All the oils I am currently using are 2-3 certification generations old. I find it interesting that these 3 have not "evolved". I realize that these were all formulated to meet old standards.
I particularly find the BMW 5w30 being SL rated interesting since it is marketed as changing to meet the needs of current BMW's, yet it is old school.
According to the manual of my 11' 328i, BMW LL01 is all that matters, but if that is not available than select an SM rated oil.
M1 0w40 is the only BMW LL01 and SN oil available(that I know of), and not even BMW uses it. I guess that the catalytic converters aren't really that bothered by the older oils?
Castrol 0w-30,TWS10w60,(BMW)5w30 are SL,SJ,SL...
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JHZR2
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not before the lease/warranty runs out.
I did a VOA/UOA of BMS 5w30 sometime back. I dont recall it having very high Zn.
Those oils still meet current BMW and ACEA specs. The only outdated specs they carry are the API ones, and that's probably because the newer API specs involve constraints that wouldn't be worth meeting. I wouldn't worry.
Not all of those constraints apply to all grades. For example, the lower zinc and phosphorus limits for API SM and SN apply to xw-30 grades but not xw-40 grades. That's probably at least one reason why Mobil 1 0w-40 can carry BMW LL-01 and API SN, whereas GC and BMW 5w-30 cannot.
But again, the fact that an oil carries one outdated spec doesn't mean the formulation is outdated.
The newest BMW spec is LL04 which is a Mid-SAPS version of LL01. In the US BMW reserves LL04 for the diesels due to lack of ethanol and lower sulfur when compared to gasoline. You could run LL04 but shorten the OCI by half.
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Maybe this tells us that there isn't that much of a difference. Considering how much easier it is to find M1 Euro, for most people, it makes the choice a lot easier for out of warranty oil changes.
I'll still keep rocking GC, though.
For the record, I am sticking with BMW 5w30 while under warranty.
I am just trying to understand real world oil performance characteristics and differentiate them from marketing. Additionally , I am trying to balance the different standards against each other. Thanks for the reply's
Thanks. That helps!
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Those oils still meet current BMW and ACEA specs. The only outdated specs they carry are the API ones, and that's probably because the newer API specs involve constraints that wouldn't be worth meeting. I wouldn't worry.
Not all of those constraints apply to all grades. For example, the lower zinc and phosphorus limits for API SM and SN apply to xw-30 grades but not xw-40 grades. That's probably at least one reason why Mobil 1 0w-40 can carry BMW LL-01 and API SN, whereas GC and BMW 5w-30 cannot.
But again, the fact that an oil carries one outdated spec doesn't mean the formulation is outdated.
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