These oils are around the same price (BMW a little cheaper). The additive difference are that GC contains magnesium and the BMW oil contains Moly. The BMW may be group III and the GC may be PAO/Ester. For 7500 miles, I wonder if one oil would be better than the other.
BMW 5W30 vs GC
- Thread starter JonC
- Start date
- Status
JonC. Why do you think the BMW oil is
GRP III? It is made by Castrol but I
think it's imported from Europe. The
smell of the BMW oil is a sweet detergent
type smell vs the GRP. III 5w30 Syntec.
This might be the same smell GC 0w30 has.
Both are A3 rated and maybe are the same.
I asked Castrol North America about the
BMW oil and they didn't know anything
about it. They told me it was not made
in the U.S.
GRP III? It is made by Castrol but I
think it's imported from Europe. The
smell of the BMW oil is a sweet detergent
type smell vs the GRP. III 5w30 Syntec.
This might be the same smell GC 0w30 has.
Both are A3 rated and maybe are the same.
I asked Castrol North America about the
BMW oil and they didn't know anything
about it. They told me it was not made
in the U.S.
It's european TXT Softec Group 3.quote:
Originally posted by 2KBMW:
JonC. Why do you think the BMW oil is
GRP III? It is made by Castrol but I
think it's imported from Europe. The
smell of the BMW oil is a sweet detergent
type smell vs the GRP. III 5w30 Syntec.
This might be the same smell GC 0w30 has.
Both are A3 rated and maybe are the same.
I asked Castrol North America about the
BMW oil and they didn't know anything
about it. They told me it was not made
in the U.S.
Losiho. If the BMW oil is GRP.III, then
what makes people think that Castrol 0w30
is a PAO synthetic? Just because it's
from Germany and green ? There is no
indication what Castrol uses in their
formulation. I know that smelling GRP.III
oils has a strong petroleum smell. The
BMW 5w30 does not. Plus, I don't know of
any GRP.III 5w30 that is rated A3.
what makes people think that Castrol 0w30
is a PAO synthetic? Just because it's
from Germany and green ? There is no
indication what Castrol uses in their
formulation. I know that smelling GRP.III
oils has a strong petroleum smell. The
BMW 5w30 does not. Plus, I don't know of
any GRP.III 5w30 that is rated A3.
Because the TXT Softec is listed under the HC (Hydrocracked oils) and the GC is listed under the Synthetic category on the Euro. Castrol websites. In Europe (at least in Germany), an oil must be labelled as HC if it is a group III and only group IV and V oils can be referred to as synthetic.
This fact in particular does not make either oil better or worse though...
This fact in particular does not make either oil better or worse though...
The BMW oil has more additives than you have listed .
It costs 4.20 - 5.00 and appears to be a very good engine oil .
BMW 5w30 VOA
I do, the Castrol Formula R 5w30 that I'm using in my car right now (as far as I know, it's TXT Softec in different labelling)
http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/b...ds/a/AU_Castrol_Formula_R_Synthetic_5W_30.pdf
From what we have been able to gather both here at bitog and the Castrol worldwide and european sites, the only PAO/Ester synths that Castrol produce are SLX / GC 0w30, Formula R / RS 0w40 and Formula R / RS 10w60.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
- Locked