Esso XD-3 Extra or Amsoil?

Pennzoil motor oil
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BMW_sm

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Jun 25, 2007
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Toronto, Ontario
Hi,

I have gotten a second hand BMW 3 series - 320i (Canadian model) .. and its ready for an oil change. While I was researching for oil, I found three possible contenders
1) Amsoil
2) Mobil 1
3) Esso XD-3 Extra
I have read much about the first two but not the Esso oil. After googling it many people have said that at bobistheoilguy there have been many positive reviews on this oil and people rave about this oil here. After searching through here .. I find very little talk about this oil.

Can anyone.. clarify .. if this oil is in the same category as Amsoil/Mobil 1. If I don't find anything on this oil, I will just go with Amsoil or Mobil 1 but Esso its is a heck lot cheaper!!

Any help will greatly be appreciated.

Thanks
SM
 
I don't know about Esso XD-3, but I'll never put M1 in my engine again. Go with the Amsoil, tried and true, excellent oil.

Harry
driving.gif
 
Sorry...... I really am new to all this... I called the dealer and he said 5w30 should be fine.. so was thinking of going with Esso 5w30.. is that what you meant?
 
No. 5w30 is just a grade. On top of that, different oils meet different car manufacturers' specs. You can find those listed on the back of the oil bottle or on oil company websites.

I have a list of BMW-approved LL01 and LL04 oils at home... I can try to post it tonight if you want.
 
Would really appreciate that Pete.

So you are saying if Esso XD-3 Extra meets the oil requirements.... then its the way to go? Then why do people choose one oil over other if its a simple thing of matching specifications of oil?
 
Because they can. Just like there are many cars that may meet your driving criteria, there are many oils out there that can be used.

Some people don't like specific brands for personal reasons.

And even if some oil doesn't list the BMW spec, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be bad for your engine. It may just mean that the specific oil has not been sent to BMW for testing.
 
Quote:

Anyone know anything about Esso XD-3 ? how is this oil? Is it safe from BMWs?

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The reason you don't see much about XD-3 is that it is available only in Canada, but most of the members here are US-based. In the world of oil, Esso XD-3 is about the only advantage we Canadians have over our US brothers. In every other aspect, we get screwed up here with higher prices and only a fraction of the product selection that the US guys have. However, we did kick their butts at Stoney Creek, Ontario during the battle of 1812. There's a monument there. But there's no oil in it.

Anyhow, the 0w30 version of XD-3 is quite thick - almost a 40 weight. It has very high TBN (12.2 if I recall) and is really targeted for diesel engines. It is a "real" synthetic since it's primary component is PAO. Same for 0W-40 XD-3. Price wise, XD-3 is a bargain compared to almost anything else. Not of all of the XD-3 series oils are PAO - only the 0w30 and 0W-40.

From memory, any used oil analysis I've seen on it were very, very good, even with extended drain intervals in gasoline engines. Do a long term search in the used oil analysis section and you will find them. There was a guy on here from Saskatchewan who owns some sort of taxi or delivery service. He ran it exclusively in all his Chevy vans with 25,000 km OCIs (15K miles). Excellent used oil analysis every time, and some of those vans had 600K kms on them.

I spoke to a tech support engineer from the Esso office in Sarnia about using XD-3 in gas engines. His only concern was that it had lower levels of anti-wear or friction modifier additives (can't remember which one)than typical gasoline service motor oils, and it's higher viscosity might have a negative effect on gas mileage. Despite that, the used oil analysis you'll find here show excellent results.

I have a case of the 0w30 in my garage that I may never get around to using. Let me know if your interested. I'm about an hour from Toronto, but I'm there quite often.
 
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Use the XD-3. It is much cheaper and just about the only break we Canucks can get as va3ux said. It can be a bit difficult finding the 0w30 though. You have to go to a distributor.
 
Quote:

Any reason for not putting Mobil1?

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In my engine, 1993 Civic 1.5 liter, there was too much lifter noise. I didn't mind the oil turning blackish as much as the noise factor. While I'm sure the oil was protecting the engine, I will not put up with an oil that perceptively sounds bad.

Harry
 
Thanks for all the info guys....

From what I hear... since I have a BMW, its probably better to not mess around with the engine and go with the trusted Amsoil... as XD-3 is on the heavy side and has lower levels of anti-wear or friction modifier additives and its really meant for a diesel engine!

Or would you still go with this oil if you had a BMW?
 
As a Canadian BMW owner, I run GC (Castrol Syntec 0W30 MADE IN GERMANY). It's a thick 30, almost a 40, and meets BMW LL-01, ACEA A3 and a host of other specs. I'd give it a serious look and add it to your list. XD-3 0W30 is also supposed to be an excellent oil.

I used to run Mobil 1 0W40 and I'm happier with GC. Mobil 1 scored well on a used oil analysis but sheared to a 30 weight in ~6500km and my engine (a 1998 M52) was much noisier on Mobil 1 than any other oil. GC is easier to get in Canada than Mobil 1 0W40 and costs about the same.
 
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