I am not an ingnorant person, but after reading, pages and pages of very informative forums, I still don't have an answer to my question. I still remain confused.
The vehicles in question are listed below.
I basicallt have been running BMW "High Performance Synthetic Oil 5W30" in the Z4. What always irritated me was the "valvetrain noise" on initial startup. Most BMW owners will agree this is quite common. So I asked around and read around - and the solution was to go to a 0W30 weight for "thinner cold starting oil". Of course, after reading these forums I am now convinced that at running temp, this 0W30 is a "thick" and protects my engine as much as 5W30 (which is the preferred weight according to the manual. Before being familiarized with this site, I went on the hunt for the best oil I could find. Foreign Car Parts imports and sells, Total (Elf) Quartz 9000 0W30 Oil. It meets SL/CF A3/B3 A3/B4, as well as BMW LL-01, MB 229.5 and a long list of other specifications. I did a complete oil change, and I was absolutely astonished when on a 22 degree morning, I started the car and got about 1 to 2 seconds of valvetrain followed by smooth running. OK - so great stuff to avoid cold starts. I then proceeded to change the oil in the Jaguar (X-Type) & the C240. The Benz was running on the recomended 0W40, and the Jag, the "preferred 5W30. Seemed to shorten the valvetrain noise on the Benz a bit, and can't really notice a difference on the Jaguar.
After reading all these forums, I discovered that there was a PAO based GC oil. It is also sold abundantly in my area. So is the Elf, sorry Total Oil. Both of these meet EXACTLY the same specs, with the total oil having a dozen or so more certs.
Here are the assumptions I am making that leads to my confusion.
1) BMW LL-01 & MB 229.5"Long Life" Oils are more robust, durable and should therefore protect my engines better than Non- LL certified oils.
2) According to what I have read, when API comes out with a new spec, for example SM, It meets all the previous cert, for example, an SL oil does not meet SM, but an SM oil meets SM AND SL.
The entire problem is based around the ACEA Certifications. The owners manuals tell me to use A3/B3 SL/CF Oils only in the Jags, sames goes for the BMW but add BMW LL-01, and of course the Mercedes 229.5 cert.
As much as I would LOVE to run the "latest and greatest", it seems that SM is associated with ACEA a5/B5, or A1/B1 but NOT the A3/B4 I need in my vehicles. I plan on running 0W30 year round.I understand that German Castrol & This Elf/Total stuff are comparable and am swaying to the GC simply because it is confirmed to be a PAO based syn - BUT Mobil 1 is also a great PAO oil, and it offers a 0W30 grade, in their Advanced Fuel Economy Product, but it is NOT BMW LL-01 or MB 229.5 Cert, and is an A1/B1, SM oil - which is NOT what my manual recommends.I realize the answer is simply use the GC oil, or the Elf/Total if you like it.
The impression I get is that, SM is OK, but A1/B1 isn't. and Oh my Gosh avoid A5/B5 at all cost, because.... well something about the cats...Well, if SL is A3/B3/B4, and SM is also "SL improved" why isn't SM oil A3/B3 or B4 Long Life or MB 229.5 certfied? Why is A1/B1 or A5/B5 harmful to my engines?
... and a small note, I have been running SM Castrol Edge 5W30 in the Supercharged Jaguar all along - no problems, and now realize it calls for SL A3/B3/B4.
My goal is simple: I want my oil to "get up there" as fast as possible on cold starts and to protect my engine when it's 110 degrees outside, and I decide to redline the supercharged one. I keep my cars, but demand quite a bit from them.
... and one more thing - please don't give me specs on AMSOIL. I am familiar with the product, but wish to limit my question to Castrol, Mobil & Total/Elf Quartz 9000 0W30 grade only, please. Unless, of course there is another 0W30 around.
The vehicles in question are listed below.
I basicallt have been running BMW "High Performance Synthetic Oil 5W30" in the Z4. What always irritated me was the "valvetrain noise" on initial startup. Most BMW owners will agree this is quite common. So I asked around and read around - and the solution was to go to a 0W30 weight for "thinner cold starting oil". Of course, after reading these forums I am now convinced that at running temp, this 0W30 is a "thick" and protects my engine as much as 5W30 (which is the preferred weight according to the manual. Before being familiarized with this site, I went on the hunt for the best oil I could find. Foreign Car Parts imports and sells, Total (Elf) Quartz 9000 0W30 Oil. It meets SL/CF A3/B3 A3/B4, as well as BMW LL-01, MB 229.5 and a long list of other specifications. I did a complete oil change, and I was absolutely astonished when on a 22 degree morning, I started the car and got about 1 to 2 seconds of valvetrain followed by smooth running. OK - so great stuff to avoid cold starts. I then proceeded to change the oil in the Jaguar (X-Type) & the C240. The Benz was running on the recomended 0W40, and the Jag, the "preferred 5W30. Seemed to shorten the valvetrain noise on the Benz a bit, and can't really notice a difference on the Jaguar.
After reading all these forums, I discovered that there was a PAO based GC oil. It is also sold abundantly in my area. So is the Elf, sorry Total Oil. Both of these meet EXACTLY the same specs, with the total oil having a dozen or so more certs.
Here are the assumptions I am making that leads to my confusion.
1) BMW LL-01 & MB 229.5"Long Life" Oils are more robust, durable and should therefore protect my engines better than Non- LL certified oils.
2) According to what I have read, when API comes out with a new spec, for example SM, It meets all the previous cert, for example, an SL oil does not meet SM, but an SM oil meets SM AND SL.
The entire problem is based around the ACEA Certifications. The owners manuals tell me to use A3/B3 SL/CF Oils only in the Jags, sames goes for the BMW but add BMW LL-01, and of course the Mercedes 229.5 cert.
As much as I would LOVE to run the "latest and greatest", it seems that SM is associated with ACEA a5/B5, or A1/B1 but NOT the A3/B4 I need in my vehicles. I plan on running 0W30 year round.I understand that German Castrol & This Elf/Total stuff are comparable and am swaying to the GC simply because it is confirmed to be a PAO based syn - BUT Mobil 1 is also a great PAO oil, and it offers a 0W30 grade, in their Advanced Fuel Economy Product, but it is NOT BMW LL-01 or MB 229.5 Cert, and is an A1/B1, SM oil - which is NOT what my manual recommends.I realize the answer is simply use the GC oil, or the Elf/Total if you like it.
The impression I get is that, SM is OK, but A1/B1 isn't. and Oh my Gosh avoid A5/B5 at all cost, because.... well something about the cats...Well, if SL is A3/B3/B4, and SM is also "SL improved" why isn't SM oil A3/B3 or B4 Long Life or MB 229.5 certfied? Why is A1/B1 or A5/B5 harmful to my engines?
... and a small note, I have been running SM Castrol Edge 5W30 in the Supercharged Jaguar all along - no problems, and now realize it calls for SL A3/B3/B4.
My goal is simple: I want my oil to "get up there" as fast as possible on cold starts and to protect my engine when it's 110 degrees outside, and I decide to redline the supercharged one. I keep my cars, but demand quite a bit from them.
... and one more thing - please don't give me specs on AMSOIL. I am familiar with the product, but wish to limit my question to Castrol, Mobil & Total/Elf Quartz 9000 0W30 grade only, please. Unless, of course there is another 0W30 around.
