of the marque, rather than simply answering the question and offering a solution.

I gave up my CCA membership after over a decade since I was no longer active in the chapter, and the declining quality of the Roundel. It got glossier and clearly tried to take on a professional-look, but the quality and appeal of the content didn't keep up. Nor did it seem to employ a fact checker or copy editor. It became amusing to spot the errors in each new issue, made even more so when they pertained to BMWs, in a BMW specialty publication no less!